The Ballad of Rita the Cat

The Ballad of Rita the Cat is a 1975 American animated musical film produced by Walt Disney Productions and Buena Vista Distribution. It is the last Tom and Jerry musical film in the series but unlike The Cat Above and the Mouse Below (1961) and Cat and Dupli-cat, Tom and Jerry are both silent in this film rather than singing. This film marks the debut of Rita the Cat who will later appear in the WB animated show Animaniacs. The film uses a mix of plots of the four musical cartoons are the WB cartoons Back Alley Oproar, Long Haired Hare, and One Froggy Evening and the MGM Chuck Jones Tom and Jerry cartoon The Cat Above and the Mouse Below (1964).

Synopsis
Tom is trying to stop a singing cat named Rita, but he fail a lot as Jerry plays the violin while Rita sing.

Plot
The film opens as Tom is ready for bedtime, but Rita has other plans as she starts singing on the fence in Tom's backyard. A series of gags play out, as Tom tries everything up his sleeve to get rid of that singing cat. Jerry enters Tom's backyard and pulls out a violin as he starts playing the same songs that Rita sung. When Tom is about to sleep again, he hears Rita singing a sweet, gentle lullaby on her harp which causes him to be extremely angry! Tom crushes Rita's harp and her neck to stop singing and destroys Jerry's violin which causes him to be sad. The next morning, Tom wakes up and sits on a chair to listen music on a radio, but however, it was interrupted by the radio announcer stating that Rita is the most beautiful singer ever and begins playing "Rita's Song" on the radio which make Tom very upset. Jerry and Rita noticed that her concert is going be start tonight and Tom is also going to Rita's concert and attempts to stop it! As the concert starts, Jerry now dressed as an conductor with a wig and begins conducting as Rita begins singing. Tom is very frustrating as a series of gags play out to let Tom stopping Rita's concert. When Rita's concert finishes with Rita singing a very loud stretchy note, Tom drops one of the sandbags which sends Rita crashing in the floor! Jerry is so sad because Tom finally stops her concert! Everyone in the audience (even Jerry) are very mad at Tom for what he had done begins throwing tomatoes at Tom! At the bench, Tom is sitting next to Rita who is singing a heavenly tune which a police officer hears it and approaches Tom as he said to him "Is that a cat that can sing?" Tom points to Rita and as Rita begins to sing again, Tom has to throw her off but the officer said to him "Hold it right here! This cat sings wonderful melodies about being good and you are the other cat under arrest!". Tom got sent to jail but he sees Rita singing a sad song with Jerry playing his violin which causes Tom to cry! Tom walks so slowly outside and walks back home and lays down on a rug. Jerry and Rita made their way home and Jerry notices an idea that he and the other mice will be inviting to the mini Hollywood bowl with Rita being the singer, Jerry being the conductor, and all other mice will be playing their instruments. The film closes with Tom angrily looking at Rita singing her own song as Jerry and the other mice are playing.

Connections to the Cartoons
The film is a combination of the four musical cartoons Back Alley Oproar, Long Haired Hare, One Froggy Evening, and the 1964 version of The Cat Above and the Mouse Below.