Blue Cat Blues
Blue Cat Blues | |
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Directed by | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
Story by | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
Produced by | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
Starring | William Hanna Paul Frees |
Music by | Scott Bradley |
Animation by |
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Layouts by | Richard Bickenbach |
Backgrounds by | Robert Gentle |
Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date | November 16, 1956 |
Running time | 7 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Blue Cat Blues is a 1956 one-reel animated Tom and Jerry cartoon and was written, directed and produced by co-creators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera; the short was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 16, 1956, in CinemaScope and is the last one to be produced with the Western Electric Sound System.
Unusually for a Tom and Jerry cartoon, Jerry "speaks" lengthy lines, through an inner monologue.
Plot Synopsis
Tom is seen sitting on the train tracks, waiting for the train to come so he can commit suicide, while Jerry laments at his friend's state and recalls how he ended up there.
Jerry narrates that he and Tom were once best friends, before Tom falls for a beautiful white cat who at first seems to return his feelings, before leaving him for Butch (who, unlike other cartoons, is rich) which reveals herself to be a gold digger as Jerry had earlier suspected.
Despite Jerry's protests, Tom tries continually to buy back his love but is continually outdone by Butch, and eventually nearly goes down the literal gutter. He is saved by Jerry, but gets more depressed when Butch and the white cat drive buy with a "JUST MARRIED" sign on the back.
As the flashback ends, Jerry kisses a picture of his girlfriend before she drives past, having married to a rich mouse; heartbroken, Jerry joins Tom on the tracks and a train whistle becomes audible as the cartoon fades out.
Availability
- LaserDisc: The Art of Tom & Jerry Vol. 2, Disc Four[1]
- VHS: Tom and Jerry: Festival of Fun[a]
- DVD:
- Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases Vol. 3[2][3]
- Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Vol. 1, Disc Two[4]
- Tom and Jerry: The Classic Collection Vol. 4, Disc Two (Vol. 8 in Europe and Australia)
- Tom and Jerry: No Mice Allowed!
- iTunes:
Additionally, the soundtrack was officially released on Tom and Jerry & Tex Avery Too! album as track 04.
Reception
Critical response
In Cartoon Carnival: A Critical Guide to Best Cartoons, writer Michael Samerdyke said "Blue Cat Blues is deeply indebted to Tex Avery for its gags."[8] Video Movie Guide: 1995 called the short (in a review for the aforementioned Festival of Fun VHS) said "among the worst Tom & Jerry outings".[9]
Legacy
The short is often considered the darkest Tom and Jerry cartoon due to its subject matter and ending.[10][11][12]
Additionally, it is often confused to be the final short of the series;[13][14] this is untrue, however, the final short produced at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was Tot Watchers and the final short overall was Purr-Chance to Dream (produced by Chuck Jones at Sib Tower 12).[15][16][17]
Notes
References
- ^ "Art of Tom & Jerry, The: Volume II [ML103913]". LaserDisc Database. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Tom and Jerry Greatest Chases Volume 3 Clips". Kidzworld. October 1, 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Paul, Mavis (October 13, 2009). "Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases, Vol. 3". DVD Talk. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Miller III, Randy (October 19, 2004). "Tom and Jerry: Spotlight Collection". DVD Talk. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Tom & Jerry and Friends, Vol. 1". iTunes. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Tom and Jerry, Vol. 1". iTunes. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Tom and Jerry: Wild Cats and Traps". iTunes. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Samerdyke, Michael (August 28, 2014). Cartoon Carnival: A Critical Guide to the Best Cartoons. ISBN 9781312470071.
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: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Martin, Mick; Bang, Derrick; Porter, Marsha (December 1, 1994). Video Movie Guide: 1995. p. 212. ISBN 9780345390271.
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: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Robberson, Joe. ""Blue Cat Blues" - The Most Violent TV Episodes of All Time". Zimbio. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Tom y Jerry: el capítulo más trágico del clásico animado". La República. February 11, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "The Creepiest Moments In Kids' TV Show History". MTV UK. November 27, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Gupta, Abir (July 2, 2016). "Do You Know What Happens To Your Favorite Tom and Jerry In The End?". Storypick. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Pall, Vincent; Koski, Dustin; Ciscell, Jim (August 16, 2012). "5 Old Children's Cartoons Way Darker Than Most Horror Movies". Cracked. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Boone, Brian (March 25, 2020). "The untold truth or Tom and Jerry". Looper. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Evon, Dan (December 2, 2016). "Did Tom and Jerry 'Commit Suicide'?". Snopes. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "False: Tom and Jerry did not commit suicide in the final episode of the cartoon series". Pesa Check. November 28, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
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External Links
- 1956 films
- Tom and Jerry short films
- American comedy-drama films
- Short films directed by Joseph Barbera
- 1950s American animated films
- American films
- Films scored by Scott Bradley
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer short films
- 1956 animated films
- Films about suicide
- American black comedy films
- Short films directed by William Hanna
- 1950s comedy-drama films
- American animated short films
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated short films
- CinemaScope films