Feedin' the Kiddie

Feedin' the Kiddie
Tom and Jerry series

The title card of Feedin' the Kiddie.
Directed by William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Produced by William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Story by William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Music by Scott Bradley
Animation by Irven Spence
Kenneth Muse
Ed Barge
Ray Patterson
Layouts by Richard Bickenbach
Backgrounds by Don Driscoll
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s) June 7, 1957
Color process Technicolor
CinemaScope
Perspecta
Running time 7:40
Language English
Preceded by Timid Tabby
Followed by Mucho Mouse

Feedin' the Kiddie is the 107th one reel animated Tom and Jerry short, created in 1957, directed and produced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera with music by Scott Bradley. It is a CinemaScope remake of 1948's Academy Award winning cartoon, The Little Orphan. In other words, it is essentially the same cartoon, but shot in Widescreen, with stylised backgrounds, thicker inklines around the characters, and this time, the letter that Tuffy has was now from his cousin George. Additionally, a few elements of the original cartoon are missing, notably a few seconds trimmed from the beginning of the cartoon where Jerry looks in his cupboards for food, and also, Mammy Two Shoes' brief cameo is missing. It was released to theaters on June 7, 1957 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, a month after the MGM cartoon studio shut down.

Plot

Jerry is eating a cheese set in a trap while reading Good Mousekeeping. He notices someone outside, Tuffy, enters and tries to take the cheese, before Jerry pulls him. He reads a note. Jerry has been asked to take care of Tuffy over the Thanksgiving holiday by his cousin George. However, Tuffy, as the note pinned to his scarf says, "loves to eat!".

Tuffy follows Jerry into the living room, where Tom is sleeping near a bowl of milk. Jerry allows Tuffy to drink the milk from the bowl, before spotting a feast on the table in the dining room. Tuffy proceeds to eat certain foods from the table, while Jerry dresses himself and Tuffy as pilgrims, but the trouble begins when Tuffy swallows an orange whole. Jerry hits Tuffy with a knife to remove the orange. It shoots straight out of Tuffy's mouth and right into the sleeping Tom's mouth, waking him up.

After Tom's rude awakening, he sees the two mice, and wearing a feather duster as a Native American headdress, catches Tuffy. War begins. Tuffy points a gun at Tom's face. Tom leans forward at the gun as to say "go ahead take your best shot". Jerry pops a champagne cork into Tom's face. Tom returns, grabbing Jerry and about to cut him with a knife. Tuffy takes a fork, and, propels by a plate of jell-o, launches the fork into Tom's rear end. Tom yells in pain and almost lands on the fork but removes it before landing on the table. Tom picks up the fork and hurls it towards Tuffy, catching him by the diaper. As Tom catches Tuffy, Jerry runs up a nearby candlestick and hits Tom in the face with a spoon.

Tom launches flaming pussy willows, melting Jerry and Tuffy's hiding places. then Jerry takes a serving dish to shield himself and the flaming willow deflects into Tom's mouth! As they flee, Jerry runs into a knife thrown by Tom, and is knocked out cold. He makes an excited yodle. Tom grabs Jerry once again. Tuffy catapults a pie into Tom's face, knocking the cat off the table. Tuffy catapults a candle onto Tom's tail, burning the cat. Finally, Tuffy launches a champagne bottle like a missile, which hits Tom and shoots him into a cabinet. Tom surrenders, waving a white flag .

In the final scene, Tom, Jerry and Tuffy say "grace" at the table. Tuffy finishes his prayers and proceeds to devour the entire turkey before Tom and Jerry are able to pick up their cutlery, leaving Jerry's nephew with a large full stomach which he pats in delight.

Censorship

Similar to the original 1949 version, this CinemaScope remake is missing two scenes on Cartoon Network and Boomerang; firstly the scene where the candle burns tom to blackface with pickaninny braids, and then the scene where the champagne bottle hits through a blackfaced Tom.

Availability

DVD

External links