Tom and Jerry (1:30am) - 11/18/01

[Jon Cooke]

"The Lonesome Mouse"
"Sleepy-Time Tom"
"Polka Dot Puss"


All three featured the redubbed Mammy.


-Jon

[Thad Komorowski]

Hopefully DarthGonzo caught this episode, since both T&Js he's never seen aired today.


-Thad

[DarthGonzo]

Originally posted by Thad Komorowski
Hopefully DarthGonzo caught this episode, since both T&Js he's never seen aired today.


-Thad

Yes, I did catch the show. And I was taping it too. I was going to immediately post the contents here when the show ended but my sister was hogging the computer.

It has been a pretty good month for Tom and Jerry fans who watch the Saturday 1:30am slot. Life With Tom aired a few weeks ago (edited yes, but at least it aired), Saturday Evening Puss and The Framed Cat aired last week and The Lonesome Mouse, Sleepy-Time Tom and Polka Dot Puss aired last night. Hell, this time slot is the only place we get to see The Mansion Cat and both Chuck Jones' clip shows, like em or not. I'm still waiting for Nit Witty Kitty and Triplet Trouble to air someday. I've got these on tape, but they're both copies that are several years old and need an upgrade. What I saw yesterday led me to believe these will air very soon.

Now my observations about both cartoons I had never seen...

The Lonesome Mouse: In all honesty, I did not expect this one to air. I was hoping for Sleepy Time Tom, but this was even better. The opening titles did little to prepare me for the fact that I'd be seeing "The Lonesome Mouse" title card for the first time in my life. And the cartoon was better than I expected. The animation was nice and wild and I was surprised that this cartoon (and not Zoot Cat) was the first one to feature Tom and Jerry talking. It was weird, but very funny. Seems as if Hanna and Barbera were bored with slower T&J cartoons and wanted to go all out crazy with the characters. A very strong cartoon, and it's a shame it took CN so long to air it.

Sleepy Time Tom: I'm thrilled this aired, but it was a little less than what I expected. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed it, but the previous cartoon set my expectations too high. The knew even before the title of the cartoon appeared that I was about to see Sleepy Time Tom because the opening music was different from just about every T&J cartoon I had seen. The scenes with Tom trying to tape his eyelids back were probably the funniest scenes I've ever seen in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Thank you CN for airing this again.

And of coure I think we've all see Polka Dot Puss....

[J Lee]

"The Lonsome Mouse" was one of the very first Mammy cartoons to become persona non grata on a lot of stations in the late 1970s and early 80s because of both Mammy's treatment by Jerry, and then Tom, and because of all the politcially incorrect stuff that falls out of her dress while Jerry's shaking the chair.

As far as the opening, it "sneaks up" on you because it was one of the MGM cartoons originally released with Tex's "Tiger Rag" opening gag for Leo the Lion. When it was re-released, the opening titles were refilmed and the 1949-56 T&J theme music inserted. And, yes, for a 1943 cartoon it is pretty fast-paced for what H&B were doing at the time (coming out around a year after Avery's arrival, no surprise that the pace would pick up right about then...)

[DarthGonzo]

Originally posted by J Lee
"The Lonsome Mouse" was one of the very first Mammy cartoons to become persona non grata on a lot of stations in the late 1970s and early 80s because of both Mammy's treatment by Jerry, and then Tom, and because of all the politcially incorrect stuff that falls out of her dress while Jerry's shaking the chair.

As far as the opening, it "sneaks up" on you because it was one of the MGM cartoons originally released with Tex's "Tiger Rag" opening gag for Leo the Lion. When it was re-released, the opening titles were refilmed and the 1949-56 T&J theme music inserted. And, yes, for a 1943 cartoon it is pretty fast-paced for what H&B were doing at the time (coming out around a year after Avery's arrival, no surprise that the pace would pick up right about then...)

Would the Hitler gag have anything to do with "The Lonesome Mouse" being harder to find. Or was it mainly because of Mammy?

Your comment made me wonder, which cartoons up until 1949 actually have their original "MGM/T&J Cartoon" titles. The only ones I can think of off the top of my head are "Puss Gets the Boot" and "The Night Before Christmas". I know the actual title cards for most of them are the same (although "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse" and "The Truce Hurts" really do not look authentic) but the Tom and Jerry heads are definitely not right on almost all of them.

Additionally, which T&J cartoons have their original opening music? My guess is that the ones with the traditional Tom and Jerry theme are not correct. When did this theme officially get used for the first time?

[Thad Komorowski]

Originally posted by DarthGonzo
When did this theme officially get used for the first time?

I believe it was 1949's "Love That Pup".


-Thad

[DarthGonzo]

Now that I've seen "The Lonesome Mouse" and have been comparing it to "Zoot Cat", I find it odd that both Tom and Jerry talked quite alot in both cartoons yet it was noted by William Hanna (it think) in the 50 Years of Cat and Mouse book that they never spoke an articulate word. Has anyone ever put together a complete list of everything Tom and Jerry ever said?

[PorkyandDaffy]

Here's a few T&J lines I can remember:

Tom (in MILLION DOLLAR CAT): "Gee, I'm throwin' away a million dollars...BUT I'M HAPPY!"

Jerry (in THE ZOOT CAT): "What's cookin', Toots".
Tom has a whole bunch of lines in THE ZOOT CAT.

Tom (can't remember the cartoon): "A custard pie? Let me have it!"

Tom (in TRAP-HAPPY): [speaking on the phone to an exterminator]: Help, help, a mouse! EEEEEE! Come quick"

[DarthGonzo]

Originally posted by PorkyandDaffy
Here's a few T&J lines I can remember:

Tom (in MILLION DOLLAR CAT): "Gee, I'm throwin' away a million dollars...BUT I'M HAPPY!"

Jerry (in THE ZOOT CAT): "What's cookin', Toots".
Tom has a whole bunch of lines in THE ZOOT CAT.

Tom (can't remember the cartoon): "A custard pie? Let me have it!"

I personally like Tom going, "That's a Lulu!!!!" from Lonesome Mouse. It was, umm, different. That and...

Jerry: Hey, we're still kiddin', aint we?
Tom: Sure.
Jerry: Okay den.

And I always liked Jerry's rant from Saturday Evenging Puss, "Youse guys out here goin BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!" Thank goodness they put that back into the dubbed version.

[Jack]

Both talk quite a bit in Mucho Mouse.


Jack :D

[Thad Komorowski]

Puss Gets the Boot
Jerry says a very sped up prayer (it sounds like some of it is "I hope that this cat will go away!"), continues to try and run from Tom/Jasper's grip, kneels again and says "Amen!"

The Mouse Comes To Dinner
Tom: "Hey, what's cookin'?"
Toodles: "You are, stupid."

Solid Serenade
Tom has many different voices in this one. One voice he uses to sing "Is You Is, Or Is You Ain't, Mah Baby" to his girlfriend, he uses another one to tell Spike to "Go get it, boy! Go get it!", and then uses his Charles Boyers voice.

Part Time Pal
A really drunk Tom is about to poor water on a sleeping Mammy and says, "One for the money! *HICCUP* Two for the show! *HICCUP* Three to make ready! *HICCUP* And four to go!"

The Framed Cat
Tom tells Spike to hold the bone on his nose. "That's a good boy! Steady now!"


-Thad

[Tintin]

Also, on Trap-Happy. Tom say "C-A-T- Cat" :)

[chuckamuck43]

I missed it, darn it! So, unlike you Darth, I've still never seen Lonesome Mouse!

[DarthGonzo]

In The Bodyguard , Tom says, "In me power!", or something similar

In both Mouse Trouble and The Missing Mouse Tom says, "Don't you believe it" after being either blown up or beaten up.

Lets no forget Toms Stephin Fechitt (sp) impersonation at the end of Mouse Cleaning.

While we're on the subject Jerry desguised himself and Nibbles as a black woman and child in The Milky Waif. "Why hello there Mister Thomas. Comon, honey-child!"

there are more....

[DarthGonzo]

Originally posted by chuckamuck43
I missed it, darn it! So, unlike you Darth, I've still never seen Lonesome Mouse!

Is that the only one you havent seen?

[PorkyandDaffy]

In The Bodyguard , Tom says, "In me power!", or something similar ]

I also wondered what he said in that cartoon. I always thought it was "Enemy power". What did he mean?

[J Lee]

All the T&J's except for the ones made in late 1942-early 1943 with the "Tiger Rag" opening have their original music, but due to re-releases virtually none of the T&Js made before 1951, except for the two you mentioned, have their original opening titles.

The MGM opening titles with the slightly textured maroon background date from around 1949-52 (check out Avery's "Wags to Riches" and "Ventriliquist Cat," which do have their original titles from that time period), while the MGM titles with the flat red/orage background started in early 1952 and run through early 1954, and the blue background was used from 1954 through the closing of the studio in 1958 (some cartoons that were re-released after 1958 have a standard MGM opening title logo).

The T&J bulls-eye opening card apparently was used from around 1949 to 1953, while the T&J opening title card with the blue/green background was used after that until just after the start of the H-B produced/directed Cinemascope releases. All of the re-released cartoons have one of these two opening title cards.

As for the music, the Tom & Jerry theme that Scott Bradley came up with debuted in the cartoon that aired last night, "Polka-Dot Puss" from 1949.

[DarthGonzo]

OK, now on to my last question on this subject:

So now we all know the MGM logo and the "TJ Cartoon" titles are changed around quite a bit before 1950. However, do all the cartoons still have their original title card, which usually are the most interesting ones due to the pictures or art that usually accompany them? Thanks

[Brandon Pierce]

Hey! Don't forget all the times Tom has said, "DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT!!!"

[Jack]

Originally posted by DarthGonzo
OK, now on to my last question on this subject:

So now we all know the MGM logo and the "TJ Cartoon" titles are changed around quite a bit before 1950. However, do all the cartoons still have their original title card, which usually are the most interesting ones due to the pictures or art that usually accompany them? Thanks
Nope, MGM would update the title art and credits to a cartoon when it was re-released. A good example of this practice would be the title card to "Texas Tom." I guess MGM didn't go the cheap route studios like WB (with their Blue Ribbon MMs) and Columbia (with their amazingly annoying "Columbia Favorites") did with their standard reissue titles.


Jack :D

[DarthGonzo]

Originally posted by Jack

Nope, MGM would update the title art and credits to a cartoon when it was re-released. A good example of this practice would be the title card to "Texas Tom." I guess MGM didn't go the cheap route studios like WB (with their Blue Ribbon MMs) and Columbia (with their amazingly annoying "Columbia Favorites") did with their standard reissue titles.


Jack :D

Hmm, this I didnt know. What is different about the "Texas Tom" title card?

[J Lee]

When "Texas Tom" was re-released, instead of just using a blue background or some other color for the opening credits, they did a completely new backgroud of a western ranch scene, over which the new titles were superimposed while the camera pans to the right. After Quimby's title card and as the camera slowly moves in towards the ranch house, the image fades to black and the original animation fades in.

[PorkyandDaffy]

Hey! Don't forget all the times Tom has said, "DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT!!!"

That was already mentioned.

[DarthGonzo]

Originally posted by J Lee
When "Texas Tom" was re-released, instead of just using a blue background or some other color for the opening credits, they did a completely new backgroud of a western ranch scene, over which the new titles were superimposed while the camera pans to the right. After Quimby's title card and as the camera slowly moves in towards the ranch house, the image fades to black and the original animation fades in.

Hmm, sounds like the new title is better than the old one.

What about the title cards for cartoons like Mouse Cleaning, Old Rockin' Chair Tom or Solid Serenade. They look authentic.

[Pietro]

Originally posted by PorkyandDaffy
Tom (can't remember the cartoon): "A custard pie? Let me have it!"

The name of the cartoon in question is the 1945 classic, "Quiet Please!"

-Pietro:D

[DarthGonzo]

Hey, Chuck Jones even got into the act of having Tom and Jerry talk every so often.

In the cartoon Tom gives Jerry as a gift to his girlfriend (or something like that). Every time Tom goes to eat Jerry, the mouse screams, "Mama!!" and the female cat comes to his rescue. At one point Tom is preparing to drop a safe on Jerry by rigging a pully system in the basement. His girlfriend catches him in the act and backs him under the safe. Attempting to play Jerry's game, Tom looks innocent and says, "Mommy..." Unfortunately, he lets go of the rope....

[J Lee]

[I]What about the title cards for cartoons like Mouse Cleaning, Old Rockin' Chair Tom or Solid Serenade. They look authentic.[I/]

You can usually tell the "new" T&J re-release title cards by the lettering on the animation credits; it's a lot less rounded and more well-defined from the background, keeping with the style of the new release titles between 1954-58.

However, as Avery told Joe Adamson, MGM was the last of the major studios to follow the UPA graphic design, so there cartoons even into 1951-52 have a softer, more realistic look, and that softness extends to the credits. A cartoon like "Solid Serenade" may have its original titles, but if it was re-released between 1949-53, it would be hard to tell the new title graphics from the originals. In contrast, a cartoon like "Tennis Chumps" has the new style title card graphics, which don't fit at all with the 1949 drawing style in the cartoon.

[Cartoon King]

The Framed Cat aired last week



:mad:
The Framed Cat aired last week? And I missed it! Oh, Man. That's the only one I haven't seen!!!

Oh, well. Kudos to CN for Saturday night Tom and Jerry's and recent airings of LNB&W. I will definately be taping the T&J's this weekend!

[DarthGonzo]

Originally posted by J Lee
[I]What about the title cards for cartoons like Mouse Cleaning, Old Rockin' Chair Tom or Solid Serenade. They look authentic.[I/]

You can usually tell the "new" T&J re-release title cards by the lettering on the animation credits; it's a lot less rounded and more well-defined from the background, keeping with the style of the new release titles between 1954-58.

However, as Avery told Joe Adamson, MGM was the last of the major studios to follow the UPA graphic design, so there cartoons even into 1951-52 have a softer, more realistic look, and that softness extends to the credits. A cartoon like "Solid Serenade" may have its original titles, but if it was re-released between 1949-53, it would be hard to tell the new title graphics from the originals. In contrast, a cartoon like "Tennis Chumps" has the new style title card graphics, which don't fit at all with the 1949 drawing style in the cartoon.

Anyone know if there are pictures of the old title cards that still exist?