That's My Pup (1953)

 

This short film marks the third appearance of Tyke, the small son of Spike the Bulldog. It is also the first appearance of this character since Slicked Up Pup (1951). After this short the character would appear more frequently in the Tom and Jerry cartoons. It would be less than a year before he appeared in another cartoon. In 1957 Spike and Tyke would receive a short-lived cartoon series of their own, though that would only last two cartoons. 

In this short film Spike wants to teach Tyke the basics of being a dog. This includes how to chase cats. To make sure his son does well Spike threatens Tom if he doesn't let Tyke chase him. Jerry overhears this and feels he can use this to get back at his foe.

This is a delightful short and one of the best cartoons to feature Tyke. This film reminds me of the Tom and Jerry cartoons of the 1940's with the sheer wealth of great gags. One of my favorite gags is when Jerry is barking at Tom pretending to be Tyke. The character animation of Jerry gleefully doing this while being down on all fours like Tyke is hilarious. The punchline at the end of the gag is also laugh out loud funny. The way Tom uses a fake cat tail to trick Tyke is also very funny. This film also has one of the best Tex Avery inspired giant takes in a Tom and Jerry cartoon (pictured above). Seeing Tom coming out of his fur, while having underwear underneath it, is very funny. Once again, the pacing here is simply wonderful. William Hanna was a master at comic timing, and he is fully at the top of his game here. The whole cartoon moves at a wonderfully quick pace. This not only allows every gag to land perfectly but gives the whole short a delightfully fun comic energy. 

The credited animators on this film are Ed Barge, Ray Patterson, Kenneth Muse and Irven Spence. The credited background artist is Robert Gentle. 

Below is the movie poster for this film. Once again it reuses the same artwork as the past few shorts. 

Johann Mouse (1953)

 

Note: Spoilers ahead.

This short film marked the seventh and last Tom and Jerry cartoon to win the Academy Award to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film (and the 75th Tom and Jerry short overall). It's competition this year was Little Johnny Jet (1953, MGM), Madeline (1952, UPA), Pink and Blue Blues (1952, UPA, starring Mr. Magoo) and The Romance of Transportation in Canada (1952, National Film Board of Canada). Though not the first (this was also true of 1950), this is one of the earliest years in which a Disney film was not nominated. This shows how at this time critical and public tastes where switching from the lush animation of Disney to the more stylized modern art approach from the UPA studio. This change in taste also helps us understand why no more Tom and Jerry shorts would win after this. 

In this short film, Tom and Jerry live in the home of the infamous composer Johann Strauss. Jerry finds himself unable to stop himself from dancing whenever Strauss plays. Every time this happens Tom takes this chance to try and catch Jerry. However, when Strauss leaves on a trip, Tom wonders how he will get Jerry to come out of his hole. Tom then learns to play piano. Just when he is just about to catch Jerry the two are discovered by the servants, who are amazed to see a cat play the piano and a mouse dance. Before long the two are performing before the emperor himself. 

This is a very charming cartoon. The film has a wonderful storybook feel to it. This comes from both the narration (provided by character actor Hans Conried (animation fans might know him for voiced both Captain Hook and George Darling in Disney's Peter Pan (1953))) and the wonderful art style. The use of actual storybook pages with storybook style illustrations of the characters are especially wonderful. This helps this film stand out as something that feels unique among the other entries in this series. That is something that is rare in a cartoon series that has been around over a decade, but it is very true here. This cartoon also benefits from some wonderful character animation, especially when Jerry is dancing, and a wonderful use of Strauss' classical pieces. The only real problem here is that there is not as many laughs here as you might expect. This film only really has one good gag (Tom's piano lesson). However, I will admit it is a great one. 

The credited animators on this film are Kenneth Muse, Ray Patterson, Ed Barge and Irven Spence. The credited background artist is Robert Gentle. Hans Conried receives a voice credit making him the first voice artist to receive credit on a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Though Scott Bradley receives the music credit. Jakob Gimpel is given a credit stating, "Piano Arrangements Created and Played by." Jakob Kimbell was a respected concert pianist and music professor. He would also work as a film composer on such movies as Gaslight (1944), Possessed (1947), Letter from an Unkown Woman (1948) and Planet of the Apes (1968). He also played piano on the Bugs Bunny cartoon, Rhapsody Rabbit (1946). A scene from Johann Mouse would later be reused in the cheater Tom and Jerry short, Shutter Bugged Cat (1967). 

Below is the movie poster for this film. It is the same one that was used for the last couple cartoons, only with the title changed. 

Resources Used

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

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

 

   

Jerry and Jumbo (1953)

 

This short film is another example of a cartoon where Jerry befriends another animal and most help protect him from Tom. In this case it is Jumbo the Elephant. This marks Jumbo's only appearance in a Tom and Jerry cartoon (either theatrical or for TV). However, the character would appear in the mobile game, Tom and Jerry Chase. Jerry would however later befriend another elephant in the Chuck Jones short, Jerry Go Round (1966). 

As this short film starts a circus train is passing by, and a baby elephant falls out. Jerry quickly makes friends with this elephant. Yet when Jumbo takes Tom's food (though he doesn't see the elephant), the cat becomes very angry.

This is an incredibly clever cartoon. While it starts off as simply another film where Jerry makes a new friend, it soon takes a very clever turn. The mind games that Jerry and his new friend play on Tom are not only very clever but they are laugh out loud hilarious. Not only are the gags very clever but they are perfectly delivered. Once again, William Hanna's timing is not nearly perfect, it is perfect. The wild takes that Tom does are truly hilarious. They are incredibly over the top but at the same time compliment both the story and the gags rather than detract from them. The ending gag of this film is especially wonderful and cracks me up every time. I also love how this cartoon is completely without dialogue, yet the great character animation makes all the characters seem completely real. 

The credited animators on this film are Kenneth Muse, Irven Spence and Ed Barge. Robert Gentle is the credited background artist, receiving his third screen credit on a Tom and Jerry cartoon. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera would later reuse the gag of an elephant sucking up peanuts with his trunk and making them seem to march towards him in the Ruff and Reddy TV series during a storyline entitled Pinky, the Pint-Sized Pachyderm (1958). This short was released to movie theaters in 1958 and 1959. It is available on the DVD set, Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Vol. 2. 

The following is an exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "JERRY AND JUMBO: Tom & Jerry Technicolor Cartoon — This is one of the best of this popular series. Will keep any audience in stiches. - Bob Walker, Uintah Theatre, Fruita, Col." 

The following movie poster is again a repeat of the poster we have seen the last two times, only with the title changed. 

 

Resources Used

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

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/in-the-center-ring-part-17/

https://lantern.mediahist.org/