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, apparently bent on suicide. Watching from a bridge crossing the tracks overhead, Jerry laments his old friend's current state. Jerry knows that, when he gets home, his other 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 once near-inseparable best friends, until a beautiful white female cat caught Tom's eye. The white cat initially seemed to reciprocate Tom's feelings for her, but that soon changed for the worst--Jerry explains that a wealthy black tomcat named Butch lived next door to the white cat and, just like Tom, soon became smitten with her. He interrupted her date with Tom and ignored Tom's attempts to stop him. Attracted by Butch's wealth, the white cat wound up leaving Tom for him (proving herself to be nothing more than some opportunistic gold-digger).
- Having seen the white cat for what she was, and how she'd made a fool of his best friend, Jerry vainly urged Tom to give up and let her and Butch have each other. 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--however because of Butch's vast wealth, he was able to get the white cat much larger and more extravagant gifts compared to the stuff that Tom got to try to impress her.
- 1.) The first gift that Tom gave to the white cat was a single purple flower--but after arriving at her house, Tom discovered that Butch had already given her a large pink floral wreath with "Love From Butch" written on it in red roses.
- 2.) Tom's second gift to the white cat was a bottle of perfume, but just after giving her the bottle, a large tanker truck full of pefume (with a note saying "Love From Butch" on it) drives up to her house.
- 3.) Tom's third gift (after draining his savings) to the white cat was a diamond ring, but the diamond on it was so small that you had to use a magnifying glass just to get a good look at it. After showing her the ring, the white cat revealed that Butch had already given her a diamond ring, but one with a diamond so big and shiny that you couldn't even look at it without eye protection.
- 4.) Tom's final gift for her was a car--a total jalopy that he literally sold himself into slavery for (twenty years of it to be precise), so that he could cover 26 years' worth of payments at the annual interest rate of 112%. However, Butch wound up driving in a much nicer, longer and more luxurious coupe that flattened Tom's car when he ran over it.
- Ultimately, the white cat chose Butch over Tom, once again proving herself to be nothing more than an opportunistic gold-digger--this caused the desperate/brokenhearted/hopelessly in-debt Tom to go downhill fast and start drowning his sorrows in milk (despite Jerry's pleas for him to stop). Tom almost let himself go down the gutter (literally), but Jerry managed to rescue him. While helping Tom, the two saw Butch and the white cat driving by, but now Butch's was laden with luggage and had a "Just Married" sign hanging off the back of it.
Taking a break from the sad story, Jerry (though still sad for Tom) expresses happiness at how, unlike Tom's old girlfriend, his own girlfriend, Toots (who appears to be the mouse version of the white cat who left Tom), has remained faithful to him. However, Jerry's idyllic world is suddenly shattered when he sees Toots riding by with another mouse (presumably the mouse-equivalent to Butch), with a "Just Married" sign hanging off the back of the car, proving herself to be just as much of an opportunistic gold-digger as the white cat.
Now just as dejected as Tom, Jerry joins his old friend on the railroad tracks. The duo waits for the oncoming train, which draws nearer and nearer. The 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
- The white female cat in this episode looks identical to Tom's girlfriend in Muscle Beach Tom, but all-white with blue eyes and red lipstick instead of all-brown with green eyes and no lipstick.
- 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