Dicky Moe

Director: Gene Deitch
Release Date: July, 1962
Stars: Tom & Jerry
Rating: ★
Review:

Tom is involuntarily drafted on a whaling ship of an Ahab-like character in search of the whale ‘Dicky Moe’. On board Tom encounters Jerry, who makes life at sea extra hard for Tom.

Although ‘Dicky Moe’ could have been a nice take on ‘Moby Dick’ , the cartoon completely fails to deliver its promise. Most of the gags have nothing to do with Moby Dick, and the titular whale only arrives after six minutes. The best gag is the one in which a black Tom pretends to be the captain’s shadow, but I guess most viewers will remember this cartoon for the captain repeatedly exclaiming ‘Dicky Moe!’.

Nevertheless, the short is slightly more interesting to look at than most Gene Deitch Tom & Jerry cartoons, because of its nice etch-like backgrounds.

Watch an excerpt from ‘Dicky Moe’ yourself and tell me what you think:

This is Tom & Jerry cartoon No. 122
To the previous Tom & Jerry cartoon: Calypso Cat
To the next Tom & Jerry cartoon: The Tom and Jerry Cartoon Kit

‘Dicky Moe’ is available on the DVD-set ‘Tom and Jerry – The Gene Deitch Collection’