Master Cylinder's Spacegram is a 1960 Felix the Cat cartoon and the 60th episode of the Felix the Cat (Joe Oriolo) series.
It's another night at the Professor's lab, with Felix babysitting Poindexter. Poindexter has just finished a new invention, and notices Felix is sleeping, so he tests it on the cat, lifting his chair up to the ceiling and startling him. Poindexter introduces his new invention as an Anti-Gravity Gun. Felix orders him to shut it off, and Poinsy does so very abruptly, apologizing for letting Felix fall to the floor. Felix wonders where Professor is so late at night, just as the doorbell rings. A mailman leaves a "spacegram" for Poindexter—Poinsy tips him, and he reads it, finding out it's a message from the Master Cylinder. It turns out the cyborg has kidnapped Professor and is holding him hostage on Mars, and gives instructions on how to free him; pack up a trunk with lab equipment, stand by the lab window to be picked up, and bring Felix. Poinsy packs the truck and Felix hops in it as the kid grabs his Anti-Gravity Gun. Poinsy uses the gun to carry the trunk to the window, just as Master Cylinder's spaceship arrives, sucks him and the trunk up, and flies back to Mars. Poindexter is dropped off right in front of General Clang, who welcomes him. Poinsy asks where his uncle is, and he's informed that he's out with Master Cylinder. Clang then orders the kid to go to the lab and invent super rocket fuel for Master Cylinder. Poindexter rolls with it, but Clang gets suspicious and uses X-Ray Vision to see through the trunk, discovering Felix hiding inside of it. Clang captures Felix, tells him what he and Master plan to do, while Clang also announces his plan to invade Earth with an army, showing Felix the numerous rockets stationed outside. Clang puts Felix into the basement and straps him in place, leaving him helpless.
Felix then finds out Professor is chained up next to him, and he asks why Master Cylinder would capture him. Professor retorts "Ask him!", and to Felix's surprise, he finds out Master Cylinder is chained up along with them, revealing he was double crossed by Clang, bemoaning how he's been chained up. Professor retorts that they look good on him, but Felix tells them to stop bickering and figure out how to escape. Master asks how, pointing out how he designed the chains himself and that even he can't break out of them. Felix wonders if this is the end, but an unseen voice says "You give up too easily, Felix." Felix asks who said that, and a face appears on the block Felix is strapped to. Felix asks who he is, and he merely calls himself a martian in disguise, and is fighting General Clang with him. He releases Felix, and then tele-kinetically unchains Professor. Felix decides to go save Poindexter, and the Martian lifts Felix up to the upper floor, with Felix coming face to face with Clang. He tries to capture Felix again, but falls down the trapdoor Felix came out of, and the Martian straps Clang in place, telling him he can handle Clang from now on and wishing Felix good luck. Master Cylinder, chained up, asks what he's gonna do, and Professor retorts that he can rest in piece as he and Felix run off to save Poinsy. Just then, Poindexter is mixing a formula for the rocket fuel, which explodes in his face and sends him flying. Felix and Professor hear it and immediately deduce who caused the explosion, and they run outside to see the kid soaring through the air. They improvise a sheet as a trampoline and catch him. Poindexter turns out unharmed and says he just wants to get home and take a nap, and Professor suggests they hijack the spaceship above them. Wondering how to get up to it, Poindexter uses his Anti-Gravity Gun to lift all of them up to it, and they flee the planet victorious, since Clang is captured and has no rocket fuel for his army to use. Felix laughs heartily as the cartoon irises out.
Tropes:
- Not Me This Time: Surprisingly, Master Cylinder is not the culprit this time around—General Clang backstabbed him and chained him up as a prisoner along with Felix and Professor.
- Save the Villain: For once, Professor is the one in danger, so Felix and Poindexter have to go save him from Master Cylinder. Averted with the chained up Master Cylinder, as Felix and Professor know better than to help him. Presumably, Poinsy learned his lesson from the last time he tried to save Master Cylinder.
- The Starscream: General Clang backstabs Master Cylinder so he can exploit the super rocket fuel Poindexter makes so he can invade the Earth.
- Wham Line:Felix: "But why did the Master Cylinder do this to you?"Professor: "Ask him! He's over there!" (Felix notices Master is chained up)
- X-Ray Vision: Clang is revealed to have this, and he uses it to find out Felix has stowed away in a trunk along with Poindexter.
