Cartoon a Day: The Zoot Cat

The Zoot Cat
1944
Directed by William Hanna (as Bill Hanna) and Joseph Barbera
Available on: Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection

This is another memorable Tom and Jerry short. In this one Tom is trying to win the affection of a girl cat, but she thinks he's a square. After seeing her swoon over the mention of a zoot suit on the radio, Tom makes his own out of a hammock.


This is a unique Tom and Jerry short as it actually features a lot of dialogue. Both Tom and Jerry speak in this one and Toots, the girl cat, has a lot of dialogue.

Of course there are the necessary chase sequences, but the best moment of this short is the piano scene. Tom takes on a Charles Boyer type impression as he tells Toots how she "sets his soul on fire." Of course, Jerry is working on giving Tom the hot foot at the same time. The animation of Tom is also great in this sequence with his exaggerated facial expressions.