Flirty Birdy
Encyclopedia
Flirty Birdy is a 1945
one-reel animated cartoon
and is the 21st Tom and Jerry
short
. It was made and released on September 22, 1945 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. The cartoon was directed by William Hanna
and Joseph Barbera
, and produced by Fred Quimby
. The animation was provided by Irven Spence
, Kenneth Muse
, and Ray Patterson
, the music by Scott Bradley
, and backgrounds
by Robert Gentle.
The cartoon revolves around Tom
's effort to regain Jerry
from an eagle
by dressing up as a female
bird
.
Tom is laying down a trail of cheese
for Jerry. Tom traps Jerry in two slices of bread
into a sandwich
. Before Tom can eat his sandwich, an eagle
swoops down and steals the sandwich from Tom's hands. Tom breaks his teeth. The eagle tries to eat the sandwich for himself but Tom steals the sandwich back, replacing it with the plate
he used for his sandwich. The Eagle breaks the plate. They fight over the sandwich and almost tear Jerry in half. The eagle then hits Tom with his beak
and knocks him off the tree
. Tom then throws a brick
at the eagle but it gets thrown back, hitting Tom. Tom then makes a face and yodels at the eagle. The eagle grabs Tom and throws him back down to the ground. Tom lands near a clothesline with a skirt
, some feathers, and some clothespins. This gives Tom an idea.
The eagle goes back to eat his Jerry sandwich. Before he can eat Jerry, a whistle
is heard from and Tom has lipstick
and a party
horn on his face (accompanied by Scott Bradley
's "hot" rendition of St. Louis Blues). He waves over at the eagle from behind the house chimney. Tom has taken the skirt, and stuck feathers on himself and to look like a (rather unconvincing) female
bird making the eagle lovestruck. Even Jerry is incredulous. Tom winks at the eagle and he tries to kiss Tom. Jerry, unties Tom’s dress, but Tom fastens it. The eagle tries to kiss Tom again and Jerry grabs the elastic band of the horn and it brings them together for a kiss. The eagle goes wild and he ends up dropping Jerry. Tom then puts Jerry down his dress. Jerry grabs a pin and sticks it in Tom's rear causing Tom to yowl and jump into the eagle's arms. Tom then runs away with the lovestruck eagle behind him. The eagle again tries to kiss Tom but he ends up pecking the bricks out of the chimney. Tom then gives a flirtatious smile and struts away. This really makes the eagle wild and with Tom hiding around the chimney with a brick in his hand, Tom hits the eagle. But the eagle is still head over heels in love. Tom makes another quick escape by jumping off the roof of the house. The eagle saves him from hitting the ground and continues to try and kiss him. Tom tries to hide and escape in various means, but the lovesick eagle somehow keeps finding him, and Tom keeps losing Jerry in the process.
Tom is later standing behind a makeshift kissing booth that advertises, “Kisses - One Mouse Each!”. The eagle goes to the kissing booth, hands over Jerry and puckers up. Tom grabs Jerry and then "smooches" the eagle with a plunger, simulating a giant kiss. But Jerry escapes again. Tom then runs into the eagle who holds out his hands. Tom picks one and the eagle produces a ring box with Jerry sitting in it. Jerry’s tail has been tied in a loop and the eagle places Jerry on Tom’s finger as a marriage proposal. Tom "accepts", then slams the window shutter into the eagle’s face and runs away, but he crashes into the other window shutter. Jerry then grabs a rope and ties it around Tom’s foot. Tom gets up and runs away. Jerry hands the other end of the rope to the eagle and the eagle drags Tom back to him, preventing Tom's escape. As Tom is being dragged to the eagle, Jerry hands Tom a bouquet of flowers and waves goodbye to the happy couple. Soon the eagle is sitting in a tree
while Tom is sitting on a nest of eggs and knitting a tiny sweater, preparing for motherhood with no choice but to endure a relationship with the eagle.
1945 in film
The year 1945 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring a ghost named Casper.* With Rossellini's Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins....
one-reel animated cartoon
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
and is the 21st Tom and Jerry
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...
short
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
. It was made and released on September 22, 1945 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. The cartoon was directed by William Hanna
William Hanna
William Denby Hanna was an American animator, director, producer, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of people for much of the 20th century. When he was a young child, Hanna's family moved frequently, but they settled in Compton, California, by...
and Joseph Barbera
Joseph Barbera
Joseph Roland Barbera was an influential American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the twentieth century....
, and produced by Fred Quimby
Fred Quimby
Frederick C. "Fred" Quimby was an American cartoon producer, best known as a producer of Tom and Jerry cartoons, for which he won seven Academy Awards...
. The animation was provided by Irven Spence
Irven Spence
Irven Spence was an American animator. He is best known for his work on MGM's Tom and Jerry animated shorts. Spence has been credited variously as Irven Spence, Irvin Spence, and Irv Spence....
, Kenneth Muse
Kenneth Muse
Kenneth Lee Muse was an American animator. He is best known for his work on the Tom and Jerry series at MGM.-Biography:...
, and Ray Patterson
Ray Patterson (animator)
Raymond "Ray" Patterson was an American animator, producer, and director. Patterson was born in Hollywood, California, and was the brother of animator Don Patterson.-Early career:...
, the music by Scott Bradley
Scott Bradley
Scott Bradley was an American composer, pianist and conductor.Bradley is best remembered for scoring the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer theatrical cartoons, including those starring Tom and Jerry , Droopy , Barney Bear , and the many one-shot cartoons.Bradley was a...
, and backgrounds
Background artist
A background artist or sometimes called a background stylist or background painter is one who is involved in the process of animation who establishes the color, style, and mood of a scene drawn by an animation layout artist. The methods used can either be through traditional painting or by digital...
by Robert Gentle.
The cartoon revolves around Tom
Tom Cat
Thomas "Tom" Cat is a fictional character and half of the academy-award winning Tom and Jerry cartoon cat-and-mouse duo. He is a blue/grey anthropomorphic cat who first appeared in the 1940 animated short Puss Gets the Boot...
's effort to regain Jerry
Jerry Mouse
Jerry Mouse is a fictional animated character, one of the main characters in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's series of Tom and Jerry theatrical cartoon short films. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Jerry is a brown anthropomorphic mouse, who first appeared in the 1940 MGM animated short Puss...
from an eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
by dressing up as a female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
.
Plot
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
for Jerry. Tom traps Jerry in two slices of bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
into a sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
. Before Tom can eat his sandwich, an eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
swoops down and steals the sandwich from Tom's hands. Tom breaks his teeth. The eagle tries to eat the sandwich for himself but Tom steals the sandwich back, replacing it with the plate
Plate (dishware)
A plate is a broad, concave, but mainly flat vessel on which food can be served. A plate can also be used for ceremonial or decorative purposes.-Materials:...
he used for his sandwich. The Eagle breaks the plate. They fight over the sandwich and almost tear Jerry in half. The eagle then hits Tom with his beak
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
and knocks him off the tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
. Tom then throws a brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
at the eagle but it gets thrown back, hitting Tom. Tom then makes a face and yodels at the eagle. The eagle grabs Tom and throws him back down to the ground. Tom lands near a clothesline with a skirt
Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
, some feathers, and some clothespins. This gives Tom an idea.
The eagle goes back to eat his Jerry sandwich. Before he can eat Jerry, a whistle
Whistle
A whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means...
is heard from and Tom has lipstick
Lipstick
Lipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color, texture, and protection to the lips. Many varieties of lipstick are known. As with most other types of makeup, lipstick is typically, but not exclusively, worn by women...
and a party
Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
horn on his face (accompanied by Scott Bradley
Scott Bradley
Scott Bradley was an American composer, pianist and conductor.Bradley is best remembered for scoring the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer theatrical cartoons, including those starring Tom and Jerry , Droopy , Barney Bear , and the many one-shot cartoons.Bradley was a...
's "hot" rendition of St. Louis Blues). He waves over at the eagle from behind the house chimney. Tom has taken the skirt, and stuck feathers on himself and to look like a (rather unconvincing) female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
bird making the eagle lovestruck. Even Jerry is incredulous. Tom winks at the eagle and he tries to kiss Tom. Jerry, unties Tom’s dress, but Tom fastens it. The eagle tries to kiss Tom again and Jerry grabs the elastic band of the horn and it brings them together for a kiss. The eagle goes wild and he ends up dropping Jerry. Tom then puts Jerry down his dress. Jerry grabs a pin and sticks it in Tom's rear causing Tom to yowl and jump into the eagle's arms. Tom then runs away with the lovestruck eagle behind him. The eagle again tries to kiss Tom but he ends up pecking the bricks out of the chimney. Tom then gives a flirtatious smile and struts away. This really makes the eagle wild and with Tom hiding around the chimney with a brick in his hand, Tom hits the eagle. But the eagle is still head over heels in love. Tom makes another quick escape by jumping off the roof of the house. The eagle saves him from hitting the ground and continues to try and kiss him. Tom tries to hide and escape in various means, but the lovesick eagle somehow keeps finding him, and Tom keeps losing Jerry in the process.
Tom is later standing behind a makeshift kissing booth that advertises, “Kisses - One Mouse Each!”. The eagle goes to the kissing booth, hands over Jerry and puckers up. Tom grabs Jerry and then "smooches" the eagle with a plunger, simulating a giant kiss. But Jerry escapes again. Tom then runs into the eagle who holds out his hands. Tom picks one and the eagle produces a ring box with Jerry sitting in it. Jerry’s tail has been tied in a loop and the eagle places Jerry on Tom’s finger as a marriage proposal. Tom "accepts", then slams the window shutter into the eagle’s face and runs away, but he crashes into the other window shutter. Jerry then grabs a rope and ties it around Tom’s foot. Tom gets up and runs away. Jerry hands the other end of the rope to the eagle and the eagle drags Tom back to him, preventing Tom's escape. As Tom is being dragged to the eagle, Jerry hands Tom a bouquet of flowers and waves goodbye to the happy couple. Soon the eagle is sitting in a tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
while Tom is sitting on a nest of eggs and knitting a tiny sweater, preparing for motherhood with no choice but to endure a relationship with the eagle.