Forty Winks 1930

On a lively evening, Felix Harry Edison leads four singing cats in a spirited performance, their voices weaving together in a small, bustling scene just beyond a quiet house. A few yards away, a hefty man dozes in a chair, only to be jolted awake by the cats’ rhythm. In a moment of frustration, he grabs a bowling ball to silence the chorus, knocking Felix and the others off their feet. Yet Felix, undeterred, keeps insisting on the show, flute in paw, as his friends dance around him. The tension rises again when the man reappears, spraying ether to quiet the chorus. One by one, the cats drift into slumber while Felix, determined to rest, decides to return home for as much sleep as he can get.

Back in his apartment, the dwarf master who owns him laments a stubborn insomnia problem. Felix offers a glass of warm milk to help, but the remedy fails to work. Still, the cat wants to entertain, and he pivots to music, playing a clarinet as toy soldiers spring to life and whirl in time with his melody. The lively parade takes a surprising turn when a small cannon fired by one toy soldier blasts a hole in a wall picture. The dwarf, delighted by the spectacle, asks to keep the cannon for himself. When Felix hands it over and turns away, the dwarf aims the weapon back at him and fires, sending Felix fleeing in fear.

The streets become Felix’s search for a place to rest. He climbs a telephone pole and lies across a pair of pants draped over a line, hoping for a quiet moment. The brittle line snaps under the weight, and Felix plummets to the pavement, landing with a thud but quickly picking himself up to continue the quest for sleep. His wanderings lead him to a small house across a fence, where a dog inside barks a warning. Felix manages a clever ruse: he climbs onto the roof and blows into the chimney stack, creating a draft that pushes the dog out. He slips back inside, locking the dog out, only to witness the canine’s heartbreak as tears flood the area. The overflowing tears lift the tiny house from the ground, and it begins to float away, carrying Felix along on a surreal voyage.

Riding the floating house across the water, Felix eventually reaches the Dark Continent, a landslide of strange shadows and unfamiliar sounds. A hippo gives chase, forcing Felix to dodge and dart through the wild terrain. Soon after, he encounters a mountain lion and the two engage in a fierce, rapid exchange of blows. The fight narrows to Felix’s favor, and after a relentless flurry, he is the last feline standing. The mountain lion collapses, crushed into a pillow by a swift series of strikes, and Felix settles onto his new, soft resting place. With the danger behind him, the lone cat finally drifts into a long-awaited sleep, the quiet of the dark continent wrapping around him like a warm, forgiving blanket.

Throughout Felix’s wandering drought of sleep, the world around him remains a vivid blur of danger, wonder, and perseverance. The tale unfolds with a gentle cadence that keeps the focus on Felix’s resilience, his bond with music, and his unwavering desire to find rest, even when the odds seem stacked against him. This is a story about small miracles found in the middle of a restless night, where a determined cat and a faithful instrument can turn chaos into a dreamlike journey.