Carmen Get It!
 |
| Carmen Get It! | |
|---|---|
| File:Carmen Get It! title card.png Title card | |
| Directed by | Gene Deitch |
| Produced by | William L. Snyder |
| Animation by | Václav Bedřich (uncredited) |
| Color process | Metrocolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Running time | 7:44 |
Carmen Get It! is a Tom and Jerry animated short film, released on December 21, 1962. It was the thirteenth and final short in the series to be directed by Gene Deitch and produced by William L. Snyder in Czechoslovakia. This short ended Deitch's contract with MGM, and Chuck Jones took over production of the Tom and Jerry cartoons shortly afterwards.
Plot
Tom chases Jerry into the then-brand new Metropolitan Opera House, where Georges Bizet's Carmen is being performed, but is quickly thrown off the premises by the guard. Tom attempts to get in by disguising himself as a musician and carrying a large string double bass case, successfully bluffing his way through by holding the case in front of his body. He opens a double bass case, a cello case, a viola case, a violin case, and finally a violin. Whilst trying to catch Jerry, Tom keeps running afoul of an angry conductor, who believes Tom's antics are ruining his opera.
Jerry eventually escapes into a break room and lures some ants onto a blank page of the score. He gets Tom's attention, and as Tom tries to get him at the conductor's stand, the spotlight goes back on. Tom has no choice but to conduct the orchestra. However, Jerry causes the ants to change positions, causing Tom to misconduct the music, to the point where it changes to songs such as "American Patrol", "Yankee Doodle", "Dixie", and "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight". Finally, the ants scatter and Tom sees Jerry. Just after Tom catches Jerry, the conductor returns and Tom runs off.
The opera finally begins, and the singer playing Carmen walks onto the stage. She is just about to begin singing the "Habanera", when she suddenly screams because she sees Jerry dressed like a toreador and dancing at the front of the stage. Tom gets onto the stage and catches Jerry, further enraging the conductor. This is the final straw for the conductor and he gets on the stage and blocks Tom's way, indicating that he has had enough of Tom's shenanigans and wants to harm him. Jerry gives a terrified Tom a red blanket, and the conductor starts to charge him like a raging bull. The dignified opera thus devolves into a farcical bullfight between Tom and the conductor while Jerry takes over the conducting duties. After the music finishes, Jerry bows down to the audience, and the ants spell "FIN" on the book pages, to thunderous cheering and applause.
Reception
Although the Deitch shorts were poorly-received by both critics and fans alike, this particular short is considered one of the most successful and critically acclaimed of the thirteen cartoons, due to its clever gags and musical nature.