Johann Mouse
Encyclopedia
Johann Mouse is the 75th one-reel
animated
Tom and Jerry
short
, created in 1953
directed by William Hanna
and Joseph Barbera
and produced by Fred Quimby
with music by Scott Bradley and Jakob Gimpel (who plays the piano in this short) and narration by Hans Conried
. The cartoon was animated by Kenneth Muse, Ray Patterson, Ed Barge and Irven Spence, with backgrounds by Robert Gentle. Placing the popular cat and mouse characters in Vienna
, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the cartoon is inspired by the work of Viennese
composer Johann Strauss II
. Johann Mouse won the 25th Academy Awards
for Best Animated Short Film, giving the cat and mouse duo their seventh and final Oscar win. It was released on March 21, 1953, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
.
(Austria
) in the home of Johann Strauss
."
In the walls of the house of Johann Strauss lived Johann Mouse, portrayed by Jerry. Little Johann loved Strauss' music, and whenever the musician would play, the mouse would dance. And whenever the mouse would dance, Strauss' housecat, portrayed by Tom, would try to catch him but always fail.
Tom panics as Strauss disappears on horse and carriage. He picks up a manual on top of the piano: "How To Play The Waltz In Six Easy Lessons by Johann Strauss. Tom charges upstairs into the attic and teaches himself how to play, following the guidebook (which consists of how to correctly play the first eight notes of The Blue Danube
, in proper sequence), and after six lessons, he is an accomplished pianist (if it is not easy enough).
Tom takes to the piano downstairs and the mouse is mesmerised by the music, into dancing. Tom attempts to squash Johann with a poker, and as he stops playing to hit Johann, the mouse is roused from his spell and scrambles back towards the hole - until Tom resumes playing. Johann turns around, hypnotised once again. The heads of some servants pop through the door, observing the talented duo, and as Tom grabs Johann, he is greeted with applause from the servants. The cat puts the mouse down and returns to the piano, with Johann dancing again. The news quickly spreads around Vienna, reaching even the ears of Kaiser Franz Joseph I. Tom and Jerry are summoned by a royal writ
from the Imperial Palace to perform before the Court.
The next scene opens upon the Throne-Room, with many aristocratic ladies and gentlemen, and the Emperor himself, in his throne (also heard in the beginning of the scene is the, "Kaiser-Walzer
"). In the middle is a white grand piano. The doors open to reveal Tom and Jerry, both in tail-coats and bow-ties, who bow to the Emperor and enter the ballroom.
Tom begins playing the, "Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka
", and Jerry/Johann begins waltzing, occasionally using Tom's fingers as a dancing partner. Tom gives into his impulses and tries to capture Jerry, who escapes, as usual, into a hole in the wall. "It was the same old story", the narrator concludes.
In the last scene, the mouse leaves his hole and dances, bowing to rapturous applause. An angry Tom turns the page to reveal the end of the cartoon.
Reel
A reel is an object around which lengths of another material are wound for storage. Generally a reel has a cylindrical core and walls on the sides to retain the material wound around the core...
animated
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...
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...
short
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
, created in 1953
1953 in film
The year 1953 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*September 16 — The Robe debuts as the first anamorphic, widescreen CinemaScope film.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:A...
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...
with music by Scott Bradley and Jakob Gimpel (who plays the piano in this short) and narration by Hans Conried
Hans Conried
Hans Georg Conried, Jr. was an American comedian, character actor and voice actor.-Early years:He was born on April 15, 1917 in Baltimore, Maryland to Hans Georg Conried, Sr. and Edith Beyr Gildersleeve. His mother was a descendant of Pilgrims, and his father was a Jewish immigrant from Vienna,...
. The cartoon was animated by Kenneth Muse, Ray Patterson, Ed Barge and Irven Spence, with backgrounds by Robert Gentle. Placing the popular cat and mouse characters in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the cartoon is inspired by the work of Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
composer Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
. Johann Mouse won the 25th Academy Awards
25th Academy Awards
The 25th Academy Awards ceremony was held on March 19, 1953. It took place at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California and the NBC International Theatre in New York City....
for Best Animated Short Film, giving the cat and mouse duo their seventh and final Oscar win. It was released on March 21, 1953, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
.
Plot
The cartoon takes place in Vienna, Austria. The narrator says: "This is the story of a waltzing mouse. His name was Johann and he lived in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) in the home of Johann Strauss
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
."
Tom panics as Strauss disappears on horse and carriage. He picks up a manual on top of the piano: "How To Play The Waltz In Six Easy Lessons by Johann Strauss. Tom charges upstairs into the attic and teaches himself how to play, following the guidebook (which consists of how to correctly play the first eight notes of The Blue Danube
The Blue Danube
The Blue Danube is the common English title of An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314 , a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866...
, in proper sequence), and after six lessons, he is an accomplished pianist (if it is not easy enough).
Tom takes to the piano downstairs and the mouse is mesmerised by the music, into dancing. Tom attempts to squash Johann with a poker, and as he stops playing to hit Johann, the mouse is roused from his spell and scrambles back towards the hole - until Tom resumes playing. Johann turns around, hypnotised once again. The heads of some servants pop through the door, observing the talented duo, and as Tom grabs Johann, he is greeted with applause from the servants. The cat puts the mouse down and returns to the piano, with Johann dancing again. The news quickly spreads around Vienna, reaching even the ears of Kaiser Franz Joseph I. Tom and Jerry are summoned by a royal writ
Writ
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...
from the Imperial Palace to perform before the Court.
The next scene opens upon the Throne-Room, with many aristocratic ladies and gentlemen, and the Emperor himself, in his throne (also heard in the beginning of the scene is the, "Kaiser-Walzer
Kaiser-Walzer
Kaiser-Walzer, Op. 437 is a waltz composed by Johann Strauss II in 1889. The waltz was originally titled Hand in Hand and was intended as a toast made in August of that year by Austrian emperor Franz Josef on the occasion of his visit to the German Kaiser Wilhelm II where it was symbolic as a...
"). In the middle is a white grand piano. The doors open to reveal Tom and Jerry, both in tail-coats and bow-ties, who bow to the Emperor and enter the ballroom.
Tom begins playing the, "Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka
Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka
Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka op. 214 is a polka written by Johann Strauss II in 1858 after a successful tour of Russia where he performed in the summer concert season at Pavlovsk, Saint Petersburg....
", and Jerry/Johann begins waltzing, occasionally using Tom's fingers as a dancing partner. Tom gives into his impulses and tries to capture Jerry, who escapes, as usual, into a hole in the wall. "It was the same old story", the narrator concludes.
In the last scene, the mouse leaves his hole and dances, bowing to rapturous applause. An angry Tom turns the page to reveal the end of the cartoon.
External Links
- Johann Mouse at the Johann Strauss Society of New York