Changes: Blue Cat Blues

Revision as of 03:00, 26 June 2017

Blue Cat Blues is the 103rd one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1956, directed and produced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera with music by Scott Bradley. The cartoon was animated by Ed Barge, Irven Spence, Lewis Marshall and Kenneth Muse, with layouts by Richard Bickenbach and backgrounds by Robert Gentle.

Unusually for a Tom and Jerry short, Jerry "speaks", narrating the story in voice over via Paul Frees. Since Jerry narrates through inner monologue, the short does not break the "cardinal rule" of not having Tom and Jerry physically speaking on screen. Also, unusual for a Tom and Jerry cartoon, while all the others have comical storyline, this one has a tragic one. Because of this - and Tom and Jerry's implied suicide at the end - this cartoon has rarely been seen on American television, although it has aired once on TNT in the early 1990s and made its rounds on local affiliate channels. However, the short aired for only once on Cartoon Network Southeast Asia in November 2010. As of March 2014, very few airings are known, but it has been shown briefly on Cartoon Network in the USA. This cartoon marks the final appearance of Butch in the Tom and Jerry cartoon produced before the MGM cartoon studio shuts down in 1957. Although, Butch would make another appearance (along with his other alley cat pals Meathead, Topsy, and Lightning in the Spike and Tyke cartoon Scat Cats before the studio's closure. This cartoon was released on November 16, 1956 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Plot

A depressed Tom sits on the railroad tracks, bent on suicide. Watching from a bridge crossing the tracks overhead, Jerry laments his old friend's state. Jerry knows that, when he gets home, his own friends will ask him why he didn't even try to stop Tom. Jerry believes that "it's better this way, and for the first time since he met her, he will be happy". Jerry recalls the events leading up to Tom's depression:

Tom and Jerry were inseparable friends, until a beautiful white female cat caught Tom's eye. The white cat initially reciprocated Tom's affections, but that soon changed for the worst. Jerry mentions that the much-wealthier Butch lived next door to the white cat and he also became smitten by her. He rudely interrupting her date with Tom to make his move and ignoring Toms attempts to stopspeakin him. Attracted by Butch's wealth, the white cat proves herself to be an opportunist as Jerry always suspected her to be and leaves Tom.

Having seen the white cat for what she was, and how she'd made a fool of his best friend, he vainly urged Tom to give up and let Butch have her. Ignoring Jerry's warnings, Tom pushed himself and his finances to the limit and beyond, in futile attempts at winning back the white cat's affections. He brought her such presents as flowers, perfume, a diamond ring(with the diamond so small it has to be looked at with a magnifying glass), and a car (an utter jalopy, for which Tom literally sold himself into slavery - 20 years of it - so that he could cover 26 years' worth of payments at the annual interest rate of 112%). However, because Butch's presents are much bigger, to the point of outrageous extravagance (a large floral wreath, a tanker truck full of perfume, a ring with a diamond so large and shiny that it could not be looked at without eye protection, and a luxurious coupe), the white cat rejected the desperate Tom, which caused him to go downhill fast.

Broken-hearted and hopelessly in debt, Tom drowned his sorrows in milk - despite Jerry's pleas to stop. Tom almost let himself go down the gutter (literally), but Jerry rescued him. Then Tom saw his ex-girlfriend riding by in Butch's coupe, which was laden with luggage and had a "Just Married" sign on the back.

Jerry breaks from the sad story to think about his own girlfriend, "Toots". He is happy that, unlike Tom's ex-girlfriend, she has been faithful. Suddenly, Jerry's idyllic world is shattered when Toots rides by with another mouse, a "Just Married" sign on the back of their car. Jerry, now dejected, joins Tom on the railroad tracks. They wait for an oncoming train, which draws near. The oncoming train's whistle sounds louder as the cartoon fades out, leaving their fates uncertain.

Transcript

[The episode starts with a depressed Tom on a railroad track bent on suicide, the camera scrolls up to see Jerry awaiting Tom's death]
Jerry: Poor Tom. In a few minutes it will all be over. And for the first time since he met her, he'll be happy. [The camera shows Tom with a unshaved muzzle and bloodshot eyes with his head hitting the ground] Poor miserable, lovesick creature. I suppose people will say that I should have helped him. I know, but it's better this way. I'll never forget that first morning when it all started, if ever there where two true friends. That was us.
[A flashback shows Tom and Jerry drinking lemonade from the same cup from straws. Jerry is sucked from Tom's straw, he lets Jerry drink from his straw as a apology]
Jerry: And then she walked by. [The two look at the white female cat walking down the street.] When Tom first saw her, I'd thought he'd flipped his lid. And he did. [Tom's head flips up and down in joy, the cat rushes to the white female cat.] From the very beginning, there was a strong magnetic connection between them. [Tom is magnetically pulled by the white female cat and leads him to the female cat's home. Jerry pulls Tom trying to stop him] I'd tried to stop him, but it was no use. [After being dragged, Jerry hits a water sprinkler with him being lifted by the water]

Trivia

This is one of the twelve cartoons in which Tom and Jerry both lose in the end. The other cartoons are Fraidy Cat, Saturday Evening Puss, A Mouse in the House, Advance and Be Mechanized, Baby Puss, Muscle Beach Tom, Filet Meow, Polka-Dot Puss, Baby Butch, and The Framed Cat.
This is one of the cartoons where Jerry rescues Tom. He also saves the cat in Cannery Rodent, I'm Just Wild About Jerry, Buddies Thicker Than Water, Puppy Tale and The Cat and the Mermouse.
This was the only tragic episode made.
Although it is treated darkly, Downhearted Duckling has more scenes involving suicide attempts than this episode.
This was the last cartoon to use the ending quotes "An MGM Tom and Jerry Cartoon. Made in Hollywood, U.S.A.". It wouldn't be used again in the Chuck Jones era title cards, starting in the 1963 short, Penthouse Mouse.
Jerry's voice narration was done by Paul Frees. In Welsh dub it's Caren Brown.
Due to the dark nature of the ending, many fans mistake that this is the final episode of the original series.
It is odd how Butch is shown as rich in this storyline, since throughout the series he has frequently been seen as stray alley cat living outdoors, while Tom is able to live in a house with his owners.
This episode stands out from its comedic counterparts for not offering any sort of comedic resolution or remotely happy ending. This has led some to consider it a particularly dark moment in cartoon history.

Controversy and Banning

To avoid controversy, Turner Entertainment's channels Cartoon Network and Boomerang have banned this episode due to references on alcohol and suicide. This cartoon has rarely been seen on American TV, although it has aired once on TNT in the early 1990s and made its rounds on local affiliate channels. However, the short aired for only once on Cartoon Network Southeast Asia in November 2010. As of March 2014, very few airings are known but it has been shown briefly on Cartoon Network in the USA.

The episode can be seen on DVD and be downloaded on iTunes, even though the episode was banned and had the references of alcohol and suicide.

The following DVDs and downloadable media have this episode:

DVD

Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases, Vol. 3
Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Vol. 1, Disc Two

iTunes

Tom and Jerry Vol.1

Tom and Jerry and Friends Vol.1

Gallery

Main Article: Blue Cat Blues/Gallery

External Links

Blue Cat Blues at SuperCartoons.net

Blue Cat Blues at B99.TV

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