The Mouse Comes to Dinner

The Mouse Comes to Dinner (1945)

*** (out of 4)

Tom gets a cute cat to come over to dinner so he obviously wants to impress her so he makes Jerry serve the food, which of course ends up with one fight after another. THE MOUSE COMES TO DINNER is certainly an entertaining film that manages to go at a very fast pace and of course there are plenty of laughs as well. This film offers up some rather creative fights and especially the sequence where Tom keeps biting his own tail. Another highlight is the scene where the poor cat is too stupid to realize that he's on fire and not in a good way. As you'd expect the animation is top-notch as are the sound effects, which certainly add a few nice laughs.

This is one of my favorite Tom and Jerry featurettes and I rank this one up there with other classics starring them that I'd consider the best. Tom invites his girlfriend, Tootles, over for dinner, but Jerry gets in on the meal unannounced and he just won't let them have this event to themselves. This is the rare time (if not just one of those rare times) in which we get to hear Tom and Tootles speak, and Tom has solely one line throughout the entire cartoon. I find the little dialog they have interesting. I agree with one of the other reviewers who mentioned that this would be perfect for Thanksgiving. I remember this one well. Full of hilarious moments. This one is not to be passed.

This "Tom and Jerry" episode short "The Mouse Comes to Dinner" from 1945 is one that's entertaining as the cat and mouse are at each other's throats over a big dinner meal with turkey being the main feast! Plus Mammy Two Shoes is present in this episode as always her character gives great supporting help with the cat and mouse. Tom has other plans in mind like making little mouse Jerry his servant plus Tom invites female cat Toots to come over for dinner. You guessed it the battle is on Jerry is not going down without a fight! The chase and battle scenes happen mostly on the dinner table as the violence and use of kitchen items as weapons is funny in a slapstick style of way. Overall fun battle feast like episode one that's very memorable!

How you could have an exquisitely laid out dinner table, even with the food out, and have Tom, a girlfriend and Jerry all creating havoc at the table with nobody noticing is beyond me....but that's the setup here. No one is ever home in this house but the maid, "Mammy Two Shoes." This dinner table is set for about 12 but where are the humans? We never see them, except in the '50s episodes when the maid is no longer in the cartoons.

At any rate, the basic premise of the jokes is little Jerry spoiling the dinner for Tom and the feline is trying to impress. At first Tom has the upper hand, outfitting Jerry is tiny chef's hat and having him wait on the two of them. You know that arrangement isn't going to last, and it doesn't as poor Tom gets abuse by not only his mouse foe but by the girl he invited to dinner! This cat can't win!

After almost demolishing almost everything in the room, setting some fires, crashing through a ceiling, etc., there was still no sign of a human being. Oh, well....it's a Tom and Jerry cartoon.

Now I liked this Tom and Jerry cartoon very much, it isn't a favourite, but I was entertained. Even if some gags were on the predictable side and the pacing a little more leisurely than usual, there is a lot to like about The Mouse Comes to Dinner. The animation is beautiful, old-fashioned but nice and ornate. Just looking at that dinner made my mouth water. The music is a lovely touch, the story is nicely constructed and there are some funny gags as well. I did feel somewhat sorry for Tom here as his tail for example got burned, Tom is cunning if rather dim-witted too(he should have known that Jerry would get his revenge) and Tom's girlfriend is a cute 'un. Overall, lovely Tom and Jerry cartoon, nice and funny if a little predictable on occasions. 8/10 Bethany Cox