"The Super Cyclists" is the twenty-sixth episode of The Tom and Jerry Show (1975).
Synopsis[]
Tom and Jerry compete against each other in a cross-country motorcycle race.
Plot[]
Tom and Jerry compete in a torturous, treacherous, terrifying cross-country motorcycle race; Travelin' Tom on his souped-up, 1200cc, double-overhead-cam "Road Ruiner," and Jumpin' Jerry riding his supercharged, 25cc, top-fueled "Mini-Monster." As usual, Tom is determined to win no matter what, and so he utilizes every underhanded trick in the book to best Jerry. He drops a haystack on Jerry's bike, and blocks the road with a billboard, but the sly cat is always undone by his own tricks. Convinced he is far ahead of Gerald, Thomas sets an alarm clock and drops into his hammock to take a nap. Jer arrives and decides to use this to his advantage; he pastes a sticker bearing his image onto Tom's rearview mirror before taking off. Tom wakes up and reenters the race, fooled by the sticker of Jerry on his mirror and unaware Jerry is miles ahead of him; when he uncovers Jerry's ruse, he crumples up the sticker and digs out for all he's worth! When Tom sustains a flat, he stretches his inner tube across Jerry's path, but is dragged, snapped back and entangled as a result. The pair finally make it to the finish line, where Tom builds a brick wall in a last-ditch effort to stop Jerry and his Mini-Monster once and for all, but Jer drives right over it! A desperate Tom leaps off the wall onto his Road Ruiner...and its front axle snaps under his weight! There is a photo finish, and Tom ties Jerry at the finish line on foot carrying the cycle in both hands!
Characters[]
Starring[]
Featuring[]
- Dinah
- Humans
Trivia[]
- This is the last of the "Tom vs. Jerry" sports-themed New Tom & Jerry cartoons.
- The loud horn on Jumpin' Jerry's Mini Monster emits the same sound heard from Wheelie's horn on Wheelie And The Chopper Bunch (NBC, 1974-75).
- The scene from this cartoon of T&J in their motor gear revving up on their choppers and speeding off can be seen in the opening credits, with only one difference: the colors of Tom's helmet and gloves and Jerry's helmet! In the cartoon, Travellin' Tom's helmet is yellow and blue-green and his gloves blue-green, whereas in the syndicated opening credits, he's wearing and orange-and-yellow helmet and orange gloves. Jumpin' Jerry's helmet is light-blue and light green in the cartoon and his helmet is yellow and light-green the opening titles; in both and his gloves are yellow.
- There is a scene in which Travellin' Tom moves a billboard in Jumpin' Jerry's path, to give Jerry the illusion of a real road in hopes that he will crash into the billboard. Jerry rides his motorcycle into the billboard, the painted road becoming a real road. This gag was pioneered by Friz Freleng, in Rabbit Transit (1947) with Bugs Bunny as the victim. At least, it was the first cartoon to use the gag. It's possible it could have originated from live action comedies in the 1920s and 1930s from where Warner Bros. drew inspiration.
- This episode, with Tom stopping to eat and nap while letting Jerry get ahead, is probably an allusion to The Tortoise And The Hare. The Hanna-Barbera-produced 1958 MGM Droopy short Mutts About Racing, from which "The Super Cyclists" derives, makes use of similar gags.
- This is the only "sports" episode where Jerry attempts to avenge Tom with a dirty trick of his own.
- Tom and Jerry talk again in this episode. Jerry says "Uh, oh!" Tom says "Whoops!"
- Tom emits the same exasperating cry he did in Episode #80-13, "The Tennis Menace."
- The "Eat At Bill's" billboard Jerry hides behind is in reference to co-Executive Producer William Hanna.
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