The Million Dollar Cat is a 1944 Tom and Jerry cartoon directed by Hanna-Barbera.
Tom inherits a million dollars from an eccentric aunt on the condition that the avoid harming any living creature, including a mouse. Unsurprisingly, Jerry decides to take advantage of this condition and torment Tom.
Tropes appearing in this cartoon:
- The Cat Came Back: No matter where Tom goes, Jerry is there to mooch off his wealth, the telegram in hand to remind him that he'll lose the money if he hurts him. Even after tricking Jerry into jumping off the penthouse window, Tom is wary of finding Jerry hiding in his breakfast, so he carefully lifts the cover over the dish. Finding no Jerry underneath, Tom takes the folded napkin to put around his neck... and finds Jerry hiding underneath it.
- Enemy Eats Your Lunch: The final straw for Tom is when Jerry eats his breakfast and pranks him with the stuff he does not eats.
- Food Slap: Tom finally reaches his breaking point when Jerry eats his breakfast and pranks him by squeezing orange juice in his face and hits him with an egg.
- High-Pressure Emotion: As Tom reaches his Rage Breaking Point, the anger literally bubbles up his head until it comes out his ears with a steam whistle sound.
- Literal Metaphor: The first thing Tom does when he finally has enough is tear the telegraph apart and grab the "not even a mouse" piece of it when Jerry scavenges it and rams it down Jerry's throat, literally making him eat his words.
- No-Harm Requirement: Tom will inherit one million dollars as long as he doesn't harm any living creature. That includes a mouse like Jerry.
- Oh, Crap!: Jerry has one when Tom reaches his Rage Breaking Point, complete with an audible "gulp!" after he's forced to swallow the piece of the telegram mentioning Tom couldn't hurt even a mouse or he'd lose his inheritance, knowing he's a dead mouse now for pushing Tom too far.
- On One Condition: "Tom cannot harm any other animals, not even a mouse."
- Pet Heir: Tom inherits a million dollars, but on the condition that he doesn't harm any living thing, "EVEN A MOUSE". Jerry, naturally, takes advantage of the situation.
- Rage Breaking Point: Once Jerry eats Tom's breakfast and slaps Tom's dickey in his face, the cat loses his cool and attacks Jerry, even ignoring the fact that he will lose the million dollars he inherited.
- Team Rocket Wins: This is the first Tom and Jerry cartoon where Tom manages to get the better of Jerry at the end.
- Suddenly Speaking: As he is getting his revenge on Jerry for tormenting him throughout the cartoon, Tom pauses to say this to the audience:Tom: Gee... I'm throwin' away a million dollars... BUT I'M HAPPY!!
- William Telling: The short opens with Tom throwing Darts at Jerry who is tied up with an apple on his head.
- Worth It: At the end, Tom tells the audience that, even if he loses his fortune for getting even with Jerry, he's happy nonetheless.
