His Mouse Friday
Encyclopedia
His Mouse Friday is a 1951
one-reel animated cartoon
and is the 59th Tom and Jerry
cartoon directed by William Hanna
and Joseph Barbera
and produced by Fred Quimby
for Metro Goldwyn Mayer. It was animated by Kenneth Muse, Irven Spence, Ray Patterson and Ed Barge and released in theatres on July 7, 1951. The title is a pun combining references to the film His Girl Friday
and the character of Friday from the novel Robinson Crusoe
.
The cartoon begins with Tom stranded at sea, floating on a wooden raft after presumably being shipwrecked, a la Robinson Crusoe. The poor cat has nothing to eat but shoes and shoelaces. When he spots an island, the waves catapult him there. Tom attempts to feast on the coconuts but they prove to be difficult to break open. Moments later, Tom breaks his teeth after trying to sink them into a turtle. However, Tom does see a creature that is undeniably more edible - Jerry. Tom chases after the rodent and the pair end up in an uninhabited village. Jerry spots a large drum and beats a tune on it, frightening Tom. Jerry also finds a large black cauldron and rubs the soot onto his face and body, making himself black
. When Tom emerges from his hiding place, Jerry jumps out at him, hollering in a thick dialect. He orders Tom to "hop in pot"; to cook himself with carrots, potatoes and radishes; but to "hold the onion." Tom starts to feel the heat, and resigned to his death, he looks out of the cauldron and sees Jerry performing his "native" dance, but the movement of the dance causes Jerry's makeshift skirt to fall down, revealing his brown mouse fur. Tom notices this and makes sure that Jerry is aware of it. Jerry tries to order Tom back into the pot, but the cat simply mocks him and chases him, only to stumble upon some genuine cannibals (although humans eating a cat or mouse would not in fact qualify as cannibalism). One licks his lips and declares "Mmmm... barbecued cat!" They chase after Tom. Meanwhile, Jerry, overlooking the whole fracas is attacked by a younger (and thicker-lipped) cannibal who also licks his lips in delight, saying "Mmmm... barbecued mouse!" The native boy chases after Jerry.
1951 in film
The year 1951 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:...
one-reel animated cartoon
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
and is the 59th Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
cartoon directed by William Hanna
William Hanna
William Denby Hanna was an American animator, director, producer, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of people for much of the 20th century. When he was a young child, Hanna's family moved frequently, but they settled in Compton, California, by...
and Joseph Barbera
Joseph Barbera
Joseph Roland Barbera was an influential American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the twentieth century....
and produced by Fred Quimby
Fred Quimby
Frederick C. "Fred" Quimby was an American cartoon producer, best known as a producer of Tom and Jerry cartoons, for which he won seven Academy Awards...
for Metro Goldwyn Mayer. It was animated by Kenneth Muse, Irven Spence, Ray Patterson and Ed Barge and released in theatres on July 7, 1951. The title is a pun combining references to the film His Girl Friday
His Girl Friday
His Girl Friday is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, an adaptation by Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur of the play The Front Page by Hecht and MacArthur...
and the character of Friday from the novel Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe that was first published in 1719. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is a fictional autobiography of the title character—a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and...
.
Plot
Blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky...
. When Tom emerges from his hiding place, Jerry jumps out at him, hollering in a thick dialect. He orders Tom to "hop in pot"; to cook himself with carrots, potatoes and radishes; but to "hold the onion." Tom starts to feel the heat, and resigned to his death, he looks out of the cauldron and sees Jerry performing his "native" dance, but the movement of the dance causes Jerry's makeshift skirt to fall down, revealing his brown mouse fur. Tom notices this and makes sure that Jerry is aware of it. Jerry tries to order Tom back into the pot, but the cat simply mocks him and chases him, only to stumble upon some genuine cannibals (although humans eating a cat or mouse would not in fact qualify as cannibalism). One licks his lips and declares "Mmmm... barbecued cat!" They chase after Tom. Meanwhile, Jerry, overlooking the whole fracas is attacked by a younger (and thicker-lipped) cannibal who also licks his lips in delight, saying "Mmmm... barbecued mouse!" The native boy chases after Jerry.
Censorship and Bans
- Recently, this cartoon has not been shown on rotation due to the stereotyping of Africans.
- There are two edited versions of this cartoon that have been released on video and have been said to have been airing on television prior to being banned:
- One version (which was shown on the MGM/UA VHS compilation titled Tom and Jerry On Parade and the laser disc set compilation titled The Art of Tom and Jerry) mutes out all the stereotypical black savage dialogue.
- Another version (which was included in the Tom and Jerry Spotlight CollectionTom and Jerry Spotlight CollectionThe Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection is a series of two-disc DVD sets, released by Warner Home Video. Originally planned as an uncut, chronological set, the issued Spotlight Collection sets wound up including selected Tom and Jerry shorts on each volume...
Volume 3 DVD set compilation) retains the dialogue, but edits the part where Jerry meets a real black savage by using pan and zoom effects to crop out the real black savage's appearance.