"I tawt I taw a puddy tat... I did! I did!" With that simple phrase, the world fell in love with a little yellow canary named Tweety. Voiced by Mel Blanc, the innocent Tweety is said to have been inspired by Warner Bros. animator Bob Clampett's fond remembrances of baby birds he saw in nature films as a child, baby pictures of himself, and his own young son. Audiences grew to love Tweety because he remains unruffled in the face of danger (usually
Sylvester's jaws) and continuously outsmarts his drooling predators…but also because, well… he's sooooo cute! In 1947's Oscar-winning Tweetie Pie bird and cat first officially lock horns. In another early Tweet, Tweety manages to outfox the cunning cat. And from then on it was a match made in…well…almost.

The cat-and-bird chase scenario became a favorite for Warner Bros. and audiences alike in classics like Jet Cage, Putty Tat Trouble, Gift Wrapped and Rebel Without Claws, in which Tweety, a Confederate courier carrying an inconsequential message, battles Sylvester, a threatening Union soldier. In Tom Tom Tomcat, Tweety and Granny play Westward-bound pioneers who are attacked by a tribe of Sylvester-like Indians. The chases also take place in less exotic locations -- Sylvester hunts Tweety in a department store in Bird In A Guilty Cage; and in Room And Bird, Sylvester pursues Tweety in a residential hotel.

Throughout their rivalry, Sylvester's quest for Tweety is relentless, but the little bird's innocence triumphs and leaves Sylvester looking for his next meal elsewhere. Tweety typically relies on allies to outwit Sylvester, like his lovable owner, Granny, or her menacing bulldog (who wants the pesky cat for himself). But, don't underestimate the little bird's ability to fend for himself. He's a tough li'l guy, isn't he?

In cartoons like No Barking, Tweety is featured with other characters, Frisky Puppy and Claude Cat; and in A Tale Of Two Kitties Tweety shares the screen with two troublesome cats, Babbitt and Catsello. In Catty Cornered - featuring Tweety, Sylvester, Rocky and Nick - Rocky and his gang kidnap Tweety and hold him for ransom.

Rest assured though, Tweety always ends up safe at Home Tweet Home, as one episode is called. Nobody wants that old "puddy tat" having our adorable little Tweety for dinner…then the fun would be over!

Special thanks to the Bob Clampett Collection for donating some of the content for this site.

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