The Million Dollar Cat

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The Million Dollar Cat
Tom and Jerry series
The title card of The Million Dollar Cat
Directed by	William Hanna Joseph Barbera
Animation by	Kenneth Muse Irven Spence Ray Patterson Pete Burness
Music by	Scott Bradley
Produced by	Fred Quimby
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	May 6, 1944
Format	Technicolor, 7 min.
Language	English
Preceded by	The Zoot Cat
Followed by	The Bodyguard

The Million Dollar Cat is an animated cartoon short subject, starring Tom & Jerry. It was produced in Technicolor and released to theatres on May 6, 1944 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Tom is throwing darts at Jerry who is been tied up in front of a target with an apple on his head. A telegram arrives that reads, "Madam...In accord with the west of your eccentric Aunt Harriet, your cat Thomas has been left the sum of one million dollars." Tom is thrilled by the news. Jerry doesn't understand why Tom is so happy until he reads the telegram himself and gets just as happy as Tom. The reason for Jerry's happiness? The telegram reveals that the "Terms of will specify that all benefits cease immediately should the cat bring harm to any living thing...EVEN A MOUSE".

The next day, the newspaper shows a headline, "Feline Inherits Fortune". It has a picture of Tom surrounded by money and the caption under the picture says, "Cat in Fish and Chips." Another newspaper has the headline, "Rich Cat Bathes in Cream". A picture of Tom is there with the caption, "Sips while he dips" Tom is in the bathtub with two straws drinking cream. Two more papers show up with one saying that Tom has moved into a Park Avenue apartment.

Tom comes out of his house wearing a top hat, bow tie, a cane, and spats on his feet. Then Jerry whistles to show that he has also moved into a smaller version of Tom's apartment. This angers Tom and he grabs Jerry. Suddenly out of Jerry's hat comes the telegram reminding Tom that if he harms Jerry, he loses everything. Tom apologizes by giving Jerry and kiss and runs into his waiting car, trying to get away from him. Tom starts to relax with a cigar, but Jerry is already in the car and even lights the cigar for him. Tom gets angry at Jerry. Then Jerry lowered Tom's shirt collar. Tom pulls down the car's windowshade which has the telegram again. Tom tries to escape the moving car by hanging on to the door. He makes a face at Jerry but then crashes into a lightpole.

Tom then runs back to his apartment where there is a delicious gelatin sundae waiting for him. As he starts to lick his sundae, Jerry shows up and he steals it from the end of Tom's long table. He quickly eats it leaving only the strawberry that was on top of it. Tom tries to take it but Jerry slaps his hand with a spoon causing the strawberry to fly in the air. Tom tries to catch it in his mouth but Jerry catches it with a fork and eats it himself. Tom then covers up Jerry with a serving dish and wraps it up in the tablecloth. He then barracades himself in his bedroom. Tom then goes to lie down to take a nap, just as he falls asleep he hears Jerry snoring in the bed with a nightcap on. Jerry then covers himself with Tom's tail. A small battle takes place over the sheets and Jerry bumps Tom out of the bed. Tom is about to hit Jerry with a baseball bat, but Jerry brings out the telegram again. So Tom hits himself in the head.

The next morning, Tom is waiting outside his bathroom door with a towel and a brush. Jerry then comes out with a showercap on and he steals Tom's towel. Jerry locks the bathroom door and Tom fails to open it. He stops when he hears the doorbell signaling that his breakfast has arrived. Tom then thinks of a way to get Jerry out of his life by thinking of poison, a knife, a noose, a bomb, and an ax. Then he gets an idea. After looking out the window to see how high up he his, Tom puts on sign that says, "Fire exit" on the window and he starts a fire outside the bathroom door. Tom then cries for help and imitates a fire engine. Jerry rushes out the bathroom with the towel around him and he jumps out the window. Tom then starts doing backflips throughout the room thinking that Jerry is out of his life for good. He then sits down to enjoy his breakfast. He slowly opens the dish to make sure that Jerry is not there, and under the lid is a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and French toast. But as he grabs his napkin, there is Jerry with a knife and a fork. This shocks Tom. Jerry then brings out the telegram again and he eats Tom's breakfast. Jerry even squirts grapefruit juice, throws butter in his face, and lower his shirt collar. This makes Tom really angry. But Jerry reminds him about the telegram. Tom gets so angry he turns bright red with steam coming out of his ears with a steamwhistle sound, frightening Jerry, then grabs the telegram and rips it to pieces. Jerry tries to remind him about the telegram by showing the piece that says, "Even a mouse". Tom takes the scrap of the telegram and shoves it down Jerry's throat. He shatters all the breakfast dishes and then starts to go back to attacking Jerry, after a few seconds, grabs Jerry by the tail, looks into the camera and says, "Gee, I'm throwing away a million dollars...but I'm happy!" And goes back to attacking Jerry.