. . . "Did you get a load of that young American bird with whom Jeff set up Andrew at the club last night?" Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that a film short entitled BIRDS ANONYMOUS would be some sort of Public Service Announcement aimed at wayward Royals to enable them to stay in residence at Buckingham Palace, rather than be forced out in disgrace onto an under-aged bird offenders registry. However, you'd have to really stretch your imagination to see that here.
13 Reviews
In England they call human females "birds" as in . . .
tadpole-596-91825616 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A beta version of a McDonalds chicken McNugget . . .
oscaralbert15 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
. . . that is, a tiny roasted Tweety Bird, appears (at least in Sylvester's mind's eye) on Tweety's "gilded cage" swinging perch about halfway through this Warner Bros. "Merrie Melodies" animated short, BIRDS ANONYMOUS. The whole point of Warner's prescient (by 26 years) BIRDS ANONYMOUS is to convince the kids of America that Chicken McNuggets will be more addictive than alcohol, once they're generally available (they debuted with McDonalds in 1983). The beauty of this (advance) product placement marketing campaign is that kids could legally consume McNuggets once they grew a few baby teeth (unlike the long-established and on-going campaign to push alcohol consumption within children's films, even though most tykes need to attain the age of at least 12 before becoming regular booze consumers). While it can be argued that "Popeye" was a subversive effort to promote an even healthier diet habit (spinach consumption) than McNuggets, it only took one or two Real Life experiments for most playground runts to realize it was NOT wise policy to fist-fight their school's bullies, no matter HOW much spinach they were able to force down beforehand. McDonalds should be commended for subsidizing Sylvester so early in their McNugget beta testing (as opposed to their Plan B, which would have had "Mary Poppins" singing a song about "Eat the Birds"!).
"Birds is strictly for the birds."
utgard1420 July 2016
Oscar-winning Sylvester and Tweety short where Sylvester tries to kick his Tweety addiction by attending Birds Anonymous meetings. As you might have figured out, Birds Anonymous is a Looney Tunes parody of Alcoholics Anonymous. In this group cats get together and try to overcome their addiction to birds. They hold their meetings in an alley and, well, if that doesn't sell you then I'm afraid your funny bone might be broken. Terrific voice work from the legendary Mel Blanc. The animation is very nice. It's done in that somewhat sketchy style that was becoming popular in the mid-to-late '50s. I'm not often a fan of it but this is one of the better examples of that style. Whimsical, lively music from Milt Franklyn. It's a funny and smart cartoon that I think most Looney Tunes fans will love. As another reviewer mentioned, it's possibly Sylvester and Tweety's best and very deserving of the Oscar for animated short that year.
One of their best shorts and a worthy Oscar winner thanks to strong material
bob the moo3 May 2004
Never quite able to get the better of Tweety, Sylvester is starting to get increasingly desperate - a fact spotted by his friend Sam who helps him by taking him to a BA (Birds Anonymous) meeting where cats try to kick their addictions and live side by side with birds. However, when he tries to go cold turkey (or cold Tweety) he finds that his temptations are almost too much to bare.
Generally I find the short films involving Sylvester and Tweety to be rather difficult to totally enjoy. Part of the problem is that I find Tweety quite annoying and, on top of that, often too much time is spent on him and not enough on the physical work of Sylvester. However the better cartoons of theirs are the ones where they have a twist to them that makes them stand out. Such is the case here where the twist is the framework of Sylvester's addiction and his attempts to kick it. The material uses this really well and includes a clever spoof of AA meetings and several other nice touches as well as a bit of the usual stuff between Tweety and Sylvester. The punchline is funny and a good close to a good short.
Winning an Oscar for the pair, this is one of the most fun Tweety cartoons I've seen and the characters play their part really well. Sylvester is great fun and delivers a really good performance where he hams it up as a junkie undergoing withdrawal symptoms. Tweety is mercifully underused and lets Sylvester do all the work - a wise decision considering just how good he is here. The addition of Sam is funny and contributes to the big finish.
Overall a worthy Oscar winner for the pair as it is better than most of their other shorts and, as with all their best stuff, has less Tweety, good material and a strong performance from Sylvester. Great fun!
Generally I find the short films involving Sylvester and Tweety to be rather difficult to totally enjoy. Part of the problem is that I find Tweety quite annoying and, on top of that, often too much time is spent on him and not enough on the physical work of Sylvester. However the better cartoons of theirs are the ones where they have a twist to them that makes them stand out. Such is the case here where the twist is the framework of Sylvester's addiction and his attempts to kick it. The material uses this really well and includes a clever spoof of AA meetings and several other nice touches as well as a bit of the usual stuff between Tweety and Sylvester. The punchline is funny and a good close to a good short.
Winning an Oscar for the pair, this is one of the most fun Tweety cartoons I've seen and the characters play their part really well. Sylvester is great fun and delivers a really good performance where he hams it up as a junkie undergoing withdrawal symptoms. Tweety is mercifully underused and lets Sylvester do all the work - a wise decision considering just how good he is here. The addition of Sam is funny and contributes to the big finish.
Overall a worthy Oscar winner for the pair as it is better than most of their other shorts and, as with all their best stuff, has less Tweety, good material and a strong performance from Sylvester. Great fun!
Chuck Jones said this was the greatest cartoon ever
cartoonnewsCP29 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Wow what a cartoon. I have watched this numerous times as a child and still like to watch it every now and then. It's an entertaining seven minutes. The way Friz takes it away from the formula was one of the reasons the cartoon took home the Academy Award for Warner Bros.
Freleng hired Jones to work as an animator at Warner Bros.. Chuck Jones stated he learned a lot from Friz Freleng and got most of his style developed from learning about Freleng's comic timing and from there developed his own. His style led to his popularity even surpassing Freleng's.
When Freleng died, Jones told the newsreporters what he thought about Freleng. He mentioned Yosemite Sam, the workplace, but he also mentioned Freleng's 1957 short, Birds Anonymous.
Jones, who remained a friend until Freleng's death, said:
"Friz won the only Oscar Bugs Bunny ever garnered ('Knighty Knight Bugs') and produced what I feel is the greatest cartoon ever--'Birds Anonymous.' It involved a group of cats trying to kick the bird- eating habit and kinda showed how humans and animals often share the same foibles. Friz was a great man, who really put Warner Bros. animation together. He was the guiding light who made it all worthwhile. . . . He had the most magnificent timing sense of any man I've known."
I took this quote from the LA times article on Freleng's death. http://articles.latimes.com/1995-05-27/local/me-6503_1_warner-bros
And I truly feel this cartoon deserved the Oscar. It has a good plot, and takes a step away from formulas, which the Tweety series was based on. Every time Sylvester tried to catch, and if he ever did catch, he failed. So I really like this cartoon for various reasons. I can go on and on.
Also Mel Blanc said this was his favorite to do voices.
A lot of cartoons were great in 1957. What's Opera, Doc? was truly a masterpiece as well as Three Little Bops. But Birds Anonymous is just as great as the other masterpieces Jones produced and will always have a special place for me.
Freleng hired Jones to work as an animator at Warner Bros.. Chuck Jones stated he learned a lot from Friz Freleng and got most of his style developed from learning about Freleng's comic timing and from there developed his own. His style led to his popularity even surpassing Freleng's.
When Freleng died, Jones told the newsreporters what he thought about Freleng. He mentioned Yosemite Sam, the workplace, but he also mentioned Freleng's 1957 short, Birds Anonymous.
Jones, who remained a friend until Freleng's death, said:
"Friz won the only Oscar Bugs Bunny ever garnered ('Knighty Knight Bugs') and produced what I feel is the greatest cartoon ever--'Birds Anonymous.' It involved a group of cats trying to kick the bird- eating habit and kinda showed how humans and animals often share the same foibles. Friz was a great man, who really put Warner Bros. animation together. He was the guiding light who made it all worthwhile. . . . He had the most magnificent timing sense of any man I've known."
I took this quote from the LA times article on Freleng's death. http://articles.latimes.com/1995-05-27/local/me-6503_1_warner-bros
And I truly feel this cartoon deserved the Oscar. It has a good plot, and takes a step away from formulas, which the Tweety series was based on. Every time Sylvester tried to catch, and if he ever did catch, he failed. So I really like this cartoon for various reasons. I can go on and on.
Also Mel Blanc said this was his favorite to do voices.
A lot of cartoons were great in 1957. What's Opera, Doc? was truly a masterpiece as well as Three Little Bops. But Birds Anonymous is just as great as the other masterpieces Jones produced and will always have a special place for me.
One of the best Sylvester and Tweety cartoons thanks to a new approach
phantom_tollbooth4 November 2008
Friz Freleng's 'Birds Anonymous' is one of the cleverest and best of the Sylvester and Tweety series of cartoons. I'm not a great fan of this series since I feel it is largely repetitive and predictable and I can't stand the cutesy version of Tweety who usurped the wonderful original version of the character invented by Bob Clampett. 'Birds Anonymous' caters to both my requirements for a great Sylvester and Tweety short.
1. It breaks from the usual chase formula which often resorted to simply replaying the same gags in a different setting.
2. It throws the spotlight firmly on Sylvester, with Tweety being merely a device to move the story on.
Add to these elements a very clever concept which satirises the then fairly new institution Alcoholics Anonymous. In a wonderful, Hitchcockian opening sequence, Sylvester is stopped midway through an attempt to catch Tweety by an oddball orange cat who introduces him to a group for cats with bird addictions. From hereon in, the cartoon focuses not on Sylvester's battle with Tweety but with his battle with himself as he tries to fight his fraying will power. The animation of Sylvester's jittery breakdown is great but the most effective moment comes with a highly unusual sequence in which we see Sylvester endure a sleepless night through a series of completely static shots, a hauntingly effective choice. The minimalist, stylised backgrounds and bright colours also heighten the sense of growing hysteria. I'm usually not a great fan of these cheaper looking layouts but often they were used very effectively and 'Birds Anonymous' is one of the key examples of this. A far cry from the tiresome, samey chase films that dominate the Sylvester and Tweety series, 'Birds Anonymous' is a real classic of invention and technique and deservedly won an Academy Award for animated short subject.
1. It breaks from the usual chase formula which often resorted to simply replaying the same gags in a different setting.
2. It throws the spotlight firmly on Sylvester, with Tweety being merely a device to move the story on.
Add to these elements a very clever concept which satirises the then fairly new institution Alcoholics Anonymous. In a wonderful, Hitchcockian opening sequence, Sylvester is stopped midway through an attempt to catch Tweety by an oddball orange cat who introduces him to a group for cats with bird addictions. From hereon in, the cartoon focuses not on Sylvester's battle with Tweety but with his battle with himself as he tries to fight his fraying will power. The animation of Sylvester's jittery breakdown is great but the most effective moment comes with a highly unusual sequence in which we see Sylvester endure a sleepless night through a series of completely static shots, a hauntingly effective choice. The minimalist, stylised backgrounds and bright colours also heighten the sense of growing hysteria. I'm usually not a great fan of these cheaper looking layouts but often they were used very effectively and 'Birds Anonymous' is one of the key examples of this. A far cry from the tiresome, samey chase films that dominate the Sylvester and Tweety series, 'Birds Anonymous' is a real classic of invention and technique and deservedly won an Academy Award for animated short subject.
I Felt Sorry For Sylvester
ccthemovieman-118 May 2007
"Birds Anonymous," like "Alcoholics Anonymous" is trying to cure an addiction. In this case, it's cats curing their addiction to eating birds. As one bird says in a testimony, "It cost me five houses," however the analogy of "BA" to "AA" really doesn't fit since cats are inbred to go after birds while choosing to drink is just that: a choice.
Nevertheless, it's just a cartoon and a spoof and shows poor Sylvester trying to do the right thing but everywhere he looks and turns, it makes things worse. For instance, he turns on the TV and the first thing he sees is an ad for a tasty bird - a turkey. The announcer says, "Every succulent morsel will simply melt in your mouth...." Listening to this, the poor cat is sweating like Niagara Falls and is tongue is about on the floor. The radio brings more (albeit sadistic) laughs as the music is nothing but songs about birds.
I felt sorry for Sylvester in here. Addiction is brutal and really no laughing matter, whether it's drugs, alcohol or whatever. As some insincere political bigwig once said: "I feel your pain." In here, I felt Sylvester's pain. I've always been in the minority here and rooted for Tweety, but not in this episode. Give the cat a break!
Nevertheless, it's just a cartoon and a spoof and shows poor Sylvester trying to do the right thing but everywhere he looks and turns, it makes things worse. For instance, he turns on the TV and the first thing he sees is an ad for a tasty bird - a turkey. The announcer says, "Every succulent morsel will simply melt in your mouth...." Listening to this, the poor cat is sweating like Niagara Falls and is tongue is about on the floor. The radio brings more (albeit sadistic) laughs as the music is nothing but songs about birds.
I felt sorry for Sylvester in here. Addiction is brutal and really no laughing matter, whether it's drugs, alcohol or whatever. As some insincere political bigwig once said: "I feel your pain." In here, I felt Sylvester's pain. I've always been in the minority here and rooted for Tweety, but not in this episode. Give the cat a break!
Termite Terrace's folks needn't be anonymous (especially since AA is essentially a religion)
lee_eisenberg7 March 2007
"Birds Anonymous" is one of the many classic Looney Tunes cartoons that comes across funnier when you're an adult than when you're a kid, as you understand what it's spoofing. In this case, the target is Alcoholics Anonymous, as Sylvester enters an organization that helps cats break their bird addiction. But it's not that easy for him to think about anything other than Tweety (it's hard to deny that felines really develop dependencies on avians).
They hit it right on the nail with this cartoon. The meeting early on shows cats talking about how their bird addictions were running their lives into the ground until the organization saved them. And when the organization's rep Sam catches Sylvester trying to eat Tweety, Sam goes off on a speech about how this one snack will open Sylvester's addiction back up! I actually think that it's really good that they spoofed Alcholics Anonymous. Once, I was watching Penn & Teller's show, and they said that AA is basically a religion. Aside from the fact that a "12-step program" is a rather dogmatic idea, AA apparently hasn't changed it's modus operandi since its creation in 1935. But if AA helps people break their addiction, then it probably balances everything out.
Anyway, this is a really funny cartoon. Like I said, it becomes funnier once you're old enough to understand it (as do many if not most of the classic Looney Tunes cartoons). It certainly deserved its Oscar.
They hit it right on the nail with this cartoon. The meeting early on shows cats talking about how their bird addictions were running their lives into the ground until the organization saved them. And when the organization's rep Sam catches Sylvester trying to eat Tweety, Sam goes off on a speech about how this one snack will open Sylvester's addiction back up! I actually think that it's really good that they spoofed Alcholics Anonymous. Once, I was watching Penn & Teller's show, and they said that AA is basically a religion. Aside from the fact that a "12-step program" is a rather dogmatic idea, AA apparently hasn't changed it's modus operandi since its creation in 1935. But if AA helps people break their addiction, then it probably balances everything out.
Anyway, this is a really funny cartoon. Like I said, it becomes funnier once you're old enough to understand it (as do many if not most of the classic Looney Tunes cartoons). It certainly deserved its Oscar.
It's good, but it seems like an odd choice for the Oscar.
planktonrules6 May 2011
"Birds Anonymous" is a very good Looney Tunes cartoon. However, I really can't see why it won the Oscar for Best Animated Short--especially since the studio clearly has made much better cartoons that never received this recognition. The animation was decent but very late 1950s style--with minimalistic backgrounds and familiar characters.
The short begins with Sylvester doing what he always does in these cartoons--he's trying to eat Tweety. However, just before he does the deed, he's stopped by another cat--a cat who is a member of Bird-eaters Anonymous. Inexplicably, Sylvester joins as well and thinks he's finally conquered his addiction. Naturally, however, things don't go all that smoothly and his BA buddy comes to his aid.
While this is a good but not great cartoon, I am actually amazed at how timely it was, as AA had only just begun the same year this cartoon debuted. In an odd way, the cartoon brought a lot of positive publicity to the program--so in that sense it's a fascinating film.
The short begins with Sylvester doing what he always does in these cartoons--he's trying to eat Tweety. However, just before he does the deed, he's stopped by another cat--a cat who is a member of Bird-eaters Anonymous. Inexplicably, Sylvester joins as well and thinks he's finally conquered his addiction. Naturally, however, things don't go all that smoothly and his BA buddy comes to his aid.
While this is a good but not great cartoon, I am actually amazed at how timely it was, as AA had only just begun the same year this cartoon debuted. In an odd way, the cartoon brought a lot of positive publicity to the program--so in that sense it's a fascinating film.
An Oscar winner and one of the best Sylvester and Tweety cartoons
llltdesq24 July 2001
This is a delightful cartoon and one of the most effective and entertaining Sylvester and Tweety cartoons Warner Brothers did. The B. A. meeting is inspired parody and Sylvester's attempts to kick the "bird habit" are exceptionally funny. Tweety's closing line is the perfect capper to a wonderful ending. Won a well-earned Oscar. Shows frequently on Cartoon Network. Highly recommended.
Probably Sylvester and Tweety's best cartoon
TheLittleSongbird28 June 2011
I do like the Sylvester and Tweety cartoons in general, Tweety I do like when he is active and not nothing more than a plot device, but I love Sylvester who always excels at providing the laughs. Birds Anonymous is a contender for their best cartoon. Tweety is underused and is more a plot device here, but this is one instance where this works, because Sylvester is so good and delightful to watch. The story is reminiscent of a spoof while also stepping away from the usual formula in this set of cartoons, and it is fast-paced and energetic, helped by the witty writing, infectious music and delightful gags, while the animation is of fluid and colourful quality and the opening sequence is wonderful and almost Hitchcockian. Mel Blanc does a brilliant job with the voices and it shows perfectly that it was apparently his favourite WB cartoon. Overall, wonderful and probably the best of this cartoon duo. 10/10 Bethany Cox
"I was a three-bird-a-day pussycat, until B.A. helped me."
slymusic30 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
"Birds Anonymous" is a brilliant Oscar-winning Tweety/Sylvester cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. This cartoon is a fine parody of Alcoholics Anonymous, the difference here being that birds take the place of alcohol. Sylvester joins Birds Anonymous (B.A.) and pledges never again to eat another bird. As we might expect, he finds great difficulty in keeping his vow.
My favorite moments from "Birds Anonymous" include the following (DO NOT read any further until after you have seen this cartoon). Sylvester's wide bloodshot eyes are perfect during his bedtime despair, after which he screams. He is also hilarious as he smiles with a plunger attached to his face. Finally having had enough, he throws a temper tantrum on the floor, after which the calm, tolerant chairman of B.A. suddenly "weakens" when his eyes enlarge after he kisses Tweety.
Composer/orchestrator Milt Franklyn devised a great music score for "Birds Anonymous", particularly the organ during the B.A. meeting, and a few snippets of "Bye Bye Blackbird" during Sylvester's rolling around in bed & his temper tantrum. To top it off, "Birds Anonymous" features a great acting performance by that "Man of a Thousand Voices": Mel Blanc. AND it so happens that this film was Blanc's favorite Warner Bros. cartoon.
My favorite moments from "Birds Anonymous" include the following (DO NOT read any further until after you have seen this cartoon). Sylvester's wide bloodshot eyes are perfect during his bedtime despair, after which he screams. He is also hilarious as he smiles with a plunger attached to his face. Finally having had enough, he throws a temper tantrum on the floor, after which the calm, tolerant chairman of B.A. suddenly "weakens" when his eyes enlarge after he kisses Tweety.
Composer/orchestrator Milt Franklyn devised a great music score for "Birds Anonymous", particularly the organ during the B.A. meeting, and a few snippets of "Bye Bye Blackbird" during Sylvester's rolling around in bed & his temper tantrum. To top it off, "Birds Anonymous" features a great acting performance by that "Man of a Thousand Voices": Mel Blanc. AND it so happens that this film was Blanc's favorite Warner Bros. cartoon.
Birds Anonymous
jboothmillard8 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Tom and Jerry are probably the most famous cat and mouse duo in cartoon history, but then again, Sylvester and Tweety Pie are really popular too. Only five Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons won Academy Awards, and this was one of two films to feature the cat and mouse duo. So Sylvester shuts all the blinds and curtains in the house to get to Tweety in his cage, who even in the dark says his catchphrase "I tawt I taw a putty tat". But before Sylvester can eat him, the blind opens, and a ginger cat (named Clarence or Sam) comes in to stop him to say that birds will make him weak and it will lead to the end of the road. He gives Sylvester a card for his group, "Birds Anonymous", and he is soon in front of an audience of fellow cats, two telling what BA has done for them, and Sylvester is convinced to change. So when he gets home, he simply pats Tweety on the head, and goes to watch TV. The TV however shows a cookery programme with a bird and his craving returns, and he tries the radio which also plays a programme about birds. So he resorts to cuffing himself to the radiator, and Tweety talks to him, Sylvester salivates and finally breaks the radiator from the wall to get Tweety, until a plunger fired by the ginger cat goes on his mouth. That night Sylvester is trying to sleep in many positions, his eyes gone red, but he screams and dashes for Tweety, saying to himself "I'll quit after one bird". The ginger cat stops him again putting alum in his mouth, shrivelling his mouth and forcing him to have to use a straw, which comes apart from hard sucking. Sylvester starts sobbing, and the ginger cat comes to show him that he is not weak by getting Tweety on his palm and kissing his head. The ginger cat's craving for birds is brought back after the kiss, and Sylvester is pinning him to the ground to stop him, and it ends with Tweety saying "Like I said before: once a bad old putty tat, always a bad old putty tat". It won the Oscar for Best Short Animated Film. Sylvester and Tweety Pie were number 35, and Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies number 20 on The 100 Greatest Cartoons. Very good!
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