Haunted Mouse
| Haunted Mouse | |
|---|---|
| Tom and Jerry series | |
 Title Card | |
| Directed by |
Chuck Jones Maurice Noble |
| Produced by |
Chuck Jones Les Goldman |
| Story by |
Jim Pabian Chuck Jones |
| Voices by | Mel Blanc |
| Music by | Eugene Poddany |
| Animation by |
Ben Washam Ken Harris Don Towsley Dick Thompson Philip DeGuard |
| Studio | Sib-Tower 12 Productions |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | March 24, 1965 |
| Color process | Metrocolor |
| Running time | 7:00 |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | The Brothers Carry-Mouse-Off |
| Followed by | I'm Just Wild About Jerry |
Haunted Mouse is a 1965 Tom and Jerry cartoon directed and produced by Chuck Jones. The cartoon's title is a play on words of haunted house.
Plot
Jerry's cousin Merlin who looks identical to Jerry, but wears a black top hat, bow tie, and cloak and carries a walking stick, visits Jerry. The stick is actually a wand and he lifts a fence panel with a spell.
Tom is outside, perched at Jerry's home, waiting for the mouse to come out, when Merlin lifts him with a spell in order to get into the house. He rings the doorbell and Jerry welcomes him with a hug. Merlin then snaps his fingers and lifts the spell on Tom. Tom twists his face in puzzlement. Merlin's hat falls off his head and a rabbit comes out. He instructs it to retreat into the hat, and it hops along the floor and hangs itself up. His acrobatic gloves and regal robe hang themselves up on command as well.
Jerry prepares for a meal and sets out to the refrigerator for something for the two of them to eat. Jerry speeds to the elevator in the refrigerator. He presses a button and ascends to the third level. Jerry packs a radish into his "cart" and then Tom pokes his head into the refrigerator. Unaware, Jerry picks up an olive and Tom's nose, believing it is a mushroom. Tom notices that his nose is missing and uses his hand to creep up on Jerry. He pokes Jerry and points to his missing nose as if to say, "Ahem, I would like my nose back if you don't mind." Jerry gives him the turnip and Tom screws it on. It takes only a few seconds for Tom to realize something is wrong. He creeps up behind Jerry again, pokes him and points to the turnip on his nose. Jerry, realising his mistake, grins and this time gives him his nose. Tom hastily grabs his nose, frightening Jerry and causing him to flee into the elevator. As Tom rejoices in the return of his nose, Jerry trips him up with his enormous speed. Tom extends his arm into Jerry's hole, but grabs Merlin instead. Tom maniacally laughs, and gradually slows down over time. Merlin casts a spell to open Tom's mouth and keep it open, and he goes inside the cat and frees all the mice, birds, and fish Tom has ever eaten. He climbs back into Tom's palm and releases the spell. Tom releases Merlin and falls backward in fright; then he hits the wall and a board falls on him.
Jerry sets out for more food, but Tom has squeezed into the tiny elevator door. Tom pops out and chases Jerry for a minute, but then runs away briefly, thinking that it is the "haunted mouse". Tom takes a look at him and deduces that he is not the haunted mouse. Tom towers over Jerry and chases him back into his hole. Tom extends his arm into the hole, but all he gets is Merlin's hat. Then, a rabbit pops out and squeezes Tom's nose. Tom grabs it and drops it behind him, and a second rabbit comes out and kisses the cat's nose. The third rabbit pulls Tom's ear, and the fourth thing he pulls out is a sledgehammer. Tom hands it off to the rabbits as he shakes the hat to attempt to get more out of it. Then he turns around and the third rabbit, standing on top of the other two, uses the sledgehammer to hit him. He falls down the floor and his bump part grows taller with a surrender flag tied to it. Eventually, Merlin shakes hands with Jerry and snaps his fingers, and "The End" appears in five different languages: French, German, Chinese and Italian, including the last one in English.