No Barking

This short, which I must confess has two characters I find very unappealing, starts out marvelously for about the first 90 seconds, but the action quickly turns almost entirely to a series of setups for a running gag which is repeated (to varying degrees of effectiveness) so often that it starts to get tedious. The fact that the dog is a one-dimensional character of limited personality and that Claude Cat is limited here by the running gag only makes things more problematic. To a degree, the cameo by another Warner Brothers character and the ending of the short, along with a wonderful beginning, salvages this short and raises its overall score. This is on Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 3 and is worth watching, though the Collection as a whole is most highly recommended without reservation. Not the best short I've seen, but far from the worst I've watched. Recommended

Chuck Jones's 'No Barking' was the third in a trilogy of cartoons starring a character called Frisky Puppy. An immensely entertaining character, Frisky Puppy is a masterclass in observation, capturing the mannerisms of an irritatingly energetic puppy to a tee. Co-starring in 'No Barking' is another of Jones's best lesser-known players, Claude Cat. The cartoon opens with an exceptional sequence in which Claude wakes up in an urban junkyard with the sort of tranquil serenity that befits a far more idyllic setting. This gorgeous piece of animation sets the standard for this mini-masterpiece. Claude crosses paths with Frisky Puppy who scares the life out of him with his shrill, relentless barking, causing Claude to leap into the air in fright. Having done this once, the puppy finds it is fun and sets about terrorising Claude for the rest of the cartoon. Although it sounds like a mean concept, Frisky Puppy is so warm a character that it is immediately apparent that to him this is just a game rather than a vendetta. Jones skilfully makes the character a perfect balance between sweet and infuriating. The barking sound he makes is so grating and loud that it gets funnier the more it occurs, reducing Claude to a nervous wreck. The main action is interspersed with some beautiful animation of the puppy just being a puppy, switching from happy to confused to angry in a split second as he goes about his playful antics. This gives the cartoon a delightfully loose, plot less feel as we simply follow the two characters around until their paths cross. Although a good deal of credit for 'No Barking' must be given to Jones and writer Michael Maltese, a special mention is warranted for animator Ken Harris who animated the entire cartoon himself. The result is stunning.

Chuck Jones short starring Claude Cat and featuring a cameo by Tweety. Claude's in the city dump looking for food when he attracts the attention of a frisky puppy that playfully (and loudly) barks at the cat, continually surprising him and causing him to leap into the air. It's a cute short but not an especially funny one. Jones sometimes did these shorts starring "lesser" characters where he had a little more leeway than working with Bugs Bunny or another established character. The problem here is there's basically one gag repeated over and over. Since we don't know Claude as well as a character like Sylvester, it doesn't work as well. Plus Claude never speaks. Put Sylvester in Claude's place here and maybe you've got a better short. Also the dog's barking gets very annoying after the first few times. It's not a complete dud, however. The animation is very nice and colorful with well-drawn characters and backgrounds. The music is lively and cheerful. It's too bad the short's just not that funny.

Chuck Jones's "No Barking" has two factors that make it very unique: aside from being Jones's only cartoon that features Tweety (albeit in a bit part), all the animation was done by one person. Usually, they would have different people animate different scenes, but Ken Harris did it all here.

Anyway, the cartoon opens with the sun rising over what looks like an idyllic pastoral setting...and it turns out to be the city dump. From there, laconic Claude the Cat and not-so-laconic Frisky Puppy - who resembles Charlie Dog very closely - come up with every possible way to battle over turf. Specifically, FP's yapping makes Claude jump, and just when he looks safe, there's more in store. It's a little bit like the Road Runner-Wile E. Coyote cartoons in that respect, but I think that it's safe to say that nothing will ever top the latter for these kinds of plot lines.

So, I guess that this was mostly a placeholder (I've seen Claude in many cartoons with wise-guy mice Hubie and Bertie, but I've only seen Frisky Puppy in one other cartoon). Mostly, it's a hoot to see what happens to Claude here. Not Jones's best, but OK.

At the City Dump, Claude Cat spots Frisky Puppy burying a bone. After Frisky's departure, Claude tries to dig it back up. Frisky wild unexpected barking shocks Claude away. Frisky continues to surprise Claude with his barking.

I have always liked the barking puppy. There is a reality to the dog's persistent and somewhat random actions. I don't know if the dog appears with other characters. I think that it could have been developed into a main sidekick. There is enough in him. On the other hand, his characteristic could be seen infused into other dog characters in the cartoon universe. He does need a better name.