Matinee Mouse

[Leviathan]

Even though this cartoon doesn't really get talked about a lot, I think this just might be the worst cheaters ever.

This cartoon is one of the 60's Jones Tom and Jerry cartoons, but it's directed by Tom Ray and the beginning almost entirely composed of classic Hanna-Barbera Tom and Jerry footagesloppily pasted together without coherence. Then it becomes the typcial cheater.

And to add insult to injury, Dean Elliot scores totally unfitting new music for the old footage.

Does anyone else agree that this is the worst cheater ever?

[Matt the Y]

Actually, I feel pretty much the extreme opposite about the cartoon as you do! I felt the cartoon actually made better use of the "cheater" format by using a clever theme (and a clever gag about the theater usher being dumb-founded about the stars of the matinee show actually going in to watch their own cartoons) and a number of good "new" gags were used including the closing bit about Tom & Jerry going back to feuding in the movie theater and Tom, Jerry, and Spike stopping their feud onscreen (From "The Truce Hurts") to watch Tom & Jerry brawl in the movie theater outside. I agree that Dean Elliot's score is, as always, sheer agony on the ears (This man should never have gone near cartoon scoring) but I actually find this easier to sit through than most late-period cartoon cheaters. I actually enjoy this more than Jones' (and Ray's) other T&J "clip job" "Shutter-Bugged Cat" (and it's a LOT easier for me to sit through than, say, a late-period Famous cheater like "Casper's Birthday Party").

[Matthew Hunter]

I caught this one a couple times on CN...and while it's better than "Shutter Bugged Cat", that's not saying much. It IS interesting that the Jones crew was thoughtful enough to emulate the Hanna-Barbera drawing style to make the new footage blend better, though.

[Mark McNeil]

I like this cartoon.

Do you think it was inspired by Tom And Jerry's Saturday morning TV show?

[Dirty Skunk]

I caught this one a couple times on CN...and while it's better than "Shutter Bugged Cat", that's not saying much. It IS interesting that the Jones crew was thoughtful enough to emulate the Hanna-Barbera drawing style to make the new footage blend better, though.

And yet, it doesn't blend well at all. The new footage stands out like a sore thumb. At least with the Hanna and Barbera wrap-around shorts, there's consistency between the appearances of the characters in between new material and flashbacks.

For me, the scoring of the music is not really a problem, it's the oiie choice of clips used. The beginning scenes of Matinee Mouse from Love That Pup are awkwardly slapped together and edited. You see Jerry running, and then there's a sudden cut to Tom running off in fright in the opposite direction. Later on, we have Jerry slamming the door (from Professor Tom), with an abrupt cut, in which you *just about* see Tom's head coming into shot. It's just not very good and it feels like the whole thing lacks effort.