The Night Before Christmas (1941 film): Difference between revisions
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{{short description|1941 film by Joseph Barbera, William Hanna}} |
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{{Refimprove|date=May 2008}} |
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{{about|the Hanna-Barbera 1941 animated film|the poem the film is named after|A Visit from St. Nicholas|other uses|The Night Before Christmas (disambiguation)}} |
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{{Infobox Hollywood cartoon |
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{{Infobox film |
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| cartoon_name = The Night Before Christmas |
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| name = The Night Before Christmas |
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| series = [[Tom and Jerry]] |
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| image = |
| image = |
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| caption = ''The Night Before Christmas'' |
| caption = ''The Night Before Christmas'' poster |
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| director = [[William Hanna]]<br>[[Joseph Barbera]] |
| director = '''Supervised by''':<br>[[William Hanna]]<br>[[Joseph Barbera]] |
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| |
| story = [[William Hanna]]<br>[[Joseph Barbera]] (both uncredited) |
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| animator =[[George Gordon (animator)|George Gordon]]<br>[[ |
| animator = '''Uncredited animation''':<br>[[George Gordon (animator)|George Gordon]]<br>[[Bill Littlejohn]]<br>[[Cecil Surry]]<br>[[Irven Spence]]<br>[[Jack Zander]] |
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| layout_artist = [[Harvey Eisenberg]]<br>Robert Gentle |
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| voice_actor = |
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| |
| background_artist = [[Joseph Smith]] |
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| starring = [[William Hanna]]<br>[[Harry E. Lang]] (both uncredited) |
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| producer = [[Fred Quimby]] (unc.) |
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| narrator = [[Frank Graham (voice actor)|Frank Graham]] (uncredited) |
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| distributor = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] |
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| music = [[Scott Bradley (composer)|Scott Bradley]] (uncredited) |
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| release_date = {{start date|1941|12|6}} |
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| producer = '''Co-produced by:'''<br>[[Fred Quimby]] (uncredited)<br>[[William Hanna]] (uncredited) |
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| color_process = [[Technicolor]] |
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| studio = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio|MGM Cartoons]] |
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| runtime = 8' 47" |
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| distributor = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] |
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| movie_language = English |
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| released = {{Film date|1941|12|06}} |
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| preceded_by = ''[[The Midnight Snack]]'' |
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| color_process = [[Technicolor]] |
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| followed_by = ''[[Fraidy Cat (film)|Fraidy Cat]]'' |
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| runtime = 8:38 |
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| language = English |
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}} |
}} |
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'''''The Night Before Christmas''''' is a 1941 one-reel [[animated cartoon]] and is the 3rd ''[[Tom and Jerry]]'' [[short subject|short]] directed by [[William Hanna]] and [[Joseph Barbera]], produced by [[Fred Quimby]] and animated by [[Jack Zander]], [[George Gordon]], [[Irven Spence]] and [[Billie Littlejohn]]. As was the practice in original issues of MGM animated shorts at the time, only Hanna and Barbera are credited. It was nominated for the 1941 [[Academy Award for Animated Short Film|Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons]]. It was released in theaters on 6 December 1941 by [[Metro-Goldwyn Mayer]]. |
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'''''The Night Before Christmas''''' is a 1941 American one-reel [[animated cartoon]] and is the third ''[[Tom and Jerry]]'' [[Short film|short]] directed by [[William Hanna]] and [[Joseph Barbera]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Maltin |first1=Leonard |title=Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons |date=1987 |publisher=Plume |isbn=0-452-25993-2 |edition=Revised |page=289}}</ref> produced by [[Fred Quimby]] and animated by [[Jack Zander]], [[George Gordon (animator)|George Gordon]], [[Irven Spence]] and [[Bill Littlejohn]]. It was nominated for the 1941 [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film|Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons]], but lost to the [[Mickey Mouse]] short film ''[[Lend a Paw]]'', making it the only ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoon to lose to a [[Disney]] film.<ref name="Oscars1942">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1942 |title=The 14th Academy Awards (1942) Nominees and Winners |accessdate=2011-08-13 |work=oscars.org |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706093733/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/14th-winners.html |archivedate=July 6, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AzuyCQAAQBAJ&q=%22Night+Before+Christmas%22+%22Tom+and+Jerry%22&pg=PA135|title=Having a Wonderful Christmas Time Film Guide|first=Terry|last=Rowan|year=2014|isbn=9781312140455|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MdGoAAAAQBAJ&q=%22Night+Before+Christmas%22+%22Tom+and+Jerry%22&pg=PA432|title=The Christmas Encyclopedia, 3d ed.|first=William D.|last=Crump|date=September 4, 2013|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786468270|via=Google Books}}</ref> |
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==Plot Outline== |
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{{Plot|date=February 2010}} |
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[[Image:Tomandjerrytitle003.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Special ''Tom and Jerry'' title card that appeared in ''The Night Before Christmas''. A similar title card was used on at least the second through seventh Tom and Jerry shorts.<ref>[http://www.cartoonresearch.com/mgm.html Jerry Beck's Cartoon Research] - last checked October 27, 2007.</ref>]] |
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In a large house on [[Christmas Eve]], the night before Christmas, nothing was stirring, not even a mouse...or so it seems at first. [[Jerry Mouse|Jerry]] emerges from his hole and has to avoid a [[Christmas]]-themed [[mousetrap]] (already baited with a piece of [[cheese]] wrapped in a red [[ribbon]]) placed right by his hole. Jerry quickly heads for the Christmas presents, jumping merrily around the tree, licking candy canes, and jumping onto a [[Stuffed animal|plush toy]] [[lion]] that squeaks. Jerry continues jumping on the soft [[toy]], but bounces too hard and lands on what he thinks is another soft toy. Jerry jumps up and down on the grey [[fur]], little realizing that what he is jumping on is, in fact, [[Tom Cat|Tom]], who has woken up. Tom snarls and just as he is about to eat Jerry, the quick-thinking mouse grabs a nearby "Not to be opened until Xmas" [[Label|sticker]] and instantly places it on Tom's mouth. |
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This third cartoon uses what has become the basic "cat stalks mouse" premise, but also hints at a softening in [[Tom Cat|Tom]]'s character: when Jerry is out in the freezing cold, Tom worries about him, indicating that the rivalry between them may not be entirely a fight to the death.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sennett |first1=Ted |title=The Art of Hanna-Barbera: Fifty Years of Creativity |date=1989 |publisher=Studio |isbn=978-0670829781 |url=https://archive.org/details/artofhannabarber00teds/page/20/mode/2up |accessdate=2 June 2020 |page=21}}</ref> |
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[[Image:Donotopentillxmas.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Tom confronts Jerry, moments before the mouse attaches a "Do Not Open 'Til Xmas" sticker to Tom's mouth in ''The Night Before Christmas''.]] |
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Jerry hides among the myriad of toys (even firing a trick cannon's [[Stopper (plug)|cork]] at Tom) and hides inside a [[Christmas lights|Christmas fairy light]], causing him to glow. Tom, obviously not fooled by this, grabs Jerry and is promptly [[Electric shock|electrocuted]]. Jerry hides among some [[toy soldier]]s, but Tom spots him, and just as he is about to crush Jerry (who salutes him like a soldier would) with his paw, the mouse runs off. Tom chases Jerry, but is stopped by the barrier of a miniature [[level crossing]]. A [[toy train]] passes by, with many [[Railroad car|carriages]]. Jerry is sitting on top of the [[caboose]], waving cheekily at Tom and pulling faces. However, the train enters a model of a [[tunnel]], and Jerry, sitting on top of the train, hits his head and is knocked onto the track. He quickly runs through the tunnel, pursued by Tom, who knocks the tunnel over with his size. Jerry hides inside a [[Boxing|boxing glove]] and boxes the puzzled cat in the face before running off behind the [[Christmas tree]]. Tom, now arming himself with a boxing glove of his own, follows him and spots him jumping into a [[jack-in-the-box]]. Opening up the box, Tom is punched by the boxing glove stuck on Jack's head and is knocked out. Jerry jumps out and holds it up in victory, like a professional boxing referee would. |
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==Plot== |
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Tom chases Jerry once again, but Jerry holds out a piece of [[mistletoe]] in from of him and persuades an embarrassed Tom to kiss him. Tom blushes, and while his back is turned, Jerry kicks him in the rear. The mouse darts through the [[Letter box|slot letterbox]] into the outdoors. As Tom opens the lid of the letterbox to see where Jerry has gone, Jerry hurls a snowball at his face. Tom angrily barricades the slot so that Jerry cannot get back into the house. |
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It's [[Christmas Eve]] and nothing is stirring. But [[Jerry Mouse|Jerry]] emerges from his hole avoiding a Christmas-themed mousetrap placed by his hole. Jerry nears the Christmas presents, jumping merrily around the tree, licking candy canes and jumping onto a [[Stuffed toy|plush toy]] lion that squeaks. Jerry continues jumping on the soft toy, but bounces too hard and lands on Tom, who he inadvertently wakes up. Tom snarls and just before he can eat Jerry, the quick-thinking mouse grabs a nearby "Do Not Open 'Til Xmas" sticker and slaps it on Tom's mouth. |
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Jerry is chased among the myriad of toys (briefly stopping to fire a trick field gun's cork stopper at Tom) and hides inside a [[Christmas lights|Christmas fairy light]], causing him to glow. Not fooled, Tom grabs Jerry and is promptly [[Electric shock|electrocuted]]. Jerry hides among some toy soldiers, but Tom spots him and the mouse runs off, saluting the cat like a real soldier would. Tom chases Jerry but is stopped by the barrier of a miniature level crossing. A toy train passes by, with many [[Railroad car|carriages]]. Jerry sits on top of the [[caboose]], waving cheekily at Tom and pulling faces. As the train enters a model of a tunnel and Jerry hits his head, knocking him onto the track. He runs through the tunnel, pursued by Tom, who knocks the tunnel over. Jerry hides inside a boxing glove and boxes the puzzled cat in the face before running off behind the Christmas tree. Tom, now arming himself with a boxing glove of his own, follows him and spots him jumping into a [[jack-in-the-box]]. Opening up the box, Tom is punched by the boxing glove stuck on Jack's head and is knocked out. Jerry jumps out and holds it up in victory like a boxing referee. |
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[[Image:Xmascandycane.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Jerry's present from Tom in ''The Night Before Christmas''.]] |
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While Jerry trudges up and down in the heavy snow in a vain attempt to warm himself, Tom fluffs up his cushion and prepares to sleep. He is unable to settle himself; heavenly choirs sing carols, pricking Tom's [[conscience]] with the message of Christmas peace and goodwill. He first props open the slot to allow Jerry back in and, when the mouse does not reappear, ventures anxiously outside to find Jerry, frozen. Fearing for Jerry's life, he brings the frozen mouse indoors and warms him up by the fire. Slowly, Jerry regains consciousness, but is wary of the cat. Tom hands Jerry a [[candy cane]], his Christmas present. A delighted Jerry licks his cane, but then quickly reacts to prevent Tom drinking from his bowl of [[milk]]. He dips his cane into the bowl, and a loud snap is heard. Jerry uses the cane to fish a mousetrap that he had earlier planted in the bowl. Tom appreciates Jerry's warning and the mouse runs back to his hole. He uses his candy cane to hook the cheese off the mousetrap. Instead of snapping like a usual mousetrap does, the spring slowly comes down, ringing the tune of "[[Jingle Bells]]" as Jerry smiles in admiration to the "musical mousetrap." |
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Tom chases Jerry once again, but Jerry holds out a piece of [[mistletoe]] in front of him and persuades an embarrassed Tom to kiss him. Tom blushes and while his back is turned, Jerry kicks him in the rear. The mouse darts through the letterbox slot into the outdoors. As Tom opens the lid of the letterbox to see where Jerry has gone, Jerry hurls a snowball at his face. In response, Tom angrily barricades the slot to prevent Jerry from getting back into the house. |
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==Notes== |
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*This is the first of the 22 shorts where Tom and Jerry both win. The others are ''[[Dog Trouble]]'',''[[Mouse in Manhattan]]'',''[[Old Rockin' Chair Tom]]'', ''[[Heavenly Puss]]'', ''[[The Cat and the Mermouse]]'', ''[[Smitten Kitten]]'', ''[[Triplet Trouble]]'' ''[[Just Ducky]]'', ''[[Life with Tom]]'', ''[[Puppy Tale]]'', ''[[Neapolitan Mouse]]'', ''[[That's My Mommy]]'', ''[[The Flying Sorceress]]'', ''[[Busy Buddies]]'', ''[[Happy Go Ducky]]'', ''[[Royal Cat Nap]]'','' [[Snowbody Loves Me]]'','' [[I'm Just Wild About Jerry]]'', ''[[Of Feline Bondage]] [[Surf-Bored Cat]] , [[Purr-Chance to Dream]] and ''[[The Karate Guard]]'' |
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*The idea of Tom rescuing a cold Jerry from a blizzard was reused in ''[[Snowbody Loves Me]]''. |
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[[File:PDVD_005zzzjj.JPG|right|200px]] |
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*This cartoon, along with [[Puss Gets the Boot]], is one of only two pre-1948 Tom and Jerry shorts with their original title sequences (opening and closing) still intact on television airings in the United States (original issues of ''[[The Midnight Snack]]'', ''[[Fraidy Cat (film)|Fraidy Cat]]'', ''[[Puss 'n' Toots]]'', ''[[The Zoot Cat]]'', ''[[Mouse Trouble]]'', and ''[[Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl]]'' are known to exist, but air as reissues on TV except for [[Boomerang_(TV_channel)|Boomerang]]).<!--Did you see top right of the screen on youtube? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WObIJdXDCT8--> |
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*This was the first Tom and Jerry short to feature Tom's conscience. This idea would also be used in cartoons such as ''[[Puppy Tale]]''. |
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*This is the first Tom and Jerry short not to feature Mammy Two Shoes, or Tom being thrown out of the house. |
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*This is the only Christmas related Tom and Jerry short ever made. |
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While Jerry trudges up and down in the heavy snow in a vain attempt to keep warm, Tom fluffs up his cushion and prepares to sleep. He is unable to settle himself; heavenly choirs sing carols breaking their silence, pricking Tom's [[conscience]] with the message of Christmas peace and goodwill. He first props open the slot to allow Jerry back in and when the mouse does not reappear, ventures anxiously outside to find a [[Hypothermia|hypothermic]] Jerry, frozen into a solid popsicle. Fearing for Jerry's life, he brings the frozen mouse indoors and warms him up by the fire, saving his life. Slowly, Jerry regains consciousness but is still wary of the cat. Tom hands Jerry a [[candy cane]], his Christmas present. A delighted Jerry licks his cane, but then quickly reacts to prevent Tom drinking from his bowl of milk. He dips his cane into the bowl and a loud snap is heard. Jerry uses the cane to fish a mousetrap that he had earlier planted in the bowl. Tom appreciates Jerry's warning and the mouse runs back to his hole. He uses his candy cane to hook the cheese off the mousetrap. Instead of snapping like a usual mousetrap does, however, the spring slowly comes down, ringing the tune of "[[Jingle Bells]]" as Jerry smiles in admiration to the "[[Music box|musical mousetrap]]". |
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==External links== |
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*{{bcdb title|4947}} |
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==Voice cast== |
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* {{imdb title|id=0033952|title=The Night Before Christmas}} |
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* [[Harry E. Lang]] and [[William Hanna]] ... [[Tom Cat]] |
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* William Hanna ... [[Jerry Mouse]] |
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* [[Frank Graham (voice actor)|Frank Graham]] ... Narrator |
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==Crew== |
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*Supervised by: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera |
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*Story: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna |
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*Animation: George Gordon, Bill Littlejohn, Irven Spence, Jack Zander, Cecil Surry |
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*Backgrounds: Joseph Smith |
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*Music: Scott Bradley |
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*Co-Produced by: Fred Quimby, William Hanna |
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==Home media== |
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;DVD: |
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*''Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases'', Vol. 3 |
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*''[[Tom and Jerry Golden Collection]]'' Volume One, Disc 1 |
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*''[[Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection]]'' Volume Two, Disc 1 |
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*''[[Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection]]'', Disc 2 |
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*[[Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection|Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Award-Nominated Animation – Cinema Favorites]] |
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*''[[Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection]]'' Double Feature, Disc 1 |
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*''[[Tom and Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers]]'', Disc 1 |
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;Blu-ray: |
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*''[[Tom and Jerry Golden Collection]]'' Volume One, Disc 1 |
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*''[[Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale]]'' Special Edition, Disc 1 |
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;VHS: |
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*''Tom & Jerry's 50th Birthday Classics'' 3<ref>{{cite web |title=..:: The Tom and Jerry Online :: An Unofficial Site : TOM AND JERRY DVD/VHS::.. |url=http://www.tomandjerryonline.com/dvdvhs_view.cfm?id=7 |website=www.tomandjerryonline.com |accessdate=14 February 2020 |language=en}}</ref> |
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*''Tom & Jerry's The Night Before Christmas''<ref>{{cite web |title=Tom & Jerry's The Night Before Christmas - The Internet Animation Database |url=https://www.intanibase.com/iad_video/video.aspx?videoID=2229&seriesID=11 |website=www.intanibase.com |accessdate=14 February 2020}}</ref> |
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;LaserDisc: |
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*''The Art of Tom & Jerry'' Vol. 1, Side 1<ref>{{cite web |title=LaserDisc Database - Art of Tom & Jerry, The: Volume I [ML102682] |url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/20511/ML102682/Art-of-Tom-amp;-Jerry-The:-Volume-I |website=www.lddb.com |accessdate=14 February 2020}}</ref> |
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;Streaming: |
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*''Max'' |
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==Trivia== |
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This short was aired as part of the [[MeTV]] Christmas special titled "MeTV's Super Colossal Cartoon Christmas" that was hosted by characters from ''[[Toon In with Me]]'' and ''[[Svengoolie]]''. |
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Additionally, it is also one of the first 2 ''[[Tom and Jerry]]'' Christmas-themed shorts produced by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]], followed by ''[[The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show]] (1980s TV series)'' episode; ''Snowbrawl'' (co-produced by [[MGM Television]] and [[Filmation]]). Later on, [[Ted Turner]] acquired the rights for ''Tom and Jerry'' and other characters from [[MGM Cartoon Studio]] in 1986 (later merged with [[Warner Bros.]] since 1996), here are some of ''Tom and Jerry'' Christmas-themed specials as follows: ''[[Tom and Jerry Tales|Tom and Jerry Tales (2006 TV series)]]'' episode: ''Ho Ho Horrors'', several direct-to-video Holiday movies starring ''Tom and Jerry'' including; ''[[Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale]] (2007 film)'' & ''[[Tom and Jerry: Snowman's Land]] (2022 film)'' and several episodes (including 1 TV special) from ''[[The Tom and Jerry Show (2014 TV series)]]'' including; ''[[Tom and Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers]] (2014 TV special)'', ''The Plight Before Christmas'' & ''Dragon Down the Holidays''. |
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The phenomenon where Tom attempt to revived Jerry is also being reused in 1960s Tom and Jerry short film, [[Snowbody Loves Me]] this time by wrapping Jerry in the scarf and drink a warm [[Schnapps]]. |
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==See also== |
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* [[List of Christmas films]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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<small><references/></small> |
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{{The Hanna and barbera Tom and Jerry Shorts}} |
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==External links== |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Night Before Christmas, The (1941 film)}} |
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*{{IMDb title|33952}} |
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[[Category:1941 films]] |
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[[Category:American comedy-drama films]] |
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{{The Hanna–Barbera Tom and Jerry shorts}} |
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[[Category:Animated features released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] |
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[[Category:Tom and Jerry cartoons]] |
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[[Category:Films based on poems]] |
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[[Category:Christmas films]] |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Night Before Christmas (1941 film), The}} |
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[[es:La noche de Navidad]] |
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[[Category:1940s English-language films]] |
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[[it:The Night Before Christmas]] |
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[[Category:1940s American animated films]] |
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[[ja:メリー・クリスマス (トムとジェリー)]] |
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[[Category:1941 comedy-drama films]] |
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[[ru:The Night Before Christmas]] |
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[[Category:1940s fantasy films]] |
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[[simple:The Night Before Christmas]] |
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[[Category:1940s Christmas comedy-drama films]] |
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[[sv:Julaftonsnatt]] |
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[[Category:American comedy-drama short films]] |
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[[tr:The Night Before Christmas]] |
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[[Category:Tom and Jerry short films]] |
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[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer short films]] |
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[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated short films]] |
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[[Category:American Christmas films]] |
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[[Category:Short films directed by William Hanna]] |
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[[Category:Short films directed by Joseph Barbera]] |
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[[Category:Films scored by Scott Bradley]] |
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[[Category:American fantasy films]] |
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[[Category:Animated Christmas films]] |
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[[Category:American animated short films]] |
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[[Category:Films produced by Fred Quimby]] |
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[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio short films]] |
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[[Category:Animated films about cats]] |
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[[Category:Animated films about mice]] |
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[[Category:English-language comedy-drama short films]] |
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[[Category:English-language action comedy films]] |
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[[Category:English-language fantasy films]] |
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[[Category:English-language Christmas comedy-drama films]] |
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[[Category:1941 animated short films]] |
Latest revision as of 06:36, 25 December 2024
The Night Before Christmas | |
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Directed by | Supervised by: William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
Story by | William Hanna Joseph Barbera (both uncredited) |
Produced by | Co-produced by: Fred Quimby (uncredited) William Hanna (uncredited) |
Starring | William Hanna Harry E. Lang (both uncredited) |
Narrated by | Frank Graham (uncredited) |
Music by | Scott Bradley (uncredited) |
Animation by | Uncredited animation: George Gordon Bill Littlejohn Cecil Surry Irven Spence Jack Zander |
Layouts by | Harvey Eisenberg Robert Gentle |
Backgrounds by | Joseph Smith |
Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 8:38 |
Language | English |
The Night Before Christmas is a 1941 American one-reel animated cartoon and is the third Tom and Jerry short directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera,[1] produced by Fred Quimby and animated by Jack Zander, George Gordon, Irven Spence and Bill Littlejohn. It was nominated for the 1941 Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons, but lost to the Mickey Mouse short film Lend a Paw, making it the only Tom and Jerry cartoon to lose to a Disney film.[2][3][4]
This third cartoon uses what has become the basic "cat stalks mouse" premise, but also hints at a softening in Tom's character: when Jerry is out in the freezing cold, Tom worries about him, indicating that the rivalry between them may not be entirely a fight to the death.[5]
Plot
[edit]It's Christmas Eve and nothing is stirring. But Jerry emerges from his hole avoiding a Christmas-themed mousetrap placed by his hole. Jerry nears the Christmas presents, jumping merrily around the tree, licking candy canes and jumping onto a plush toy lion that squeaks. Jerry continues jumping on the soft toy, but bounces too hard and lands on Tom, who he inadvertently wakes up. Tom snarls and just before he can eat Jerry, the quick-thinking mouse grabs a nearby "Do Not Open 'Til Xmas" sticker and slaps it on Tom's mouth.
Jerry is chased among the myriad of toys (briefly stopping to fire a trick field gun's cork stopper at Tom) and hides inside a Christmas fairy light, causing him to glow. Not fooled, Tom grabs Jerry and is promptly electrocuted. Jerry hides among some toy soldiers, but Tom spots him and the mouse runs off, saluting the cat like a real soldier would. Tom chases Jerry but is stopped by the barrier of a miniature level crossing. A toy train passes by, with many carriages. Jerry sits on top of the caboose, waving cheekily at Tom and pulling faces. As the train enters a model of a tunnel and Jerry hits his head, knocking him onto the track. He runs through the tunnel, pursued by Tom, who knocks the tunnel over. Jerry hides inside a boxing glove and boxes the puzzled cat in the face before running off behind the Christmas tree. Tom, now arming himself with a boxing glove of his own, follows him and spots him jumping into a jack-in-the-box. Opening up the box, Tom is punched by the boxing glove stuck on Jack's head and is knocked out. Jerry jumps out and holds it up in victory like a boxing referee.
Tom chases Jerry once again, but Jerry holds out a piece of mistletoe in front of him and persuades an embarrassed Tom to kiss him. Tom blushes and while his back is turned, Jerry kicks him in the rear. The mouse darts through the letterbox slot into the outdoors. As Tom opens the lid of the letterbox to see where Jerry has gone, Jerry hurls a snowball at his face. In response, Tom angrily barricades the slot to prevent Jerry from getting back into the house.
While Jerry trudges up and down in the heavy snow in a vain attempt to keep warm, Tom fluffs up his cushion and prepares to sleep. He is unable to settle himself; heavenly choirs sing carols breaking their silence, pricking Tom's conscience with the message of Christmas peace and goodwill. He first props open the slot to allow Jerry back in and when the mouse does not reappear, ventures anxiously outside to find a hypothermic Jerry, frozen into a solid popsicle. Fearing for Jerry's life, he brings the frozen mouse indoors and warms him up by the fire, saving his life. Slowly, Jerry regains consciousness but is still wary of the cat. Tom hands Jerry a candy cane, his Christmas present. A delighted Jerry licks his cane, but then quickly reacts to prevent Tom drinking from his bowl of milk. He dips his cane into the bowl and a loud snap is heard. Jerry uses the cane to fish a mousetrap that he had earlier planted in the bowl. Tom appreciates Jerry's warning and the mouse runs back to his hole. He uses his candy cane to hook the cheese off the mousetrap. Instead of snapping like a usual mousetrap does, however, the spring slowly comes down, ringing the tune of "Jingle Bells" as Jerry smiles in admiration to the "musical mousetrap".
Voice cast
[edit]- Harry E. Lang and William Hanna ... Tom Cat
- William Hanna ... Jerry Mouse
- Frank Graham ... Narrator
Crew
[edit]- Supervised by: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera
- Story: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna
- Animation: George Gordon, Bill Littlejohn, Irven Spence, Jack Zander, Cecil Surry
- Backgrounds: Joseph Smith
- Music: Scott Bradley
- Co-Produced by: Fred Quimby, William Hanna
Home media
[edit]- DVD
- Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases, Vol. 3
- Tom and Jerry Golden Collection Volume One, Disc 1
- Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Volume Two, Disc 1
- Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection, Disc 2
- Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Award-Nominated Animation – Cinema Favorites
- Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Double Feature, Disc 1
- Tom and Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers, Disc 1
- Blu-ray
- Tom and Jerry Golden Collection Volume One, Disc 1
- Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale Special Edition, Disc 1
- VHS
- LaserDisc
- The Art of Tom & Jerry Vol. 1, Side 1[8]
- Streaming
- Max
Trivia
[edit]This short was aired as part of the MeTV Christmas special titled "MeTV's Super Colossal Cartoon Christmas" that was hosted by characters from Toon In with Me and Svengoolie.
Additionally, it is also one of the first 2 Tom and Jerry Christmas-themed shorts produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, followed by The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show (1980s TV series) episode; Snowbrawl (co-produced by MGM Television and Filmation). Later on, Ted Turner acquired the rights for Tom and Jerry and other characters from MGM Cartoon Studio in 1986 (later merged with Warner Bros. since 1996), here are some of Tom and Jerry Christmas-themed specials as follows: Tom and Jerry Tales (2006 TV series) episode: Ho Ho Horrors, several direct-to-video Holiday movies starring Tom and Jerry including; Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale (2007 film) & Tom and Jerry: Snowman's Land (2022 film) and several episodes (including 1 TV special) from The Tom and Jerry Show (2014 TV series) including; Tom and Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers (2014 TV special), The Plight Before Christmas & Dragon Down the Holidays.
The phenomenon where Tom attempt to revived Jerry is also being reused in 1960s Tom and Jerry short film, Snowbody Loves Me this time by wrapping Jerry in the scarf and drink a warm Schnapps.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Maltin, Leonard (1987). Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons (Revised ed.). Plume. p. 289. ISBN 0-452-25993-2.
- ^ "The 14th Academy Awards (1942) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
- ^ Rowan, Terry (2014). Having a Wonderful Christmas Time Film Guide. ISBN 9781312140455 – via Google Books.
- ^ Crump, William D. (September 4, 2013). The Christmas Encyclopedia, 3d ed. McFarland. ISBN 9780786468270 – via Google Books.
- ^ Sennett, Ted (1989). The Art of Hanna-Barbera: Fifty Years of Creativity. Studio. p. 21. ISBN 978-0670829781. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ "..:: The Tom and Jerry Online :: An Unofficial Site : TOM AND JERRY DVD/VHS::." www.tomandjerryonline.com. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ "Tom & Jerry's The Night Before Christmas - The Internet Animation Database". www.intanibase.com. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ "LaserDisc Database - Art of Tom & Jerry, The: Volume I [ML102682]". www.lddb.com. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
External links
[edit]- 1941 films
- 1940s English-language films
- 1940s American animated films
- 1941 comedy-drama films
- 1940s fantasy films
- 1940s Christmas comedy-drama films
- American comedy-drama short films
- Tom and Jerry short films
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer short films
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated short films
- American Christmas films
- Short films directed by William Hanna
- Short films directed by Joseph Barbera
- Films scored by Scott Bradley
- American fantasy films
- Animated Christmas films
- American animated short films
- Films produced by Fred Quimby
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio short films
- Animated films about cats
- Animated films about mice
- English-language comedy-drama short films
- English-language action comedy films
- English-language fantasy films
- English-language Christmas comedy-drama films
- 1941 animated short films