Dog Trouble

Dog Trouble is a 1942 one-reel animated cartoon and is the 5th Tom and Jerry short. It was produced in Technicolor, released to theatres on April 18, 1942 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer and animated by George Gordon, Irven Spence, Jack Zander and Billie LittleJohn.

Plot

The cartoon opens with Jerry running across a tablecloth. But Jerry isn't going anywhere because as Jerry runs, Tom is pulling the cloth. Tom reaches the end of the cloth and Jerry runs across the table to the other side as Tom gives chase. Jerry tries to stop at the end of the table, but slides into Tom's mouth. He swings out and grabs onto Tom's whiskers and runs into his mousehole. Tom then knocks on the wall to get Jerry to come out and he waits for him. Jerry escapes through an electrical outlet on the other side of the wall and starts to tiptoe away but he stops when he sees a piece of cheese on a mousetrap. He then picks up the mousetrap and sets it behind Tom's tail. But Tom keeps moving his tail out of the way. So Jerry picks up Tom's tail and sets it in the trap. Jerry then runs away after the trap goes off.

Jerry tries to run out the door but in front of him is a large sleeping bulldog (Spike). Jerry then escapes and Tom is behind him. Tom tries to stop before reaching Spike but he lands face to face with him. Tom even ends up kissing him. This angers Spike and he chases Tom. Tom escapes by climbing up a lamp and Jerry laughs at him. A snarling Spike then notices Jerry and starts to chase him. Jerry escapes by climbing up the cuckoo clock. As Jerry enters the clock, he changes the time by mistake, causing the cuckoo bird to pop out, with Jerry holding on to it for dear life. Spike jumps up and tries to bite Jerry, but the bird enters the clock very fast and Spike misses him. This briefly allows Tom to come down from the lamp but Spike comes back forcing Tom to climb back up. Then Jerry tries to climb down the clock but then he is forced to climb back up when Spike comes back. This time, when the cuckoo bird pops out with Jerry on board, Spike jumps up and chomps. Fortunately, Jerry escapes, and Spike destroys the bird, with gears flying everywhere. Tom tries to sneak away quietly but when he walks across the floor, it creaks causing Spike to go after him again. Sounds of fighting come out and Jerry can't watch. As Tom runs toward a desk, Jerry whistles for Tom to join him on top of the clock where it's safe. Jerry even grabs Tom by his whiskers to help him get on top. Tom then extends his hand to Jerry as a thank you but when Jerry goes to shake hands, he loses his balance on the clock and he falls off the clock. Tom quickly lowers his tail to save Jerry from landing in Spike's mouth. Then they shake hands.

Jerry then thinks of a plan and he sees a sewing basket. He whispers the plan into Tom's ear and runs off. Tom then starts teasing Spike by dangling his tail as a distraction. Jerry then takes a piece of yarn, ties it to his tail and starts running around the room covering it in yarn. Jerry then tiptoes up to Spike and kicks him. He makes a face and runs away. Spike chases him and as Jerry runs and hides behind a corner, Spike gets tangled in all the yarn that was everywhere, pulling over and breaking the many fragile objects Jerry had wound it around. This brings out Mammy Two Shoes who promptly takes Spike outside. Tom and Jerry wave to Spike as he gets taken outside. Tom then breathes a sigh of relief and a snap is heard behind the curtain they are hiding. Tom's tail has gotten caught in a mousetrap again and he chases after Jerry.

Notes

This is the first and only cartoon Tom and Jerry cartoon that features the porotype Spike the bulldog, although in Solid Serenade a very similar bulldog (but called KILLER according to his dog house) was shown.
This is the first time Tom and Jerry team up against a common adversary.
This is the last time we see Tom as exclusively quadrupedal. After these episodes he is seen less realistic than a normal cat as he eventually becomes bipedal.
This is the first episode where Tom yells in pain instead of hissing or meowing in pain.
First appearance of Spike.