Monday, 23 October 2023

The Nine Lives of Tom the Cat

Tom’s owner has the world’s most powerful vacuum in Fraidy Cat (MGM, 1942). As he grabs onto a bannister, his nine lives are sucked right out of him.



Life Number Nine, fearing the end, does something about it.



Tom races out of the room, pulling his lives out of the vacuum, including the hammy Life Number One, who's the only one not pertified by the whole thing.



Tom slams into a door. His lives go back into his body, but not before Mr. One congratulates himself for surviving.



Bill Hanna, Joe Barbera and Fred "I think I'll have a nap in my office" Quimby are the only people to get screen credit. The Hanna-Barbera unit was in the early days, so people like Jack Zander and Pete Burness likely animated on this cartoon.

4 comments:

  1. Irv Spence did the whole vacuum scene (with some really creative dry brush action) and Zander did Tom’s first life being a camera hog.

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  2. I'd like it if that were a real Quimby quote.

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  3. The animators on this one were Irv Spence, Jack Zander, George Gordon, Cecil Surry and possibly Bill Littlejohn.

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  4. Kevin Wollenweber31 October 2023 at 00:02

    Love these early MGM, Tom and Jerry cartoons!

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