In the 1954 broadcast of "Neapolitan Mouse", Tom and Jerry travel to Naples, Italy, for an exotic journey and meet a passionate little gray rat.
Romantic, laid-back, scenic harbour with melodious whistles and Neapolitan music, a luxury cruise ship sails into port. Tom and Jerry poked their heads out of the porthole in turn, happily looking at the scenery of a foreign country. It didn't take long for the two little guys to start a new round of you chasing me.
A small local gray mouse on a street corner is woken up by a fight between the two. He helps the bullied Jerry deal with Tom, teaches the local dog who bullied Tom, and then takes Tom and Jerry on a tour of Naples.
The first stop is the San Carlo Teatro and Galleria Umberto I.
Today's opera house still presents a plain and solemn appearance after fire, war and multiple renovations.
Left: Teatro Real san Carlo; right: Galleria Umberto I
During the Bourbon period, King Carlo III of Naples wanted to give Naples a larger and more updated opera house, ordering the renovation of the old site, which began on November 4, 1737.
The completed opera hall is 28.6 meters long and 22.5 meters long, and the performance stage is large enough to let the scenes of battle and sea stretch out.
The Opera House hosts the greatest era of Neapolitan opera. The famous opera Gioacchino Rossini served here as artistic director.
Opposite the Opera House is the famous Arcade de Umberto I.
This is the shopping mall of Naples, facing the main street of the city. Glass domes, elaborate carvings and magnificent layouts highlight the opulence that makes it one of the liveliest social hubs for locals.
The trio then came to the famous port of Santa Lucia, Monte Vesuvio and Fontana del Gigante.
Designed for the Royal Palace of Naples in the 17th century, the fountain sits on a huge ancient statue, hence the name, and later migrated to the picturesque port.
"This is the island of Nisida, how beautiful, you listen~"
Towards the end of the trip, the three of them arrived at the island of Nisida on the outskirts of Naples, where the little gray rat sang and danced to the music, and could not help but burst into tears.
The island of Nissida is a huge volcanic crater overlooking the crescent shape. Legend has it that Ulysses hid from the Cyclops and was used as a villa, prison, military base, etc.
Parco Virgiliano, where the trio is located, is directly opposite the island and is the best location for a far view.
The song that moves the little gray rat is the Neapolitan folk song "Maria marì", which was composed by Eduardo di Capua along with the famous "O sole mio".
The song is about a man who falls in love with his beloved woman, Maria, and cannot sleep. The affectionate call is touching, and the beautiful and strong emotions of the Neapolitan people are also felt.
Speaking of music, this episode is actually a neapolitan song scene. "Port Santa Lucia" runs through the film and appears in the opening music, and "Tom and Jerry" also has an episode about Tom and Jerry on a cruise ship in Port Santa Lucia.
The song "Santa Rukia" depicts a boatman asking his guests to take a ride on his boat. With a cool breeze at night, the port of Santa Lucia has a different kind of beauty, and the night moon shines in all directions. The song is gentle and melodious, singing the simple folk style of the Neapolitans.
There is also a story behind this song. Santa Rucia was originally a Neapolitan. She was persecuted and martyred when she went to Sicily as a missionary. Later, in honor of her being named the "Holy Daughter of Light", the port was named Santa Rukia. In 1894, the Italian composer Teodore Cottrau translated the lyrics into Italian (and the first Neapolitan song to be translated into Italian) and published it as a ship song.
In addition, the Blue Dog bullying Tom and chasing clips use Rossini's "La danza", and when the trio visits the San Carlo opera, a short section of "Chi mi frena in tal momento" appears. ）
In fact, the animation is also featured in many famous scenes in Naples throughout the film, and the most beautiful bay scenery is at the beginning.
The Observation Deck (Luogo Panoramico) halfway up the west side of the city offers sweeping views.
This was followed by two iconic buildings, castel Nuovo and monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II.
Vittorio Emanuele II was the first king of Italy after unification. In fact, the statue is on the island in Piazza Giovanni Bovio square near Fort Nouvelle. On weekdays, the square is bustling with traffic and busy.
Tom chases Jerry past a park where Jerry pretends to be a statue of a lion spraying water.
Although this seaside park is an unpopular attraction, it is a good place for leisure.
The iconic Fountain of the Lion (Fontana della Tazza di Porfido) is also known as the "Fountain of The Four Seasons". Around the four lions are four statues that symbolize the four seasons, with plants representing spring, Ceres representing summer, Dionysus holding a bunch of grapes to represent the autumn harvest, and an old man wrapping cloth to warm up winter.
Immediately after, cats and mice make their way through the streets of the Old Town.
A pot of tomatoes lays on the side of the road, and not far away is a small stall, which seems to be close to the Neapolitan bazaar.
Rather than visiting malls and supermarkets, this is the most down-to-earth way for Neapolitans to shop. Noisy sounds, bright colors, let people feel the whole view, full of fireworks.
Tom continued to chase Jerry down the streets of the Old Town.
The streets of the old town are narrow and undulating. Pedestrians and motorcycles walk through the roman roads of the ages, bustling, and the alleys of Naples carry the joys and sorrows of the city's life.
After being lectured by the little grey rat, the blue dog slipped away.
The fountain in the background resembles the Artichoke Fountain (Fontana del Carciofo) on Piazza Trieste.
Located at a roundabout near the Opera House, the fountain is a creative modern fountain designed in 1950 in the image of artichokes.
At the end of the cartoon, Blue Dog seeks help to take revenge, and the three work together to defeat them.
It was getting dark, Tom and Jerry were on a boat, the little gray rat was standing on the dock waving goodbye, and Mount Vesuvius behind him had a unique charm under the cover of the sunset.
The sentient and righteous Neapolitan little gray rat, full of the Spirit of Naples, is the representative of the Neapolitan people's morality and seriousness.
He once said: "I just can't get used to bullying the small with the big." "Whether it is Tom who bullied Jerry or the blue dog who bullied Tom, he showed no mercy; although he was a small one, he dared to hoe the strong and help the weak, and used wisdom to defeat brute force."
Not only that, but the cartoon also implicitly shows the native culture of southern Italy.
When Jerry hides from Tom, he disguises himself with a fake beard, imitating the legendary Vito Cascio Ferro of the Italian Mafia.
Vito Cascio Ferro
An episode of Tom and Jerry is only a few minutes away, and a trip to Naples is still unfinished. If you are lucky enough to set foot on that land, it is really interesting to slowly enjoy the next step of Naples from the perspective of Tom and Jerry.