Love That Pup

Love That Pup is a 1949 American one-reel animated cartoon and is the 44th Tom and Jerry cartoon released. It was produced in Technicolor and released to theaters on October 1, 1949 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. This is the first time that Daws Butler voiced Spike the Bulldog in the late 1940s, because he took Billy Bletcher's place as an actor. This cartoon also marks the official debut of the definitive version of Tom and Jerry's trademark opening theme score of Scott Bradley, which went on to be reused as the intro for most of the subsequent shorts (with some exceptions). Many other shorts either opened with contemporary pop songs or themes from other cartoons by MGM, while some shorts from the same year and even reissues from previous short before this one had a prototype rendition of this "Love That Pup" opening score.

Directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Produced by Fred Quimby.

Dialogue

Spike: [to Tom] Hey, you! That's my boy you got in your hand! Listen, pussycat. If I catch you bothering my boy again, I'll tear you apart! Now beat it!

[Spike then releases him and Tom flees, crashing into (in turn) a tree, a fountain, a clothesline hanger and then into a trash can]

---

[Spike busts himself out of the shed and rushes up to Tom]

Spike: Where's my boy?! [Tom shrugs as he doesn't know where Tyke is.] If he's under that barrel, I'll skin ya alive!

[Tom gets off the barrel and snaps his fingers. As he tries to lift the barrel up, he hears Jerry's whistle. Jerry waves to Tom because he's not under the barrel. Tom gulps twice in fear, realizing he's in serious trouble now.]

Spike: Come on! Lift it up!

[Tom nervously attempts to lift the barrel, but Spike grabs the barrel and finds Tyke. Tyke wiggles his tail at his father. Tom then flees away from Spike and Tyke until he crashes into a tree, fountain, and clothesline hanger again. But, instead of the trash can this time, Spike punches him in the face. Tom tries to reverse away from him, but Spike corners him, launches himself at the feline and then, BOOM! He viciously pummels him off-screen, making him scream in agony. The screen shakes upon impact and trails of smoke billow from the left side of the screen and various objects are thrown and broken during the beating, just like in Quiet Please, but with more objects and no table lamp this time.]

Tom: [off-screen] YEOW! YEOW!

[That night, after getting clobbered and beaten up by Spike, a fuming Tom is seen wearing a bankruptcy barrel to cover his lack of fur and standing outside the gate, having been assigned by Spike to guard him and Tyke with a baseball bat and he grumbles dreadfully about it. Peeking through the knothole in the fence, he sees his fur being used as a cozy rug by the sleeping bulldogs. Jerry crawls up to them and hangs up a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on Spike's ear before snuggling up between him and Tyke and falling asleep himself, ending the cartoon.]

Cast

• Patrick McGeehan - Spike
• William Hanna - Tom / Tyke

External links

Creators	William Hanna · Joseph Barbera
Characters	Tom Cat · Jerry Mouse
Feature films	Animated films	Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992)
	Live action films	Tom & Jerry (2021)
Television series	Tom and Jerry
Short films	Tom and Jerry shorts