. . . SEAL SKINNERS seems to be about the World Sex Trade in the 1930s. During the course of this animated short, a bidding war erupts over "Patti," a "trained seal." (As Patti's auction price gradually rises to $300,000, it becomes clear to viewers that Patti's "training" seems limited to swallowing six- to nine-inch-long "fish," rather indiscriminately). With visions of future revenues dancing in their eyes, three grizzled geezers resort to Dirty Tricks in their attempts to corner the market for Patti. Pegleg John Silver goes so far as to demonstrate Deep-Throating HIMSELF for Patti, while he's gussied up in the latest "seal" fashion. However, a rival pimp styling himself as "The Captain" sweetens the pot for Patti's affections by offering her the opportunity to babysit his kids between tricks. This tale is far sleazier and much more tawdry than Good Taste allows me to tell, but you can see and judge it for yourself as a "Special Feature" on Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 6, Disc 2.

Der Captain and Long John Silver battle over who gets to return an escaped seal to the circus for a hefty reward. John Silver (lifted right out of R.S. Stevenson with no apologies) was often used in the strip as a shifty friend and later a rival to the Captain. The animated series cast him firmly in the latter capacity and allowed him free reign to hog the spotlight. (With that Mel Blanc voice how could he not take center stage?)This entry was directed by an uncredited Friz Freleng whose gifts and limitations are on full display here. Legend has it that he argued with producer Fred Quimby against making a "Captain and the Kids" series on the grounds that human characters rarely work in animation. It's ironic that one of Freleng's final projects was producing a "Blondie and Dagwood" TV cartoon special. Trust me - the "C&K" series, for all it's flaws, is a better show.