Trap Happy (1946)

 

 
About the Tom and Jerry films, film historian and critic Leonard Maltin said, "A series of outstanding shorts that exemplify the Hollywood cartoon at its best. This writing-directing team (William Hanna and Joseph Barbera) may hold a record for producing consistently superior cartoons year after year." While there were some misses later on, in the 1940's it seemed like Tom and Jerry could do no wrong. During this time period, every Tom and Jerry film hit the mark near perfectly. The only other theatrical cartoon series I can think of that had this level of consistency of great cartoons was Chuck Jones' Coyote and Roadrunner films. However even with the amount of great Tom and Jerry cartoons made during this era, Trap Happy manages to truly stand out. 

Like all of the best Tom and Jerry films, this cartoon has a very simplistic storyline. Tom is trying to catch Jerry and is constantly failing. So, Tom calls in a mouse exterminator to help him. The mouse exterminator ends up being Butch (the black cat) who doesn't end up being much help.

This may be my favorite Tom and Jerry short film. One of my favorite things about it is that it is exactly what you think of when you hear Tom and Jerry. There are no plot complications or anything to deviate from simple cat chasing mouse fun. This cartoon moves at a very quick speed offering gag after gag after gag. Yet there is impressively not one gag in the entire film that misses. Each gag works perfectly. Some of these gags are some of the most memorable moments in Tom and Jerry history. Tom calling the exterminator on the phone, Jerry playing Butch and Tom's fingers as a musical instrument, the magnetic cheese gag and of course the wonderful ending all stick in your mind well after the cartoon ends. Like many of the best Tom and Jerry cartoons, the execution is often just as great as the gags. This is especially seen in the opening scenes with Tom chasing Jerry before he calls Butch. The gags in these scenes are not as imaginative as what would come later in the film. However, the animation and timing are perfect and make it hard to watch these scenes without a smile on your face. 

Michael Lah (an MGM animator who had for Bill and Joe and then for Tex Avery) once stated "Tex had a crazy way of pacing things, and it had started to rub off on Bill and Joe. Then it became a race. Each picture that would come out, from one unit or the other, was faster. Pretty soon it got to the point where the only guys who could understand it were the guys who had worked on it." This is one of the fastest paced Tom and Jerry cartoons. However, the pacing is never too fast to follow or enjoy. In fact, as well as the gags themselves there are some wonderful little character moments in here. The expressions on the character's faces and how they can perfectly convey just what is going on in their minds (without much dialogue) are a major part of why this cartoon is so great. The fact that the filmmakers can fit this into such a fast paced and gag filled cartoon without ever sacrificing its wonderful comic energy is very impressive. Also adding to the pure comic energy in this film is Scott Bradely's very fun and infectious score. This score is not only a joy to listen to but it always compliments and enhances the action on screen.

The following is an exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "TRAP HAPPY: Tom and Jerry Cartoons— Tops. This series is one of the best. This one is above average for the series. -Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask. Can." 

The credited animators on this film are Kenneth Muse, Michael Lah and Ed Barge. A much later Tom and Jerry cartoon would reuse a clip from this short. In an episode of TV's, The Tom and Jerry Show entitled The Last Laugh (2014), a character can be seen watching this cartoon on a movie screen. 

                                                                       Resources Used

Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin

https://tomandjerry.fandom.com/wiki/Trap_Happy

https://lantern.mediahist.org/