Tom-ic Energy
| Tom-ic Energy | |
|---|---|
| Tom and Jerry series | |
 Title Card | |
| Directed by |
Chuck Jones Co-director: Maurice Noble |
| Produced by |
Chuck Jones Les Goldman |
| Story by |
Michael Maltese Chuck Jones |
| Voices by | Mel Blanc and June Foray |
| Music by | Eugene Poddany |
| Animation by |
Ken Harris Don Towsley Tom Ray Dick Thompson Ben Washam |
| Studio | Sib Tower 12 Productions |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Color process | Metrocolor |
| Running time | 7:00 |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Ah, Sweet Mouse-Story of Life |
| Followed by | Bad Day at Cat Rock |
Tom-ic Energy is a 1965 cartoon directed and produced by Chuck Jones. The cartoon is essentially plotless, consisting of various gags held together by a chase that is already underway at the start of the cartoon and still going by the end. The name is a pun on atomic energy. The music of this cartoon is primarily based on Paganini's Moto Perpetuo (Op. 11) with other music and sound effects mixed in with the theme which crops up throughout the cartoon.
Plot
Tom is chasing Jerry on top of a building and then through the building while during the chase two women first an older woman then a younger woman (June Foray) screaming until the duo reach a balcony. Tom scares Jerry's spirit out of him by poking his head through the other window and screams at Jerry causing a ghost like spirit to come out of Jerry's body, but Jerry's spirit then scares Tom by shrieking at him causing him to age in an elderly state.
Tom chases Jerry up work steps in a zigzag pattern and into the air until Jerry stops him and points to the ground, after which the cat falls through the piped balcony, splitting himself into pieces in mid-air. Jerry jumps down a water duct, and Tom, seeing him, sticks his mouth out to swallow him, but Jerry bursts through Tom. The duo are then forced to stop for a traffic light before the light turns yellow and both prepare to run, but Tom dashes off too early and gets run over by a large red truck.
Tom pursues Jerry around a corner, but Jerry forces Tom to stop and fall into a manhole. Jerry flees, but Tom pops out of a second hole. Jerry runs on the manhole cover to twist Tom's head. Jerry, going around in circles on the manhole, hits Tom's nose, forcing Tom to clutch his nose and drop the manhole onto his foot, flattening the cat's toes.
Jerry offers to inflate Tom's toes with a bike pump, but Jerry instead keeps inflating Tom into a ball before letting go to send him rocketing into the air. Tom falls into a pair of Long Johns and is thrown back up to the top of the building, catching a feather boa and a lady's hat on the way back up. A love crazed male cat pursues Tom and kisses him while reciting French poetry until Tom fights out and flees. Tom chases Jerry after mocking him and "playing" a violin through the building again and down to the street.
Jerry is able to run under a dog walking down the street, but Tom runs into the dog. Tom kisses the dog to flee before the dog chases the cat, missing him several times. Annoyed, Jerry places a manhole cover between Tom and the dog, causing the dog to run into it and be shaped into a centipede before fleeing. The chase between Tom and Jerry then continues, although Tom shakes Jerry's hand to thank him for taking care of the dog.
Crew
- Story: Michael Maltese, Chuck Jones, Ray Jacobs
- Animation: Ken Harris, Don Towsley, Tom Ray, Dick Thompson, Ben Washam, Bob Bransford, Ken Hultgren
- Layout: Robert Givens
- Backgrounds: Philip DeGuard
- Additional Backgrounds: Jules Engel, Rosemary O'Connor
- Effects Animation: Harry Love
- Vocal Effects: Mel Blanc, June Foray
- In Charge of Production: Les Goldman
- Checking: Evelyn Sherwood
- Camera: Jack Buehre
- Film Editors: Lovell Norman, Joe Siracusa
- Sound Engineer: Marne Fallis
- Story Consultant: Jack Kinney
- Ink and Paint: Vera McKinney
- Co-Director: Maurice Noble
- Music: Eugene Poddany
- Produced and Directed by: Chuck Jones