DarthGonzo
11-24-2001, 03:03 PM
So this is my fifth Tom and Jerry review. The other four were His Mouse Friday, Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl, Cue Ball Cat and Old Rockin' Chair Tom. The Truce Hurts was also discussed a few days ago, brought up by another author. If you have any favorite Tom and Jerry cartoons you want me to review, please let me know
Trap Happy
released June 29th, 1946
directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
animation by Kenneth Muse, Ed Barge and Michael Lah
musical direction by Scott Bradley
Summary
The cartoon starts with Tom chasing Jerry around the house, the cat getting the worst of the battle from the clever little mouse. Deciding that his own approaches are not working anymore, Tom grabs the phone book and looks for some professional help. He dials "Ajax Mouse Exterminating Company", and screams into the phone in his best feminine voice, "Help! Help! A Mouse! EEEEE!! Come quick! EEEEEE!!!". Almost immediately the doorbell rings and in steps the exterminator, who is none other than Butch in a blue derby. Butch washes his hands in the fish bowl, dries them in the drapes and then goes to work. He pulls Jerry out of his mousehole using a bolt painted like cheese and a magnet and then prepares to chop the mouse in half. Luckily, Jerry substitutes Tom's tail underneath the axe in the nick of time. Butch forces a hand drill into the wall by the mousehole and Jerry electrifies it with a pair of handy electrical wiring. The two cats try to gas Jerry, but the mouse simply wears a gas mask, then hits them with an iron when they come after him. Tom and Butch attempt the lift the entire wall around the mousehole, but Jerry smashes Toms foot with a hammer. When Tom lets go of the wall, it crashes down, nails and all, on Butch's fingers. Jerry proceeds to play "Yankee Doodle" on Butch's swollen digits. With Tom standing guard outside the mousehole with a mallet, Butch dives into the wall to take care of Jerry. When both Butch and Jerry finally emerge from the mousehole, Tom creams the wrong one. The cats try to toss a small bomb into Jerry's hole, but they end up confusing it with Butch's hat. Finally, the cats take their places on either side of the wall, blocking both of Jerry's exits. They both reach into the hole and end up grabbing their own hands, each thinking the other is the mouse. Tom is so sure that he's got Jerry that he pulls Butch clear through the wall. Giving up on his dim-witted partner, Butch adjusts the writing on his exterminator's bag. "C-A-T Cat", reads Tom, nervously. With that, the rechristened "Cat Exterminator" takes off after Tom with a shotgun.
Commentary
Trap Happy is without a doubt the wildest, funniest and probably the most violent Tom and Jerry cartoon. It is also a huge fan favorite. The cartoon never stops moving, and by the end it leaves one breathless. The pairing of the two cats works wonderfully, with Tom making one painful mistake after the other. It really is not too difficult to imagine Butch being an experienced and successful exterminator. It's just that he's up against an extraordinarily clever mouse and has a hapless house cat helping him out. Fred Quimby once said, "During World War II, we found the audience responded to more violent forms of comedy." This was never more true as it is for Trap Happy, for Butch and Tom take a tremendous beating in the short. The scene where the entire wall drops on Butch's fingers looks incredibly painful. When Butch pulls his fingers out from under the wall, they swell up like balloons, his fingernails pop off and smoke steams out of them. The entire cartoon culminates in the two cats trying to pull each other through the wall, with Butch sticking a broom handle into the househole, out the other end, and straight down Tom's throat. The cats are their own worst enemies, and towards the end of the cartoon it seems as if all Jerry needs to do is sit back and let them destroy each other. This was only Butch's third cartoon, the other two being Baby Puss and Springtime For Thomas, but he was fast becoming an important secondary character. His next cartoon, A Mouse in the House, is probably his best.
The animation is very strong in Trap Happy and even Michael Lah's weaker animation looks great, primarily because it moves, much like Irven Spence's style. Kenneth Muse doesnt get much to animate here, but his perfectionist style would have taken away from the nonstop action. In some cartoons, perfect animation is important. Because Trap Happy is so fast paced, the animation really does not need to be an exact art form.
Bradleys manic score defines this cartoon. It's a perfect accompanyment to the visuals onscreen, and all the music is unique. It's hard to picture Trap Happy's score working in any other cartoon but this.
Trap Happy is generally regarded as one of the best, and certainly the most violent, of all Tom and Jerry cartoons. It certainly deserves that reputation.
Trap Happy
released June 29th, 1946
directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
animation by Kenneth Muse, Ed Barge and Michael Lah
musical direction by Scott Bradley
Summary
The cartoon starts with Tom chasing Jerry around the house, the cat getting the worst of the battle from the clever little mouse. Deciding that his own approaches are not working anymore, Tom grabs the phone book and looks for some professional help. He dials "Ajax Mouse Exterminating Company", and screams into the phone in his best feminine voice, "Help! Help! A Mouse! EEEEE!! Come quick! EEEEEE!!!". Almost immediately the doorbell rings and in steps the exterminator, who is none other than Butch in a blue derby. Butch washes his hands in the fish bowl, dries them in the drapes and then goes to work. He pulls Jerry out of his mousehole using a bolt painted like cheese and a magnet and then prepares to chop the mouse in half. Luckily, Jerry substitutes Tom's tail underneath the axe in the nick of time. Butch forces a hand drill into the wall by the mousehole and Jerry electrifies it with a pair of handy electrical wiring. The two cats try to gas Jerry, but the mouse simply wears a gas mask, then hits them with an iron when they come after him. Tom and Butch attempt the lift the entire wall around the mousehole, but Jerry smashes Toms foot with a hammer. When Tom lets go of the wall, it crashes down, nails and all, on Butch's fingers. Jerry proceeds to play "Yankee Doodle" on Butch's swollen digits. With Tom standing guard outside the mousehole with a mallet, Butch dives into the wall to take care of Jerry. When both Butch and Jerry finally emerge from the mousehole, Tom creams the wrong one. The cats try to toss a small bomb into Jerry's hole, but they end up confusing it with Butch's hat. Finally, the cats take their places on either side of the wall, blocking both of Jerry's exits. They both reach into the hole and end up grabbing their own hands, each thinking the other is the mouse. Tom is so sure that he's got Jerry that he pulls Butch clear through the wall. Giving up on his dim-witted partner, Butch adjusts the writing on his exterminator's bag. "C-A-T Cat", reads Tom, nervously. With that, the rechristened "Cat Exterminator" takes off after Tom with a shotgun.
Commentary
Trap Happy is without a doubt the wildest, funniest and probably the most violent Tom and Jerry cartoon. It is also a huge fan favorite. The cartoon never stops moving, and by the end it leaves one breathless. The pairing of the two cats works wonderfully, with Tom making one painful mistake after the other. It really is not too difficult to imagine Butch being an experienced and successful exterminator. It's just that he's up against an extraordinarily clever mouse and has a hapless house cat helping him out. Fred Quimby once said, "During World War II, we found the audience responded to more violent forms of comedy." This was never more true as it is for Trap Happy, for Butch and Tom take a tremendous beating in the short. The scene where the entire wall drops on Butch's fingers looks incredibly painful. When Butch pulls his fingers out from under the wall, they swell up like balloons, his fingernails pop off and smoke steams out of them. The entire cartoon culminates in the two cats trying to pull each other through the wall, with Butch sticking a broom handle into the househole, out the other end, and straight down Tom's throat. The cats are their own worst enemies, and towards the end of the cartoon it seems as if all Jerry needs to do is sit back and let them destroy each other. This was only Butch's third cartoon, the other two being Baby Puss and Springtime For Thomas, but he was fast becoming an important secondary character. His next cartoon, A Mouse in the House, is probably his best.
The animation is very strong in Trap Happy and even Michael Lah's weaker animation looks great, primarily because it moves, much like Irven Spence's style. Kenneth Muse doesnt get much to animate here, but his perfectionist style would have taken away from the nonstop action. In some cartoons, perfect animation is important. Because Trap Happy is so fast paced, the animation really does not need to be an exact art form.
Bradleys manic score defines this cartoon. It's a perfect accompanyment to the visuals onscreen, and all the music is unique. It's hard to picture Trap Happy's score working in any other cartoon but this.
Trap Happy is generally regarded as one of the best, and certainly the most violent, of all Tom and Jerry cartoons. It certainly deserves that reputation.