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<\/a>We begin with a couple of minor omissions from previous chapters, from the Tom and Jerry series. Cruise Cat<\/strong> (MGM, 10\/18\/52 – William Hanna\/Joseph Barbera, dir.) fills for time, in the middle of a shipboard chase where Tom, the ship\u2019s mascot, is pursuing Jerry aboard a cruise ship bound for Hawaii (a scenario which was notably something of a steal from a preceding Little Roquefort film from Terrytoons, \u201cSeasick Sailors\u201d, even borrowing a few gags from Terry). Our heroes round a corner into a doorway, and find themselves inside the ship\u2019s onboard movie theater, which just happens to be starting a screening of their earlier episode, \u201cTexas Tom\u201d. The two each seem fully aware of their own screen careers, and pause in their chasing to enjoy the program. Two clops from the opening of the film are shown, the first with Tom getting the upper hand over Jerry. Tom laughs heartily at Jerry getting it on screen, while Jerry looks frustrated at Tom\u2019s glee. But then, a second film clip shows Jerry evening the score with Tom. Jerry chortles uproariously at Tom\u2019s downfall, while Tom\u2019s anger builds at his humiliation on the silver screen, causing Tom to resume the shipboard pursuit, and attempt to toss Jerry overboard. Jerry ultimately falls down a ventilation funnel, into the ship\u2019s kitchen, and right on top of the Captain\u2019s dinner plate, spoiling Tom\u2019s mousing record once again.<\/p>\n\u2022 Watch CRUISE CAT online by CLICKING HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2022 Watch NEAPOLOTIAN MOUSE online by CLICKING HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2022 Watch RABBIT RAMPAGE online by CLICKING HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nIn Neapolitan Mouse<\/strong> (10\/2\/54), Tom and Jerry are once again on shipboard, but this time as international tourists, docking in Italy. The usual accidents and disagreements get the two chasing through the streets of Naples, where they encounter a small Italian mouse (an original character, not Tuffy), who doesn\u2019t like big guys picking on little guys. He stops Tom\u2019s pursuit in its tracks, but doesn\u2019t play favorites, also bollixing up the efforts of a local dog to pick on Tom. Out heroes strike up a friendship with the little mouse, and agree for their time spent with him to act peaceably to one another. It turns out that the Italian mouse is the one aware of out heroes\u2019 fame and the industry in which they work, as he begins to recognize the two that have befriended him. \u201cTom Cat? Jerry Mouse?…Ha, ha, ha, funny cartoons!\u201d Eventually, the dog brings in two more canines for reinforcements, to gang up on the litte mouse, but Tom and Jerry return the mouse\u2019s favor, by setting awhirl three large Italian cheeses, to pursue the dogs through the town like mini-steamrollers, and drive them off the docks.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Rabbit Rampage<\/strong> (Warner, Bugs Bunny, 6\/11\/55 – Charles M. (Chuck) Jones, dir.) – Can lightning strike twice in the same place? Not very often. Still, Jones had had luck repeating a theme three times, in his trilogy of wars of words about hunting season between Bugs, Daffy, and Elmer comprised of \u201cRabbu Fire\u201d, \u201cRabbit Seasoning\u201d, and \u201cDuck, Rabbit, Duck\u201d. So, the thought that the formula of \u201cDuck Amuck\u201d could be repeated with success was perhaps not all that far-fetched – after all, it was already being used by other studios such as Terrytoons, as illustrated in last week\u2019s article. Yet, there was a distinct difference in effect from casting Bugs Bunny rather than the Duck as the victim-to-be on the drawing paper. While Daffy was a master of hysteria, Bugs was a master of cool. While laughter can be easily generated from the frenetic angst arising from ill fortune befalling Daffy, it seems more inherently disturbing to watch calm and collected Bugs lose his cool in frustration. As funny as gag material may be, there is an entire switch of audience allegiance that results from this character miscasting. With Daffy, we rooted for the animator to throw some new stumbling block at the egotistical duck. With Bugs, we side with the rabbit, and actually want to see him figure some clever way to get out of this mess. This in a nutshell is why \u201cRabbit Rampage\u201d fails to work om the same level as \u201cDuck Amick\u201d, generating only smiles and chuckles while the former film served up hearty doses of belly-laughs and guffaws. Perhaps Jones could have gotten better results by placing Wile E. Coyote on the drawing board, with the Road Runner as animator. But then, so much goes wrong in Wile E.\u2019s life normally, that it wouldn\u2019t really need the help of an animator\u2019s brush to place the coyote knee-deep in disaster. <\/p>\n<\/a>Cartoon Script #107 calls for an opening scene in the woodland, with rabbit hole in foreground, and Bugs coming out of hole to say, \u201cWhat\u2019s up, Doc?\u201d Sounds typical enough – unless you draw the hole in the middle of the sky. A paintbrush does just that, leaving Bugs to take a dive, and deliver his line below on the ground while flat on his face. \u201cOh, you?\u201d, says Bugs, instantly recognizing the unseen offscreen animator. \u201cWell, if you\u2019re the one that\u2019s gonna draw this picture, then count me out\u201d, says Bugs defiantly. He turns to dive into another rabbit hole properly upon the ground – until the eraser end of a pencil enters the shot, removing the hole from existence. Bugs smacks his head on the bare Earth. \u201cI said I wasn\u2019t working with you, and that is that\u201d, declares Bugs, folding his arms and standing stock still. A paintbrush sneaks up behind Bugs, and paints a yellow streak up his back. Then, to make things hotter for Bugs with management, the brush begins to draw picket signs in Bugs\u2019 hands, reading \u201cI won\u2019t work\u201d, and \u201cI refuse to live up to my contract.\u201d Bugs reacts with shock at being caught with these signs, remarking how long he\u2019s worked with the Warners to build up good will. \u201cAll right. You\u2019ve made your point. You\u2019re the boss. Just cut out the shenanigans, and I\u2019ll go to work.\u201d But the shenanigans don\u2019t quit. Bugs suddenly finds himself in an equivalent position to Bartholemew Cubbins, with the brush drawing funny hats upon him. As fast as he removes one chapeau, another appears. A giant top hat that covers his entire upper torso is the limit. \u201cGet yourself another boy\u201d, grumbles Bugs, turning to walk away into the scenery, while still muttering, \u201cWhat a Leonardo Da Punchy. What a Too-lousy Lautrec.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/a>Bugs finds he can\u2019t make a graceful exit, as the animator paints in the next background upside-down. Bugs finds himself walking on sky, with the ground above him. He clings to a tree trunk, and shimmies upwards, then swings over upon the stems of three flowers in the ground to a hole above. As Bugs clambers to climb up into the hole, the paintbrush again appears, drawing a string tied around Bugs\u2019s tail, then a heavy anvil tied to the string. Bugs is pulled at full speed out of the hole, then crashes on a highway\u2019s pavement hastily painted in far below. Bugs releases himself from the string, tumbling into an area of blank background. He begins swearing in nonsense syllables that sound like dialogue for Yosemite Sam, as the pencil eraser reappears, wiping away Bugs\u2019s irate head. Bugs\u2019s hands point to the void, insistently gesturing that his head be returned. The paintbrush draws in the head of a Jack O-Lantern. \u201cOkay, buddy, you\u2019ve had your fun. Now what about a rabbit\u2019s head?\u201d The brush merely draws two rabbit ears upon the pumpkin. \u201cAll right, you comic-book Rembrandt. Make with the eraser.\u201d The pumpkin is erased, and Bugs\u2019s head restored, in miniature. \u201cGad what a huge carrot\u201d, says mini-Bugs at seeing the vegetable held in his hand. Bugs reaches to touch his head with his other hand, and finds he can clasp the whole thing in one palm. Bugs signals for another redraw, and gets his normal-sized head back, but with two omissions. \u201cEars?\u201d He gets some he doesn\u2019t approve. \u201cNot human ears. Rabbit ears, long ones.\u201d The brush provides two that extend a country mile. \u201cDon\u2019t be so danged literal!\u201d The eraser restores them to normal length. Next, the eraser messes with Bugs\u2019s posterior. \u201cAll right, you vandal. Put that tail back.\u201d An appendage of the wrong kind is applied. \u201cThat is a horse\u2019s tail. It belongs on a horse.\u201d Eraser and brush join forces, converting Bugs completely into a horse. Bugs reminds that his contract clearly states he must always be drawn as a rabbit – so the brush draws him as a rabbit, but incredibly badly. \u201cContinue drawing me like this, my friend, and we\u2019ll both be outta work.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/a>Bugs is returned to normal. \u201cWhat a novel idea. Sure you wouldn\u2019t want to make me into a grasshopper or somethin\u2019?\u201d The paintbrush enters the frame, armed with green paint. \u201cNo no no. I take it back!\u201d, screams Bugs. Bugs suggests that he and the animator work together and perhaps create something revolutionary. Instead, the brush paints in two duplicates of Bugs. Bugs quickly disposes of the imposters, giving them the bum\u2019s rush. Bugs demands the animator get the big boss in to see about these humiliations, and refuses to move from the spot until he does. The animator sees that Bugs moves, by drawing a railroad track under him, and an oncoming train emerging from a tunnel. Bugs leaps off the tracks in the nick of time, but still retains the last move. \u201cThere\u2019s still one way out, and you can\u2019t stop me.\u201d \u201cBugs grabs at the top line of the film frame, and pulls down a card over the screen reading \u201cThe End.\u201d The camera pulls back into the studio, revealing the artist behind the whole affair – Elmer Fudd. \u201cWell anyway, I finawwy got even with that scwewy wabbit!\u201d:<\/p>\n
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