The Cat Above and the Mouse Below
Encyclopedia
The Cat Above and The Mouse Below is second of thirty-four Tom and Jerry
shorts produced by Chuck Jones, released in 1964.
from The Barber of Seville
. While all this is taking place, down below the stage, Jerry is trying to sleep, but is awakened by Tom's operatic tones. Jerry attempts to halt Tom's singing by bumping the floor with a toothbrush, but Tom stomps on the floor, sending Jerry bouncing around. Jerry hits a floorboard with a hammer, causing Tom to be launched into the air and to excuse himself. Next, Tom sings again, this time, stomping the floor while performing. Creating a huge rumble in Jerry's house, more harder than before, when Tom stomps really intense, Jerry's bed snap to pieces and Jerry thinks it's war and decides to get revenge. Tom continues the performance and Jerry holds up a sign through the vent that says "PSST!" Tom sings as he peeks through and Jerry ties his mouth shut. Tom in retaliation shoots a staple
into the vent, which scoops up Jerry and pins him to a wall of the basement. Jerry makes an annoyed expression.
Jerry licks a lemon so Tom gets sour by the scent and taste, Tom is sweating, gets sour and his lips shrink and then frustrated goes to Jerry. While singing, he twists a Lemon on Jerry. Tom returns to the spotlight and Jerry drills a hole in the floor and pulls Tom's front garments off with a string. Tom pulls the string up and down and wrenches it from Jerry's grip. While Tom is singing the "Figaro
!" part, Jerry aims a plunger at Tom's mouth and scores a direct hit. Jerry imitates Tom and is stuck with the plunger. Tom uses the same bow Jerry used and shoots him into the wall.
Jerry frees himself and drops a huge weight on Tom as he is reaching the climax
, sending him through the floor. Everything is silent until Jerry walks out in a tuxedo and sings the rest of the performance himself (albeit sped up and in falsetto
). An annoyed Tom raps on the floor with a broom and sends Jerry flying, but this just adds to Jerry's drama singing the final few notes. Jerry gets all the applause and the curtains fall. "The End" appears on the curtains.
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...
shorts produced by Chuck Jones, released in 1964.
Plot
In a concert entitled "Signor Thomasino Catti-Cazzaza Baritone", Tom is a baritone singer who will perform at a concert to sing Largo al factotumLargo al factotum
Largo al factotum is an aria from The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini, sung at the first entrance of the title character; the repeated "Figaro"s before the final patter section are an icon in popular culture of operatic singing...
from The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
. While all this is taking place, down below the stage, Jerry is trying to sleep, but is awakened by Tom's operatic tones. Jerry attempts to halt Tom's singing by bumping the floor with a toothbrush, but Tom stomps on the floor, sending Jerry bouncing around. Jerry hits a floorboard with a hammer, causing Tom to be launched into the air and to excuse himself. Next, Tom sings again, this time, stomping the floor while performing. Creating a huge rumble in Jerry's house, more harder than before, when Tom stomps really intense, Jerry's bed snap to pieces and Jerry thinks it's war and decides to get revenge. Tom continues the performance and Jerry holds up a sign through the vent that says "PSST!" Tom sings as he peeks through and Jerry ties his mouth shut. Tom in retaliation shoots a staple
Staple (fastener)
A staple is a type of two-pronged fastener, usually metal, used for joining or binding materials together. Large staples might be used with a hammer or staple gun for masonry, roofing, corrugated boxes and other heavy-duty uses...
into the vent, which scoops up Jerry and pins him to a wall of the basement. Jerry makes an annoyed expression.
Jerry licks a lemon so Tom gets sour by the scent and taste, Tom is sweating, gets sour and his lips shrink and then frustrated goes to Jerry. While singing, he twists a Lemon on Jerry. Tom returns to the spotlight and Jerry drills a hole in the floor and pulls Tom's front garments off with a string. Tom pulls the string up and down and wrenches it from Jerry's grip. While Tom is singing the "Figaro
Figaro
-Literature:* Figaro, the central character in:** The Barber of Seville by Beaumarchais***Il barbiere di Siviglia , the opera by Paisiello based on Beaumarchais' play...
!" part, Jerry aims a plunger at Tom's mouth and scores a direct hit. Jerry imitates Tom and is stuck with the plunger. Tom uses the same bow Jerry used and shoots him into the wall.
Jerry frees himself and drops a huge weight on Tom as he is reaching the climax
Climax (narrative)
The Climax is the point in the story where the main character's point of view changes, or the most exciting/action filled part of the story. It also known has the main turning point in the story...
, sending him through the floor. Everything is silent until Jerry walks out in a tuxedo and sings the rest of the performance himself (albeit sped up and in falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
). An annoyed Tom raps on the floor with a broom and sends Jerry flying, but this just adds to Jerry's drama singing the final few notes. Jerry gets all the applause and the curtains fall. "The End" appears on the curtains.