Heavenly Puss

**Heavenly Puss** is a 1949 one-reel animated cartoon and is the 42nd *Tom and Jerry* short, created in 1948, and released on 9 July 1949. It was directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, and produced by Fred Quimby. The cartoon's music was composed by Scott Bradley and the animation was credited to Ray Patterson, Irven Spence, Kenneth Muse and Ed Barge.

## Plot

Tom is sleeping near the fireplace, but sees Jerry sneaking past him. Jerry goes up onto the dinner table and tries to reach for the food, but Tom whacks him with a knife and Jerry retreats, running up the staircase. Tom pulls the carpet off the staircase to catch Jerry, but also pulls down a large upright piano. While Jerry dodges, the piano squashes Tom to death. Tom's spirit ascends to the "Heavenly Express", a train that sends dead cats to Heaven.

Several cats are waiting to enter, including Butch, who has lost a fight with a bulldog, Frankie, who was struck with a flat iron while singing on a backyard fence, Aloysius, who was run over and flattened by a steamroller, and Fluff, Muff and Puff, a trio of kittens who were thrown into a river and drowned ("What some people won't do"). The gatekeeper allows them all through as their deaths were untimely, but catches Tom trying to sneak past him. The gatekeeper refuses him entry because Tom has persecuted "an innocent little mouse" all of his life. Tom is given a certificate of forgiveness for Jerry to sign to board the train which leaves in one hour. If he fails, Tom will be banished to hell where the devil (Spike) awaits.

At first, Tom thinks it was all a dream until he sees the certificate and a clock appears with the gatekeeper warning him to hurry. Tom pleads Jerry to sign, bringing cake, but Jerry eats the cake quick and sprays the pen's ink into Tom's face. Then Tom tries to forge Jerry's signature, but the gatekeeper stops him ("Thomas! Ah ah ah-ah-ah!"). Later Tom attempts to bribe Jerry with a piece of cheese, but Jerry thinks it's a trick and he tears up the certificate, causing Tom into rage, violently grabbing Jerry. Before Tom attempted to hit Jerry, the devil pops out and reminds Tom of the consequence of doing so, tempting him to finish the job ("Attaboy, Tom! Hit him and let's go! Come on!"). In fear, Tom quickly acts compassionately, as the devil disappears. After quickly taping up the torn certificate, Tom pleads with Jerry into signing it and miming that he is sorry for what he done. Realizing that Tom needs his help in order to go to heaven and have a better rest, Jerry sympathetically does in the end. However, Tom misses the deadline and the heavenly escalator disappears when he attempted to hurry back upwards. Tom then falls into a hole that directly leads to Hell where he will be tortured by the devil. But then it is revealed that Tom was actually dreaming and he finally wakes up when a piece of hot coal burns his tail, much to his relief. Then, Tom coaxes Jerry out of his hole, and suddenly peppers him with kisses and hugs him with joy, much to Jerry's confusion.

## Notes

* This is the last short to have Billy Bletcher as the voice of Spike Bulldog.
* This short also borrows a central plot device from *A Matter of Life and Death*.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.whataboutthad.com/mgm-cartoon-filmography-by-production-number/
2. ↑ https://tralfaz.blogspot.com/2022/01/send-him-down.html