Blue Cat Blues
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''Blue Cat Blues'' is a 1956 one-
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animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
''
Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series c ...
'' cartoon and was written, directed and produced by co-creators
William Hanna William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator and cartoonist who was the creator of ''Tom and Jerry'' as well as the voice actor for the two title characters. Alongside Joseph Barbera, he also founded the anim ...
and Joseph Barbera. The short was released by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...
on November 16, 1956 in CinemaScope. It is the series' 103rd entry. Unusual for a ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoon, Jerry "speaks," through an inner monologue, voiced by
Paul Frees Solomon Hersh "Paul" Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986) was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass, and Walt Disney theatrical cartoons during ...
.


Plot

Tom is seen sitting on train tracks, heavily depressed and waiting for an oncoming train to come and run him over, while Jerry laments at his friend's state and recalls how he ended up there. Jerry narrates that he and Tom were best friends before Tom falls for a beautiful white cat who, at first, seems to return his feelings (though she is actually manipulating him to her whims) before leaving him for Butch (who, unlike in other cartoons, is extremely rich), revealing she is a
gold digger Gold digger is a term for a person, typically a woman, who engages in a type of transactional relationship for money rather than love. If it turns into marriage, it is a type of marriage of convenience. Etymology and usage The term "gold ...
, confirming Jerry's earlier suspicions. Despite Jerry's protests, Tom desperately tries to buy back her love but is continually outdone by Butch. When Tom tries to present her with a flower, he finds she has already received a beautiful horseshoe garland of roses from Butch. He then presents her with a small bottle of perfume, but then Butch arrives with a large tanker truck full of perfume. Tom squanders all of his life savings to buy a diamond ring for her (with a diamond so small she needs a magnifying glass to see it), only to learn that Butch has already gifted her a ring with a large diamond so shiny that she and Tom need
welding helmet A welding helmet is a type of personal protective equipment used in performing certain types of welding to protect the eyes, face, and neck from flash burn, sparks, infrared and ultraviolet light, and intense heat. The modern welding helmet used to ...
s to see it. He even takes out a predatory 26-year, 112% APR loan from a used car lot to buy her an old, rickety automobile, only for Butch to arrive in his long and fancy convertible, crushing Tom and his car. Tom starts drinking (milk) uncontrollably, ignoring Jerry's pleas, and eventually nearly goes down the literal gutter but is saved just in time by Jerry. Tom becomes even more depressed when Butch and the white cat drive by in the limousine 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 meets Tom and joins him on the tracks. The whistle of an approaching train grows louder as the cartoon fades out.


Availability

* LaserDisc: ''The Art of Tom & Jerry'' Vol. 2, Disc Four * VHS: ''Tom and Jerry: Festival of Fun''Also available on iTunes. *
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
: **''Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases'' Vol. 3 ** ''
Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection The ''Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection'' is a series of two-disc DVD sets released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Warner Home Video. Originally planned as an uncensored, chronological set, the issued ''Spotlight Collection'' sets include s ...
'' Vol. 1, Disc Two ** '' Tom and Jerry: The Classic Collection'' Vol. 4, Disc Two (Vol. 8 in Europe and Australia) (Europe 1995 Turner dubbed version and pan-and-scan edition) ** ''Tom and Jerry: No Mice Allowed!'' * iTunes: **''Tom & Jerry and Friends'' Vol. 1 **''Tom and Jerry'' Vol. 1 **''Tom and Jerry: Wild Cats and Traps'' Additionally, the soundtrack was officially released on the album '' Tom and Jerry & Tex Avery Too!''.


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 Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of American animation. His mo ...
for its gags." ''Video Movie Guide: 1995'' called the short (in a review for the aforementioned ''Festival of Fun'' VHS) said "among the worst ''Tom & Jerry'' outings".


Legacy

The short is often considered the darkest ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoon due to its subject matter and unusually dark ending. Additionally, it is often confused to be the final short of the series due to its ending implying the deaths of Tom and Jerry. The final short produced at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was '' Tot Watchers'' in 1958, and the final short overall was '' Purr-Chance to Dream'', produced by Chuck Jones at
MGM Animation/Visual Arts MGM Animation/Visual Arts was an American animation studio established in 1962 by animation director/producer Chuck Jones, producer Les Goldman and animator Ken Harris as Sib Tower 12 Productions. Its productions include the last series of ''Tom ...
in 1967.


Notes


References


External links

* {{The Hanna-Barbera Tom and Jerry shorts 1956 short films 1956 animated films 1950s American animated films CinemaScope films Films scored by Scott Bradley Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated short films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer short films Short films directed by Joseph Barbera Short films directed by William Hanna Tom and Jerry short films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio short films Films about suicide 1950s English-language films American animated short films Animated films about cats Animated films about mice American drama short films