Tennis Chumps
| Tennis Chumps | |
|---|---|
| Tom and Jerry series | |
 reissue title card | |
| Directed by |
William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Produced by | Fred Quimby |
| Story by |
William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Music by | Scott Bradley |
| Animation by |
Ray Patterson Irven Spence Ed Barge Kenneth Muse |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Color process |
Technicolor Perspecta (reissue) |
| Running time | 6:38 |
| Language | none |
| Preceded by | Jerry's Diary |
| Followed by | Little Quacker |
Tennis Chumps is a 1949 one-reel animated cartoon and is the 46th Tom and Jerry short released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, and produced by Fred Quimby. The cartoon's music was scored by Scott Bradley, and the footage was animated by Ray Patterson, Irven Spence, Ed Barge and Kenneth Muse. It is the last cartoon to be produced in the 1940s.
Plot
Tom emerges from a locker room at a tennis court, but Butch emerges from the locker next door, slamming his door into Tom. After that, Tom appears in form of an Egyptian hierogliphic. Jerry then emerges, but Tom forces him to carry his tennis equipment. Tom then launches Jerry against a locker room wall and into a drinking fountain, much to Jerry's annoyance.
A match between Tom and Butch then begins. Tom serves, but Butch's return shot causes Tom's racket to catch on fire. Tom then serves three balls to Butch, but Butch splits his racket into three and returns all three into Tom's mouth. Tom then pulls the net to force a drop shot, but Butch hits the ball through the ground, forcing Tom to stretch his arm to the end of the court to make the return. Butch then makes many returns at the net, bouncing the ball off Tom's face, before returning with a backspin shot. Tom tries to chase after the ball, but runs into a post and is wrapped into the net.
Jerry then hands Tom a bomb much to Tom's delight. Tom serves it to Butch and it explodes just before Butch goes to return it. Jerry then hands Butch a heavy ball with a hole inside it, much to Butch's delight. Butch serves it to Tom, and the ball smashes into Tom as Tom goes to return it, making Tom break into pieces, much to Jerry's amusement.
Tom then hurls tennis balls at Jerry until Jerry swallows one, and Tom and Butch use him as a tennis ball until Jerry escapes by flicking the racket's string into Tom's face and evades Tom by bouncing away. Tom throws his racquet to catch him, but Jerry jumps over the net and Butch swallows it. Butch then hits the ball out of Jerry and he and Tom trap Jerry on the net, but Jerry jumps on Butch's head, making Tom miss and hit Butch.
Jerry then shares a tennis rally with Butch. Butch whacks Tom when the ball gets stuck in his mouth and runs through a chain link fence, and Jerry has to move the sideline after the ball hits the net. Tom tries to get involved again, but Butch stops him and the rally continues until Jerry sends the ball rocketing into the sky. Butch and Tom both run to hit it, but crash into each other and become conjoined. Butch and Tom then agree to work together.
The cats chase after Jerry, but Jerry activates an automatic tennis ball server, causing balls to launch at Butch and Tom, pushing them back into the net. The net then bursts, sending Butch and Tom rocketing through the air until they land in a tree, tangled in the net. Then Jerry has put on a fancy jacket. He writes his name on the tennis trophy cup and celebrates his victory.
Availability
Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Vol. 3, Disc One