Puppy Tale (1954)

 

This short film was the first Tom and Jerry cartoon of 1954 and the 80th Tom and Jerry short overall. 

In this short film, Jerry overhears a loud noise outside and rushes out to see what it is. He then discovers a sack in the river with something alive in it. He pulls the sack out and discovers a group of puppies inside. One of the puppies takes a liking to Jerry and follows him home. Unfortunately for Tom, when the puppy gets to Jerry and his home, it tries to drink Tom's milk and take up Tom's bed. 

Though Tom and Jerry cartoons are best known for their slapstick violence, there are a surprising amount of Tom and Jerry shorts with a real sentimental streak. Though there were some of these more sentimental films in the 40's, it was in the 50's when these shorts were at their most prevalent. Puppy Tale remains one of the strongest of these sentimental cartoons. The storyline is basic but incredibly charming. It manages to be sweet and cute without ever feeling cloying. Unlike in some of the weaker cute cartoons, the sweetness just seems to flow naturally from the story. Tom and Jerry are both at their most likable here and the puppies are very cute. That this is a short completely without dialogue just adds to the charm. The ending is especially charming and heartwarming. Yet even with this, there is some good slapstick worked in here. I love the bits with Tom trying to get his milk away from the puppy. This may be a familiar gag but William Hanna's timing on it is perfect. The short also benefits from some wonderful background art on the outdoor scenes. These give the film a very effectively atmospheric feel. 

The credited animators on this short are Ed Barge, Irven Spence and Kenneth Muse. The credited background artist is Robert Gentle. The film is available on the DVD set, Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Vol. 3.