In 1942, the Schlesinger studio started producing the Looney Tunes series in color. That same year, Frank Tashlin returned after a four year long absence. Since he had the least seniority of the four directors, he directed the last few black and white cartoons at the studio. One may see that a unworthy distinction, but no other director at the studio handled black and white like Tashlin did.
The last released b/w LT features a cat/bird scenario that would serve as a forerunner to what the Tweety and Sylvester cartoons would be just a few years later. Tashlins use of camera movements and dramatic camera angles give an almost suspenseful buildup in every gag. It's almost as if Tashlin collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock. The nighttime scenes could only have been executed effectively in black and white and would not have had the same dramatic effect had it been produced in Technicolor.
The Tweety and Sylvester setup is probably not a coincidence. Freleng did a semi-remake of this short in 1947 titled I TAW A PUTTY TAT. While it was one of their better shorts, it pales in comparison to the classy, cinematic original.
The last released b/w LT features a cat/bird scenario that would serve as a forerunner to what the Tweety and Sylvester cartoons would be just a few years later. Tashlins use of camera movements and dramatic camera angles give an almost suspenseful buildup in every gag. It's almost as if Tashlin collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock. The nighttime scenes could only have been executed effectively in black and white and would not have had the same dramatic effect had it been produced in Technicolor.
The Tweety and Sylvester setup is probably not a coincidence. Freleng did a semi-remake of this short in 1947 titled I TAW A PUTTY TAT. While it was one of their better shorts, it pales in comparison to the classy, cinematic original.