Puss Gets the Boot
| Puss Gets the Boot | |
|---|---|
| Production company | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Distributor | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date | February 10, 1940 |
| Starring | William Hanna Clarence Nash Lillian Randolph |
| Producer(s) | Rudolf Ising Fred Quimby |
| Music composed by | Scott Bradley |
| Story by | William Hanna Joseph Barbera Gus Arriola |
| Animation | Pete Burness George Gordon Ray Abrams[1] |
| Director(s) | William Hanna Joseph Barbera Rudolf Ising |
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Puss Gets the Boot is the first animated theatrical short of the Tom and Jerry series. It was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on February 10, 1940. It was written by William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, and Gus Arriola,[2] and directed by Hanna, Barbera, and Rudolf Ising. It was produced by Ising and Fred Quimby, although ultimately all participants were omitted except for Ising, with the short being billed as "A Rudolph Ising Production."
The short introduces a proto-Tom and Jerry, an overeager cat and a rambunctious mouse, respectively, and their classic ongoing rivalry. Jerry is trying to get Tom in trouble by breaking all the plates and glasses.
Tom is known as Jasper in this short, while Jerry isn't named on-screen, but is named Jinx on his animation model sheets.[3]
Detailed summary
Memorable quotes
Characters
In order of appearance: | ||||||||||
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Locations
Objects
- "Home Sweet Home" sign
Vehicles
- None
Production
Development
The idea of the short was originated by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera when discussing on the topic of how a conflict between two characters would work in comedy. Hanna recalled that they originally considered using a dog and a fox for these kinds of cartoons, but landed on the idea of using a cat and mouse for the leads instead.[4]
In 1938, when the two presented their idea to producer Fred Quimby, the latter showed no interest in the project, believing that there was nothing original they could do with a cat and mouse. However, Quimby decided to let the two go ahead and complete their short, which would later become Puss Gets the Boot.[5]
Filming
A redubbed version of the short was made in the 1990s by Turner Entertainment, with Thea Vidale as the voice of Mammy Two-Shoes.
Music
The music was composed by Scott Bradley.
Release
Dates are in order of release:
- United States: February 10, 1940
Behind the scenes
- The MPAA certificate number is 5472.
Errors
Critical reception
Motion Picture Exhibitor reviewed the short on March 6, 1940, stating: "Puss teases the mouse but when the latter learns that breakage in the house will lead to Puss being thrown out, the fun begins. Windup has the crockery crashing, the mouse victorious, Puss getting the boot."[6]
In the book Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, animation historian Jerry Beck described Puss Gets the Boot as "very new and special [...] that was to change the course of MGM cartoon production" and that it established the consistently popular formula of the Tom and Jerry cartoons.[7]
In The Art of Hanna-Barbera: Fifty Years of Creativity, Ted Sennett sums it up as "cat stalks and chases mouse in a frenzy of slapstick violence."[8]
While it left an unenthusiastic impression among studio executives, the film was loved by audiences and was it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject in Cartoons.[8]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Award | February 29, 1940 | Best Short Subject: Cartoons | Puss in Boots | Nominated[9][10] |
Home availability
- In the United States:
- October 25, 2005: Warner Home Video releases Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection: Vol. 2 on DVD.
- February 12, 2008: Warner Home Video releases Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection on DVD.
- October 25, 2011: Warner Home Video releases Tom and Jerry Golden Collection: Volume 1 on DVD.
- October 25, 2011: Warner Home Video releases Tom and Jerry Golden Collection: Volume 1 on Blu-ray Disc.
- In France:
- November 23, 2011: Warner Home Video releases Tom and Jerry Golden Collection: Volume Un on DVD.
References
- ^ "Puss Gets the Boot - Credits". Internet Animation Database. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ Chilton, Martin (February 7, 2020). "Tom and Jerry at 80: how a psychotic cat and mouse drove Hollywood wild". The Telegraph. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ Hanna, William; Ito, Tom (1996). A Cast of Friends. Taylor Publishing Company. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1991). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (1991 edition), page 131. Facts on File, Inc., New York NY. ISBN 0-8160-2252-6.
- ^ "The Magic Behind The Cartoon". www.lafn.org. Archived from original on Febuary 12, 2005.
- ^ Sampson, Henry T. (1998). That's Enough, Folks: Black Images in Animated Cartoons, 1900-1960. Scarecrow Press. p. 64. ISBN 978-0810832503.
- ^ Beck, Jerry; Maltin, Leonard (1987). Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, Revised and Updated Edition, p. 287. Plume. ISBN 978-0-452-25993-5.
- ^ a b Sennett, Ted (1989). The Art of Hanna-Barbera: Fifty Years of Creativity. pp. 14–17. ISBN 978-0670829781.
- ^ Arnold, William (August 3, 1993). "Tom and Jerry make their big screen comeback". Caster Star-Tribune via Newspapers. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ Hanna, William; Ito, Tom (1996). A Cast of Friends, page 214. Taylor Publishing Company. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
