Carmen Get It!
Encyclopedia
Carmen Get It! was the 13th and final Tom and Jerry
cartoon produced by William L. Snyder and directed by Gene Deitch
in the present-day Czech Republic
(known as Czechoslovakia at the time), released on December 1, 1962 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
. This short ended Deitch's contract with MGM, and Chuck Jones
took over production of the Tom and Jerry cartoons shortly afterwards, and moving production back to Southern California
, with the Summer of 1963
short Pent-House Mouse. The name is a pun on the phrase "Come and get it!"
, where Georges Bizet
's Carmen
opera is being performed, but is quickly thrown off the premises by the guard. Tom attempts to get in by disguising himself as a wealthy gent, but is tossed out once again by the guard. Tom tries once more, dressed as a musician and carrying a large string contrabass
case, successfully bluffing his way through by whistling a few notes of the Toreador Song
.
Tom makes his way towards the opera, and opens up the case to reveal a cello case, a viola case, a violin
case, and finally a violin. During the preparing of the orchestra, Tom opens up the violin, which contains a tape recorder inside, which simulates Tom's portion of the score. Tom lures Jerry by scraping the violin's bow with cheese, and while attacking Jerry with the bow, Jerry falls into the violin and rewinds the tape. The squeaking noise disturbs the conductor
, who promptly breaks the violin on Tom's head.
The conductor then resumes the music. Jerry runs up the conductor's leg and when Tom chases Jerry, the conductor sees Tom and stomps him on the head. Jerry starts crawling around the conductor's back, while the conductor's gyrations cause the orchestra to start playing a rhythmic jazz score instead, making the conductor to start dancing hilarously. Finally, the movements cause Jerry to be flung out of the conductor's sleeve, and Tom (hiding in a tuba) reaches out to grab Jerry with a baseball glove. However, the tuba player begins a solo passage, and Tom is blown out of the tuba.
As the conductor has a glass of water to calm down, Tom chases Jerry onto the conductor's score. The conductor notices this and slams the book shut, flattening Tom and leaving the notes from the book on him. The conductor snickers sadistically and resumes the music until he pushes Tom off the book. Meanwhile, Jerry escapes into a break room and lures some ants onto a blank page of the score. He gets Tom's attention, and as Tom tries to get him at the conductor's stand, the spotlight goes back on. Tom has no choice but to conduct the orchestra. However, Jerry causes the ants to change positions, causing Tom to misconduct the music, such that it changes to "American Patrol
", "Yankee Doodle
", "Dixie
" and "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight
". Finally, the ants scatter and Tom sees Jerry. He screws Jerry into a light bulb socket, and lights Jerry. But at that moment, the conductor returns and Tom runs off.
The opera finally begins, and the singer playing Carmen walks onto the stage. She is just about to begin singing the "Habanera
" when she suddenly screams because she sees Jerry dressed like a toreador and dancing at the front of the stage. Tom reaches onto the stage and finally catches Jerry, but the conductor having finally had enough of the cat's antics, gets on the stage and blocks Tom's way, appearing ready to kill Tom. Jerry gives a terrified Tom a red blanket, and the enraged conductor starts to charge him like a raging bull. The dignified opera thus devolves into a farcical bullfight between Tom and the conductor while Jerry takes over the conducting duties. After the song finishes, Jerry bows down to the audience and the ants spell "THE END" on the book pages, to thunderous cheering and applause.
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
cartoon produced by William L. Snyder and directed by Gene Deitch
Gene Deitch
Eugene Merril "Gene" Deitch is an American illustrator, animator and film director. He has been based in Prague, capital of Czechoslovakia and the present-day Czech Republic, since 1959. Since 1968, Deitch has been the leading animation director for the Connecticut organization Weston...
in the present-day Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(known as Czechoslovakia at the time), released on December 1, 1962 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
. This short ended Deitch's contract with MGM, and Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
took over production of the Tom and Jerry cartoons shortly afterwards, and moving production back to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, with the Summer of 1963
1963 in film
The year 1963 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* June 12 - Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison and Richard Burton premieres at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City....
short Pent-House Mouse. The name is a pun on the phrase "Come and get it!"
Plot
Tom chases Jerry into the then-brand new Metropolitan Opera HouseMetropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center)
The Metropolitan Opera House is an opera house located on Broadway at Lincoln Square in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the theater opened in 1966. It replaced the former Metropolitan Opera House at Broadway and 39th St...
, where Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
's Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
opera is being performed, but is quickly thrown off the premises by the guard. Tom attempts to get in by disguising himself as a wealthy gent, but is tossed out once again by the guard. Tom tries once more, dressed as a musician and carrying a large string contrabass
Contrabass
Contrabass refers to a musical instrument of very low pitch; generally those pitched one octave below instruments of the bass register...
case, successfully bluffing his way through by whistling a few notes of the Toreador Song
Toreador Song
The Toreador Song is one of the most famous arias from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. Sung by the matador Escamillo, it describes various situations in the ring, the cheering of the crowds and the fame that comes with victory.-Text:-In popular culture:* The song is mocked during the "I lost my...
.
Tom makes his way towards the opera, and opens up the case to reveal a cello case, a viola case, a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
case, and finally a violin. During the preparing of the orchestra, Tom opens up the violin, which contains a tape recorder inside, which simulates Tom's portion of the score. Tom lures Jerry by scraping the violin's bow with cheese, and while attacking Jerry with the bow, Jerry falls into the violin and rewinds the tape. The squeaking noise disturbs the conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, who promptly breaks the violin on Tom's head.
The conductor then resumes the music. Jerry runs up the conductor's leg and when Tom chases Jerry, the conductor sees Tom and stomps him on the head. Jerry starts crawling around the conductor's back, while the conductor's gyrations cause the orchestra to start playing a rhythmic jazz score instead, making the conductor to start dancing hilarously. Finally, the movements cause Jerry to be flung out of the conductor's sleeve, and Tom (hiding in a tuba) reaches out to grab Jerry with a baseball glove. However, the tuba player begins a solo passage, and Tom is blown out of the tuba.
As the conductor has a glass of water to calm down, Tom chases Jerry onto the conductor's score. The conductor notices this and slams the book shut, flattening Tom and leaving the notes from the book on him. The conductor snickers sadistically and resumes the music until he pushes Tom off the book. Meanwhile, Jerry escapes into a break room and lures some ants onto a blank page of the score. He gets Tom's attention, and as Tom tries to get him at the conductor's stand, the spotlight goes back on. Tom has no choice but to conduct the orchestra. However, Jerry causes the ants to change positions, causing Tom to misconduct the music, such that it changes to "American Patrol
American Patrol
"American Patrol" is a popular march written by F. W. Meacham in 1885. Written originally for piano, it was then arranged for wind band and published by Carly Discher in 1891. Meacham's widow renewed the copyright in 1912. It was later arranged for Glenn Miller's swing band by Jerry Gray in 1941,...
", "Yankee Doodle
Yankee Doodle
"Yankee Doodle" is a well-known Anglo-American song, the origin of which dates back to the Seven Years' War. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today and is the state anthem of Connecticut...
", "Dixie
Dixie (song)
Countless lyrical variants of "Dixie" exist, but the version attributed to Dan Emmett and its variations are the most popular. Emmett's lyrics as they were originally intended reflect the mood of the United States in the late 1850s toward growing abolitionist sentiment. The song presented the point...
" and "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight
There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight
"A Hot Time in the Old Town" is an American ragtime song, composed in 1896 by Theodore August Metz with lyrics by Joe Hayden. Metz was the band leader of the McIntyre and Heath Minstrels....
". Finally, the ants scatter and Tom sees Jerry. He screws Jerry into a light bulb socket, and lights Jerry. But at that moment, the conductor returns and Tom runs off.
The opera finally begins, and the singer playing Carmen walks onto the stage. She is just about to begin singing the "Habanera
Habanera (aria)
In the form of habanera, there is a famous aria from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. It is sometimes referred to as "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle." . Its score was adapted from the habanera "El Arreglito," originally composed by the Spanish musician Sebastián Yradier...
" when she suddenly screams because she sees Jerry dressed like a toreador and dancing at the front of the stage. Tom reaches onto the stage and finally catches Jerry, but the conductor having finally had enough of the cat's antics, gets on the stage and blocks Tom's way, appearing ready to kill Tom. Jerry gives a terrified Tom a red blanket, and the enraged conductor starts to charge him like a raging bull. The dignified opera thus devolves into a farcical bullfight between Tom and the conductor while Jerry takes over the conducting duties. After the song finishes, Jerry bows down to the audience and the ants spell "THE END" on the book pages, to thunderous cheering and applause.