The Little Orphan
| The Little Orphan | |
|---|---|
| Tom and Jerry series | |
The reissue title card of The Little Orphan, featuring the Academy Award Oscar
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| Directed by | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Produced by | Fred Quimby |
| Story by | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Music by | Scott Bradley |
| Animation by | Irven Spence Kenneth Muse Ed Barge Ray Patterson |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | April 30, 1949 |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 7:50 |
| Language | none (text in English) |
| Preceded by | Polka-Dot Puss |
| Followed by | Hatch Up Your Troubles |
The Little Orphan is a 1949 American one-reel animated cartoon and is the 40th released Tom and Jerry cartoon, released in theatres on April 30, 1949 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. It was produced by Fred Quimby and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, with music by Scott Bradley. The cartoon was animated by Irven Spence, Kenneth Muse, Ed Barge and Ray Patterson.
The Little Orphan won the 1948 Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons, this being the fifth Oscar (of seven) given to the cat and mouse team. Though the cartoon was released in 1949, it won its Oscar the previous year. This may have been because it was given a short run at a cinema in 1948 to qualify it for that year's Academy Award.
Plot
Nibbles arrives at Jerry's mousehole, and as he tries to snatch cheese from a trap, Jerry discovers he has been asked to take care of Nibbles, with a note attached saying "always hungry." Jerry's cupboards are empty, so he leads Nibbles to a bowl of cream where Tom is sleeping. After Nibbles sips the cream, Mammy Two Shoes places a turkey on the table. Nibbles proceeds to eat certain foods from the table, while Jerry dresses him and Nibbles as pilgrims, but after Nibbles swallows an orange and inflates, Jerry hits Nibbles with a knife and the orange flies into Tom's mouth, waking him up.
Tom, now wearing a feather duster as a headdress, catches Nibbles, but Jerry pops a champagne cork into Tom's face. Tom then grabs Jerry, but Nibbles launches off jelly and stabs Tom with a fork. Tom then hurls the fork to catch Nibbles, but Jerry, porched on candlestick, whacks Tom in the face with a spoon.
Tom then sets pussy willows on fire and melts Jerry and Nibbles' hiding places, but Jerry lifts a lid and the willow ricochets back into Tom's mouth. Tom then knocks Jerry out with a knife, but Nibbles launches a pie into Tom's face, knocking the cat off the table. Nibbles then launches a candle into Tom's tail, burning him, before launching a champagne bottle into Tom, after which Tom crashes into a cabinet and surrenders.
Tom, Jerry and Nibbles then say grace at the table and prepare to eat a turkey, but Nibbles devours the entire turkey before Tom and Jerry pick up their cutlery. Nibbles, now with a full stomach, pats it in delight.
Edited Versions
- Cartoon Network and other TV broadcasts excise the scene where Tom is in blackface after being burned by the candle. The scene where the blackfaced Tom is hit with the champagne bottle is also cut out. This scene is also shortened on Life with Tom and Feedin' the Kiddie to just showing his tail getting burned. The OSN versions of this episode and Life with Tom have also withheld the scene.
- In the 1960s, the cartoon was shown uncut and Chuck Jones's unit at MGM redrew the scene to it burning Tom but instead of the headress turning into pickaninny braids, it is only rendered tattered.
Availability
DVD
- Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases, Vol. 1
- Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Vol. 1, Disc One
- Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection: 15 Winners
- Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection, Disc One
- Tom and Jerry: The Deluxe Anniversary Collection, Disc One
- Tom and Jerry Golden Collection Vol. 2, Disc One
Blu-ray
- Tom and Jerry Golden Collection Vol. 2, Disc One
