Switchin' Kitten (1961) - Tom and Jerry Theatrical Cartoon Series

Perhaps the worst Tom & Jerry cartoon in existence

This is without a doubt the crummiest cartoon I've seen since Van Beuren's KRAZY KAT. The storyline is flimsy, the jokes are poor and the soundtrack is barely audible. Throughout the cartoon is nothing but sound effects and loud echoes. I have seen scribbles on scrap paper that are better than this. As a child, this cartoon was prone to giving me nightmares because of the surreal experiments that the mad scientist got up to.

This was my favorite of this series, because I love Halloween and haunted castles, and was touched by the affection the dog-cat has for Jerry. I truly have never been able to forget the background music in their friendship scenes. It's a darling little tune that still has the power to make my eyes misty, even now. I've complained that Deitch's cartoons make me cry. Well... here the crying was the good kind.
I also get a kick out of some of the cool things found in the castle-- like the chemical set that Tom gets funneled through. I love that scene! And the Tom-growing-as-a-flower scene... funny and touching at the same time, with more sweet background music. It's another scene I have never been able to get out of my head.