The Bodyguard

After Jerry the mouse rescues Spike the dog from being caught by the dog pound, he offers to be a bodyguard for the mouse. All he has to do is whistle whenever he's getting attacked by Tom the cat, and spike will be right their to pummel Tom. At first it works superbly but after Tom gives Jerry a jawbreaker covered in glue Jerry finds that he can no longer whistle. This short has some great sight gags. And while Spike might seem a bit thick-headed and dense I enjoyed it immensely.This cartoon can be found on disc one of the Spotlight collection DVD of "Tom & Jerry"

My Grade: A

Tom and Jerry are involved in a chase, as per damn usual. Jerry, when hiding, springs Spike loose from the Pound Van. As a reward, Spike says he will help-out Jerry whenever he is in trouble. All he has to do is whistle and Spike will be there to save him.

So the chase continues and just when Tom has him in his clutches, Jerry whistles for Spike and Tom gets a clobbering. Not so imaginative and the chase is kinda generic. There are a couple of sneaky tricks when Tom tries to stop Jerry from whistling but it's nothing special at all and the final gag isn't that great.

A thoroughly generic cartoon.

The Bodyguard (1944) **** (out of 4) Without question one of the best films in the long-running series, this one has Jerry helping a bulldog out of a dogcatcher's van and the dog offers to help him whenever he needs it. All Jerry has to do is whistle and the dog will be there to protect him, which of course means Tom gets beat up countless ways. THE BODYGUARD was the first truly great film in the series and it really doesn't matter how many times I've seen it, I laugh as hard each and every time. What makes this one so much fun is just how brutal it is in regards to the cartoon violence. Tom is constantly getting punched and thrown around, which leads to fast action and a lot of fun. The animation, music score and sound effects are all wonderful as well. Certainly one of the best Tom and Jerry ever did.

'The Bodyguard (1944)' keenly disrupts the classic cat-and-mouse formula by introducing a bulldog into the fray. This gives the short a sharp focus: Tom has to stop Jerry from calling his newfound friend, lest he incur a clobbering. This welcome change in pace is one of the earlier attempts at 'spicing things up' and it's highly successful, giving the picture a clear identity and, even, plot in the process. Of course, the narrative isn't exactly 'deep', per se; it just plays around with its core concept in some pleasing, and funny, ways. Obviously, a lot of the entertainment factor comes from the visuals. The animation is on-point for the era, with Tom's scraggly fur and (the then unnamed) Spike's crinkly skin being rendered incredibly pleasingly. Plus, the splendid sight-gags inventively play to the premise wherever possible. Overall, this is a very enjoyable experience. 8/10

"Thanks, chum. I'm your pal for life!"

So says big Spike, the bulldog, after Jerry unhitches the rear of the Dog Catcher truck and lets him out. Jerry had been in the area when he heard Spike's plea for help. Now he has a handy friend "Anytime you ever needs me," says the tough and grammatically-incorrect dog, "just whistle."

Well, it doesn't long for Jerry take the dog up on the offer. Later, while he's in the middle of two slices of bread and a couple of olives, Jerry gives his first whistle!

This is a very funny cartoon. Yes, Jerry blows the whistle a few times, but in each case what happens to Tom is different with the sight gags and they're good. In this case, Tom deserves his punishment. He just doesn't seem to learn. Spike, with a bit of an Irish brogue, is hilarious.

The jokes were so good they didn't need the usual long chase scenes. What's also different in this one is that Tom actually comes up with a plan that works! The artwork was good, too, with some great expressions and reactions on Tom's face. Finally, this animated short also has an unusual, and very good, finish.

Overall, one of the top-echelon Tom and Jerry cartoons.