"Gay Purr-ee" – Warner Bros animated musical (1962)
Music by Harold Arlen Lyrics by E.Y. ‘Yip’ Harburg
Available on: Rhino RHM2 7600
Running Time: 47.29
Only available at Rhinohandmade.com.
Gay Purr-ee was released by Warner Bros ironically just as the studio was closing down its famed short cartoon department (remember Sylvester and Cutie-pie and that rabbit, "What’s-up Doc?"). Despite starring the vocal talents of Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, Red Buttons, Hermione Gingold and Paul Frees the film was not a success. It was pitched at too universal an audience, aimed at children and adults alike and did not really succeed in satisfying either. I have to admit that before receiving the review copy I did not know of its existence.
The music is so-so, very little is memorable and frankly is a waste of the talent involved. I would just single out the evocative melancholy ballad ‘Little drops of rain’ as sung by Garland, the nicely comic ‘The Money Cat’ sung by Paul Frees as the villain cat who wants to entice the heroine cat Mewsette into becoming the kept cat of an old rich fat cat with lines like "money cat knows where the money tree grows – seek out the aristocats and mooch along with the smart cats.". The orchestra interlude ‘Portrait of Mewsette’ is also attractively comical with musical figures strongly suggestive of feline purring, scratching and cattiness. ‘Bubbles’ is one of several numbers evocative of Paris boulevards and cafés
Amusing in parts but the music from this Warner Bros animated oddity is mostly unmemorable.
Ian Lace
21/2
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