Tall in the Trap

Tall in the Trap is a 1962 Czechoslovakian-produced American animated short film. It was originally released as part of the Tom and Jerry series on September 1, 1962. The film was directed by Gene Deitch, was produced by William L. Snyder, and written by Deitch, Bill Danch, Tedd Pierce. The musical score for Tall in the Trap was composed by Steven Konichek and George Jirmal. This was the tenth in a series of thirteen Rembrandt Films cartoons, and is based loosely on the popular CBS-TV western series that was airing at the time, Have Gun, Will Travel.

Plot

In the Old West town of Dry Gulp, Jerry - wanted for "cheese rustlin'" - steals a wedge of cheese from the general store. When the furious shopkeeper demands action, the sheriff hires the "Fastest Trap in the West". This turns out to be Tom, who arrives in town riding his spurs as if they were roller skates. He crashes into the sheriff's office and gets a finger caught in his own mousetrap while displaying his quick-draw skills, but gets the job anyway.

Tom and Jerry meet for a showdown, but when Tom draws his traps, his belt and pants fall down, giving Jerry time to escape to a mouse-sized saloon. Tom reaches in to grab him, but Jerry puts a bag of flour - too big to fit through the hole - into his hand. As Tom tries to yank it out, Jerry opens up a trick entrance behind the saloon's sign and hits Tom over the head with a mallet. He then runs to a full-sized saloon, with Tom getting his head caught in its batwing doors before chasing him into the basement. Tom tries to shoot Jerry with a rifle, but Jerry tricks him into turning off the light switch at the top of the stairs so that he tumbles to the bottom. Jerry hits the lights and shoots Tom instead.

Another chase ensues, and after Jerry dives into a hole, Tom baits a trap and slides it in after him. Jerry catches Tom's tail in the trap, sending him screaming back to town. Finally, Tom brings out a barrel of gunpowder, intending to blow up Jerry's hole. As he lights the fuse with a cigar and rolls the barrel away, Jerry bores a hole in the bottom and lights the powder trail that trickles out. In a panic, Tom dumps the barrel into a watering hole near the sheriff's office, dousing the powder trail - but the still-lit fuse sets off the powder and destroys the office. The singed sheriff starts shooting at Tom and runs him out of town, while Jerry steals the last wedge of cheese from the general store.

External links

• Tall in the Trap at the Big Cartoon DataBase