Birds of a Father is a 1961 Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson.
Title[]
The title is a play on the expression "birds of a feather flock together."
Plot[]
Sylvester lies down in his hammock as he sees his son chasing after a bird named Spike, calling him a natural bird catcher. However, he later sees Junior chased by Spike in return, and is shocked. As he checks after the two, he sees Junior being tickled by Spike. Sylvester isn't impressed, and forces Junior to read a book that states that cats must catch birds as their predator. Junior is defensive, stating "What are we, cannibals?", but Sylvester responds that is the way real cats survive in the wild and tells Junior to start pursuing Spike. Junior, however, has no intention to devour his friend and figures out a way to make his father think he is a "real cat".
The first attempt involves running into a shed, where Junior breaks several things inside to pretend he is harming the bird. However, when Sylvester sees a meat cleaver being thrown out of the door, he thinks Junior has taken too extreme of a measure and intervenes, stating that he cannot scare the bird to death. Sylvester insists to show the correct way to catch a bird, with Junior blindfolded throughout the entire lesson so he cannot "bear to watch" Spike possibly getting hurt. Sylvester first makes two attempts shoot the bird with a rifle, but he instead destroys a shuttlecock and nearly blasts a person on the head, causing Sylvester to get bashed in the head with a badminton racquet and an umbrella. He then utilizes a radio-controlled jet plane to chase the bird, but Spike redirects it towards Sylvester until the bird corners and locks Sylvester in a dynamite shack, blowing it up. As a stunned Sylvester resurfaces, Junior opens up a pillow and throws the feathers out of it to make Sylvester believe he finally caught Spike. Junior "agrees" that no bird can outsmart a cat just like his cat friend, which is just Spike dressed in a cat costume.
Availability[]
The Looney Tunes Video Show, Volume 1
Tweety & Sylvester (2003)
Streaming[]
Notes[]
- This cartoon premiered with The Sins of Rachel Cade.
- This is the first short written by David Detiege.
Gallery[]
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