![]() ![]() NC (vo): William Hanna and Joseph Barbera knew how to animate great slapstick. NC: But let’s get down to the reason why people really love Tom and Jerry: their lust for blood! He still has that goofy playfulness that Jerry has, too, which is why in the few instances where they do come together, it’s not entirely unbelievable. He’s all the things that make a great foil, but never to the point where he’s unlikeable. He’s cocky, he’s egotistical, he’s prone to anger, he’s stubborn. But that’s not the only reason to feel like he deserves it. Whatever the setup, he’s always the one who starts the fight, which makes it very easy to laugh when he gets his comeuppance. Tom, being a cat, of course, sees him either as a meal or as an interference. Jerry is playful, innocent, and often looking to just have fun or even just survive, even if he can have a little too much fun surviving. NC (vo): On top of that, despite the fact that they couldn’t speak, they actually did form very solid personalities. But here, they take a few moments to set up the scenario, and then it’s nothing but hardcore pain the rest of the way, giving many audiences exactly what they wanted. Warner Bros is great, but half their comedy was the words they would say to one another in between the violence, and that worked wonderful for them. NC (vo): I mean, there was an occasional line from one or two other characters, but Tom and Jerry themselves usually kept quiet, perhaps allowing less time to devote to motivation and instead more time to devote to the physical humor. NC: Well, maybe one of the main reasons was there was rarely any talking. But if there was already two major companies doing it so well, how come Tom and Jerry rose to be the pinnacle of slapstick duos? seem to handle this shtick down pretty well. NC (vo): Lots of cartoon shorts including Disney and especially Warner Bros. Now, when these shorts came out, cartoons hurting each other wasn’t anything new. NC (vo): This cat and mouse duo has had both kids and adults laughing for years, through no real dialogue, no real stories, just excuses to crush, burn and maim each other as much as physically possible. NC: And nowhere deeper is the pain exploited more hilariously than in Tom and Jerry. Whether it be mocking something others hold dear or crushing another in a perfectly timed manner, humor is that defense mechanism that acknowledges that pain is just another part of life. NC (vo): Slapstick focuses on the most important rule of comedy, that all comedy, in one way or another, is based on misery. There’s this idea going around that slapstick is a lesser form of humor. An absolute favorite of mine, no doubt about it.(The shortened opening is shown, before we see NC in his room) This is one of Hanna-Barbara's better Tom & Jerry cartoons, especially since it took a break from the basic "Tom chases Jerry, Jerry fights back" style we all grew to love. "Engaurde? Engaurde? PHEW!" he spits at Tom as he walks down the lane to deliver the letter. Nibbles is sent on another mission, but this time, he's had enough. for about two seconds, and pulls out a picture of his NEW girl-mouse. Finally, he delivers a letter to Jerry that says Lilli is leaving him. This keeps up for a while, with Nibbles coming back more and more worse for wear. Of course, every time Nibbles leaves the hole, he's confronted by Tom who wants to fight. In one of Hanna-Barbara's "Mouseketeer" cartoons, Jerry plays a captain Mouseketeer who keeps sending his young protege (Nibbles, to be exact) out with love letters to his beloved Lilli. ![]() Instead, we almost feel a bit of anger towards the mouse. This is presented in CinemaScope (about 2:35:1) widescreen, which was kind of cool to see, as is part of the Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Volume Two DVD.įor once, Jerry is not the spot of affection in his cartoons. It's a "cute" cartoon more than funny, but certainly entertaining all the way. The funny stuff begins 20 seconds later with sight gags like Tuffy wearing a knight's head of armor (you have to see it) and various other ploys the young student uses to try to combat his bigger adversary. "Besides, I'm chicken." At least the guy is honest, but Jerry has to remind him about the "Code" and the bravery that is part of it. Jerry has is subordinate mail the love letter but Nibbles can't go far because "the Cardinal's cat, a big pussycat, is outside with a big sword.and I am too young to die," he reports. As for the story, we are back in the "Mouseketeer" days with Jerry and his little pal Nibbles writing love letters and reading the Mouseketeers Code, respectively. Check out the floors and the walls for the shadows, light and details as well. This is an extremely good-looking cartoon with bold colors and terrific artwork. The first thing that hit me with this cartoon is the brilliance of the colors, especially the purples and pinks. ![]()
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