Blue Cat Blues

"Blue Cat Blues," released in November 1956, is one of the most surprising and emotionally heavy Tom and Jerry shorts. Directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the episode stands out for completely breaking with the comedic and cheerful tone that made the duo famous, delivering a dark, melancholic, and even reflective narrative-something very rare at the time for an animation by the duo.

The short begins with a striking scene: Tom sitting on train tracks, dejected and without the will to live, while Jerry watches from afar, narrating the sad story that led his friend there. The flashback shows one of the most human storylines in the series-Tom falling in love with a beautiful white cat and being manipulated and manipulated. The sequence of humiliations he suffers while trying to please her is tragically ironic: each sincere attempt is overcome by Butch, who here appears as a rich and arrogant rival.

The editing is simple, yet extremely effective, driven by a masterful soundtrack with melancholic jazz tones that reinforce the atmosphere of loneliness and hopelessness. The music replaces much of the traditional physical humor and becomes the main emotional narrator of the story.

The contrast between Tom's naiveté and the cruelty of reality gives the short film an unusual weight. When the ruined and powerless character sees his beloved marry Butch, the disillusionment becomes complete. The ending is devastating: after the flashback, Jerry tries to console his friend, but discovers that his own girlfriend also left him for someone richer. The little mouse, emotionally broken, decides to sit next to Tom on the tracks. The sound of the approaching train, getting louder and louder, ends the short without showing the impact-a brilliant and symbolic choice, leaving the tragedy hanging in the air.

Although many fans think this was the last short of the classic era, this is a misconception. The true conclusion to the original Hanna-Barbera cycle came two years later, in August 1958, with Tot Watchers. Blue Cat Blues isn't the end of the series, but it is undoubtedly the most courageous and somber of them all.

The message that remains is clear: however much the short film touches on themes of despair and loss, suicide is not the answer to problems. Emotional pain is real, but temporary, and the short film symbolically reminds us that neither unrequited love nor defeats justify giving up on life.

Shortly after Hanna-Barbera had taken over as producers for Fred Quimpy, they were allowed to experiment more with Tom & Jerry. One of the results is "Blue Cat Blues." In this short Jerry narrates Tom's struggles to win over the love of the cat next door. Who also has a thing for Butch! Even though this is the darkest and less humorous of the Tom & Jerry cartoons, I praise it for it's lovely style of direction.

4(****)out of 4(****)stars

This is a darker story from Tom and Jerry that can really only appeal to a certain older demographic. The writing of Blue Cat Blues is amazingly crafted, with a poignant and emotional story that is wonderfully portrayed. The dialogue is limited but impactful, The episode is a testament to the power of storytelling, and a reminder that sometimes the most powerful stories are the ones that leave us feeling sad and reflective. While yes they went out of their range with the typically Tom and Jerry audience. I see this episode as a good warning to people as to what they spend their money and time on.

'Blue Cat Blues (1956)' is a bit of an odd one. Its premise is so oddly, off-puttingly dark yet its execution is as charming as ever. It tells the tale of Tom's spiral into suicidal depression in a deceptively upbeat, generally jovial way. It's a bizarre choice, to say the least. Its overall effect is a strangely unsettling one. The actual short isn't entirely unpleasant, even providing a couple of laughs, but it culminates in a really dark overall experience. It's difficult to know how to feel about it, really. It's not bad but it's not great. 6/10

Not your everyday Tom and Jerry short for many reasons. One, there's a voiceover narration by Jerry, which is odd, because Tom and Jerry rarely speak. Two, the two are friends, which was also rare and seldom works as well as the more adversarial shorts do. Third, and most importantly, the cartoon is rarely humorous (by design) and the jokes here are dry chuckles with a little cough and a bubble of blood at the end. Think a Tom and Jerry cartoon directed by Tim Burton. Not wholly successful, but it largely does work. The creepiest ending for an MGM short that I can recall. Not for everyone and proof that these shorts were never intended solely with children as the target audience. Well worth watching. Recommended with the caveats above.