Jerry's Cousin

Jerry's Cousin
Tom and Jerry series
The title card
Directed by	William Hanna Joseph Barbera
Produced by	Fred Quimby
Story by	William Hanna Joseph Barbera
Voices by	Paul Frees
Music by	Scott Bradley
Animation by	Ray Patterson Ed Barge Kenneth Muse Irven Spence
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s)	April 7, 1951 (1951-04-07)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	6' 39"
Language	English
Preceded by	Jerry and the Goldfish
Followed by	Sleepy-Time Tom

Jerry's Cousin is a 1951 one-reel animated cartoon and is the 57th Tom and Jerry short. Made in 1950, but released in 1951 on April 7 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was nominated for the 1950 Academy Award for Best Short Cartoon, but lost to Gerald McBoing-Boing, a UPA production. The cartoon was directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, produced by Fred Quimby, scored by Scott Bradley, and animated by Ray Patterson, Ed Barge, Kenneth Muse and Irven Spence. Paul Frees provided the voice of Jerry's cousin, Muscles.

Working titles for this particular cartoon included City Cousin and Muscles Mouse before settling for Jerry's Cousin.

The character of Muscles reappeared in Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring, however his name changed to Freddie and he was hostile to Jerry.

Plot

One day at Hogan's Alley, Jerry's cousin, Muscles, is showing the cats who's boss. After dispatching of his feline nemesis, Muscles retrieves his mail, which includes a letter from Jerry, begging for help in dealing with Tom.

Jerry's Cousin Muscles proves too strong for Tom.

An angry Muscles packs a bag and goes to Jerry's home. As he marches through the alleyway, the cats cower in fear; Butch is so scared of Muscles that he digs his own grave and buries himself.

At Jerry's house, the mouse is being mercilessly terrorized by Tom throwing sticks of firecrackers into Jerry's mousehole. Muscles arrives just as a stick of dynamite is thrown into the hole. Muscles marches out of the hole with the dynamite, and forces Tom to endure the explosion in his mouth. When Tom grabs Muscles, the mouse easily throws him off and sternly demands that, as long as Muscles is around, Tom lay off Jerry. He then gives Tom a further taste of his strength.

Tom tries weight training, but as he visits Muscles and gives Muscles a punch, Muscles blows his own hand into a very big one and punches Tom strongly. Tom then tries a divide and conquer strategy, and even attempts murder, but finds himself outwitted at every turn; Muscles is either too strong or too crafty for him. In desperation, Tom calls a group of thugs for hire to dispose of Muscles. Even though the thugs ambush Muscles, they are quickly immobilized and tossed from the house. Tom, thoroughly intimidated, begins to grovel at Muscles' feet.

Jerry's Cousin Muscles gives Jerry an identical suit.

Before Muscles returns home, he gives Jerry an outfit identical to his, telling him that all he has to do is whistle. Jerry gets dressed and toughs himself up to look more like Muscles. When Jerry steps out of his hole and whistles, Tom, believing that Jerry is Muscles, rushes to bow to Jerry and kiss his feet, much to the mouse's delight.

Voice cast

• Paul Frees as Jerry's cousin ('Muscles') & Butch the cat (uncredited)