Fine Feathered Friend (1942)

 

With Fine Feathered Friend, finally people other than William Hanna, Joseph Barbera and Fred Quimby receive screen credit. Now credited as well are animators Kenneth Muse, Pete Burness (as Peter Burness), George Gordon, Jack Zander and Bill Littlejohn (who doesn't receive credit on the later re-issue of the film) and musical composer Scott Bradley. Most of these people had worked on previous Tom and Jerry cartoons, and it is good to see them finally credited for what they brought to the series. This was however the first Tom and Jerry short to feature Kenneth Muse as an animator (he had come from Disney where he animated for Pinocchio (the I've Got No Strings Number), Fantasia (he worked on The Sorcerer's Apprentice segment) and various Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck cartoons). He would stay with the Tom and Jerry series until Tot Watchers the last one Bill and Joe directed. Cecil Surry also animated on this cartoon but receives no credit.

In this cartoon Tom is chasing Jerry across a farm. Here Jerry uses a protective hen, to protect him from Tom.

This cartoon is well paced, and the animation is excellent. However like Dog Trouble and Puss N' Toots, this film features too few gags, to be considered one of the cat and mouse's best outings. However the gags that do appear in this cartoon are quite funny, such as when Tom accidently catches a little chick instead of Jerry. The cartoon is fun and the characters are quite likable. Also helping is Scott Bradley's great musical score. This may not be one of the best Tom and Jerry cartoons but it is still a good one.

 -Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
http://www.bcdb.com/bcdb/cartoon.cgi?film=3145