DarthGonzo
11-23-2001, 09:23 PM
Tis the season to be generous, and today I figured I'd comment on two Tom and Jerry cartoons. I've already covered His Mouse Friday and now I'll deal with a Tom and Jerry cartoon that I know quite a few people are fond of. That cartoon is Old Rockin' Chair Tom
Old Rockin' Chair Tom
released September 18, 1948
directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
animated by Kenneth Muse, Ray Patterson, Ed Barge and Irven Spence
musical direction by Scott Bradley
Summary
This cartoon opens with a bang. Jerry has got Mammy Two-Shoes trapped up on a stool and is terrorizing her. "Go on Mouse, you quit trying to scare me!", she shouts. Mammy calls for Tom, who makes a disastrous attempt to deal with the situation and only ends up falling down into the cellar, taking Mammy with him. "Thomas, if you is a mouse catcher, than I is Lana Turner, which I aint!", says Mammy. Mammy explains that Tom's problem is that he is too old to catch mice, "so I decided to bring in a new and younger cat. Oh Lightning!" In zooms an orange cat (looking suspiciously like Butch) who immediately evicts Jerry from the house. When Mammy retires to bed, Lightening helps himself to all the food in the icebox and then plants the evidence on Tom. At Mammy's request, Lightening kicks Tom out of the house. However, Tom and Jerry decide they will not let this injustice go unchallenged. They sneak back into the house later that night, force an iron down Lightening's throat and then manuever him around the room with a magnet. When Mammy enters to see what's going on, Jerry resumes terrorizing her where he left off. Since the incapacitated Lightening can't come to her rescue, Tom (with the William Tell overture blazing in the background) pretends to dispose of Jerry, and then gets the pleasure of kicking Lightening out of his house. Mammy, greatful to have Tom back, gives him a pie as an apology. Tom takes a piece for himself, and then happily gives the rest to Jerry.
Comments
A loose remake of 1943's The Lonesome Mouse, Old Rockin' Chair Tom is a fast paced, utterly enjoyable cartoon which owes alot of it's entertainment value to it's opening and closing chases, probably some of the most energized in Tom and Jerry history. The fact that the cartoon opens with Mammy trapped on a stool, screaming in terror, catches one off-guard, since most often Tom and Jerry cartoons usually begin with a basic set-up. Unless he was trying to get Tom out of the house (which indeed he was doing in The Lonesome Mouse) Jerry really has no motivation to annoy Mammy here. It really doesnt matter though, since we arent given the time to register this in our minds. In fact, alot of this cartoon is reminiscant of The Lonesome Mouse. The opening scene, the ploy to get back into the house and the final scene are all very familiar, although here both characters get a happy ending for once. The inclusion of Lightening gives the cartoon another layer, however, so it never comes across as a Lonesome Mouse clone. The scene in which Jerry trips Tom is a close copy to a similar scene in Zoot Cat, though. This is more of a case of Hanna and Barbera reusing what works, and this makes the cartoon all the more stronger. It is enjoyable enough that it really is a shame that it has to end, but it has such a sweet close that it illustrates just how much the perception of Tom had changed in 5 years.
The animation is good and all four animators get alot to work with. It is interesting that Ray Patterson, who usually animated "talky" scenes, does most of the Mammy animation even though we never see her face. Muse gets quite a few good moments in this cartoon, especially the very funny ironing board scene towards the beginning. Barge's animation at this point is a tad soft and cutesy at times, but both his and Spence's stuff fit the sequences they are needed for.
Bradley's score plays fast and loose, with the wild Tom and Jerry action theme (used in The Lonesome Mouse and the end of Quiet Please) bookending the short. The "Trolly Song", first used in Cat Fishin', makes a reappearance here as well. This is without of doubt one of Bradleys best Tom and Jerry scores.
Cartoon Network has been showing a redubbed version of this cartoon for the past few years, with Mammy's line, "Take good care of poor old Uncle Tom" changed to lift the reference away from "Uncle Tom's Cabin". The cartoon with the original voice track can be seen on the 'Art of Tom and Jerry" laserdisc and the VHS tape "Starring Tom and Jerry!" In either form, Old Rockin' Chair Tom is an entirely enjoyable short and indeed it is one of the best.
Old Rockin' Chair Tom
released September 18, 1948
directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
animated by Kenneth Muse, Ray Patterson, Ed Barge and Irven Spence
musical direction by Scott Bradley
Summary
This cartoon opens with a bang. Jerry has got Mammy Two-Shoes trapped up on a stool and is terrorizing her. "Go on Mouse, you quit trying to scare me!", she shouts. Mammy calls for Tom, who makes a disastrous attempt to deal with the situation and only ends up falling down into the cellar, taking Mammy with him. "Thomas, if you is a mouse catcher, than I is Lana Turner, which I aint!", says Mammy. Mammy explains that Tom's problem is that he is too old to catch mice, "so I decided to bring in a new and younger cat. Oh Lightning!" In zooms an orange cat (looking suspiciously like Butch) who immediately evicts Jerry from the house. When Mammy retires to bed, Lightening helps himself to all the food in the icebox and then plants the evidence on Tom. At Mammy's request, Lightening kicks Tom out of the house. However, Tom and Jerry decide they will not let this injustice go unchallenged. They sneak back into the house later that night, force an iron down Lightening's throat and then manuever him around the room with a magnet. When Mammy enters to see what's going on, Jerry resumes terrorizing her where he left off. Since the incapacitated Lightening can't come to her rescue, Tom (with the William Tell overture blazing in the background) pretends to dispose of Jerry, and then gets the pleasure of kicking Lightening out of his house. Mammy, greatful to have Tom back, gives him a pie as an apology. Tom takes a piece for himself, and then happily gives the rest to Jerry.
Comments
A loose remake of 1943's The Lonesome Mouse, Old Rockin' Chair Tom is a fast paced, utterly enjoyable cartoon which owes alot of it's entertainment value to it's opening and closing chases, probably some of the most energized in Tom and Jerry history. The fact that the cartoon opens with Mammy trapped on a stool, screaming in terror, catches one off-guard, since most often Tom and Jerry cartoons usually begin with a basic set-up. Unless he was trying to get Tom out of the house (which indeed he was doing in The Lonesome Mouse) Jerry really has no motivation to annoy Mammy here. It really doesnt matter though, since we arent given the time to register this in our minds. In fact, alot of this cartoon is reminiscant of The Lonesome Mouse. The opening scene, the ploy to get back into the house and the final scene are all very familiar, although here both characters get a happy ending for once. The inclusion of Lightening gives the cartoon another layer, however, so it never comes across as a Lonesome Mouse clone. The scene in which Jerry trips Tom is a close copy to a similar scene in Zoot Cat, though. This is more of a case of Hanna and Barbera reusing what works, and this makes the cartoon all the more stronger. It is enjoyable enough that it really is a shame that it has to end, but it has such a sweet close that it illustrates just how much the perception of Tom had changed in 5 years.
The animation is good and all four animators get alot to work with. It is interesting that Ray Patterson, who usually animated "talky" scenes, does most of the Mammy animation even though we never see her face. Muse gets quite a few good moments in this cartoon, especially the very funny ironing board scene towards the beginning. Barge's animation at this point is a tad soft and cutesy at times, but both his and Spence's stuff fit the sequences they are needed for.
Bradley's score plays fast and loose, with the wild Tom and Jerry action theme (used in The Lonesome Mouse and the end of Quiet Please) bookending the short. The "Trolly Song", first used in Cat Fishin', makes a reappearance here as well. This is without of doubt one of Bradleys best Tom and Jerry scores.
Cartoon Network has been showing a redubbed version of this cartoon for the past few years, with Mammy's line, "Take good care of poor old Uncle Tom" changed to lift the reference away from "Uncle Tom's Cabin". The cartoon with the original voice track can be seen on the 'Art of Tom and Jerry" laserdisc and the VHS tape "Starring Tom and Jerry!" In either form, Old Rockin' Chair Tom is an entirely enjoyable short and indeed it is one of the best.