The Bodyguard (1944 film)

The Bodyguard
Tom and Jerry series
The reissue title card of The Bodyguard
Directed by	William Hanna Joseph Barbera
Produced by	Fred Quimby (unc. on original issue)
Voices by	Billy Bletcher
Music by	Scott Bradley
Animation by	Ken Muse (as Kenneth Muse on the reissue) Pete Burness Ray Patterson Irven Spence Assistant animation: Barney Posner (uncredited)
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s)	July 22, 1944, April 28, 1951 (re-release)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	7:21
Language	English
Preceded by	The Million Dollar Cat
Followed by	Puttin' on the Dog

The Bodyguard is a 1944 American one-reel animated cartoon and is the 15th Tom and Jerry short directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, produced by Fred Quimby and animated by Ken Muse, Ray Patterson, Irven Spence and Pete Burness. The cartoon features Spike the bulldog in his second role, though this is the first time he is ever able to speak. It was produced in Technicolor and released to theatres on July 22, 1944 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer.

This short is one of the selected few in which Tom emerges victorious over Jerry.

Followed by the 1952 Tom and Jerry Cartoon sequel Fit to Be Tied

The starting scene shows Tom running after Jerry. Jerry hides behind a potato mound in a garden when he hears Spike the bulldog call to him. Spike has been caught by a dog catcher and locked in the back of his truck, and Jerry is the only one who can help him escape from the truck before it drives away. Despite their differences, Jerry shows Spike mercy and frees him by removing a piece of wood that latches the cage shut. Spike falls out of the truck just as it pulls away, and thanks Jerry by vowing to assist the mouse at any time at the sound of a whistle.

Carefree, Jerry strolls down the sidewalk, and Tom jumps out from around the corner with a plate, fork, knife, and a napkin around his neck. As Jerry screeches to a stop and reverses direction, Tom sneaks around the fence and holds out two pieces of bread as the mouse heads towards him, such that Jerry is unable to stop in time. Just as Tom starts to cut the bread in half with Jerry in it, Jerry whistles and Spike saves him by grabbing Tom in the neck. He checks on Jerry to make sure he's O.K. and then issues Tom with an ultimatum: the cat will better to leave Jerry alone and not going to do this trouble or he will face the consequences. To prove his point, Spike squashes Tom into an accordion before walking off, reminding his pal once again to just whistle. Seeing an opportunity to provoke Tom, Jerry picks up a tiny board and challenges the cat to a fight, who flicks the board away and prepares to punch the mouse. Then Jerry whistles before Spike zooms in and his own punch lands onto his Tom's face, which leaves the cat dazed in front of a mailbox behind him. Once again, Spike reminds to Jerry: "Anytime, chum".