Felix the Cat - "Venus and the Master Cylinder" - 1959

"VENUS AND THE MASTER CYLINDER"

Brief synopsis: The Master cylinder's now requested the Professor hire out Poindexter to MC's home on the planet Venus for a year long juvenile class!

Yikes! Felix then takes it upon HIMSELF to take the little nerd kid's flying saucer (seen in previous cartoons with him) to look after him

CREDITS

Produced & anonymously directed by Joe Oriolo

Writers likely Oriolo due to establsing the nasty cyborg.

Most animation at least by Jim Tyer.

WINSTON SHARPLES-HAL SEEGER MUSIC CUE SHEET

The entire open/"Felix theme"(Vocal:Ann Bennett)

In the professor's labratory/"ICE SCREAM","DAWG GAWN","OKEY DOKEY DONKEY","GOOD SCREAM FUN" establishing domestic theme

The professor getting a request from the Master/"FIDDLE FADDLE" collegiate cue

The Professor panicking at having to give up Poindexter for a year or any amount of time/"THE BOSS IS ALWAYS RIGHT" near-end shock theme

Next scene, where Felix and the Professor agree for the latter to take Poinsy to the Master Cylinder/"OUT OF THIS WHIRL" near-end cue

Professor/Poinsy going to the moon/"HITS AND MISSILE" ascending traveling music

The two on the moon/"OWLY TO BED" tricky walk cue

Felix taking the flying saucer and planning the route and Felix tries to pull the shift lever, only for it to break off/"HITS AND MISSILES" asending travling cue

The Cat going outside to fix it/no cue music here

Felix tries to take a monkey wrench to activate the ship's emergency switch, turning it on but missing the spaceship, to twist a phrase/"HITS AND MISSILES" spacey floating cue

Part one closure music/unknown S-S instrumental music,with Jack Mercer, the single cast member of the show, announcing "What'll happene.."

The entire part 2 open(Same as part one)

Felix still floating thru space, lampshading to the audience what happened/"HITS AND MISSILES" more of that spacey cue

Felix finally using his tail as a prehensile instrument, and FINALLY reaching the ship and climbing back/"HITS AND MISSILES" medievil fanfare

Back on the planet Venus, Poinsy and Prof./"HITS AND MISSILE" walker

Meeting Master/"OWLY TO BED"-more of that walking piece.

Felix finally landing/"INSTANT MONEY" Felix March

Felix clobbering the MC/no music here

The three (Professor, Poinsy and Felix) now taking off/INSTANT MONEY "FELIX theme"

Voices

JACK MERCER as the gang

Creators

OTTO MESSMER

PAT SULLIVAN

(Felix)

JOSEPH ORIOLO

(1950s characters)

It's a laid-back night at the now part time reformed Professor's (now settling into the "frenemy"-thanks, SEX AND THE CITY) lab, where all seems innocent till the Professor receives a message on his huge 1940s typew movie

Issac Asimov-Twilight Zone like computer. It is from Mr.Master Cylinder, now able to move, in only his second appearance. He's got a wacky proposal for our three: He needs Poindexter to create a rocket fuel on his planet, Venus--

a mere KID like Poindexter, and for a lot of money? Naturally,all 3 sweat, with the Professor doing a great scared take, showing signs of sheer panic as he considers it...."Give up Poindexter..hmmm...for a near"..Felix and Poinsy are eavesdropping..

The Prof.:"Give him up..OKAY..the education would really do him well.." He then spies the kids.. Professore:"FELIX-POINDEXTER-YOU were EAVESDROPPING!" Poinsy makes the

predicatable apology for both him and Felix .

He then hears Felix harshly chide:"A FINE THING. Give up your NEPHEW" 

The Prof.:"That's ok, Felix: you DON'T have to babysit Poindexter tonight'(certainly NOT for aanother year, RIGHT Professor?)

Anyway, all three seem to agree (unintended rhyme), and Felix bids both off, and Poindexter goodbye, but resolves to look after his charge, taking the latter's flying saucer to the planet Venus, where Poindecxter shows professor the cyuborg is, and the two

land on the moo, while Felix is still back out in outer space, plotting ou his itenary!He decides to pull the shift lever but for it to break off, so the clever feline deos the ONE sound thing: Climb on the back of the spaceship.

He manages to screw the switch on the ship, which only slides the feline off for the part one ending, with the cliffhanger sequing to the cat's adress to audience, and using his tail as a prehensile (his Mary Poppins BAG's not on him??) and pulls his situation together (ajhem,!),a nmd 

returns to Poinsy's saucer, and flies off.

Meanwhile, on Venus, The others are now still by themsevles but they do come across the Master Cylinder, who, expectedly, welshes on his pay, throwing the Professor up in the air to Felix's saucer, falling in upside-down. He advises the obvious, to Felix, as if the cat did't know..

"We must save Poindexter". Felix then unties the scientist, both of him fly back to the same planet, where they meet the Cylinder,just as a ball(bomb?) -shackled Poindexter's busy mixing a new forumala but, it blows him out..Felix insists the monster machine comply, (Felix:"Oh,fine,out like a light), and bluffs

Felix (Our hero:"I shall NEVER give up, NEVER"), with Poindexter now on the ground. Felix unshackles the boy's "enslaving ball", and uses this success to conk the Master out, but, problem is, he throws it up in the air, so that not only does it conk the bad guy, but always the Professore.

However, in the next/final scene, Felix, his nerdy charge,and the latter's semi-evil uncle are all in the air, while Felix quips about how the Master Cylinder is, if he recovers, and the still injured,grumpy, Professor advising Felix tho "just speak for YOUR

SELF,FELIX". Felix says, "Sorry, Professor!" and then does his laugh.'

Great charatcer development of the master Cylinder as a mobile, more successful villian, (when we and they last saw him, it was in "THE MASTER CYLINDER, THE KING OF THE MOON", where he's an immobile plug-in appliance,like a fridge).

I've managed to locate the Famous cartoon that introudced this cartoon's Felix-riding-floating-back in the sacuer music, and all of that cartoon's cues first appeared here, the first Paramount TV King Feature POPEYE, 1959's "HITS AND MISSILES"

Of course, it you know about old time New York animators, you'll recognize Jim Tyer's animation here.

Felix really uses imagination, the Aesop trope - the Crow and the Jar - to get inside Poindexter's flying saucer, and to get it wokring, not that Felix needed to make it go much,hsi tail and wrench. He also shows very

good temperament as the Professort and Poins take off, confidently taking off after the, in the latter's saucer. Felix really stands up to the Master. In TVTropes.com, it says that Felix, unlike with most other villians, shows actual animosity toward the

alien. Felic seems a bit blase about hit for this time former earth enemny by laughing at the Professor.

I'll give this four stars in my rating system here.