Past Perfumance
Past Perfumance
| 20 May 1955 (USA)
Past Perfumance Trailers

Paris, 1913: Passionate, odiferous Pepe Le Pew pursues the latest love of his life, a cat who's been made up to look like a skunk, through the sets of a silent-movie studio.

Reviews
Dorathen Better Late Then Never
FrogGlace In other words,this film is a surreal ride.
Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.
Edgar Allan Pooh . . . and camels each have a keen sense of smell, and would join in a herd of humans, lions, and chimps stampeding away from a skunk in non-spray mode (which in this "Merrie Melody" PAST PERFUMANCE naturally exudes a repulsive odor 24/7). Apart from the likelihood that a non-spraying skunk might not smell all that different than, say, a squirrel or raccoon, I cannot picture a camel finding even a SPRAYING skunk all that objectionable. I've been around camels a few times, and I've seen many feet of camel film. Camels are pretty gross. They also don't seem to be the most observant creatures on our planet: perhaps they wouldn't even notice a skunk in their vicinity. Now, the giraffes are a whole 'Nother story--or two. Everyone knows that dogs have a really keen scent sense, with bloodhounds bred to track down even people who shower daily. Giraffes MAY have noses, but I've never heard of a "Bloodgiraffe." You probably could wave missing Timmy's sneaker as high as you could reach toward one, and it wouldn't find the missing kid in a million years. I just don't buy this stampede scene.
TheLittleSongbird Another very enjoyable Pepe cartoon, without it being one of his best. The animation at the start feels a little rushed and flat, but quickly improve into the colourful elegance that you find in Pepe's cartoons. The music once again sounds beautiful and energetic, also succeeding brilliantly in enhancing the gags. The gags are neat and funny(ie. the brief but very amusing musketeer moment), but the best of the humour comes verbally, not just in Pepe's asides and amorous and risqué(for the time) dialogue but also for one of the most effective butcherings of Shakespeare ever in a cartoon- see above- and when the lion shuts up after the director shouts for him to be quiet. The story is simple and you know where its going to go and how it's going to end- true of most Pepe cartoons- but crisply paced and entertaining. Pepe is lots of fun, a character that I appreciate much more as an adult(as a child I think a lot of his humour went over my head), and Mel Blanc, sounding like a combination of Charles Boyer and especially Maurice Chevalier, as always voices him wonderfully. All in all, very enjoyable. 8/10 Bethany Cox