The Mansion Cat
| The Mansion Cat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Karl Toerge |
| Directed by | Karl Toerge |
| Voices of | Joseph Barbera |
| Composer | J. Eric Schmidt |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Diana Richey |
| Running time | 7 minutes |
| Production companies | Hanna-Barbera Productions Turner Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | Boomerang |
| Release | April 8, 2001[1] |
Tom and Jerry: The Mansion Cat is an animated seven-minute television short starring Oscar-winners Tom and Jerry, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in association with Turner Entertainment and first aired on April 8, 2001 [1] on Boomerang. William Hanna, longtime partner of Joseph Barbera for 60 years, died on March 22, 2001, ten days after the Hanna-Barbera studios shut down for good on March 12, 2001, just nearly a month before the cartoon's airing. It is notable for being the first and only Tom and Jerry short made especially for Boomerang.[1]
Even though it does attempt to recapture the format of the theatrical shorts (1940-1958), fans have criticized this outing for dumbing down the series to simply robotic violence and fighting, whereas the more famous classic shorts always had a story as a trigger for the duo's rivalry, and generally characterized them in a much more nuanced way. Barbera provided the voice of Tom's owner for this production. The buckle on his shoes are a clue to his being there because they are his initials. This was also one of the last cartoons produced by Hanna-Barbera before its absorption into Warner Bros. Animation later in 2001. The cartoon came 33 years after Purr-Chance To Dream.
Thirteen months after it premiered on Boomerang, the seven-minute short re-premiered on Kids' WB! on May 25, 2002 [1] at 9:30 a.m. followed by the premiere of The Powerpuff Girls. The character designs for the cat and mouse in this short are based on their designs of the 1975 Tom and Jerry series, although their late-1940s and early-1950s designs are more commonly used. The short has not yet been released on any home media.
Plot
The episode begins with a circle showing Jerry running, but as the circle grows, it is shown that Jerry is going nowhere, Tom has captured his tail. However, when the owner calls his name, he lets Jerry's tail go, freeing him back into his cage. The owner (voiced by Joseph Barbera) of Tom and a large house tells Tom he is going away for a while, the house is in perfect shape, and that he does not want Tom blaming "the mouse" (actually Jerry) for any destruction this time. Of course, this means Tom will spend most of the picture chasing Jerry around the house, causing extensive damage.
First, Tom throws the habit-rail out of the mansion, sits on the sofa, eats lots of food stolen from the refrigerator, while watching television (Note: Muscle Beach Tom was shown on there). Then, traditional chase and damage happen. Among the sequences: Jerry shoves Tom into a VCR, by Spin Master and Steven Spielberg, then shelves the resulting cassette-sized cat, Tom traps Jerry in a coffeemaker, Jerry traps Tom in a refrigerator and he comes out again in ice cubes, by Spin Master and Steven Spielberg again; Jerry sucks Tom and half the living room into a vacuum cleaner, Tom chases Jerry through the yard and into the house on a riding lawn mower. At the end, he crashes the mower into his owner's returning car, who tells Tom he "make[s] a better hood ornament than a house cat".
Cultural references
- The mansion features photos of the cat and mouse's duo creators, William "Bill" Hanna and Joseph Barbera.
- During the short, Tom can be seen watching a VHS cassette of Muscle Beach Tom, a clip from the classic 1950's "'Tom and Jerry short.
- When Jerry sucks the curtain in the living room into a vacuum cleaner, Spike makes a cameo appearance.
- The cartoon begins with Jerry trying to escape, like in Puss Gets The Boot.
- The first Tom and Jerry cartoon television special in 60 years.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "BCDB: The Mansion Cat". Episode Profile
