audience "Like I said before, once a bad ol' puddy tat, always a bad ol' puddy tat." Production notes Birds Anonymous is a reference to the self-help movement Alcoholics Anonymous. The voice of Clarence the cat is similar to that of Marvin the Martian, the creation of Chuck Jones. The voice of the B.A. Cat was used by Blanc for the love-bird in Life With Feathers, among other places. The premise was later adapted into The Last Hungry Cat, again with Sylvester struggling against his conscience over Tweety. Reception Shannon K. Garrity writes, "Mel Blanc's amazing vocal performances — it was reputedly the Warner Bros. short of which he was proudest — rank high among the many joys of this lovingly crafted, hilariously self-aware cartoon. Freleng and his team went all out to give Birds Anonymous a film noir look, with dramatic camera angles drawn by layout artist Hawley Pratt and moody backgrounds by Boris Gorelick... Above all, Birds Anoymous satirizes Warner Bros. cartoons themselves. The structure of the standard Sylvester and Tweety cartoon — and all chase cartoons — is threatened by Sylvester's resolution to walk away from the conflict and be a better cat. In the Looney Tunes world, of course, this can't be allowed." Honors Birds Anonymous won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1958, beating Tabasco Road starring Speedy Gonzales; both shorts were eventually given Blue Ribbon reissues in 1961. When Eddie Selzer died, the statuette was passed on to Mel Blanc, who said that this was his favorite cartoon to do voices for, especially his role as Sylvester. Home media This film appeared in The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie's third act "The Oswalds" where Sylvester and Clarence fight over Tweety again with Granny intervening. , Birds Anonymous can also be found, uncut and restored, on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection, and the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection, Vol. 3. It can also be found on the former UK rental VHS tape of The Bodyguard from 1993. A music/effects only track is also available. References External links Excerpt 1957 short films 1957 animated films Best Animated Short Academy Award winners Short films directed by Friz Freleng Merrie Melodies short films Warner Bros. Cartoons animated short films Films scored by Milt Franklyn Works about addiction Animated films about cats 1950s Warner Bros. animated