Calypso Cat

This is probably the ONLY non-HB Tom & Jerry that I can watch repeatedly. Lord knows that jerky animation's a minus, but the music soundtrack to this one (originally composed, I believe) gives it an appeal the other Deitch efforts don't have: this film gives the lie to the assumption that Deitch couldn't do a decent Tom & Jerry. Most important, it's got (more or less) the FLAVOR of a Tom & Jerry cartoon since it relies on a couple of standard series devices (music, and a romantic rivalry at the crux of the comedy).

One of the better Gene Deitch cartoons. Nice music-- the music in this series as a whole really has a way of getting under my skin and never letting me forget it. And mercifully, they've toned down the pathos. Overall I think they do a much better job when they tone down the pathos and play up the comedy.