Polka-Dot Puss

Tom is about to be put outside for the night by Mammy, but one look at the cold, rainy weather outside has the quick-thinking cat faking a cold, after which he is allowed to remain inside. Tom settles down for the night in front of the fire, but cheeky Jerry decides to play a few mean pranks on his enemy, starting by painting spots on Tom's face to convince him he has measles, and then subjecting the poor moggy to a series of nasty remedies, including popping him in the freezer to bring down a temperature, and then cooking him in the oven to cure the resulting chills!

Tom eventually finds out that he has been tricked by the mischievous mouse, but before he can get revenge, Jerry breaks out in spots: he really has a case of the measles, and it's not long before Tom does too!

A fairly routine adventure for the cartoon duo, Polka Dot Puss offers the usual predictable sadistic mayhem and visual gags, including a classic example of the 'jackass' joke (where a character realises he has been duped, and transforms into an ass!). But even though this one doesn't feature the guys at their absolute best, it still passes the time nicely enough, and if you're under the weather, it might just be the tonic you need to perk you up! 6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

The first minute or so is not as interesting as the rest of the cartoon, and the cartoon is perhaps too short. However, Polka-Dot Puss is very entertaining and light-hearted. The animation is beautiful and smooth, the music is energetic and the story is clever. Plus the sight gags are really inventive and unusual, starting with Tom's faking of his illness in order to stay in the house to the surprise ending which is another good example of neither character winning. Both Tom and Jerry are great and play against each other well.

Overall, Polka-Dot Puss is very entertaining, without being the best of the lot. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This short begins with Tom using Jerry as a yo-yo for his own pleasure before Mammy-Two-Shoes (dubbed to appease the PC Brigade in the version I saw) orders him out of the house for the night, despite the fact that it's pouring with rain. Why does she insist on torturing him like this again? Anyway, Tom pretends to be ill so he can stay indoors, by the fire. But Jerry is having none of it.

He convinces Tom that he has measles by paining dots on his face and proceeds to 'cure' him using a wide range of gruesome anecdotes, which make up the visual humor of the cartoon. In the end, they both pay for their untruths.

An amusing cartoon.

When the black maid tries to put Tom out for the night -- in the heavy rain -- he feigns a cold to keep himself inside. Makeshift doctor Jerry gives Tom a cure he'll never forget...

A very enjoyable, light-hearted cartoon with an added twist at the end.