The Year of the Mouse is a Tom and Jerry 1965 cartoon directed and produced by Chuck Jones.
Contents
Characters
Starring
- Tom Cat
- Jerry Mouse (main antagonist)
- Unnamed Mouse (secondary antagonist)
Plot
Episode starts: Whilst Tom is sleeping, Jerry and an unnamed grey mouse are on the top of a chimney, both giggling together about the tricks they're going to play on Tom. The grey mouse uses a fishing line to lower Jerry to the bottom of the chimney. Jerry hits Tom with a fly swatter, leaving it in Tom's hand, and the grey mouse quickly reels him back up the chimney, making Tom believe that he attacked himself in his sleep, similar to the plot of Gas Light.
They play several more tricks on Tom with a revolver, rope (Hanging), knife and ketchup (The Bloody Tragedy). Finally, Jerry positions an archery bow on both ends of Tom and tugs on the string. Tom wakes up and stretches, but this activates the bow. Tom sits up, confused, and is then shot into the plumbing, and into the furnace. Tom yells and launches himself out of the furnace, up the water pipe, and down the chimney as the two mice look on. However, Tom spots them on his way down and has had enough of their tricks. He points the revolver at Jerry and the grey mouse who surrender after seeing they went too far with their actions.
Later, Jerry and the grey mouse are trapped in a bottle. If they remove the cork, they will be shot by the revolver, with the trigger pulled by a yarn. The two just sit angrily as a smiling, victorious Tom takes a quiet nap, using his tail to hold a fan.
Trivia
- This short is almost similar to the Warner Bros. cartoon Mouse Wreckers (1949).
- This is one of the thirteen cartoons (and one of the only two in the Chuck Jones era) where Tom triumphs. The others are The Million Dollar Cat, The Bodyguard, Jerry's Diary, Nit-Witty Kitty, Hic-cup Pup, Little School Mouse, Southbound Duckling, Mouse for Sale, Timid Tabby, The Vanishing Duck, Duel Personality, and Love Me, Love My Mouse.
- This grey mouse is similar to Nibbles Mouse, but just without a diaper.
- The unnamed mouse in this episode was voiced by June Foray.
- This is the 141st episode overall.
Gallery
