Fit to be Tied (1952)

 

This film is in some ways is quite reminiscent of the earlier Tom and Jerry short, The Bodyguard (1944). However it doesn't borrow any gags from the previous cartoon and provides enough of a twist on its premise to still stand as its own thing. 

As this film starts Spike the bulldog steps on a tack. Jerry removes the tack and Spike gives Jerry a bell and tells him to ring it whenever he gets into trouble. Of course, for Jerry this means whenever Tom bugs him. So far, this short is extremely similar to The Bodyguard, only Jerry rings a bell instead of whistling. However then comes the twist that makes this a quite different cartoon. A leash law is passed, and Spike is now tied to his doghouse. This is a situation which Tom naturally takes advantage of. 

This is a wonderful film and one of the best Tom and Jerry cartoons of the 1950's. Everything about this cartoon is completely delightful. It is a fast-paced romp with one great gag after another. Not only is this film filled with a great comic energy but even with the sheer number of gags each of them works perfectly. Once again William Hanna's timing is not nearly perfect, it is perfect. This cartoon also benefits from truly wonderful character animation. The highlight of this is the scene where Tom is getting his revenge on Spike as Spike is tied to his doghouse. The sheer joy he feels while being free to attack his enemy makes this scene so much fun to watch. In great contrast is when he is forced to serve Jerry. The complete disgust that Tom conveys and the smugness on Jerry's face make this simple gag truly hilarious. Animators in these cartoons are really doing the same job that actors did in silent films. With this in mind this is not only a great bit of animation but a fine piece of acting by any standard. 

The credited animators on this film are Kenneth Muse, Irven Spence, Ray Patterson and Ed Barge. This marked the 69th Tom and Jerry cartoon in total. This cartoon would be reissued to theaters in 1958. A clip from this short would later be used in the Tom and Jerry cartoon, Smarty Cat (1955).  A clip from this cartoon can be seen on the TV in the live action movie, Baby's Day Out (1994).

Below are some production drawings for this cartoon. 

Below is the movie poster for this film.