El Gato Volador

Jerry the mouse helps his old friend the canary (from the great "Kitty Foiled") that Tom the cat is trying to capture for dinner. Tom tries in vain to get the bird, even going so far as to make a pair of wings for himself to soar at the birds level. A few funny gags highlight this animated short, but it's just not as good as the previously mentioned "Kitty Foiled". I can't seem to put my finger on just why though. But this film is still funny and very much worth your time. This hilarious classic cartoon can be found on disc two of the Spotlight collection DVD of "Tom & Jerry"

My Grade: B

It takes a while for the decent gags to kick in, but when they do The Flying Cat is incredibly funny stuff.

The action starts with Tom eyeing up a pet canary in a cage, who he intends to turn into a snack. On seeing Tom make off with the cage, Jerry decides to lend the little bird a hand, and Tom chases the mouse as a result. Fortunately for Jerry, the canary isn't as helpless as he seems, and teams up with Jerry to turn the tables on Tom. So far, so predictable…

Where the cartoon really gets funny is when Tom becomes entangled in a corset, the material forming a pair of wings with which Tom is able to fly. While this is extremely far-fetched, even for a Tom and Jerry caper, it does lead to some of the funniest moments in the series so far. Tom quickly masters the art of flying and is able to chase both Jerry and the bird, zooming after them at high speed.

Of course, flight isn't without its hazards, and Tom find himself coming a cropper in a variety of painful ways, the most excruciating being when he lands with such great force on a tree (legs apart, the trunk hitting him in the crotch) that the tree is sawn in two. Yeeeoowch!

7.5 out of 10 overall, but everything after Tom learning to fly is easily worth an 8.

Whether this was a rip-off of the Tweety-and-Sylvester 'toon called "Kitty Foiled" or not was immaterial to me once I watched this because this was outstanding. (So was "Kitty Foiled.")

The sight-gags, pratfalls, slapstick nonsense, etc., were almost all very clever in this short as Tom tries one thing after another to either get the canary or Jerry. It's mayhem, with one catastrophe after another happening the hapless cat. Is imitation of a flying bat is pretty wild.

Actually, it's almost too much action. After awhile, you want to say: "stop! slow down for a second!"

Overall, however, it entertains nicely and provides a lot of laughs, which is the idea. The artwork in here is pretty good, too.

Yes, "Kitty Foiled" was somewhat better than this cartoon with its nonstop action and gags, but this cartoon is still above average T&J cartoon, even compared to the ones made earlier than this.

What really caught my attention was how much this cartoon borrows from the "Fast and Furry-ous", the first (and in 1952 the only so far) Road Runner cartoon combined with some elements from Sylvester and Tweety shorts.

This time the canary moves to a bird's nest located on a high pole which should be a familiar element to most who have seen Sylvester chasing Tweety.

The Road Runner references are easier to spot. Although Tom doesn't have ACME tools, he really tries to get to the nest in numerous unlucky ways à la Wile E. Coyote, until he invents wings. He also flashes the trademark grin of the coyote at the camera just before he hits that mail box...

All these non-dissimilar cartoons had of course the same central element (The Chase), but I can't really tell whether I prefer one over the others.

'The Flying Cat (1952)' is just delightful. Its inventive sight gags are guaranteed to get a laugh and its impressive animation is a treat to behold. The story centres around Jerry making a new friend and going to live with him in his bird hut, all while Tom tries to figure out how to get hold of both of them. It's consistently entertaining right the way through. It also has a wonderful dynamic between its visuals and its audio. It feels like a quintessential 'Tom & Jerry' toon, one that spices up the formula just enough to make it feel fresh without contorting it beyond recognition. It's great. 8/10