Butch Cat is a Tom and Jerry character created by Hugh Harman. He is a black and gray alley cat, mostly black whose appearance generally vary from a friend or ally to a rival of Tom Cat.
History[]
Butch was originally created by Hugh Harman for the MGM short The Alley Cat along with Toodles Galore; a character model sheet for the short refers to him as Tom. His first appearance in the Tom and Jerry cartoons was Baby Puss, alongside Topsy and the already-established Meathead.
In Butch's second appearance in Springtime for Thomas, he becomes a rival to Tom over Toodles Galore's (or another female cat's) affections, which is a recurring trope in a couple of other cartoons (including the 1951 short Casanova Cat).
In Trap Happy, he helps Tom get rid of Jerry and in A Mouse in the House, Butch is depicted as a house cat along with Tom owned by Mammy Two Shoes who demands the two lazy cats to catch the mouse. He also competes with Tom in order to catch Jerry, and sometimes he and Tom work together throughout the short to catch Jerry, though both often fail miserably. Butch is also shown to be is the leader of the Alley Cats (usually consisting of Lightning, Topsy, and Meathead) who sometimes accompany him (especially during social gatherings). They are also friends with Tom and at times, join him in chasing or tormenting Jerry.
Butch's last appearance in the original Tom and Jerry cartoons was Blue Cat Blues. Additionally, he appeared in the Spike and Tyke short Scat Cats, replacing Tom as George and Joan's cat.
Appearances[]
- "The Alley Cat" (1941) (as Tom)
- "Baby Puss" (1943)
- "Springtime for Thomas" (1946)
- ”Trap Happy" (1946)
- "A Mouse in the House" (1947)
- "The Truce Hurts" (1948)
- "Heavenly Puss" (1949) (cameo)
- "Tennis Chumps" (1949)
- "Saturday Evening Puss" (1950)
- "Casanova Cat" (1951)
- "Jerry's Cousin" (1951) (cameo)
- "Sleepy-Time Tom" (1951)
- "Life with Tom" (1953) (cameo)
- "Baby Butch" (1954)
- "Smarty Cat" (1955)
- "Muscle Beach Tom" (1956)
- "Blue Cat Blues" (1956)
- "Scat Cats" (1957)
Notes[]
- An unrelated cat who is also named Butch appeared in "Chips Off the Old Block".