Touché, Pussy Cat! is a 1954 Tom and Jerry cartoon directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.
Plot[]
François Mouse's son arrives in Paris to be trained as a King’s Mouseketeer. Jerry, the Captain of the Mouseketeers and an old friend of François, attempts to train the garrulous Nibbles, but Nibbles is far too aggressive: he slashes wildly with his rapier, accidentally stabs Jerry in the rear, and courts confrontation with rival Guardsman Tom.
After Jerry saves Nibbles from Tom (by literally splitting Tom in two with an axe), he prepares to send Nibbles back to François in disgrace. However, as Nibbles is walking back home, Tom ambushes Jerry. Nibbles hears the attack and stops it by chopping off the tip of Tom’s tail, with Nibbles exclaiming "Touché, Pussy Cat!" When Tom pins Nibbles to the wall in retaliation, Jerry saves him by causing Tom’s tunic to roll up like a windowshade (revealing Tom's ruffled underwear).
On the run from Tom, Nibbles is separated from Jerry and begins painting an unflattering portrait of Tom, while singing "Frère Jacques". Tom confronts Nibbles in mid-painting, but Nibbles paints a pince-nez on Tom’s face and escapes. Tom gives pursuit in anger, but Nibbles uses a series of champagne bottles to knock Tom back with their corks, eventually knocking Tom into an iron gate and crushing him. When Tom attacks again, Nibbles chops open an enormous barrel, releasing a tidal wave of wine that engulfs them both. Tom is washed down the sewers, while a drunken Nibbles, observing Tom’s fate, remarks, "Pauvre, pauvre,...(hic!)...Pussycat..." ("Poor, poor pussycat...").
In appreciation for dispatching Tom and saving his life, Jerry makes Nibbles a Mouseketeer. However, as Nibbles proudly shows off his swordsmanship in a mirror, he accidentally stabs Jerry in the rear with his sword again. Jerry, incensed, turns Nibbles over his lap and gives him a vigorous spanking. As he is being spanked, Nibbles looks at the audience and says, "C'est la guerre" ("That's war", i.e. "It can't be helped").
Notes[]
- This is the sixth and last Tom and Jerry short to be nominated for an Academy Award.
- Like a number of early widescreen animated films (several other MGM cartoons, Disney's Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom and Lady and the Tramp, for example), Touché, Pussy Cat! was produced in both the Academy and CinemaScope aspect ratios. The same animation cels were used, but the camera shots were re-framed and different backgrounds were used. For some television broadcasts, however, a pan and scan copy was prepared from the CinemaScope version (which is re-framed from the Academy version, and missing information present at the top and bottom of the frame in many shots from the Academy version). Contrary to the CinemaScope version, the Academy version is missing information present at the left and right side of the frame in many shots from the CinemaScope version.
Availability[]
- LaserDisc - The Art of Tom & Jerry: Volume II (MGM/UA)
- DVD - Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection: Volume 1 (Warner Bros.)
- DVD - Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection (Warner Bros.)
- DVD - Tom and Jerry: The Deluxe Anniversary Collection (Warner Bros.)
- DVD - Tom and Jerry: Tricks & Treats (Warner Bros.)
- DVD - Tom and Jerry: Pint-Sized Pals (Warner Bros.)
- Blu-ray - Tom and Jerry: The Complete Cinemascope Collection (Warner Bros.)
Gallery[]
TV title cards[]
