Mouse Trouble (1944)

Tom's new book on "how to catch a mouse" doesn't prove too helpful against Jerry; actually, Jerry seems to make better use of it than Tom.

Directors:

Joseph Barbera, William Hanna

Writers:

William Hanna, Joseph Barbera

Won 1 Oscar.

Storyline

Tom is excited when the postman brings a package; it's the Random Mouse book "How to Catch a Mouse." Tom tries each chapter in succession: locating the mouse, the basic trap, the snare, being scientific, and preying on the mouse's curiosity. At each turn, Jerry uses the chapter's information better than Tom, so Tom turns to brute force: a mallet, a bear trap, a double-barreled shotgun, and a mountain of explosives. By the end, will the cat or the mouse have earned his eternal heavenly reward?

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Plot Keywords:

mouse | book | package | cat | explosive | 

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Genres:

Family | Animation | Short | Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 November 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cat Nipped

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

7 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[Tom corners Jerry and then consults his book for advice - A CORNERED MOUSE NEVER FIGHTS. Tom uses this knowledge to attack... and gets thrashed and bruised by Jerry]
Tom: [said very slow] Don't you believe it!

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Connections

Followed by Landing Stripling (1962)

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Soundtracks

"Lord and Lady Gate"
Written by Don Raye (as Raye) and Gene de Paul (as DePaul)

User Reviews

Predictable with an obvious title, but still very funny and well made

I am a fan of Tom and Jerry, and have been for as long as I can remember. Mouse Trouble is not the best of their cartoons, but I like it. Where Mouse Trouble is not so impressive is in its predictable story and its somewhat obvious and generic title. However, the animation is very good for its time, with lovely backgrounds and the characters are drawn well. The music is wonderful too, as it nearly always it, while the sight gags are clever if quite violent too, particularly the one with the robotic female mouse and "Mice are suckers for dames". The pacing is good as well, while both Tom and Jerry are very entertaining. And I do agree, it does have a Roadrunner vs. Wile E.Coyote feel to it. Overall, I liked it, but I don't consider it a favourite like I do with The Cat Concerto, Mice Follies or The Two Mouseketeers. 8/10 Bethany Cox