Tom & Jerry's Outer Space Trilogy

From 1940 until 1967 MGM released 161 cartoon shorts featuring “Tom and Jerry.” The first 114 were written and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, (1940-58), with 95 of these produced by Fred Quimby. The next 13 were directed by Gene Deitch, (1961-62), at William L. Snyder’s Rembrandt Films in Prague. Chuck Jones produced the last 34, (1963-67), at his own company which was originally called “Sib-Tower 12” until MGM bought it in 1964.

During his final year of producing “Tom and Jerry” cartoon shorts Chuck Jones decided to send the duo into space! This week’s movie was “Tom and Jerry’s Outer Space Trilogy.”

“O-Solar Meow,” (February 24, 1967), was directed by Abe Levitow from a story by John Dunn. Tom is responsible for security on a space station shaped like a roulette wheel. He uses a blue cat-shaped robot to protect a cheese shipment from Jerry. Tom actually succeeds in jettisoning the mouse into space, but Jerry lands on the Moon to discover that it is made of cheese! (The title is a play on the 1898 song “O sole mio” with lyrics by Giovanni Capurro and music by Eduardo di Capra and Alfredo Mazzuchi. Composer Mazzuchi was still alive when this movie was released!)

“Guided Mouse-ille or…. Science on a Wet Afternoon,” (March 10, 1967), was directed by Abe Levitow from a story by John Dunn. Tom is responsible for cheese security in a futuristic city on an alien world in the year 2565 A.D. Tom and his blue robot cat do battle with Jerry and his yellow robot mouse. Eventually they completely blow up the civilization and end up living in a stone-age environment! (The secondary title is a play on Mark McShane’s 1961 novel “Seance on a Wet Afternoon,” and on the 1964 film adaptation written and directed by Bryan Forbes.)

“Advance and be Mechanized,” (August 25, 1967), was directed by Ben Washam from a story by Bob Ogle. Tom works for the Police on an alien world made of cheese which is mined by robot workers. Tom and Jerry once again do battle using the blue robot cat and the yellow robot mouse, until the robots take all that they can take. They place mind control helmets on Tom and Jerry, and force them to do the fighting! (The title is a play on the common military sentry command, “Advance and be recognized!”)

These are three visually imaginative and very funny cartoons. There are lots of clever gags built around futuristic technology, some of it almost prophetic. Unfortunately theatrical cartoon shorts were a dying breed, but “Tom and Jerry” have endured and adapted to the changing times. They remain popular decades after their first appearance. Perhaps they will still be remembered in the year 2565 A.D.!