West of the Pesos

West of the Pesos is a 1960 Merrie Melodies short directed by Robert McKimson.
== Plot ==
At the ACME Laboratorio por Experimento, captured mice are imprisoned in cages, worrying about their fates in scientific experiments. As the imprisoned mice engage in various activities such as card games and playing the harmonica, Sylvester marches outside as the guard cat, discouraging any mouse that would dare escape. In the village, the señorita mice are crying about family members and boyfriends having gone missing.
The mayor of the village attempts to recruit volunteers to help rescue their villagers, but realize the situation is hopeless because Sylvester is too fast and smart for them. Then, one of the mice suggests calling on Speedy Gonzales to help with the rescue effort. After realizing that he is on vacation in Guadalajara, another mouse comments that Speedy "would come all the way from Guadalajara to visit my seester Carmella." With that, Carmella is recruited to place a long-distance call to Speedy; seconds after the call is placed, Speedy races to the village to begin the rescue effort.
Speedy walks into the patio to great fanfare, much like a bullfighter before his fight, drawing Sylvester's attention. The mouse directly taunts the "gringo pussy gato," and Sylvester — perhaps thinking Speedy is the latest attempted would-be rescuer in an apparent long line of hapless victims — sarcastically obliges. Speedy instantly races past Sylvester and rescues Manuelito; the cat's attempt to snare them in a rope trap fails, as Speedy's quick pace pulls Sylvester through the knothole of the wall he is hiding behind.
Sylvester's other encounters with Speedy include:
* The cat's attempt to crush Speedy with a large rock (Speedy yells "Yee-haw!" causing Sylvester to drop the rock on himself). Speedy then smuggles out several more mice in a tin can and hides behind another rock and in between three cans. Sylvester looks under all three cans, the final one concealing a dynamite stick that explodes in his face as the mice make their getaway.
* Speedy sneaking out several more mice using a dachshund costume. One of the mice briefly is separated from the group, but is able to catch up, and Sylvester crashes into the fence.
* Speedy using a set of train tracks and cars to bring the rest of the mice home. Sylvester tries to hide behind a tunnel along the tracks, but the train simply goes through the cat's body and exit through his tail. The cat cries in frustration. Here, Speedy refers to the escape as like "Atchison, Tabasco, and Santa Fe", a pun on the railroad line, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe.
Speedy is hailed as a hero and gets a big kiss from Carmella. Speedy goes wild and blasts into outer space. The other mice laugh, commenting that he is now a "loco satellite."
== Availability ==
LTGC Vol.4.jpg|(2006) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4, Disc Three
lt bbot sg.jpg|(2011) DVD Speedy Gonzales
=== Streaming ===
Lt itunes.jpg|iTunes ( - ) (restored)
== Notes ==
* The name of one of the missing mice also happens to be one of the animators, Manuel Perez, although not an animator for this short. 
** Some of other the names of the missing mice also include famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, as well as MGM/Lantz animator Rudy Zamora and character designer Gus Arriolla.
** The name Sam Fernando is also likely a reference to the San Fernando Valley in California.
* It is the first cartoon to replace the "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off." byline below the Looney Tunes or Merrie Melodies logo on the opening titles with the registered trademark symbol. Despite this, the "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off." byline still appears in the ending titles until the Color Rings were discontinued.
== Gallery ==
857 - A1 - West of the Pesos (Les pesos de l'Ouest) 15568000.png|French title card
West of the Pesos credits.png|Credits
West of the Pesos director credit.png|Directors' credit
WestOfThePesosLeadSheet1.jpg
WestOfThePesosLeadSheet2.jpg
WestOfThePesosLeadSheet3.jpg
WestOfThePesosScript1.jpg
WestOfThePesosScript2.jpg
WestOfThePesosScript3.jpg
WestOfThePesosScript4.jpg
WestOfThePesosScript5.jpg
WestOfThePesosScript6.jpg
WestOfThePesosScript7.jpg
WestOfThePesosScript8.jpg
WestOfThePesosScript9.jpg
Hyg6t5r4eds63we5duf.jpg|Animation cel
Huygt7fr6d4.jpg
==References==
Category:1960
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Cartoons directed by Robert McKimson
Category:Speedy Gonzales Cartoons
Category:Shorts
Category:Sylvester Cartoons
Category:Cartoons written by Tedd Pierce
Category:Cartoons with music by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons animated by Warren Batchelder
Category:Cartoons animated by George Grandpré
Category:Cartoons animated by Ted Bonnicksen
Category:Cartoons animated by Tom Ray
Category:Cartoons with layouts by Robert Givens
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by William Butler
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons produced by John W. Burton