Heavenly Puss

Infobox Hollywood cartoon
cartoon_name = Heavenly Puss
series = Tom and Jerry


caption =
director = William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
story_artist = William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
animator = Ray Patterson
Irven Spence
Kenneth Muse
Ed Barge
voice_actor = Billy Bletcher
musician = Scott Bradley
producer = Fred Quimby
distributor = Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
release_date = July 9, 1949
color_process = Technicolor
runtime = 7' 48"
movie_language = English
imdb_id = 0041450
preceded_by = "Hatch Up Your Troubles"
followed_by = "The Cat and the Mermouse"

"Heavenly Puss" is a 1949 one-reel animated cartoon and is the 42nd "Tom and Jerry" short, created in 1948, and released on 9th July 1949. It was directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, and produced by Fred Quimby. The cartoon's music was composed by Scott Bradley and the animation was credited to Ray Patterson, Irven Spence, Kenneth Muse and Ed Barge.

Plot Summary

Tom is resting peacefully until Jerry comes along. A typically violent chase begins: Tom almost cuts off Jerry's hand and Jerry runs up the stairs. Tom loosens the carpet and pulls it down, but he also pulls down a large upright piano. Jerry manages to dodge the massive instrument, but Tom is crushed to death by the piano and climbs the golden stairway of Heaven to the golden gates of the "Heavenly Express." Unfortunately for Tom, the gatekeeper refuses him entry because he has persecuted Jerry all his life. However, if he can get a signature stating Jerry's forgiveness within an hour, a reprieve will be granted and he will be allowed through; otherwise he will be condemned to Hell, where Spike the Bulldog personified as the devil with a pitchfork awaits.

Back on Earth, Tom comes back to life and, unsurprisingly, struggles to plead with Jerry to sign, bribing him with food, attempting to forge Jerry's signature, and pleading on his knees. Although Jerry does give in and sign, Tom just misses the deadline. The feline frantically tries to climb the stairs but they disappear and a hole opens under him, leading directly to Hell and into Spike's cauldron. Tom believes he is eternally damned, and struggles to escape from the cauldron. A few moments later, Tom awakes from what has been an all too realistic dream. Not wasting a moment, Tom runs over to Jerry, and he hugs him profusely.

Themes

The episode is a representation of the afterlife and how we behave affects our final destination. However, a more subtle message comes when Tom is threatened with Hades for chasing a mouse, despite being a cat's natural instinct. This perhaps shows just how few people are thought to be worthy of heaven. On the other hand, of course, Tom's persecution of Jerry far exceeds even a cat's natural instinct.

Notes

*Matt Groening, creator of the comic strip "Life in Hell" and the FOX animated sitcoms "The Simpsons" and "Futurama", has said that "Heavenly Puss" was one of the scariest cartoons that he had ever seen. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ BBC] ]
*A clip from "Heavenly Puss" was also watched by Tom in 1967's "Shutter Bugged Cat".
*The three kittens, Fluff, Muff, and Puff (the ones who entered Heaven after getting put in a sack and drowned) resemble the three troublemaking kittens from 1952's "Triplet Trouble".
*The idea of going to Heaven only to be denied entry was filmed the previous year by the Three Stooges in "Heavenly Daze".