Character of the Week: Sylvester and Tweety Bird

Looney Tunes’ Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird

Some of the most famous quotes of all time come from animated cartoon characters. What American does not know the words ”Thufferin’ Thuccotash!” or “I tawt I taw a puddy tat!” These words are spoken by one of the best-known character duos of all time, Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird.

What you might not know is that Tweety, or Sweetie Pie, was created by Bob Clampett and was first seen in Warner Brothers’ “A Tale of Two Kitties” in 1942. In the early days Tweety Bird, whose original name was Orson, was drawn as a pink bird, but censors complained that he looked nude, so Tweety’s color was changed to yellow. In the beginning of Tweety’s career, he was a feisty bird that lived outside in a nest. In his first showing in 1942, Granny saved Tweety from being eaten by two bad cats named Babbit and Catstello (after Abbott and Costello), and from then on he lived in a gilded cage in Granny’s house.

Sylvester the Cat, created by Friz Freleng in 1945, was not seen until 1945 in “Life With Feathers.” According to Wikipedia, his name was originally Thomas and was later changed to Sylvester, a reference to the scientific name for the house cat, Felis Sylvestris Catus. Sylvester looked very much the same as he does now, with his big red nose and lisp as his trademark features.

It was not until 1946 in the cartoon “Tweety Pie” that Sylvester and Tweety were paired together as main characters. This cartoon was directed by Friz Freleng and was the first Warner Brothers short animated cartoon film to win an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons).

As we all know, Sylvester the Cat tries to capture Tweety in every cartoon episode, but usually fails due to the quick thinking of Tweety and the interruptions of Granny, Tweety’s owner, or Hector the bulldog. The hilarious voices and quotes that are said throughout the cartoons would have anyone laughing!

Both characters have achieved successful careers lasting through the decades. They have starred in more than 40 cartoons over the years and even won a second Academy Award for “Birds Anonymous.” They have also been used for advertising products. Tweety Bird was in an early 80’s public service announcement and Sylvester has been used to sell Orange Crush, Miracle Whip and MCI Telephone service to name a few.

In the 1990’s a show called “The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries” premiered on the WB network. The show did not last very long, but it kept Tweety and Sylvester in the public eye, and was followed by the movie Space Jam with Michael Jordon in 1996.

The cartoon short films are timeless, entertaining and have delighted generations of Americans and people around the world. Sylvester and Tweety Bird cartoons can still be seen on cable channels in the present day along with their fellow Looney Tunes characters.

Check out our website for Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird collectibles and have your own fun adventures with this loveable duo!