October 15, 1943 – The Figaro Short Film Figaro and Cleo is Released to Theaters
“Although she’d make a dainty little dish…”
On October 15, 1943, the Figaro short film Figaro and Cleo was released to theaters. This is the first of a handful of shorts that features the popular character from the animated feature film Pinocchio, with Figaro continuing to star in an additional six short films. The short was directed by Jack Kinney.
Figaro is waiting to be fed his supper, and is angered that more attention is being paid to Cleo, the goldfish. Hungry, Figaro eyes Cleo, but tells himself that he’d rather die. However, his hunger gets the best of him, and he decides to hunt after her. He then decides to play with the broom instead, much to the annoyance of the maid. He tries to get her attention, but she brushes him away. He lands in the living room and decides to play with a ball of yarn instead, finding himself in more trouble; when the maid punishes him by giving him no milk, Figaro decides that now is the time to eat Cleo. He waits until the coast is clear, then approaches Cleo with a makeshift fishing rod that uses his tail. When the maid catches him, he accidentally hooks the side of the fishbowl, but she frees him and scolds him again. Tired, the maid decides to take a nap, leaving Figaro with nothing to do but to go after Cleo. She wakes up to find him face-first in the bowl, and she ties his tail to her chair to keep him out of trouble before nodding off again. Unfortunately, her snoring causes the bowl to travel closer to the trapped Figaro, and he ends up freeing himself and falling into the bowl. The maid wakes up to find him in drowning in the bowl, and she quickly pulls him out and revives him. She makes sure that the two of them finally get along, and Cleo and Figaro seal their friendship with a kiss. In the end, the maid gives Figaro his milk.
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