DarthGonzo
12-03-2001, 12:00 AM
Strange question, but what are your favorite Tom and Jerry opening titles? Those distinctive ones that, as soon as you hear the opening music or see the title card, you drop everything and watch the cartoon. These are my top three, in no particular order.
Sleepy-Time Tom -yeah, I never saw this cartoon until a little over two weeks ago, and I expected that, when I did finally see it, it would start with the traditional Tom and Jerry theme. Well, it does start with the first few notes of the theme and then veers off into another direction. This is odd because, with very little exception, all Tom and Jerry cartoons by 1949 began with the regular Tom and Jerry theme music. It seems as if either Scott Bradley knew this cartoon had a different feel to it and wanted to match the cartoon's theme or he was just bored with letting the same theme be used in every cartoon. The opening title painting of Tom climbing up the stairs with a candle in hand is really cool too. One of very few post-1949 cartoons that is identifiable by it's opening music alone. The music used here, by the way, is a standard Tom and Jerry "sleepy-time" musical cue that pops up during cartoons with prolonged bedroom scenes, "The Million Dollar Cat" being a good example.
Mouse Cleaning -of course from 1940 until mid-1949 most Tom and Jerry cartoons had unique opening title music. Sure, some cartoons, like "Solid Serenade", "A Mouse in the House" and "Part Time Pal", did share musical openings, but for the most part a Tom and Jerry fan can identify any 1940-1949 cartoon by closing their eyes and listening to the opening title music. This cartoon is no exception, for it uses a musical cue that dates back to 1940 and was also used in the opening of "The Midnight Snack", in modified form. The music here is well done, and always has a way of sending shivers down my spine, considering "Mouse Cleaning" is one of my all-time favorite Tom and Jerry cartoons. The title painting, of Jerry sweeping Tom away with a broom, is another really cool one.
Old Rockin' Chair Tom -the strength of this opening is the fact that it belies that fact that the cartoon itself begins as a fast-paced chase, using one of Bradley's quickest Tom and Jerry scores. Like the "Mouse Cleaning" opening cue, this one is sort of laid back, and mixes in some traditional Tom and Jerry cues in as well. I love that bridge between the opening cue over Leo the Lion and the cue over the main titles. This bridge was used in several other cartoons such as "Polka-Dot Puss" and "Professor Tom". I cant describe why this opening works for me. It just does. The title painting of Tom in a rocking chair is awesome as well.
A few other openings deserve mention but are nowhere near as good: "Polka Dot Puss" (gotta love the first use of that classic T&J theme) and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse" (the music is nice and moody here, but I cant stand the obviously redone title card).
So, what openings do you guys like?
Sleepy-Time Tom -yeah, I never saw this cartoon until a little over two weeks ago, and I expected that, when I did finally see it, it would start with the traditional Tom and Jerry theme. Well, it does start with the first few notes of the theme and then veers off into another direction. This is odd because, with very little exception, all Tom and Jerry cartoons by 1949 began with the regular Tom and Jerry theme music. It seems as if either Scott Bradley knew this cartoon had a different feel to it and wanted to match the cartoon's theme or he was just bored with letting the same theme be used in every cartoon. The opening title painting of Tom climbing up the stairs with a candle in hand is really cool too. One of very few post-1949 cartoons that is identifiable by it's opening music alone. The music used here, by the way, is a standard Tom and Jerry "sleepy-time" musical cue that pops up during cartoons with prolonged bedroom scenes, "The Million Dollar Cat" being a good example.
Mouse Cleaning -of course from 1940 until mid-1949 most Tom and Jerry cartoons had unique opening title music. Sure, some cartoons, like "Solid Serenade", "A Mouse in the House" and "Part Time Pal", did share musical openings, but for the most part a Tom and Jerry fan can identify any 1940-1949 cartoon by closing their eyes and listening to the opening title music. This cartoon is no exception, for it uses a musical cue that dates back to 1940 and was also used in the opening of "The Midnight Snack", in modified form. The music here is well done, and always has a way of sending shivers down my spine, considering "Mouse Cleaning" is one of my all-time favorite Tom and Jerry cartoons. The title painting, of Jerry sweeping Tom away with a broom, is another really cool one.
Old Rockin' Chair Tom -the strength of this opening is the fact that it belies that fact that the cartoon itself begins as a fast-paced chase, using one of Bradley's quickest Tom and Jerry scores. Like the "Mouse Cleaning" opening cue, this one is sort of laid back, and mixes in some traditional Tom and Jerry cues in as well. I love that bridge between the opening cue over Leo the Lion and the cue over the main titles. This bridge was used in several other cartoons such as "Polka-Dot Puss" and "Professor Tom". I cant describe why this opening works for me. It just does. The title painting of Tom in a rocking chair is awesome as well.
A few other openings deserve mention but are nowhere near as good: "Polka Dot Puss" (gotta love the first use of that classic T&J theme) and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse" (the music is nice and moody here, but I cant stand the obviously redone title card).
So, what openings do you guys like?