Baby Butch

Baby Butch is the 84th one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1953 directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and produced by Fred Quimby with music by Scott Bradley. The cartoon was animated by Irven Spence, Kenneth Muse and Ed Barge with backgrounds by Vera Ohman. It was released on August 14, 1954, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Plot

Down a dirty alleyway, Butch the alley cat is scavenging for food. He tries to first steal a bottle of milk, then a whole ham from Tom and Jerry's house, but is unwittingly thwarted both times by Tom, who is oblivious to Butch's efforts. Undaunted, Butch decides to disguise himself as an abandoned baby on the doorstep in order to infiltrate the house and gain access to the well-stocked refrigerator in the kitchen.

The ruse works, and Tom brings Butch into the house. Butch finds that, between having to outwit and out-maneuver both Tom and Jerry, getting his paws on the ham proves difficult. Tom gives him milk, and dumps him into a bassinet holding a steaming disinfectant boiling water bath! He screams and lands in the soapy water, cleaning himself and Tom at the same time, as he dumps his host in the bath as well. He gains sympathy from Tom against Jerry by pointing after the mouse and crying like a baby, but Jerry eventually turns the tables when he alerts Tom to Butch emptying contents of the refrigerator into his bassinet. Butch, his cover blown, nearly makes his escape, but Tom and Jerry team up to ensure that Butch leaves the house empty-handed.

At the dinner table, Tom slices some ham for Jerry and for himself. Butch, still in his baby disguise, suddenly appears at the window, asking for some ham in baby talk. Grudgingly amused by Butch's sheer nerve, Tom passes the ham to him; at first, he cuts off only a sliver. But Butch then grabs the whole ham and begins gobbling it down greedily as he fights off Tom and Jerry.