DVD Corner

Gay Purr-ee Blu-ray Review

“Gay Purr-ee” lacks depth. 

Did you know there was a feature-length animated musical film written by Dorothy and Chuck Jones which features Judy Garland providing the dialogue and singing for the main character Mewsette? Yes, this film actually exists in the form of 1962’s “Gay Purr-ee.”

Set in the 1890’s in the France farmlands of Provence, the story revolves around Mewsette- a cat who dreams of seeing Paris one day. Mewsette is in love with Jaune Tom, but his recent behavior has put her off. Mewsette winds up hitching a ride to Paris, but finds herself getting into trouble immediately after she meets the manipulative Meowrice and his sister Henriette who vow to help her become a classy cat. Their real plan is to sell her off as a bride to an American cat named Henry. While Mewsette is in Paris, Jaune Tom and his buddy Robespierre venture to Paris themselves as Jaune hopes to win Mewsette back.

Director Abe Levitow’s “Gay Purr-ee” certainly has a lot going for it. The voice cast boasts the talents of Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, Red Buttons, and Mel Blanc, the animation is often surreal and features a stylish mixture of hand drawn art and classic paintings, and you’ve got a musical element thrown in. Unfortunately, the film underwhelms more often than not.

The script by Dorothy and Chuck Jones is both basic and strangely adult. The con artist element gives the film a dark edge with Mewsette on the verge of being sold against her will. Much of the actual story consists of characters running around Paris, cat puns, romance, Robespierre shouting “Jaune Tom” every 5 seconds, and an ending you can see coming a mile away. There’s not much to it. One would think the musical element with Judy Garland would at least be something to ride home about, but songs like “Roses Red, Violets Blue,” “Paris Is A Lonely Town” and “Mewsette” are entirely forgettable. 

“Gay Purr-ee” is available on Movie Zyng and other online retailers.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. How does it look? The Technicolor film’s colorful animation looks bright and beautiful with this restored print.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The sound effects and the voice acting sound crisp and clear here. 

Extras:
* Song selection option
* Original theatrical trailer
* Audio demo recordings of “Little Drops Of Rain,” “Roses Red, Violets Blue,” “The Horse Won’t Talk,” “The Money Cat,” and “Paris Is A Lonely Town.”
* 3 HD cartoons- “Louvre Come Back To Me” (“Looney Tunes”), “French Rarebit” (“Merrie Melodies”), and “For Scent-Imental Reasons” (“Merrie Melodies”).

September 1, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | 60's Movie, Animated Film, animation, Chuck Jones, Gay Purr-ee Blu-ray Review, Judy Garland, Warner Archive