Calling Tom and Jerry

A phone comes to life in the Van Beuren cartoon Hook and Ladder Hokum (1933). It whistles to firemen Tom and Jerry to get out of bed.

Unlike Flip the Frog’s phone in the 1930 Ub Iwerks cartoon The Cuckoo Murder Mystery, it doesn’t say “Damn!” or anything else.

There are several other gags I like here, such as the fire pole made from a stream of tap-water, and the flames coming from a house spelling “Help” and “Hurry.”

George Stallings and Frank Tashlin get the “by” credit.

Gene Rodemich’s score opens with “Rhythm,” which is heard through a good portion of the fire scene, along with “Corn-Fed Cal” and “The Streets of Cairo” (during the hose-charmer scene). Hear “Rhythm” below.