The Many Shapes of Tom

Mice Follies is a Tom and Jerry cartoon where Joe Barbera tries to get gracefulness and humour out of ice skating.

In one scene, Tom chases Jerry and the little mouse (I don’t know what name he was using at this time) on skates. Tom jumps. He goes high. He goes low.



Tom self-congratulates himself. Evidently he hasn’t watched Wile E. Coyote because he should know what happens next.



Why is that ironing board out? Oh, right. There’s no maid any more to clean up the house.

Two scenes later, Tom becomes a sled.



Scott Bradley fills the soundtrack with Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty Waltz.”

The credited animators are the usual crew—Ken Muse, Ed Barge, Ray Patterson and Irv Spence. No doubt Al Grandmain handled the effects animation. Bob Gentle painted the backgrounds. Said the Motion Picture exhibitor “This has excellent musical and sound accompaniment, as well as novel drawings and effects. GOOD.”

The cartoon was released in 1954 but copyrighted a year earlier.