Safety Second

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Safety Second Tom and Jerry series
The title card of Safety Second
Directed by	William Hanna Joseph Barbera
Produced by	Fred Quimby
Story by	William Hanna Joseph Barbera
Music by	Scott Bradley
Animation by	Ray Patterson Ed Barge Kenneth Muse Irven Spence Al Grandmain
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s)	July 1, 1950
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	7 min 07 secs
Preceded by	Jerry and the Lion
Followed by	Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl
IMDb profile

Safety Second is a 1950 Tom and Jerry cartoon directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and produced by Fred Quimby. The working title for this cartoon was F'r Safety Sake before Hanna and Barbera finally settled for Safety Second. The short was animated by Ray Patterson, Ed Barge, Kenneth Muse, Irven Spence and Al Grandmain, scored by Scott Bradley and released on the 1st of July 1950, just in time for the American Independence Day celebrations of that year. The cartoon revolves around Jerry's attempts to keep Nibbles safe when playing with fireworks. However, when Tom appears on the scene, Jerry finds that fireworks are useful after all.

[edit] Plot

Tom threatens Jerry and Nibbles with a rocket, moments before it takes off with him.

The cartoon opens with Jerry and Nibbles asleep in their beds. Jerry wakes up and looks at his calendar. Jerry wakes up Nibbles and he gets excited. It's the 4th of July and Nibbles wants to have fun with some fireworks but Jerry makes him follow the rule to be safe and sane. Jerry and Nibbles then go outside and enjoy their holiday with noisemakers. But Nibbles wants to play with his fireworks. He produces a small firework from his diaper and lights it. Jerry tries to throw it away but it ends up blowing up in his face. Jerry then holds out his head as if to say, "Let me have all the fireworks you are hiding." Nibbles hands him another tiny firework and smiles. Jerry then picks up Nibbles, turns him upside down and finds that Nibbles was hidden in his diaper a small stash of fireworks. Jerry then punishes Nibbles by making him stand in the corner. When Jerry goes back outside, Nibbles brings out another firework he was hiding under his bedsheets. Jerry tries to get rid of it again but it explodes before he can even leave his front door. Nibbles then hides under his sheets.

Jerry inadvertently ends up blowing himself up at the end of Safety Second.

Jerry then goes outside to relax in a hammock but then Tom shows up and puts a firework underneath Jerry. The firework explodes and Jerry runs into Tom. Jerry then responds by punching Tom in the eye and Tom starts chasing him. Jerry jumps into a hole to escape and Tom tries to get Jerry by using a pick axe. Nibbles then comes out to save Jerry by loading a rocket into the drainpipe and it sends Tom on a ride across the yard and into the clothesline. Jerry hides in a barrel and Tom uses the garbage can lid to trap him. Nibbles then sets up another firework with glue on it and he hands it to Tom. Tom lights it and throws into the barrel. Tom then runs away but the firework is still stuck to his hand. Tom tries to soften the explosion by sitting on the firework which causes him to go through the flowerbox. Now ready for revenge, Tom then chases Nibbles who runs into the back end of a firework. The gunpowder from the firework is emptied out and Nibbles lights the firework. He corners Tom but after the fuse runs out the firework does not explode. Tom catches Nibbles and he produces a tiny firework. Tom takes it, laughs at it, and balances it on his nose. Then the tiny firework explodes in Tom's face. Tom then loads a bunch of fireworks outside Jerry's front door and he uses gun powder as a fuse. But Jerry kicks some and lights it on fire and it goes straight to the gun powder can causing a big explosion. Tom chases both mice and then use a firework to shoot colorful fireballs at Tom. Tom runs away through the basement window and sneaks behind Jerry and Nibbles who have lit another rocket firework. Tom grabs the firework from them but gets launched into the air resulting in a nice firework display. Jerry then wipes his hands together and heads over to Nibbles and his noisemakers. But Nibbles decides to play with one more firework and he hides it into Jerry's noisemaker. Jerry pats Nibbles on the head and goes to blow in his noisemaker and Nibbles tries to stop him. Jerry blows into it and it explodes. Jerry looks at Nibbles and Nibbles plays with his noisemakers.