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{{Short description|Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character}}
]
{{Infobox character
'''Penelope Pussycat''' is a ], an ] ] featured in the ] classic '']'' animated shorts. Though typically a non-speaker, her "meows" and "purs" were most often provided by ] using a feminine voice. In the 1959 short ''"Really Scent"'', she was voiced by ]. And in her only real speaking role, she was voiced by ] in the 1995 straight-to-video movie, ''"Carrotblanca"''.
| name = Penelope Pussycat
| series = ]
| image = Penelope Pussycat.png
| image_upright =
| caption =
| first = '']'' ({{Start date and age|1949|11|12}})
| last =
| creator = ]
| voice = {{plainlist|
* ] (1949–1961)
* ] (1959)
* ] (1962)
* ] (1995)
* ] (2000)
* ] (2018)
* ] (2023)}}
| species = ]
| gender = Female
| nationality = French
}}
'''Penelope Pussycat''' is an animated cartoon character, featured in the ] classic '']'' animated shorts along with ]. Although she is typically a non-speaker, her "meows" and "]s" (or "le mews" and "le purrs") were most often provided by ] using a feminine voice. The character did not originally have a permanent name; she was alternately referred to as "'''Penelope'''", "'''Fifi'''", and "'''Fabrette'''", and animator ]' 1960 model sheet calls her "'''Le Cat'''".<ref name=reading/> The name Penelope Pussycat was created retroactively for Warner Bros. marketing.


The character first appeared in the 1949 short '']'', which won an ].<ref name=Beck>{{cite book |last1=Beck |first1=Jerry |last2=Friedwald |first2=Will |title=Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons |date=1989 |publisher=Henry Holt and Co |isbn=0-8050-0894-2 |page=204}}</ref> While the skunk had been used in several earlier cartoons since '']'' (1945), the addition of his main love interest in ''For Scent-imental Reasons'' solidified his characterization and the structure of all further Pepé films.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schneider |first1=Steve |title=That's All, Folks! : The Art of Warner Bros. Animation |date=1988 |publisher=Henry Holt and Co |isbn=0-8050-0889-6 |pages=204–205}}</ref>
==Character History and Personality==


In the 1959 short '']'', she was voiced by ]; in the 1962 short '']'', she was voiced by ]; and in the 2000 film, '']'', she was voiced by ]. Her first speaking role was in the 1995 short ''],'' where she is voiced by ]. In '']'', she is voiced by ] and is given a French accent.
Penelope Pussycat is best known as the often bewildered love interest of Looney Tunes star-skunk, ]. Penelope is a typical black and white ], though by some means or another, she often finds herself with a white stripe down her back. She talks very seldomly, and has a somewhat shy personality...until she falls in love. When Penelope falls in love, and there is nothing to get in her way, she can be just as passionate and unstoppable as Pepe. Penelope is always on the lookout for romance, but often that romance comes paired with a disturbingly foul odor.


==History==
]


Penelope Pussycat is best known as the often bewildered love interest of ''Looney Tunes''<nowiki>'</nowiki> anthropomorphic skunk, ]. Penelope is a black and white ], who often finds herself with a white stripe down her back, whether painted intentionally or by accident.<ref name=reading>{{cite journal| title= Ah Love! Zee Grand Illusion! Pepé Le Pew, Narcissism and Cats in the Casbah| journal= Reading the Rabbit; Explorations in Warner Bros. Animation| editor-first= Kevin |editor-last= Sandler| location= New Brunswick| publisher= Rutgers University Press| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zd_WTZZjvqkC |access-date=21 July 2020| year= 1998|pages= 137–153| isbn= 9780813525389}}</ref>
While she finds herself constantly being chased by the overly enthusiastic Pepe, their relationship is certainly not a one-sided attraction. On more than one occasion she has been shown to harbor an equally powerful desire to chase, capture and smother Pepe in overwhelming amounts of passion and romance (much to Pepe's fright, as he has an ironic fear of women trying to capture him). However, while she does find Pepe to be attractive, it is his smell that she cannot stand.


She often finds herself being chased by the overly enthusiastic Pepé, but when the occasion has presented itself, Penelope has been portrayed as the pursuer. ''],'' ''],'' and '']'' have all shown Penelope to harbor an attraction to Pepé whenever his scent is neutralized (though in each cited instance, extenuating circumstances have caused Pepé to become repulsed by her, inciting Penelope to reverse the roles).
Despite their differences, and a smell strong enough to kill plants where they stand, Penelope is '''very''' much in love with Pepe when given the proper opportunity to be with him. On many occasions she will go to great lengths to separate Pepe from his odor, and in the moments where she succeeds, she easily turns the tables on him and amorously hunts him down with reckless abandon.


In current Warner Bros. merchandise, Penelope and Pepé are portrayed as sharing a mutual attraction towards each other, whereas the ''Looney Tunes'' comic book series maintains their chasing relationship. '']'' featured her as the Ilsa analogue to ]'s Rick, with ] portraying her husband and Pepe being a minor pursuer.
⚫ ==Most Notable Appearances==
⚫ ==="For Scent-imental Reasons"===


Penelope Pussycat partly inspired the '']'' character ], a male cat who, in one episode, is chased by an amorous female skunk (]) due to getting a white stripe painted down his back and tail.
]


Penelope remained without an official name for many years. In the 1954 short, '']'', her mistress referred to her as "Penelope". The name was later contradicted in the 1955 short, '']'', where she was identified as "Fifi". In the 1959 short, '']'', she was called '''Fabrette'''. A model sheet from the early 1990s referred to the character as "Le Cat". The 1995 release of '']'' (a parody of '']'') canonized her name as "Penelope Pussycat", with many advertisements for the short crediting her as "Penelope Pussycat in her first speaking role".
Her first appearance was in the 1949 ]-winning short, ''"For Scent-imental Reasons"''. In that short, the owner of a French ] shop is horrified to find ] inside, trying on various colognes. With the police too afraid to help the man, he tosses a bewildered Penelope Pussycat into the shop, hoping she would fight Pepe off. Instead, Penelope accidentally crashes into a table with a bottle of white paint on it, tipping the bottle over and dribbling a white stripe down her back. Pepe mistakes her for a skunk and immediately chases her throughout the shop. Though annoyed by the stench, Penelope shows some affection and concern for Pepe when he leaves her to think he is going to commit ]. Penelope exits her hiding place and grabs Pepe tightly to stop him, but quickly runs away again once she gets a whiff of his odor.


⚫ ==Appearances==
However, by the episode's end, both Penelope and Pepe fall out of a window on the second story. Penelope drops directly into barrel of dirty water, which not only washes away the white stripe, but leaves her with a ratty appearance and a bad cold. Pepe, on the other hand, falls into a can of blue paint, which seals off his odor and (unknowingly to him) disguises him as a cat. Penelope gets a good look at his muscular frame and falls madly in love. Reinvigorated, she chases a frightened Pepe (who isn't very fond of her wet and sickly appearance) back inside the perfume shop. Once inside, she locks the door behind herself, lovingly drops the key down her chest to ensure he can't escape and continues to chase the terrified, and now completely trapped, Pepe. Pepe's final, frightened remark is, "You know, it eez possible to be TOO attractive," as he desperately runs away in fear with Penelope hopping closely behind him, bound to catch him sooner or later.
===Classic shorts===
⚫ * '']'' (1949)
* '']'' (1951)
* '']'' (1952)
* ''] '' (1953)
* '']'' (1954)
* '']'' (1955)
* '']'' (1955)
* '']'' (1956)
* '']'' (1957)
⚫ * '']'' (1959)
* '']'' (1960)
* '']'' (1961)
* '']'' (1962)


===Other media===
]
* '']'' (1990–1992)
* '']'' (1995)
* '']'' (1996) (cameo)
* '']'' (2000)
* '']'' (2003)
* '']'' (2003) (cameo)
* '']'' (2005–2007) (cameo)
* '']'' (2006)
* '']'' (2011–2014)
* '']'' (2021) (teaser advertisement only)
* '']'' (2018) (as several characters)
* '']'' (2023)


==References==
==="Little Beau-Pepe"===
{{reflist}}


{{Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies}}
Another of her more foreward appearances was in the 1952 short, ''"Little Beau-Pepe"''. In this one, Pepe joins the ] ] out in a desert base, and immediately scares all the Legionaires off the premises. Penelope, the Legion's mascot, accidentally rubs her back beneath the bottom rung of a ladder with fresh white paint on it, and ends up with the appearance of a skunk. Pepe immediately goes for her and chases her out into the desert. After finding an oasis (which is quickly abandoned by the resident Legionaires at the sight of two skunks), she collapses from exhaustion. Pepe takes her into a tent to rest-up while he tries to find the right perfume to arouse her with. He decides to combine them all and subsequently sprays himself with the mixture.
{{Penelope Pussycat in animation}}

{{Chuck Jones}}
The scent works as an effective love potion and Penelope awakes from her nap in an explosion of hearts. She tackles the unknowing Pepe in a heart-shaped cloud of dust, much to his terror. Capturing Pepe and locking him up tightly in her arms, she proceeds to smother him in numerous kisses. Ironically having a fear of overly-affectionate women, the horrified Pepe shouts "Madame! T-t-try to control yourself!" as he desperately, and futiley, tries to escape her. Penelope does not seem interested in controlling herself and continues to kiss him. Pepe tries and tries to push her away, but Penelope will not let go and will not stop smooching him, either. Eventually, Pepe escapes her overwhelming embrace and runs out into the desert with Penelope hopping quickly after him. Pepe laments, "How come whenever it eez zee man who eez to be captured, all he wants to do eez run away!?" As Penelope chases directly behind him, she flirtatiously meows "Le rowr. Le rowr. Le ''rowr rowr rowr''!!", determined to recapture him.

]

⚫ ==="Really Scent"===

In possibly the most famous and most popular Pepe Le Pew short, the 1959 ''"Really Scent"'', Pepe and Penelope spend the cartoon actually pursuing ''each other''. However, Penelope's pursuit of Pepe is not easy, as she pines to get through his foul odor so they can be together. She attempts to use perfume to cover his stink and even tries to hold her breath so they can hold hands, but all these plots fail miserably. At the end of the short, Pepe realizes that it is his smell that she is afraid of and declares "For her, I will make myself dainty!" and locks himself into a ] plant. Penelope, on the other hand, is prepared to drown herself in a lake out of loneliness until the narrator reminds her there is another way. Inspired by love, Penelope locks herself inside a ] cheese factory.

]

When both characters emerge from their isolation, Pepe is without stench and Penelope is absolutely reeking. Penelope, showing a distinctly more forceful and overpowering personality, immediately snatches Pepe up in her arms and begins cuddling him fiercely. Pepe quickly notices her putrid smell and tries to break free. Penelope refuses to let him go and Pepe has a difficult time escaping. Not to be denied, Penelope runs after him at full speed with her arms outstretched, attempting to grab him. Pepe sighs "''Oy vey'', what a day!" as he desperately tries to avoid the swiping arms of the amorous Penelope who is only inches behind him. Penelope chases Pepe into a heart-shaped opening of a nearby forest, with no intention of ever letting him escape. As the heart-shaped opening glows bright red, the narrator says "And that is love in New Orleans; laugh a little, cry a little. ''Au revoir''."

{{Warner Bros. cartoon characters}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Penelope Pussycat}}
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
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Latest revision as of 00:40, 26 December 2024

Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character Fictional character
Penelope Pussycat
Looney Tunes character
First appearanceFor Scent-imental Reasons (November 12, 1949; 75 years ago (1949-11-12))
Created byChuck Jones
Voiced by
In-universe information
SpeciesCat
GenderFemale
NationalityFrench

Penelope Pussycat is an animated cartoon character, featured in the Warner Bros. classic Looney Tunes animated shorts along with Pepé Le Pew. Although she is typically a non-speaker, her "meows" and "purrs" (or "le mews" and "le purrs") were most often provided by Mel Blanc using a feminine voice. The character did not originally have a permanent name; she was alternately referred to as "Penelope", "Fifi", and "Fabrette", and animator Chuck Jones' 1960 model sheet calls her "Le Cat". The name Penelope Pussycat was created retroactively for Warner Bros. marketing.

The character first appeared in the 1949 short For Scent-imental Reasons, which won an Academy Award. While the skunk had been used in several earlier cartoons since Odor-able Kitty (1945), the addition of his main love interest in For Scent-imental Reasons solidified his characterization and the structure of all further Pepé films.

In the 1959 short Really Scent, she was voiced by June Foray; in the 1962 short Louvre Come Back to Me!, she was voiced by Julie Bennett; and in the 2000 film, Tweety's High-Flying Adventure, she was voiced by Frank Welker. Her first speaking role was in the 1995 short Carrotblanca, where she is voiced by Tress MacNeille. In Bugs Bunny Builders, she is voiced by Salli Saffioti and is given a French accent.

History

Penelope Pussycat is best known as the often bewildered love interest of Looney Tunes' anthropomorphic skunk, Pepé Le Pew. Penelope is a black and white cat, who often finds herself with a white stripe down her back, whether painted intentionally or by accident.

She often finds herself being chased by the overly enthusiastic Pepé, but when the occasion has presented itself, Penelope has been portrayed as the pursuer. For Scent-imental Reasons, Little Beau Pepé, and Really Scent have all shown Penelope to harbor an attraction to Pepé whenever his scent is neutralized (though in each cited instance, extenuating circumstances have caused Pepé to become repulsed by her, inciting Penelope to reverse the roles).

In current Warner Bros. merchandise, Penelope and Pepé are portrayed as sharing a mutual attraction towards each other, whereas the Looney Tunes comic book series maintains their chasing relationship. Carrotblanca featured her as the Ilsa analogue to Bugs Bunny's Rick, with Sylvester portraying her husband and Pepe being a minor pursuer.

Penelope Pussycat partly inspired the Tiny Toon Adventures character Furrball, a male cat who, in one episode, is chased by an amorous female skunk (Fifi La Fume) due to getting a white stripe painted down his back and tail.

Penelope remained without an official name for many years. In the 1954 short, The Cat's Bah, her mistress referred to her as "Penelope". The name was later contradicted in the 1955 short, Two Scent's Worth, where she was identified as "Fifi". In the 1959 short, Really Scent, she was called Fabrette. A model sheet from the early 1990s referred to the character as "Le Cat". The 1995 release of Carrotblanca (a parody of Casablanca) canonized her name as "Penelope Pussycat", with many advertisements for the short crediting her as "Penelope Pussycat in her first speaking role".

Appearances

Classic shorts

Other media

References

  1. ^ Sandler, Kevin, ed. (1998). "Ah Love! Zee Grand Illusion! Pepé Le Pew, Narcissism and Cats in the Casbah". Reading the Rabbit; Explorations in Warner Bros. Animation. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press: 137–153. ISBN 9780813525389. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  2. Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 204. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
  3. Schneider, Steve (1988). That's All, Folks! : The Art of Warner Bros. Animation. Henry Holt and Co. pp. 204–205. ISBN 0-8050-0889-6.
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