Jerry's Cousin
Jerry's Cousin | |
---|---|
Tom and Jerry series | |
Theatrical poster | |
Directed by |
William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
Produced by | Fred Quimby |
Story by |
William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
Voices by | Paul Frees |
Music by | Scott Bradley |
Animation by |
Ray Patterson Ed Barge Kenneth Muse Irven Spence |
Studio | MGM Cartoons |
Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date(s) |
|
Color process |
Technicolor Perspecta (reissue) |
Running time | 6:39 |
Language | English |
Preceded by | Jerry and the Goldfish |
Followed by | Sleepy-Time Tom |
Jerry's Cousin is a 1951 one-reel animated cartoon and is the 57th Tom and Jerry short on April 7 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the cartoon was directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, produced by Fred Quimby, scored by Scott Bradley, and animated by Ray Patterson, Ed Barge, Kenneth Muse and Irven Spence. Paul Frees provided the voice of Jerry's cousin, Muscles. Working titles for this particular cartoon included City Cousin and Muscles Mouse before settling for Jerry's Cousin.
Jerry's Cousin was nominated for the 1950 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, the duo's eighth consecutive nomination and tenth overall, but lost to Gerald McBoing-Boing, a UPA production.
Plot
At Hogan's Alley, Jerry's cousin Muscles, a mouse with super strength is beating up all of his feline enemies before receiving mail from Jerry, who begs for help saying he is having serious trouble with Tom. Muscles packs a bag and marches off to Jerry's home, while the remaining cats hide in fear with Butch digging himself into a grave. Upon arriving, he finds that Jerry is being mercilessly terrorized by Tom.
At the house, Tom throws sticks of dynamite into Jerry's mouse hole in an attempt to destroy and kill Jerry. Muscles arrives with no introduction, grabbing a stick of dynamite and shoving it into Tom's mouth, causing Tom's head to explode. Tom, not knowing who Muscles is, grabs him, but Muscles easily grabs Tom and sternly warns him not to try anything while Muscles is around or he will suffer the consequences (just like the warning by Spike in the 1944 film The Bodyguard and 1949 film Love That Pup). As Muscles reminds Tom about the warning, he throws Tom into a vase. Muscles spits on the vase with such force that the vase breaks, revealing Tom to be in the shape of the vase.
Tom tries weight training to exceed Muscles' strength before confronting him while he is eating crackers with Jerry and whacks him on the head. Muscles blows his hand up into a large fist and punches Tom into the cuckoo clock, causing the bird to come out of Tom's mouth. While Muscles is relaxing on Tom's bed with Jerry looking around anxiously, Tom attempts to get rid of him from the attic ceiling by dropping a bowling ball on him. Muscles tells Jerry to relax, and nothing's going to happen before the bowling ball knocks him and most of Tom's bed through the floor and down to the basement. Tom rushes down the stairs, but Muscles emerges from the basement door, rolls the bowling ball towards Tom and hitting him, causing Tom to turn into bowling pins before Muscles attacks him. A frightened Tom runs away and points a shotgun at Muscles, but Muscles blows through the barrel, causing the shotgun rounds pop out onto his eyes. Muscles then walks up the gun and behind Tom whacks him in the back of the head with a hammer, causing the shotgun rounds to fire.
As a last-ditch resort, Tom calls a gang of three tough cats from a company named Dirty Work, Inc. to dispose of Muscles. When the gang of cats arrive, Tom sticks out his finger to point at Muscles who is off-screen. The gang proceeds to beat up Muscles, but are quickly immobilized when Muscles pummels them off-screen. Muscles is then seen entering the kitchen and leaving with a broom and dustpan. Muscles sweeps up the three cats into the dustpan, and tosses them out of the house. Muscles then whistles at Tom who immediately kneels at his feet, kissing them repeatedly. Before leaving, he gives Jerry an exact replica of his outfit and tells him that all he has to do is whistle. Jerry then proceeds to dress himself in the outfit and toughens himself up to look more like Muscles before whistling at Tom. Believing Jerry is Muscles, Tom starts kneeling at his feet and kissing both of them repeatedly.
Voice cast
- Paul Frees as Muscles Mouse and the leader of the gang of the three tough cats (uncredited)
Availability
DVD
- Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases, Vol. 2
- Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Vol. 1, Disc Two
- Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection