Rare Cinematic Gems Exploring the Legacy of Musical Mews: Cult Guide

Dir: Otto Messmer

Felix lets a mouse out of a mousetrap. The mouse then offers to do Felix a favor--to help him sneak his friend out of the house so they can go swimming.

Dir: Otto Messmer

Trudging through the snow in his hometown, Felix sees a billboard advertising sunny Egypt, and says that he'd give four of his nine lives to be there rather than freezing in the snow. He then hears crying coming from his friend Abdul's carpet shop, and it turns out that Abdul's girlfriend has been kidnapped by an Egyptian sheik. Felix promises to rescue her, and hops on a magic carpet Abdul has lying around the shop, says the magic word and flies off to Egypt to keep his promise.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Felix Lends a Hand perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Otto Messmer

While serenading Kitty, Felix is knocked off the fence by a lamp that is thrown at him. It turns out to be a magic lamp, and when the genie of the lamp appears and grants Felix a wish, he decides to make a trip to Africa, which he believes will make Kitty love him even more.

Dir: Otto Messmer

Felix strikes up a friendship with a small boy, but the boy's father won't let him keep Felix as a pet. Every time Felix tries to sneak into the house, the father throws him out, finally chasing him out with a shotgun. To get his revenge, Felix plants some very old cheese in the house, then waits for all the mice to smell it and swarm into the house.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Felix in Love perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Otto Messmer

Felix is sent as a gift to a poor elderly farmer. He decides to try to help the man run his farm, including milking the cows, taking care of the bees and running off a group of crows that's eating up the farmer's cornfield.

Dir: Otto Messmer

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Felix Gets Revenge perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Otto Messmer

Felix and his friend little Sammy Johnson are playing baseball when they discover a map that leads to the undersea treasure of Lizzie the Pirate Queen. Building their own submarine, they slip beneath the waves in search of the treasure, and meet up with a variety of undersea creatures, including the most dangerous of all--the loan shark.

Dir: Otto Messmer

Felix the Cat helps an animal trainer get back his circus elephant and catch the mouse that chased the animal away.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Felix Finds a Way perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Otto Messmer

The animated cat, now officially named "Felix", does a fishing trip to the lake with two human kid friends and soon encounters a hungry crocodile.

Dir: Otto Messmer

Newsreel segment on the popularity of cartoon character Felix the Cat.