Little Runaway
Encyclopedia
Little Runaway is a 1952
one-reel animated cartoon
and is the 68th Tom and Jerry
short
directed by William Hanna
and Joseph Barbera
and produced by Fred Quimby
. It was animated by the usual team of animators who worked under Hanna and Barbera, credited to Ed Barge
, Kenneth Muse
, Irven Spence
and Ray Patterson
. As with the majority of Tom and Jerry cartoons, Robert Gentle created the backgrounds, and Scott Bradley composed the music.
Jerry takes a sleeping Tom's fish, but Tom wakes up before he can get away. Jerry then hides behind the fish, does a little dance with it, then waltzes away. Tom enjoyed this performance very well so he whistled for an encore. The dancing fish took a bow with finale music. But as Jerry does repeated bows he accidentally reveals himself behind the fish and takes a bow himself. Tom gives chase. Jerry tosses the fish into the pool, only to have Tom retrieve it but the seal eats it. Tom notices the fish is gone and Jerry laughs at him when he's about to run away, Tom grabs Jerry, but the seal picks up Tom with his nose and throws him into a birdbath. Just then, Tom overhears a radio news report detailing the seal's escape and the $10,000 reward for his return.
After several failed attempts at catching the baby seal, Tom cuts up a tire and covers himself in black rubber to disguise himself as an adult seal. The little seal and Jerry are playing catch and Tom joins the game. The little seal follows Tom's every move, and is just about to be captured by the cunning feline until a circus worker grabs Tom.
Tom is brought to the circus, and is forced to play Yankee Doodle
on the trumpet. Though annoyed at first, Tom receives thunderous applause and soon embraces the adoration. As a finale, a fish is thrown into his mouth.
1952 in film
The year 1952 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 10 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
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 68th 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...
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...
. It was animated by the usual team of animators who worked under Hanna and Barbera, credited to Ed Barge
Ed Barge
Edward John "Ed" Barge was an American animator.Barge was born to Alfred Edward and Margaret G. Barge in San Jose, California. In 1916, the family moved to Bakersfield, where his father was employed by the Santa Fe Railroad and Pacific Western Oil Co. before retiring in 1954...
, Kenneth Muse
Kenneth Muse
Kenneth Lee Muse was an American animator. He is best known for his work on the Tom and Jerry series at MGM.-Biography:...
, Irven Spence
Irven Spence
Irven Spence was an American animator. He is best known for his work on MGM's Tom and Jerry animated shorts. Spence has been credited variously as Irven Spence, Irvin Spence, and Irv Spence....
and Ray Patterson
Ray Patterson (animator)
Raymond "Ray" Patterson was an American animator, producer, and director. Patterson was born in Hollywood, California, and was the brother of animator Don Patterson.-Early career:...
. As with the majority of Tom and Jerry cartoons, Robert Gentle created the backgrounds, and Scott Bradley composed the music.
Plot
A baby seal cuts his way out of his cage while the circus owners are sleeping and makes his way to Tom and Jerry's house. Meanwhile, at the house Jerry is getting ready for a swim. He dives headdown into the pond and then he sees the seal. They quickly become friends and the seal tells him where he came from and asks for his help. Jerry is glad to help the seal and they shake hands while the seal happily says "Thanks!" He continues "Can you spare a fish?"Jerry takes a sleeping Tom's fish, but Tom wakes up before he can get away. Jerry then hides behind the fish, does a little dance with it, then waltzes away. Tom enjoyed this performance very well so he whistled for an encore. The dancing fish took a bow with finale music. But as Jerry does repeated bows he accidentally reveals himself behind the fish and takes a bow himself. Tom gives chase. Jerry tosses the fish into the pool, only to have Tom retrieve it but the seal eats it. Tom notices the fish is gone and Jerry laughs at him when he's about to run away, Tom grabs Jerry, but the seal picks up Tom with his nose and throws him into a birdbath. Just then, Tom overhears a radio news report detailing the seal's escape and the $10,000 reward for his return.
After several failed attempts at catching the baby seal, Tom cuts up a tire and covers himself in black rubber to disguise himself as an adult seal. The little seal and Jerry are playing catch and Tom joins the game. The little seal follows Tom's every move, and is just about to be captured by the cunning feline until a circus worker grabs Tom.
Tom is brought to the circus, and is forced to play Yankee Doodle
Yankee Doodle
"Yankee Doodle" is a well-known Anglo-American song, the origin of which dates back to the Seven Years' War. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today and is the state anthem of Connecticut...
on the trumpet. Though annoyed at first, Tom receives thunderous applause and soon embraces the adoration. As a finale, a fish is thrown into his mouth.