Tom & Jerry Deja Vu

[Maurice Leakey]

I have just bought the 1952 Tom & Jerry "Fit To Be Tied". In this, Spike is so grateful to Jerry that he gives him a bell and says to ring if he needs any assistance. Poor Tom gets continually wacked !
However, something in my mind took me back many years. I was sure what I had seen so long ago had Spike saying to Jerry "Just whistle if you need any assistance".
Research finally took me to the 1944 Tom & Jerry "The Bodyguard". Yes, this was the film.
In the former, Spike has a tack in his paw which Jerry removes, in the latter Jerry releases Spike from the Dog Catcher's truck.
Rather strange that the storyline should be reworked after eight years. But both are worth seeing.

Maurice

[Luis Caramelo]

Maurice ,it,s a nice cartoon,i got a good print from derann,and after all these years it still with great colors,.

[Martin Davey]

Some shots from 'Fit to be tied' are to be found in 'Smarty Cat' when Tom gives a film show. I have a nice 16mm print of that one. I think it was common for gags to be reused within the T & J production line and sometimes the gags would from Tex Avery's rival productions, although with slight deliberate changes to the timing to keep Avery's versions on top.

Also 3 of the T&J cinema-scope productions were direct remakes of earlier productions. The original animation drawings were retraced (crudely) and new stylised backgrounds created to accommodate the scope format.