Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (January 26, 2025)
When movie studios reacted to the growing threat of TV in the early 1950s with widescreen cinematic aspect ratios, cartoons joined the crusade as well – at times, at least. Given that a 2.35:1 animated short required nearly twice as much art as a 1.33:1 reel, these came with higher costs so they didn’t become commmonplace.
MGM did finance 23 Tom and Jerry shorts that used the 2.35:1 dimensions. These started in 1954 and ran through 1958.
I’ll look at the cartoons in the alphabetical order presented here. I’ll provide plot synopses from IMDB as well as quick thoughts and ratings on a 1-10 scale.
One note about these numerical judgments: I used these for various Looney Tunes sets as well, but don’t assume an 8/10 or whatever for T&J means I rate that short on the same level as a Looney Tunes 8/10. I don’t like T&J nearly as much as I do Looney Tunes, so rather than end up with more mediocre rankings, I graded this collection on a curve that compared T&J to T&J, not to other franchises.
Pet Peeve (1954): “When pet food gets too expensive, Tom the cat and Spike the dog must compete as mousers. Their owners will allow the one who catches Jerry the mouse to stay.”
Peeve makes Jerry much more passive than the average T&J offering, as he mainly stands by while Tom and Spike compete. Nothing remarkable emerges but a few clever bits arrive. 7/10.
Touché, Pussy Cat! (1954): “Mouseketeer Jerry's old friend François Mouse sends his son Tuffy for training. But when Jerry must save the tyke from a run-in with Tom, the little one is sent packing until he manages to save Jerry.”
Like many T&J shorts, Touché proves more cute than funny. Nonetheless, it still comes with some charms and proves largely enjoyable. 8/10.
Southbound Duckling (1955): “Jerry's fowl friend plans to fly south for the winter despite the fact domestic ducks do not fly south – and despite his obvious inability to fly at all.”
On one hand, Southbound loses some points due to derivative factors. For one, “Little Quacker” the duckling sounds an awful lot like Donald Duck, and for another, his stubborn personality seems reminiscent of Henery the chicken hawk from Looney Tunes.
Also, Tom’s participation seems forced, as he adds unnecessary peril to a tale that would work just between Jerry and Quacker. Still, the various elements largely overcome these obstacles to entertain. 8/10.
Pup on a Picnic (1955): “Spike takes his son on a picnic. Jerry hides in the basket so Tom disrupts the picnic to chase him.”
Don’t expect a lot of creativity from Picnic, as it relies on pretty standard “cat chases mouse/dog beats up cat” shenanigans. While not a weak short, it seems wholly mediocre. 5/10.
Tom and Chérie (1955): “Mousketeer Jerry forces his student to deliver love letters to his darling Lilli, a task that requires the pupil to get past Tom.”
I liked our most recent foray into “Mousketeer Jerry” territory, and despite his overtly cute orientation, I kind of enjoy Tuffy’s appearance, perhaps because he speaks and that adds flavor to the typically dialogue-free antics of Tom and Jerry. Chérie manages some mirth, though Jerry seems like a bit of a jerk since he refuses to believe Tuffy’s stories of Tom’s threat and he refuses to deliver the letters himself. 7/10.
That’s My Mommy (1955): “When a duck hatches from the egg underneath Tom, he is convinced the cat is his mother.”
IMDB bills this short’s bird as “Little Quacker”, and he bears the same voice as performed by Red Coffey. Still, the character doesn’t seem similar in other ways.
Anyway, Mommy seems destined to “go cutesy” based on the plot, but it proves more sadistic than expected, especially since Quacker so gladly accepts all the ways Tom tries to kill/eat him. This perverse streak makes it work. 9/10.
The Flying Sorceress (1956): “Tom steals a witch's flying broom so he can scare the wits out of Jerry.”
I appreciate that Sorceress shakes up the usual T&J MO due to the inclusion of its supernatural elements. The witch played by June Foray annoys, but the short’s creativity overcomes this problem. 8/10.
The Egg and Jerry (1956): “A baby woodpecker mistakes Jerry for his mother. The mouse rejects the newly-hatched bird but soon must protect it against his feline nemesis Tom.”
Whereas Mommy made Tom the assumed parent of a wayward bird, Egg does the same for Jerry. This creates some similar kinds of comedic beats, though the fact Egg uses a woodpecker instead of a duck – and a feisty woodpecker at that – adds some spark. 7/10.
Busy Buddies (1956): “Tom and Jerry must take care of a baby because the babysitter spends her time on the phone.”
Given the natural antagonism between T and J, shorts in which they join forces offer a twist. Beyond that, Buddies seems less than stellar, mainly because we already got two cartoons in which Tom or Jerry became unlikely guardians. 6/10.
Muscle Beach Tom (1956): “Tom settles in for a day at the beach with his sweetie and accidentally ruins Jerry's day. Tom's girl pays more attention to the bodybuilders than to Tom.”
Two plots means twice the fun? Not really, as Beach seems a bit trite and unfocused. Some laughs result but the end product doesn’t quite click. 5/10.
Down Beat Bear (1956): “A dancing bear escapes from a carnival and uses Tom as his reluctant dance partner.”
Expect Beat to offer essentially a one-joke affair that concentrates on shtick related to the bear and Tom. It becomes a decent short but not a memorable one. 5/10.
Blue Cat Blues (1956): “As Tom prepares to commit suicide, Jerry recounts the cat's hopeless lover's pursuit of the opportunistic lady that led to this.”
Nothing like a little suicide to entertain the youngsters! Blues stands out in other ways too, as it posits Tom and Jerry as besties and also comes with narration from the mouse. Though it echoes aspects of Muscle Beach Tom, it feels weird enough to stand on its own, and it comes with a surprisingly grim finale. 7/10.
Barbecue Brawl (1956): “Spike shows his son Tyke how to barbecue when Tom and Jerry’s antics interrupt.”
Boy, this franchise really adapted the characters to be whatever they wanted in the moment, didn’t they? Sometimes Spike and Tom are housepets but then Spike suddenly speaks and owns his own home!
Well, no one should ever expect continuity from animated shorts. Brawl feels like it borrows too much from other T&J shorts, especially when it reprises an ant invasion from an earlier reel in this very collection. 5/10.
Tops with Pops (1957): “Spike the bulldog warns Tom to keep away from his son Tyke. Jerry realizes that sticking close to the boy is the best way to repel his feline tormentor, but Tom won’t let the mouse evade him so easily.”
Spike and Tyke didn’t rock my world in Brawl so I went into Pops without much optimism. This one retains Spike’s ability to speak English and he still sounds like Jimmy Durante but it makes him a pet again, and that seems like a confusing twist. The short fails to find much to do with its predictable scenarios as well. 4/10.
Timid Tabby (1957): “Tom's fraidy cat cousin comes for a visit and Jerry takes advantage of the cowardly feline.”
Why does Tom’s cousin George possess the ability to speak English while Tom remains mute? Oh, the perplexities of the T&J universe!
That oddness aside, Tabby works, mainly because it casts Jerry as the aggressor who deserves comeuppance for once. While predictable in many ways, the short still finds enough cleverness to click. 8/10.
Feedin’ the Kiddie (1957): “When Jerry hosts his infant nephew Tuffy, he must keep the gluttonous youngster from Tom’s maw.”
Although Mouseketeer Tuffy could speak, this one remains silent. Perhaps this occurs because Kiddie posits Tuffy as a diaper-wearing infant, though that seems weird since the kid travels on his own.
Again, I attempt logic in this franchise’s topsy-turvy world! Strange choices aside, Kiddie feels fairly meh, mainly because we’ve already gotten other shorts in which an innocent youth must be kept safe. Outside of the holiday setting, this one finds little fresh to bring to the table. 5/10.
Mucho Mouse (1957): “Award-winning mouse catcher Tom arrives in Spain to catch the flamenco dancing rodent El Magnifico.”
Expect all sorts of weirdness from Mucho. In addition to its exotic setting, we also get a Tom who can speak – and who tries to muster some Spanish!
Of course, this acts as windowdressing for a pretty standard “Tom tries to capture Jerry” theme. Nonetheless, it becomes good windowdressing that turns into a fun short. 8/10.
Tom’s Photo Finish (1957): “When owner George threatens to punish the pet who ate some leftover chicken, Tom – who committed the act – attempts to frame Spike. Jerry uses photography to alter this equation.”
The use of Jerry’s camerawork gives a twist to the standard battle between Spike and Tom – albeit a weird one. Still, the short comes with some decent moments. 6/10.
Happy Go Ducky (1958): “Little Quacker hatches out of an Easter egg to spread positive messages to everyone and everything he sees, but keeping him from harm turns out to be a full-time job for Tom and Jerry.”
This seems reminiscent of That’s My Mommy, though neither Tom nor Jerry wishes harm upon Quacker in this one. It proves nothing special in most ways, but I like Quacker enough to find entertainment from it. 6/10.
Royal Cat Nap (1958): “Tom must oppose The Two Mouseketeers without disturbing the King's sleep.”
Once again, we get fairly typical cat vs. mouse antics with the twist of an unusual setting. Unlike Mucho Mouse, though, this change in situation doesn’t prove especially winning, so the short feels meh. 5/10.
The Vanishing Duck (1958): “When Tom attempts to eat a baby duck, the bird and Jerry use vanishing cream to thwart his plans.”
And here comes more Little Quacker! How many times can the same duckling enter the lives of T&J “for the first time”?
No matter – I still greet Quacker with enough goodwill that I don’t mind. I should probably hate the fowl given his cutesy nature, but darn it, I think he adds spark to the usual shenanigans. 7/10.
Robin Hoodwinked (1958): “Tom guards Robin Hood's prison cell while Jerry Mouse and Tuffy intend Robin's rescue the hero.”
Basically a riff on the Mousketeers adventures, Hoodwinked follows similar threads in its Sherwood Forest setting. It doesn’t quite click. 4/10.
Tot Watchers (1958): “When a babysitter ignores her job to chat on the phone, Tom and Jerry work to keep the infant safe.”
Boy, that sure sounds a lot like the plot of Busy Buddies, doesn’t it? Perhaps because that is the plot of Busy Buddies.
That repetitive nature ensures Tot feels like a retread. While not devoid of amusement, the “been there, done that” factor means it finishes this set on a mediocre note. 4/10.
