Tom and Jerry films often adhered to a formula, but quite often they would also break or subvert this formula. The Truce Hurts is one of the best examples of this.
In this short film, Tom, Jerry and Spike the bulldog (called Butch in this cartoon) are once again fighting. Spike (or Butch) states that the three should sign a peace treaty and put their differences aside. They start off this truce by being the best of friends. However, keeping it doesn't seem to be as easy as they first thought.
This is such a fun cartoon. Despite the characters calling a truce, there are still plenty of good gags to be found here. The over politeness between each of them is truly hilarious. This is especially true when they each try to get some sort of upper hand of each other, while pretending to be polite (which is especially shown whenever they try to "share" food or milk). Also, the sight of Tom brushing Jerry's teeth in the morning is delightfully silly. This film also has a good amount of the typical Tom and Jerry slapstick here. The trio fighting with a pipe, frying pan and a baseball bat before their truce is one of the most delightfully over the top depictions of cartoon characters fighting. Just the sheer glee of violent slapstick and wonderful timing make this simple moment truly hilarious. This is also an image that is often burned in the minds of many cartoon fans. This wonderful scene would later become a major part of the Boomerang TV channel's advertisement for showing Tom and Jerry cartoons and this clip would also be used in a later Tom and Jerry cartoon, Matinee Mouse (1966). Yet what really makes this film work so well is the sheer fast paced energy that never lets up. It is hard not to get caught up in this pure comedic momentum.
Scott Bradley's musical score is once again, just as much fun as the action on the screen. This infectiously fun music not only perfectly matches the action on screen but even enhances it. As well as his original music, Scott Bradley also incorporates music from MGM's live action feature films. Heard here are The Worry Song from Anchors Aweigh (1945, which features a cameo by Tom and Jerry as a live action Gene Kelly dances with an animated Jerry) and We're Off to See the Wizard and Over the Rainbow from Wizard of Oz (1939).
In most TV airings of this film, there is a gag cut out. In the original version after the meat truck splashes mud on Tom, Jerry and Spike, the trio appear in blackface. This gag was also cut out of the original Tom & Jerry Spotlight Collection Vol. 1 DVD but was included in later reprintings of the DVD. In the 1960's an edited version of this cartoon aired on TV. This version covered the trio's big reddish lips and removed the pigtails. This way it looked as if they were simply covered in mud rather than in blackface.
This film was reissued to movie theaters in 1956 and was one of 15 reissued in 1964.
Below is a movie poster for this cartoon. While not perfect, it is definitely better than some of the other Tom and Jerry posters.
-Michael J. Ruhland
Resources Used
https://tomandjerry.fandom.com/wiki/The_Truce_Hurts
https://lantern.mediahist.org/
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