Venus and the Master Cylinder is a 1959 Felix the Cat cartoon and the 31st episode of the Felix the Cat (Joe Oriolo) series.
Felix is babysitting Poindexter at Professor's lab while Professor is getting ready to go see a movie (although he insists its for a meeting of scientists). Suddenly, Professor gets a message from the Interplanetery Tele-Type. It turns out to be an offer from his old student Master Cylinder, who offers Poindexter a position under him as head of his laboratory on Venus in exchange for $1,000,000. Felix and Poindexter eavesdrop on this, and while Professor hesitates for a moment on giving up Poindexter, but he's too enticed by the large sum of money to give up on the idea, and he thinks the year long experience will do Poindexter good. Professor then notices Felix and Poindexter were eavesdropping, and Felix acts ashamed of Professor even thinking of giving up Poindexter. Professor relieves Felix of his babysitting duty for Poindexter, and Felix shakes hands with Poindexter as he packs up. Felix watches outside the lab as Professor's spaceship takes off to deliver Poindexter to Venus. Felix decides to follow them anyway, and he notices Poindexter's flying saucer nearby. He hops right in and takes off into space after Professor and Poindexter. Later on, the two scientists crash land on Venus, which results in Professor's mustache briefly falling off. They quickly recover and set off to find Master Cylinder and his lab. Meanwhile, Felix is still travelling to Venus and tries to pull back on the accelerator, but he breaks the lever and is forced to trek outside the spaceship to fix it. He tries winding a screw outside, but he loses his grip and is sent adrift through space, floating away helplessly from the saucer.
Desperate to get back to the saucer by hook or crook, Felix gets creative and turns his tail into a literal hook, which allows Felix to pull himself back into the saucer safely. Back on Venus, Professor and Poindexter meet up with Master Cylinder, and Master immediately sends Poindexter off to work in his lab. Professor then asks for the $1,000,000 right there, but Master scoffs at the idea of even giving Professor the money, and ties him up to a rocket and sends him flying into space. Not far away, Felix is reading a book in the saucer when he approaches Venus and sees Professor flying towards him, tied to the rocket. Felix positions the saucer and the rocket crashes into it, saving Professor. Felix asks what happened, and Professor tells him that they have to save Poindexter. The saucer lands on Venus, but it turns out Felix and Professor don't need to do much—Poindexter is busy mixing a formula in Master Cylinder's lab, with a ball and chain attached to his leg, when he accidentally creates a formula that creates an explosion, sending him flying out of the lab and breaking the chain. Poindexter lands safely, but the chain ball lands on Professor's head, conking him out. Just then, Master Cylinder shows up and laughs at their expense, and tells Felix to give up and that he can't fight him alone. Felix retorts that he'll never give up, and he grabs the ball and chain and swings it at Master Cylinder, bashing the cyborg and stunning him. The trio immediately escape, with Felix pondering how Master Cylinder's head feels like now, saying they'll probably never know. Professor, who is laying in the back of the saucer with a bandage around his head, mutters "Speak for yourself, Felix." Felix apologizes to Professor and has a hearty laugh as the cartoon irises out.
Tropes:
- Artistic License – Physics: The rocket Professor is tied to falls down onto Felix's rocket, even though there is no gravity in space.
- Batman Can Breathe in Space: Felix has no problem breathing or talking in the vacuum of space when he has to fix the saucer and is sent adrift. Same with Professor when Master sends him flying into space on a rocket.
- Cartoony Tail: Felix turns his tail into a hook so that he can pull himself back into the flying saucer.
- Continuity Nod: Poindexter's flying saucer from "The Flying Saucer" makes a reappearance here.
- I Lied: Master Cylinder tricks Professor into letting Poindexter learn under him for a year in exchange for $1,000,000. Once Professor drops off Poinsy, Master immediately goes back on his word and ties up Professor to a rocket, sending him flying away.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: Felix's response to Master Cylinder telling him to give up.Master Cylinder: Give up, Felix! You can't fight me all alone!Felix: I will never give up! Never! (lifts up ball and chain and swings it at Master)Master Cylinder: Ha ha ha ho ho, playing games eh? (head gets bashed in by ball and chain)
