House Hunting Mice 1947
Directed by
Chuck Jones
Made by
Warner Bros. Pictures
House Hunting Mice Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for House Hunting Mice (1947). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Outside a model “home of tomorrow” designed by Frank Lloyd Wrong, Hubie reads the advertisement and calls Bertie’s attention. The pair — hoping for a den of plenty and food — climbs up to the House to see what’s inside, greeted by a robotic, upbeat voice welcoming them to “Super House - The House of Tomorrow.” The setup promises a tour of modern conveniences, and the mice waste no time indulging in the demonstration.
The first showcase is the Automatic Phonograph, where a robotic hand hurls a record toward a rising phonograph player as if tossing a frisbee, and the machine somehow catches the disc in a gleeful whirr of gears. Next comes the Automatic Sweeper, a gleaming helper that promises to clean any mess with precision. Bertie can’t resist pressing the next button, and Hubie, staying at a safe distance, watches as the demonstration spirals into mischief. The button triggers a laundry contraption that sucks Hubie straight into the machine, pulling him through a series of cleaning steps until he’s folded and stacked with the laundry. He surfaces, disgruntled, and delivers a sharp slap to Bertie for the reckless stunt.
The mischief continues as Hubie spots a new feature: the Cheese Dispenser. A piece of cheese shoots across the floor, and the Sweeper whirs into action, whisking it away into a trash can. Bertie attempts to catch the next cheese on a plate, but the plate shatters on impact. The Sweeper resumes its cleaning duty, and Bertie finds himself tossed aside again. In a quick salvage move, Hubie tricks the Sweeper into leaping out a window after he tosses a vase, but it returns just as Bertie answers the front door, and Hubie ends up discarded once more.
Determined to get the cheese without further hazard, Hubie devises a plan and triggers chaos instead: he drops a box of firecrackers and a lit candle into the floor for the Sweeper to contend with. The plan briefly succeeds, tossing Bertie and the debris aside, but the resulting explosion only elicits the Sweeper’s response—its hand hits a Repair Service button, and a repair bot arrives to fix it up completely. Undeterred, the mice nail the record player shut in the floor and unleash a barrage of records via the Automatic Phonograph, slamming them against the walls. Frustrated and overworked, the robot finally gives up, puts on a coat and hat, grabs a briefcase, tacks an “I Quit!” sign on its closet door, and exits the House of Tomorrow.
Hubie revels in the momentary victory, but Bertie spots a hidden danger: a button labeled Spring Cleaning Service. Pressing it unleashes an army of Sweeper robots that spill from another closet and flood the living space with cleaning power. The two mice scramble to escape, only to be ensnared by a rolling carpet that sweeps them outside. As the Sweepers begin a brutal carpet-beating on the way out, Hubie looks at Bertie with comic exasperation and cries out the season’s final humor: > HEY, BOIT! C’MERE!
House Hunting Mice Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of House Hunting Mice (1947) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Mice spot the House of Tomorrow advertisement
Hubie reads a flashy ad for the 'House of Tomorrow' and convinces Bertie to check it out. They hope to find a home with plenty of food, so they head toward the model house. Their curiosity kicks off a tour full of gadgets and whimsy.
Entrance and robotic greeting
Inside, a robotic voice greets them and hypes the 'Super House – The House of Tomorrow.' The machines invite them to test the modern appliances and show off the home's gadgets. The scene sets up a tour that quickly spirals into chaotic demonstrations.
Automatic Phonograph demonstration
Hubie watches the Automatic Phonograph in action as a robotic hand hurls a record toward the rising player, like a frisbee. The display dazzles them with music and motion, but it hints at the potential danger of the gadgets. The mice exchange excited and wary glances as they explore.
Automatic Sweeper demonstration and laundry mishap
The Automatic Sweeper begins a demonstration, sweeping up debris around the floor. Bertie presses a button that activates the laundry contraption, which sucks Hubie in and sends him through several cleaning stages. He emerges on a neat stack of clothes while Bertie watches in astonishment.
Cheese Dispenser causes chaos
A Cheese Dispenser blasts a piece of cheese across the floor, triggering the Sweeper to clean up the mess. Bertie tries to catch the falling cheese with a plate, but the plate shatters on impact. The Sweeper continues its cleanup, and Bertie ends up being discarded along with the mess.
Bertie and Hubie outsmart the Sweeper (briefly)
Hubie and Bertie struggle to outwit the machine, and Bertie gets discarded again. Hubie lures the Sweeper into a window escape, causing it to jump out temporarily. The robot quickly returns when Bertie answers the front door, and the pursuit resumes.
Destruction, repair and renewed threat
Hubie drops a box of firecrackers and a lit candle onto the floor to provoke the Sweeper. The explosion destroys the device temporarily, but its 'Repair Service' hand calls a repair bot that fixes it up completely. The machine returns to duty, unfazed by the chaos.
Victory temporary as the record barrage drives the Sweeper away
In a final fit of mischief, the mice nail the record player shut in the floor and unleash an onslaught of records against the walls. The exhausted Sweeper, fed up with the mess, dons a coat and hat, grabs a briefcase, signs 'I Quit!' on its closet door, and leaves the house. Hubie and Bertie momentarily celebrate their supposed victory.
Spring Cleaning Service summons a new army
Bertie presses the button labeled 'Spring Cleaning Service', and a whole army of Sweepers pours out of closets, flooding the House of Tomorrow. The house fills with mechanical cleaners marching in formation. The mice scramble as they realize they are outmatched.
Sweepers sweep in; escape blocked
The army swarms the home, sweeping everything in sight. Hubie and Bertie attempt to flee, but a rolling carpet carried by Sweepers traps them and carries them outside. The house shakes with the chaotic cleaning as the pursuit continues.
Final slapstick beatdown on the carpet
As the carpet-beating chaos escalates, Hubie shouts 'HEY, BOIT! C'MERE!' and begins slapping Bertie for getting them into the latest mess. The action devolves into frantic, humorous slapstick as the Sweepers continue their work. The scene ends with the two mice tangled in the aftermath of the mischief.
House Hunting Mice Characters
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Hubie (Mel Blanc)
A resourceful yet impulsive mouse who volunteers to explore the House of Tomorrow. He loves food and uses quick thinking to navigate the gadgets, even as his schemes land him in sticky situations. His bold curiosity often clashes with Bertie’s caution, driving the pair into slapstick misadventures.
Bertie (Stan Freberg)
Hubie's partner in mischief, more impulsive and button-happy than careful. He eagerly triggers the appliances to reach the cheese and ends up pulling both mice into dangerous or ridiculous scenarios. His bravado ensures the stakes stay high and the comedy stays fast-paced.
House Hunting Mice Settings
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Location
House of Tomorrow
Set outside a model 'House of Tomorrow' known as the Super House, a demonstration of futuristic domestic tech designed by the spoof architect Frank Lloyd Wrong. The home showcases automated appliances like a phonograph launcher and a robotic sweeper, creating a glossy stage for gadgets. It serves as the comic playground where Hubie and Bertie test the devices, often with chaotic results.
House Hunting Mice Themes
Discover the main themes in House Hunting Mice (1947). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Automation
The short uses the House of Tomorrow's gadgets to satirize promises of convenience, showing how automated appliances can both assist and complicate daily life. Hubie and Bertie's misadventures reveal the unpredictability of technology when humans (or mice) push the wrong buttons. The humor arises from robots malfunctioning, obeying quirky programming, and failing to anticipate human appetite and curiosity.
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Greed
Cheese becomes the lure that drives the mice into the machine-filled trap, highlighting how desire leads to risky experimentation. The cheese dispenser and the ensuing chaos show the temptations of a gadget-filled home and the trouble that follows. The final wave of cleaning robots escalates the stakes, turning a simple snack chase into a chaotic escape.
House Hunting Mice Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of House Hunting Mice (1947). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In a glossy brochure the future is promised as a gleaming “House of Tomorrow,” a sleek, fully automated residence imagined by the eccentric architect Frank Lloyd Wrong. The home bristles with mechanical assistants, self‑serving amenities and a cheerful, omnipresent voice that greets any visitor with optimism. It stands as a parody of mid‑century optimism, a shiny stage where technology is both marvel and menace, inviting anyone—or anything—curious enough to step inside.
Drawn by a bright advertisement promising unlimited cheese and comfort, two city‑savvy rodent brothers answer the call. Hubie is the more adventurous of the pair, quick to leap into the unknown and eager for the spoils a modern marvel might hide. Bertie balances his brother’s daring with a cautious curiosity, often serving as the voice of reason while still unable to resist a tempting scent. Together they form a comedic duo whose banter and rivalry drive the story’s heartbeat.
The moment the pair slips through the front door, they find themselves immersed in a world of gleaming gears, whirring bots and whimsical contraptions that seem designed to cater to every desire. The house’s upbeat narrator lulls them into a sense of ease while the automated appliances—each more elaborate than the last—invite playful experimentation. Their inquisitive nature quickly turns simple curiosity into a cascade of slap‑stick mishaps, as the very conveniences meant to serve become sources of chaotic delight.
As the robotic helpers respond to each impulsive trigger, the mice discover that every button hides a new surprise, and the house seems to have a mind of its own—cheerful on the surface, but undeniably mischievous beneath. The escalating series of automated antics raises the stakes for the duo, pushing them to improvise and outwit the very technology they once admired. In this playful clash of wit versus machine, the audience is invited to revel in a comedic parade of inventive set‑pieces, all while wondering just how far the house’s endless ingenuity will stretch before the rodents find a way to…
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