Switchin' Kitten
Encyclopedia
Switchin' Kitten, created in late-1960, is the first of thirteen Tom and Jerry
cartoons that were directed by Gene Deitch and his team of animators in Czechoslovakia
. It was released on September 7, 1961, and was also the first cartoon to be filmed in Metrocolor
as opposed to Technicolor
; all future Tom and Jerry cartoons from this point on would be done in Metrocolor. It even marks the final appearance of Lightning in a theatrical release of a Tom and Jerry cartoon.
appearance) and strap him to a table next to a dog (presumably Spike
, also making this his only Gene Deitch
appearance) that is strapped to another table. The mad scientist and Jerry push a number of buttons and controls to switch the brains
of the cat and dog, that is, Lightning now has a dog's brain and vice versa. The mad scientist gives the "cat" to Jerry as a companion. While they are sleeping, Tom approaches the castle, noticing Jerry. Lightning (with dog-brain) growls and threatens Tom. Tom tries to convince Lightning that he's a cat, but fails.
Over the next few minutes, Tom's efforts to catch Jerry are thwarted by Lightning. As Tom runs off in fright, he comes into contact with other animals that the mad scientist has experimented on, including a chirping elephant, a chicken that baas like a lamb, a mooing cuckoo-bird, Spike whose brain was switched with the cat, and Jerry, who roars rather like the MGM lion
, Leo, complete with the trademark ribbon that reads "Ars Gratia Artis" (Latin for "Art for Art's Sake), the official motto for the company. This scares Tom and he runs away from the castle while Jerry winks at the camera as the cartoon closes.
-based animator Gene Deitch
and produced by company owner William L. Snyder in Czechoslovakia
(now known as the separate countries of the Czech Republic
and Slovakia
). Stepán Konícek, a student of Karel Ančerl
and conductor of the Film Symphony Orchestra, and Václav Lídl provided the musical score for the Deitch short, while Larz Bourne, Chris Jenkyns, and Eli Bauer
wrote the cartoons. The majority of vocal effects and voices in Deitch's films were provided by Allen Swift
.
For the purposes of avoiding being linked to Communism, Deitch altered the names for his crew in the opening credits
of the shorts (e.g., Stepán Konícek became "Steven Konichek", Václav Lídl became "Victor Little"). These shorts are among the few Tom and Jerry cartoons not to carry the "Made In Hollywood, U.S.A." phrase at the end. Due to Deitch's studio being behind the Iron Curtain
, the production studio's location is omitted entirely on it. In the midst of production, Joe Vogel, the head of production, was fired from MGM, who ordered Deitch and his team to finish the shorts and rush them out to release, producing the quality effect demonstrated in the shorts themselves. By contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had expired, and the final of the thirteen shorts, Carmen Get It!
, was released on December 1, 1962.
Since the Deitch/Snyder team had seen only a handful of the original Tom and Jerry shorts, and since Deitch and Snyder produced their cartoons on a tighter budget of $10,000, the resulting films were considered unusual, and, in many ways, bizarre. The characters' gestures were often performed at high speed, frequently causing heavy motion blur. As a result, the animation of the characters looked choppy and sickly. The soundtracks featured sparse music, futuristic sound effects, dialogue that was mumbled rather than spoken, and heavy use of reverb
. Fans that typically rooted for Tom criticized Deitch's cartoons for having Tom never become a threat to Jerry. Most of the time, Tom only attempts to hurt him when he gets in his way. Tom's new owner, a corpulent and grumpy middle-aged white man (with serious temper problems, often going red in the face similar to Deitch's earlier "Clint Clobber" character at Terrytoons
), was also more graphically brutal in punishing Tom's mistakes as compared to Mammy Two-Shoes, such as beating and thrashing Tom repeatedly, searing his face with a grill and forcing Tom to drink an entire carbonated beverage. However, despite these criticisms, the Gene Deitch Tom and Jerry cartoons are still rerun today on Boomerang on a semi-regular basis.
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...
cartoons that were directed by Gene Deitch and his team of animators in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. It was released on September 7, 1961, and was also the first cartoon to be filmed in Metrocolor
Metrocolor
Metrocolor is the trade name used by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for films processed at their laboratory. Virtually all of these films were actually shot on Kodak's Eastmancolor film.-External links:* at Internet Movie Database...
as opposed to Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
; all future Tom and Jerry cartoons from this point on would be done in Metrocolor. It even marks the final appearance of Lightning in a theatrical release of a Tom and Jerry cartoon.
Plot
During a storm, Tom is trying to find a place to stay after being thrown out of a horse drawn wagon. In the meantime, Jerry is assisting a mad scientist in a castle. They take an orange cat (while not identified by name, he appears to be Lightning, making this his only Gene DeitchGene Deitch
Eugene Merril "Gene" Deitch is an American illustrator, animator and film director. He has been based in Prague, capital of Czechoslovakia and the present-day Czech Republic, since 1959. Since 1968, Deitch has been the leading animation director for the Connecticut organization Weston...
appearance) and strap him to a table next to a dog (presumably Spike
Spike and Tyke (characters)
Spike and Tyke are fictional characters from the Tom and Jerry series, created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Spike is a stern but occasionally dumb British bulldog who is particularly disapproving of cats, but a softie when it comes to mice, and later, his son Tyke...
, also making this his only Gene Deitch
Gene Deitch
Eugene Merril "Gene" Deitch is an American illustrator, animator and film director. He has been based in Prague, capital of Czechoslovakia and the present-day Czech Republic, since 1959. Since 1968, Deitch has been the leading animation director for the Connecticut organization Weston...
appearance) that is strapped to another table. The mad scientist and Jerry push a number of buttons and controls to switch the brains
Body swap
A body swap is a storytelling device seen in a variety of fiction, most often in television shows and movies, in which two people exchange minds and end up in each other's bodies. Alternatively, their minds may stay where they are as their bodies adjust...
of the cat and dog, that is, Lightning now has a dog's brain and vice versa. The mad scientist gives the "cat" to Jerry as a companion. While they are sleeping, Tom approaches the castle, noticing Jerry. Lightning (with dog-brain) growls and threatens Tom. Tom tries to convince Lightning that he's a cat, but fails.
Over the next few minutes, Tom's efforts to catch Jerry are thwarted by Lightning. As Tom runs off in fright, he comes into contact with other animals that the mad scientist has experimented on, including a chirping elephant, a chicken that baas like a lamb, a mooing cuckoo-bird, Spike whose brain was switched with the cat, and Jerry, who roars rather like the MGM lion
Leo the Lion (MGM)
Leo the Lion is the mascot for the Hollywood film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and one of its predecessors, Goldwyn Pictures, featured in the studio's production logo, which was created by the Paramount Studios art director Lionel S. Reiss....
, Leo, complete with the trademark ribbon that reads "Ars Gratia Artis" (Latin for "Art for Art's Sake), the official motto for the company. This scares Tom and he runs away from the castle while Jerry winks at the camera as the cartoon closes.
Production
In 1960, MGM revived the Tom and Jerry franchise, and contacted European animation output Rembrandt Films to produce thirteen Tom and Jerry shorts overseas. All thirteen shorts were directed by PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
-based animator Gene Deitch
Gene Deitch
Eugene Merril "Gene" Deitch is an American illustrator, animator and film director. He has been based in Prague, capital of Czechoslovakia and the present-day Czech Republic, since 1959. Since 1968, Deitch has been the leading animation director for the Connecticut organization Weston...
and produced by company owner William L. Snyder in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
(now known as the separate countries of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
). Stepán Konícek, a student of Karel Ančerl
Karel Ancerl
Karel Ančerl , was a Czech conductor, known for his performances of contemporary music and for his interpretations of music by Czech composers...
and conductor of the Film Symphony Orchestra, and Václav Lídl provided the musical score for the Deitch short, while Larz Bourne, Chris Jenkyns, and Eli Bauer
Eli Bauer
Elias "Eli" Bauer was born in The Bronx, New York to Max and Goldie Bauer. It was his passion for art that took him out of the Bronx and into Manhattan, where he attended the School of Industrial Arts....
wrote the cartoons. The majority of vocal effects and voices in Deitch's films were provided by Allen Swift
Allen Swift
Ira Stadlen , known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American voice actor, known for playing characters including Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the Underdog cartoon show...
.
For the purposes of avoiding being linked to Communism, Deitch altered the names for his crew in the opening credits
Opening credits
In a motion picture, television program, or video game, the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. There...
of the shorts (e.g., Stepán Konícek became "Steven Konichek", Václav Lídl became "Victor Little"). These shorts are among the few Tom and Jerry cartoons not to carry the "Made In Hollywood, U.S.A." phrase at the end. Due to Deitch's studio being behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
, the production studio's location is omitted entirely on it. In the midst of production, Joe Vogel, the head of production, was fired from MGM, who ordered Deitch and his team to finish the shorts and rush them out to release, producing the quality effect demonstrated in the shorts themselves. By contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had expired, and the final of the thirteen shorts, Carmen Get It!
Carmen Get It!
Carmen Get It! was the 13th and final Tom and Jerry cartoon produced by William L. Snyder and directed by Gene Deitch in the present-day Czech Republic , released on December 1, 1962 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
, was released on December 1, 1962.
Since the Deitch/Snyder team had seen only a handful of the original Tom and Jerry shorts, and since Deitch and Snyder produced their cartoons on a tighter budget of $10,000, the resulting films were considered unusual, and, in many ways, bizarre. The characters' gestures were often performed at high speed, frequently causing heavy motion blur. As a result, the animation of the characters looked choppy and sickly. The soundtracks featured sparse music, futuristic sound effects, dialogue that was mumbled rather than spoken, and heavy use of reverb
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
. Fans that typically rooted for Tom criticized Deitch's cartoons for having Tom never become a threat to Jerry. Most of the time, Tom only attempts to hurt him when he gets in his way. Tom's new owner, a corpulent and grumpy middle-aged white man (with serious temper problems, often going red in the face similar to Deitch's earlier "Clint Clobber" character at Terrytoons
Terrytoons
Terrytoons was an animation studio founded by Paul Terry. The studio, located in suburban New Rochelle, New York, operated from 1929 to 1968. Its most popular characters included Mighty Mouse, Gandy Goose, Sourpuss, Dinky Duck, Deputy Dawg, Luno and Heckle and Jeckle; these cartoons and all of its...
), was also more graphically brutal in punishing Tom's mistakes as compared to Mammy Two-Shoes, such as beating and thrashing Tom repeatedly, searing his face with a grill and forcing Tom to drink an entire carbonated beverage. However, despite these criticisms, the Gene Deitch Tom and Jerry cartoons are still rerun today on Boomerang on a semi-regular basis.