Blue Cat Blues Explained

Director:William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Producer:William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Story:William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Starring:William Hanna
Paul Frees
Narrator:Paul Frees
Music:Scott Bradley
Layout Artist:Richard Bickenbach
Background Artist:Robert Gentle
Color Process:Technicolor
Studio:MGM cartoon studio
Distributor:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Runtime:7 minutes
Country:United States
Language:English

Blue Cat Blues is a 1956 one-reel animated Tom and Jerry cartoon and was written, directed and produced by co-creators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. The short was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 16, 1956 in CinemaScope. It is the series' 103rd entry.

Unusual for a Tom and Jerry cartoon, Jerry "speaks," through an inner monologue, voiced by Paul Frees.

Plot

Tom is seen sitting on train tracks, heavily depressed and waiting for an oncoming train to come and run him over, while Jerry laments at his friend's state and recalls how he ended up there. Jerry narrates that he and Tom were best friends before Tom falls for a beautiful white cat who, at first, seems to return his feelings (though she is actually manipulating him to her whims) before leaving him for Butch (who, unlike in other cartoons, is extremely rich), revealing she is a gold digger, confirming Jerry's earlier suspicions.

Despite Jerry's protests, Tom desperately tries to buy back her love but is continually outdone by Butch. When Tom tries to present her with a flower, he finds she has already received a beautiful horseshoe garland of roses from Butch. He then presents her with a small bottle of perfume, but then Butch arrives with a large tanker truck full of perfume. Tom squanders all of his life savings to buy a diamond ring for her (with a diamond so small she needs a magnifying glass to see it), only to learn that Butch has already gifted her a ring with a large diamond so shiny that she and Tom need welding helmets to see it. He even takes out a predatory 26-year, 112% APR loan from a used car lot to buy her an old, rickety automobile, only for Butch to arrive in his long and fancy convertible, crushing Tom and his car.

Tom starts drinking (milk) uncontrollably, ignoring Jerry's pleas, and eventually nearly goes down the literal gutter but is saved just in time by Jerry. Tom becomes even more depressed when Butch and the white cat drive by in the limousine with a "JUST MARRIED" sign on the back. As the flashback ends, Jerry kisses a picture of his girlfriend before she drives past, having married to a rich mouse. Heartbroken, Jerry meets Tom and joins him on the tracks. The whistle of an approaching train grows louder as the cartoon fades out.

Availability

Additionally, the soundtrack was officially released on the album Tom and Jerry & Tex Avery Too!.

Reception

Critical response

In Cartoon Carnival: A Critical Guide to Best Cartoons, writer Michael Samerdyke said "Blue Cat Blues is deeply indebted to Tex Avery for its gags."[9] Video Movie Guide: 1995 called the short (in a review for the aforementioned Festival of Fun VHS) said "among the worst Tom & Jerry outings".[10]

Legacy

The short is often considered the darkest Tom and Jerry cartoon due to its subject matter and unusually bleak ending.[11] [12] [13]

Additionally, it is often confused to be the final short of the series due to its ending implying the deaths of Tom and Jerry.[14] [15] The final short produced at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was Tot Watchers in 1958, and the final short overall was Purr-Chance to Dream, produced by Chuck Jones at MGM Animation/Visual Arts in 1967.[16] [17] [18]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Art of Tom & Jerry, The: Volume II [ML103913]]. June 11, 2020. LaserDisc Database.
  2. Also available on iTunes.
  3. Web site: October 1, 2009. Tom and Jerry Greatest Chases Volume 3 Clips. June 12, 2020. Kidzworld.
  4. Web site: Paul. Mavis. October 13, 2009. Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases, Vol. 3. June 12, 2020. DVD Talk.
  5. Web site: Miller III. Randy. October 19, 2004. Tom and Jerry: Spotlight Collection. June 12, 2020. DVD Talk.
  6. Web site: Tom & Jerry and Friends, Vol. 1. June 13, 2020. iTunes.
  7. Web site: Tom and Jerry, Vol. 1. June 13, 2020. iTunes.
  8. Web site: Tom and Jerry: Wild Cats and Traps. June 13, 2020. iTunes.
  9. Book: Samerdyke, Michael. Cartoon Carnival: A Critical Guide to the Best Cartoons. August 28, 2014. 9781312470071.
  10. Book: Martin. Mick. Video Movie Guide: 1995. Bang. Derrick. Porter. Marsha. December 1, 1994. 9780345390271. 212. Random House Publishing .
  11. Web site: Robberson. Joe. "Blue Cat Blues" - The Most Violent TV Episodes of All Time. June 12, 2020. Zimbio.
  12. Web site: February 11, 2020. Tom y Jerry: el capítulo más trágico del clásico animado. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200212133708/https://larepublica.pe/cine-series/2020/02/11/tom-y-jerry-se-suicidan-en-capitulo-blue-cat-blues-hanna-barbera-mgm-video/. 2020-02-12. June 12, 2020. La República.
  13. Web site: November 27, 2015. The Creepiest Moments In Kids' TV Show History. June 12, 2020. MTV UK. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20151130012002/http://www.mtv.co.uk/tv/news/the-creepiest-moments-in-kids-tv-show-history. November 30, 2015.
  14. Web site: Gupta. Abir. July 2, 2016. Do You Know What Happens To Your Favorite Tom and Jerry In The End?. June 11, 2020. Storypick.
  15. Web site: Pall. Vincent. Koski. Dustin. Ciscell. Jim. August 16, 2012. 5 Old Children's Cartoons Way Darker Than Most Horror Movies. June 11, 2020. Cracked.
  16. Web site: Boone. Brian. March 25, 2020. The untold truth or Tom and Jerry. June 11, 2020. Looper.
  17. Web site: Evon. Dan. December 2, 2016. Did Tom and Jerry 'Commit Suicide'?. June 11, 2020. Snopes.
  18. Web site: November 28, 2018. False: Tom and Jerry did not commit suicide in the final episode of the cartoon series. June 12, 2020. Pesa Check.