The Bowling Alley-Cat

Early Tom and Jerry cartoons have often been accused of being racist—with Mammy Two Shoes' character possibly being a servant and characters often getting a 'blackface' (amongst other stereotypical ethnic representations)—but now I'm starting to wonder whether I'm seeing examples of racism where there are none. I'm sure that there's one bowling ball in this short that is inexplicably made to look like a 'blackface'. Or maybe not.

Anyway, regardless of my possible hallucinatory concerns, this is actually a pretty entertaining T&J caper, with the guys escaping the confines of their house to wreak havoc in a bowling alley. The fresh environment allows for a whole new wave of creativity, there are plenty of laughs to be had (as well as much cartoonish violence, as one would expect in a place full of machinery and heavy objects), and the animation is as highly polished as the bowling alley we see Jerry skating on, with convincingly weighty bowling balls that look like they could really hurt.

This "Tom and Jerry" short "The Bowling Alley-Cat" is one that has plenty of action and chase as the two continues their game this time it's in a bowling alley. The animation still is okay and the duo still entertain with their crazy ways as it's like an actual game of bowling when Tom gets pounded by some bowling balls! Overall different setting still a good early episode.

'The Bowling Alley-Cat (1942)' isn't complex. Its narrative plays on the most basic dynamic its two stars can possibly have, which is perhaps only natural considering that it's one of the earliest shorts starring the now-famous pair. The classic game of cat-and-mouse is made more interesting by the setting, however, which provides opportunity for some inventive, engaging and visually-stunning set-pieces. Indeed, the animation here is absolutely superb. It's probably the main reason why the piece is as entertaining as it is. It's peppered with satisfying sight-gags that seem so fluid you could almost swear they were real. The whole thing is just so well-accomplished. It's highly enjoyable and often funny, to boot. 8/10

I Consider the Realistic Animals Tom and Jerry era to start at Puss Gets the Boot and end in Sufferin' Cats.

The Story is that Jerry is having some fun at the Bowling Alley, when Tom appears and wants to eat him, leading some fun and inventive gags, that didn't take place inside a House.

This is Tom and Jerry first cartoon to take place outside a house. And for me, it's for the best, it allowed some new gags, that weren't seen in the earlier episodes, such as Jerry using a bowling pin as a baseball bat, Or Tom trying to catch a bowling ball like a baseball ball and gets smashed by it. Another Highlight was Jerry teleporting himself to other Bowling Ball inside another far away bowling ball.

I recommend it to every Tom and Jerry fan.

While it is slow in pace to begin with, Bowling Alley-Cat is still very enjoyable. It doesn't belong in the best of their cartoons, but in my opinion it is one of their better early ones. For one thing, the animation is lovely, crisp and clean and smooth in general. True, Tom looks like a kitten here, but for 1942 this animation was not bad at all, quite the contrary. The music was a delight, hearing the Waltz from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty was a real plus, and the sight gags were both original and funny. Also I loved this because it was different, it all takes place in a bowling alley rather than the house, it was really nice to see something new once in a while. Overall, different and enjoyable, definitely worth the watch. 9/10 Bethany Cox