Movie Star Felix is a 1960 Felix the Cat cartoon, and the 47th episode of the Felix the Cat (Joe Oriolo) series.
Felix leaves a movie and walks home, musing that movies are more exciting than real life and that he wants to be a movie star. Nearby, Professor hears his and pokes his head over the fence, and cooks up a plan. He plants a poster ahead of Felix, saying "Movie Star Wanted! Be Famous! See The Professor!" Felix reads the sign and imagines being a star, and Professor pops up nearby and offers to give Felix a series of tests to become a movie star. The first test is a high dive. Felix climbs up the tower, but Professor removes the pool of water and replaces it with a tiny dish of it. Felix sees this and manages to dive into the regular pool, frustrating Professor. The next test is to have Felix act as a "war ace" (piloting a plane). The plane takes off, and Professor kicks a bush aside, revealing a machine gun. He shoots it at Felix's plane and blows it up, leaving Felix clinging to the motor. The motor flies out of control and chases after Professor and spins him out of control. Professor then gives Felix one more test—he kicks him inside a shed, barricades the door with a log, and lights a fuse to blow it up. Felix begs to be let out as he sees the fuse, and then the piles of dynamite behind him.
Felix thinks fast, but manages to reverse the fuse so that the spark goes back to Professor. Felix then opens the door, finding out that it wasn't actually barricaded at all. Professor gets the spark stuck on his foot, sending him flying into the shed. Professor wonders where Felix is—just as the spark on his foot sets off the explosives. Felix doesn't want any tests and runs off, but Professor grabs him and takes him back to lab, calling him out of condition. He puts him into a giant toaster, saying he'll make him the toast of the town. Felix hops out and tries to find an exit, but ends up getting locked in a freezer by Professor. Professor waits and asks if Felix has had enough, but Felix throws a snowball at him and flees, pointing out that the toaster made him warm enough to not be frozen. Felix escapes from the lab, but is cornered by Professor on a cliff and forced to hang from a tree branch. Professor tries stamping on his hands, but ends up breaking the branch and sending both of them falling. By chance, Professor lands in a tank of water at a filming location. The director is impressed by his performance, but asks him to do the stunt again since he wasn't filming. Professor refuses and faints in the water. Felix decides to relax on a bail of hay nearby, laughing as the cartoon irises out.
Tropes:
- Non-Fatal Explosions: Despite having a load of dynamite near him and planning to kill Felix with it, Professor is basically unharmed—he just gets his clothes and mustache singed.
- Pain-Powered Leap: Professor is sent flying into the shed he planned to blow up Felix in by the spark from the fuse he lit.
