Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl

Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl is a 1950 American one-reel animated cartoon and is the 52nd Tom and Jerry short directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. The cartoon, as the title suggests, is set at the Hollywood Bowl in California, where Tom is conducting a large orchestra. The cartoon was animated by Kenneth Muse, Irven Spence, Ray Patterson and Ed Barge. It was released to theatres in September 16, 1950 and reissued in 1957. The music was scored by Scott Bradley, making use of Johann Strauss II's Overture of "Die Fledermaus," with intro and outro making use of Franz Liszt's Les préludes.

Plot
Tom enters the stage to rapturous applause, bows and starts conducting the cat orchestra to the overture of "Die Fledermaus." Jerry emerges from a mouse hole which has a Hollywood Bowl-like exterior. Jerry rushes to the podium to conduct the orchestra alongside Tom. Tom notices Jerry and attempts to flatten him with his baton, until he sees Jerry continuing to conduct the music, from Tom's baton. Tom stuffs him into his suit and continues to conduct the orchestra, but Jerry pops out from both of Tom's sleeves, then his dickie to conduct further. Tom grabs him and catapults Jerry from his baton, and Jerry lands safely on a harp, but as his eyes are closed while conducting, he doesn't realise where he is at first. When he does open his eyes, he glances angrily at Tom. He offers to dance the Du und du with Tom, and the cat dances innocently with the mouse, until Jerry sends Tom spinning into a cello, Tom gets his revenge on Jerry by offering him a chance to dance. He pummels and wallops Jerry around the stage and hurls him into a sousaphone, where he is "squirted" by the blowing of one of the orchestra members into the instrument.

The attempts of both cat and mouse to get one up on each other continue, with Tom using his baton as a snooker cue to put Jerry off the podium. When Jerry pleads and begs Tom to let him conduct the orchestra, Tom uses Jerry's baton as a toothpick and throws it away. Jerry retaliates by snapping Tom's baton in half and then throwing that away, only for Tom to produce a spare baton from his pocket. He sticks his tongue at Jerry and continues to conduct. Jerry, fed up, hammers some wheels onto the podium and pushes the podium (with Tom still on it) out of the amphitheatre. Tom, unaware of what is going on, continues to conduct, as the podium travels out of town and into the road, where he is promptly flattened by a passing bus.

By now, Tom is furious. He returns, with his suit ripped and his eyes blackened, and grabs Jerry by the coat-tails, and dangles him between two cymbals, which are bashed together, flattening Jerry. A flat and almost transparent Jerry floats down to the floor and pops back to his full size and structure. Enraged and deciding to sabotage the concert, Jerry grabs a saw and starts sawing underneath the floor of the orchestra, causing the feline members of the orchestra to suddenly disappear under the floor. Jerry disposes of the orchestra members, one by one, until only Tom is left to play all of the instruments while Jerry conducts and the concert ends.

And of course, Jerry takes all applause and credit for himself, then he points to the "One-Man Orchestra" Tom, who is now very tired. Tom stands up then, nods to the applause given to him and to Jerry by the crowd... and falls down like the band of feline orchestra.

Availability
DVD
 * Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Vol. 1, Disc Two