Robin Hoodwinked

Robin Hoodwinked is a 1958 one reel animated Tom and Jerry short released after the MGM cartoon studio had effectively closed down. It was the penultimate Tom and Jerry cartoon that was directed (and produced) by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera with music by Scott Bradley. It also marked the final appearance of Nibbles (a.k.a. Tuffy), who first appeared in The Milky Waif. The cartoon was released on June 6, 1958, animated by Kenneth Muse, Carlo Vinci, Lewis Marshall and James Escalante with backgrounds by Robert Gentle and layouts by Richard Bickenbach.

Robin Hoodwinked is reminiscent of the "Mouseketeer" cartoons, except here, Tuffy (Nibbles) speaks in a hybrid of Saxon/Cockney English (with a very poor accent) as opposed to French.

Summary
Hearing the news that Robin Hood has been captured, and is sure to hang, Jerry and Tuffy decide to go and free Robin, who is imprisoned in the dungeons of Notthingham Castle, with Tom as guard. They break into the dungeon and find the cell where "poor old Robin is locked up tight, 'e is", but first they have to get past Tom, who guards the "bloomin' key"..

They find the "bloomin' key" and grab it off Tom, but Tom locks Jerry and Tuffy in the cellar and swallows the key. Jerry and Tuffy escape the cellar, and Tuffy is able to get the key for Robin Hood's cell by abseiling from a piece of string, into Tom's mouth, whilst Tom is asleep. However, the string breaks, and Tom swallows Tuffy, waking him up in the process. Hiccuping, Tom drinks down a great deal of red wine, and then he goes back to sleep.

Tuffy emerges from Tom's mouth, clearly inebriated. He almost escapes, but the prongs of the key get caught on Tom's mouth and he wakes up again. Tom closes his mouth, trapping Tuffy. "Blimey! 'E locked me in, 'e did!". Tuffy breaks through Tom's teeth, using the key as a battering-ram.

Jerry helps Tuffy escape Tom, and together they give the key to Robin Hood. However, Tom raises the alarm. A silhouette of Robin Hood is seen diving into the moat around the castle and he escapes, with arrows flying all around him. Jerry and Tuffy celebrate Robin's freedom, but Tuffy's diaper gets caught on a flying arrow and he is sent into a nearby tree. A still-inebriated Tuffy is carousing, whilst being carried on the arrow-shaft by Jerry.

Availability
DVD
 * Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Vol. 3, Disc Two