The Two Mouseketeers (1951)

Directors:

Joseph Barbera
William Hanna

Release Date:

1951 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Short | Family | Comedy

Plot:

This Tom and Jerry cartoon is set in 18th century France. Tom, who is a soldier in a castle, is assigned to guard the food laid out on a banquet table...

Plot Keywords:

Food | Tom And Jerry | Castle | France | Guillotine

Awards:

Won Oscar.

Runtime:

8 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #15281) | South Korea:All | UK:U

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Nibbles speaks several lines in French. (He also speaks English saying "Poor Poor Pussycat" when Tom loses a head to a cannon loaded with food.)

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 100 Greatest Kids TV Shows (2001) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Soldiers of Fortune

One of the great Tom & Jerry's cartoons

"The Two Mouseketeers" is one of the greatest Tom & Jerry's cartoons. The pioneer of the "Mouseketeer" cartoons. Its success would inspire not sequels, but 3 more shorts inspired on this, remaining loyal to its spirit.

I love these "Mouseketeer" cartoons. This is the one that started it all. It takes us to France, more specifically to a generation of kings, castles, musketeers and banquets, possibly during the French Revolution.

In this solid story, Tom is at the king's service. But his mission isn't just to protect the king. He must defend the castle and, most of all, guard the banquet with his life, otherwise...

As much as it might sound simple for Tom, actually the two mouseketeers of the title (Jerry and Nibbles) enter in the castle and they don't simplify Tom's mission.

This is definitely one of my favorite shorts from Tom & Jerry. A classic, very entertaining, great fun, amusing, hilarious and exaggerated at times when it comes to violent gags.

The artwork is magnificent: the medieval designs, backgrounds, sceneries and decorations are among the finest in Tom & Jerry. Not to mention that all that food looks delicious, despite being drawn - including that food which Tom eats as if it was a barbecued shishkebab.

Here, Nibbles is no longer that mute and unbelievably hungry mouse. Instead, his appetite is not huge, although he naturally appreciates good food. But what makes the biggest difference is the fact that he can talk here. He speaks in french with a very charming accent. He always speaks in a cute way and he has some funny lines. Plus, I love the song "Alouette" (which he sings when he's preparing a meal for himself), as well as this short's opening song. Strangely, Nibbles's voice is uncredited, but he is voiced by Francoise Brun-Cottan.

Overall, a tremendous and very interesting cartoon, except for its strong and disturbing ending.