The Lonesome Mouse

This has a lot of noteworthy points. First, it's a cartoon featuring Mammy Two-Shoes. Second, as a short made during World War II, there is a visual political joke in the early going. Third, and most significantly, the two stars speak, something generally avoided, for good reason, the characters are funnier and less complicated silent. There is a nice touch of enlightened self-interest, when Jerry helps Tom get back inside, because he finds life less exciting without the mayhem. The temporary truce/partnership ends when gluttony rears its porcine head. But that's okay-there has to be a rivalry, doesn't there? That's the whole point to this one in the first place! Very good short and worth watching. Recommended.

There was a lesson to this story, one of those "you don't miss what you have until you lose it" or "the grass is always greener on the other side," etc. However you phrase it, Jerry discovers he'd rather have Tom chasing him around the house than no Tom at all. He misses the excitement.

He doesn't think so in the beginning, "framing" our cat and having "Mammy Two Shoes" boot him out of the house for breaking a vase which Jerry broke. While the devilish mouse is singing "Happy Days Are Here Again," in a few days he winds up bored out of his mind and wishing Tom was back in the house.

Finally, he goes out to Tom across the street and they concoct a plan to get him back into the good graces of "Mammy," so he can get his warm home back.

This isn't hilarious but there are enough gags in here plus a rarity: hearing the two main characters speak English briefly - to definitely warrant watching this. Some of the facial expressions of Jerry made me really laugh. It was "cute" and funny at the same time.

This was part of the Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Volume Two DVD.

The Lonesome Mouse is a great cartoon. While a rather basic plot, with Jerry and Tom realizing how much they need each other, it becomes entertaining. Tom and Jerry's brief dialogue in the short is a routine change, and it's always nice to hear them say one or two things. The gags involving them fake fighting, as well as both antagonizing Mammy Two-Shoes, is always funny, and it's nice to sometimes see Tom and Jerry team up. Other highlights include Jerry jumping around when Tom is kicked out, including ripping his pillow and giving him a Hitler mustache, Tom becoming the Sphinx with a broom, and Jerry slamming Tom into a pie at the end. This cartoon is very funny, and a recommended watch for even a casual Tom and Jerry fan.

Jerry successfully gets Tom kicked out the house, but soon discovers that life just ain't the same without a cat trying to eat you all of the time. The cheeky rodent approaches Tom with a plan to return things to normal: Jerry will run riot, causing havoc around the now feline-less house, and Tom will rush in to save the day, proving his worth to Mammy Two Shoes.

Despite the rather dull sounding plot, this episode is actually pretty funny, with Jerry pulling some hysterical faces at Mammy in order to scare her (which results in her dropping loads of items in fear, including her false teeth, a set of dice, and a cut-throat razor!), and lots of great visual gags. It might not be the most groundbreaking of the cat and mouse's adventures, but it's one of the funniest.

Plus, this one has got to be worth watching just for the 'Hitler' joke and the fact that Tom and Jerry get to speak!

This is not one of the better Tom and Jerry cartoons, but it is a reasonable one. The plot is very simple yet predictable, and there are times when the art work isn't as good as it could have been.

However, there are some really inspired visual gags, such as Tom and Jerry poking Mammy Two Shoes in the bottom with a knife and fork, the "Hitler" joke, Mammy Two Shoes dropping several items like false teeth in fear and the end when Tom "double-crosses" Jerry. I also liked Jerry singing "Happy Days are here again" and his really cute and funny facial expressions. And very briefly, Tom and Jerry speak, personally I didn't find that a problem as it was brief. Asides from the gags, another outstanding component was the music, it was a lot of fun and very playful.

Overall, not absolutely brilliant, but worth seeing. It's Tom and Jerry, what's not to like? 8/10 Bethany Cox