"Castle Wiz" is the sixteenth episode of The Tom and Jerry Show (1975).
Synopsis[]
Tom and Jerry are offered $20 to spend a night in a haunted castle.
Plot[]
Tom and Jerry arrive at Castle Scarealotti. Tom is looking in the newspaper and Jerry gets frightened at the monster statue when he hides from Tom. They must spend the night in an attempt to win the $20 prize money. Count Scarealotti, a wizard, makes things hauntingly hectic for Tom and Jerry by conjuring up a ghost, which hinders T&J throughout the night, chasing them through a suit of armor, a dresser drawer, an upside down room, and in and out of a painting. Tom and Jerry eventually entrap the ghost in a piano and torture it with Jerry tap-dancing on the keys, producing discordant notes. Morning arrives, the ghost gives up and vanishes, and Scarealotti presents T&J with the $20 for helping him test out his haunted house tourist attraction! Tom & Jerry then strike back with a little ectoplasmic surprise of their own.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- This was most likely inspired by similar creepy capers in 1942's Fraidy Cat.
- The scene of Jerry in this cartoon dancing up and down the piano's keys can be seen in this show's opening titles. The syndication opening sequence also boasts a scene of Tom and Jerry being chased by a ghost.
- The ghost changes color in "Castle Wiz." He makes his first appearance in green, but shows up throughout the remainder of the cartoon in lavender. The color of the ghost which chases T&J in the syndicated main titles is bone-white.
- Some chase sequences use portions of the underscore of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (CBS, 1969-72/1974-76). Interestingly, Scooby voice Don Messick voices the ghost here in "Castle Wiz," and the ghost materializing from the cover of the chair T&J use to hide under (the same one the cat and mouse use to exact revenge at The Count) resembles The Phantom Shadow, the prime antagonist of the January 10, 1970 episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, "A Night Of Fright Is No Delight."
- Speaking of Scoob, ABC and Hanna-Barbera, capitalizing on this very Tom & Jerry/Grape Ape Show, would a year later once again combine forces to resurrect a classic H-B character (like Tom & Jerry), Scooby-Doo, and team him with another new creation, Dynomutt, Dog Wonder (created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears), to form the highly-publicized Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour.
- Finale music from the underscore of Cattanooga Cats (ABC, 1969-71) is heard at the end.