Polka-Dot Puss
Encyclopedia
Polka-Dot Puss is a 1949
one-reel animated cartoon
and is the 39th Tom and Jerry
short produced in 1948 and released on February 26, 1949. The short was directed by Tom and Jerry's creators, William Hanna
and Joseph Barbera
, produced by Fred Quimby
, animated by Kenneth Muse, Ed Barge, Ray Patterson
and Irven Spence, and scored by Scott Bradley
.
. Tom then hears Mammy Two Shoes telling him that it is time to put the cat out for the night. Noticing that the weather outside is rather unpleasant, Tom craftily fakes a cold, pretending to sneeze violently.
Mammy enquires if Tom has got a cold. Tom nods and sneezes again. Mammy has a change of heart and allows Tom to sleep inside for the night, but gives the cat a stern warning that she'd wash his mouth with soap if he was lying.
Tom grabs an onlooking Jerry, who appropriately shoves a bar of soap in Tom's mouth. Tom spits out a multitude of soap bubbles and chases Jerry into his mousehole, but ends up with a mousetrap on his nose.
Tom prepares to sleep on the living room floor, nose bandaged up. While Tom is asleep, Jerry enters the room with a small pot of red paint, painting several polka dots on his face after removing the bandage on Tom's nose. When Tom wakes up, Jerry convinces him that he has measles
, showing evidence of a measles epidemic in the newspaper, and producing a mirror, showing Tom his own spotty reflection.
Jerry consults Dr. Quack's medicine book and does a number of unorthodox treatments to the now hypochondriacal cat, such as placing a stethoscope next to a ticking alarm clock to intensify Tom's apparent heartbeat, then setting off the alarm. Later, Jerry tests Tom's reflexes, almost bludgeoning the cat with a hammer. As Tom screams in pain, Jerry places a thermometer in Tom's mouth. Out of Tom's view, Jerry holds a cigarette lighter underneath the thermometer, causing the temperature to rise, expanding the thermometer, such that it explodes.
The next chapter of the medical book urges Jerry to apply chills to Tom's high fever. Soon Tom is in the freezer, teeth chattering. Jerry unloads a spoonful of ice-cubes into Tom's mouth and then closes the freezer door for a few seconds. As he opens the door, a frozen-solid Tom slides out of the freezer. Jerry panics and following the book's advice on extreme chills, shoves Tom into the oven, turning it onto a low temperature. Opening the oven door, Tom is now conscious, but still very cold, and baking in his own juices. Jerry pours some juice over Tom and then closes the door, adjusting the oven's temperature. When he opens the door again, Tom is bright red and burning. Jerry quickly touches the hot cat and burns himself. Thinking quickly, he places Tom onto a baking tray and heads for the bathroom, giving the cat a cold shower.
Tom later emerges from the shower, covered in towels and using hot-water bottles as sandals. He observes himself in the mirror, and notices that most of his spots have gone. As he wipes his forehead, the final spot is removed and transferred to his paw. Just then, Tom sees a small jar of red paint hidden in the corner, and realisation dawns on him; his mirror image changes to a jackass
. Tom becomes furious and grabs a sword, ready to get back at Jerry. He finds the mouse sitting hunched-up with head in hands, looking very sorry for himself, and Jerry only blinks at Tom apathetically when prodded with the sword's keen point. Only when Tom snatches him up does Jerry break out in genuine measles spots, which proliferate before Tom's horrified gaze. Tom quickly dashes in terror to the bathroom medicine cabinet and doses himself frantically with everything he can find (throat sprays, pills, mouthwash, nasal drops, etc., but little does he know that there is no cure for measles), while a sped-up version of George Frideric Handel
's Dead March plays over. Both the cat and mouse are covered in spots from head to toe and are being quarantined by Mammy Two Shoes herself. Jerry holds up a mirror, and sticks out his tongue, which, too, is covered in spots, which may also imply that Jerry caught a more severe case of the measles than Tom did.
1949 in film
The year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello...
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 39th 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 produced in 1948 and released on February 26, 1949. The short was directed by Tom and Jerry's creators, 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....
, 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...
, animated by Kenneth Muse, Ed Barge, 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:...
and Irven Spence, and scored by Scott Bradley
Scott Bradley
Scott Bradley was an American composer, pianist and conductor.Bradley is best remembered for scoring the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer theatrical cartoons, including those starring Tom and Jerry , Droopy , Barney Bear , and the many one-shot cartoons.Bradley was a...
.
Plot
Tom is using Jerry as a yo-yoYo-yo
The yo-yo in its simplest form is an object consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a length of twine looped around the axle, similar to a slender spool...
. Tom then hears Mammy Two Shoes telling him that it is time to put the cat out for the night. Noticing that the weather outside is rather unpleasant, Tom craftily fakes a cold, pretending to sneeze violently.
Mammy enquires if Tom has got a cold. Tom nods and sneezes again. Mammy has a change of heart and allows Tom to sleep inside for the night, but gives the cat a stern warning that she'd wash his mouth with soap if he was lying.
Tom grabs an onlooking Jerry, who appropriately shoves a bar of soap in Tom's mouth. Tom spits out a multitude of soap bubbles and chases Jerry into his mousehole, but ends up with a mousetrap on his nose.
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
, showing evidence of a measles epidemic in the newspaper, and producing a mirror, showing Tom his own spotty reflection.
Jerry consults Dr. Quack's medicine book and does a number of unorthodox treatments to the now hypochondriacal cat, such as placing a stethoscope next to a ticking alarm clock to intensify Tom's apparent heartbeat, then setting off the alarm. Later, Jerry tests Tom's reflexes, almost bludgeoning the cat with a hammer. As Tom screams in pain, Jerry places a thermometer in Tom's mouth. Out of Tom's view, Jerry holds a cigarette lighter underneath the thermometer, causing the temperature to rise, expanding the thermometer, such that it explodes.
The next chapter of the medical book urges Jerry to apply chills to Tom's high fever. Soon Tom is in the freezer, teeth chattering. Jerry unloads a spoonful of ice-cubes into Tom's mouth and then closes the freezer door for a few seconds. As he opens the door, a frozen-solid Tom slides out of the freezer. Jerry panics and following the book's advice on extreme chills, shoves Tom into the oven, turning it onto a low temperature. Opening the oven door, Tom is now conscious, but still very cold, and baking in his own juices. Jerry pours some juice over Tom and then closes the door, adjusting the oven's temperature. When he opens the door again, Tom is bright red and burning. Jerry quickly touches the hot cat and burns himself. Thinking quickly, he places Tom onto a baking tray and heads for the bathroom, giving the cat a cold shower.
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
. Tom becomes furious and grabs a sword, ready to get back at Jerry. He finds the mouse sitting hunched-up with head in hands, looking very sorry for himself, and Jerry only blinks at Tom apathetically when prodded with the sword's keen point. Only when Tom snatches him up does Jerry break out in genuine measles spots, which proliferate before Tom's horrified gaze. Tom quickly dashes in terror to the bathroom medicine cabinet and doses himself frantically with everything he can find (throat sprays, pills, mouthwash, nasal drops, etc., but little does he know that there is no cure for measles), while a sped-up version of George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's Dead March plays over. Both the cat and mouse are covered in spots from head to toe and are being quarantined by Mammy Two Shoes herself. Jerry holds up a mirror, and sticks out his tongue, which, too, is covered in spots, which may also imply that Jerry caught a more severe case of the measles than Tom did.
Voice cast
- Lillian RandolphLillian RandolphLillian Randolph was an American actress and singer, a veteran of radio, film, and television. An African American, she worked in entertainment from the 1930s well into the 1970s, appearing in hundreds of radio shows, motion pictures, short subjects, and television shows.-Early years:Born...
as Mammy Two Shoes (original) (uncredited) - Thea VidaleThea VidaleThea Vidale , is an American stand-up comedian and actress.She began her career doing stand-up comedy in comic clubs in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles...
as Mammy Two Shoes (dubbed version) (uncredited)