Have we grown weary of Tom and Jerry?

[wiley207]

I've noticed for a classic cartoon forum, there is nowadays practically next to no discussion on Tom and Jerry (yes, I mean the cat and mouse duo). I am actually a little surprised, but I may understand why this could be...

1. Tom and Jerry is now the only classic cartoon left on Cartoon Network's lineup (after CN pulled Looney Tunes and "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" back in January), and is usually the ONLY classic material shown on CN since 2005. And half the time, it's usually the same shorts played over and over, and even the Gene Deitch and Chuck Jones-produced T&J shorts are being shown on a semi-regular basis! (Maybe the programmers thought "Hey, it's Tom and Jerry. Who's gonna know?") So maybe we are sick of only being able to watch Tom and Jerry on CN, and prefer the Looney Tunes or the other non-T&J MGM shorts or other classic 'toons that have been canceled for some time.

2. Warner Bros. Animation has usually been focusing more on Tom and Jerry as lead classic characters instead of the Looney Tunes. This was especially the case in 2005-2008, with their many direct-to-video movies and the "Tom & Jerry Tales" series. We could be fed up with T&J trying to take the Looney Tunes out of the spotlight for new Termite Terrace animation.

3. Compared to the Looney Tunes Golden Collections, Warner Home Video has usually been giving the classic Tom and Jerry shorts rather crappy treatment when it comes to DVD releases (i.e. the "Spotlight Collections,") usually with edited content or poor-looking transfers.

I'm not complaining though. I don't mind watching a Tom and Jerry short or two on occasion, but I would rather watch Looney Tunes or the Pink Panther or Popeye over Tom and Jerry any day of the week.

That's my two cents on this subject. Any comments?

[HassanChop!]

Well you gotta admit, the formula does where a bit thin after a while.

[WoodpeckerWoody]

Depends on what Tom and Jerry you are talking about.

1. The man and the Mule
2. Those who were later renamed Dick and Larry
3. The Cat and the Mouse duo.

With all that said it is always interested that studios have tendency do try to do more with there inherited library rather than there own originally self produced.

[Bugsy-Kun]

Lucky that in Canada, we don't show that very often and if it's the case, it's the 1975's TV show. (I wonder who here actually like that. Not me at my case!)

I'm glad to not be the only one who complain about the overused of Tom and Jerry these days. I often complained that Warner didn't created Tom and Jerry, but the division will never confess. The only way i think to bring back to their real days is bring back to MGM (And thus the same for the Turner material.)

Trust me, i liked and watched a lot of Tom and Jerry films ages ago but since two years, i starting to be fed up of this chase formula. I never liked the modern look compared to the MGM's version which was more mature and appealing.

It's like CN trying to cash-in with the Hanna-Barbera first characters yet the creators are now dead and by the way, the rights will be expired since very longtime. We have some problems in Canada with the Looney Tunes contents. (I mean, who want to watch the same Bugs & Tweety Show episodes during 7-8 years by now? I really miss the ones i watched in the mid-90's!)

[Tim Lones]

For some reason, Tom and Jerry never became a big favorite of mine..Mainly because when It was on network TV (CBS) in the 1960's, Our family, being in a rural section of The Canton, Ohio area (10 miles South) had a hard time pulling in Cleveland CBS affiliate WJW-TV 8 on our outdoor TV antenna(NBC and ABC were fine).Therefore, we never watched CBS much..When Tom and Jerry went into syndication about 1975 (incidentally, on channel 8), I was a teenager then and not as much into cartoons and had never really seen Tom and Jerry at that point, so never really got into their cartoons..

[nickramer]

Maybe if they made the show into "Tom and Jerry and Friends" (other MGM cartoons), it might be better.

[Ricardo Cantoral]

Like all chase toons, I get sick of them mighty fast. Tom and Jerry, Roadrunner and Coyote, and Sylvester and Tweety.

[Leviathan]

I have to agree that a little Tom and Jerry goes a long way. I just been so accustomed to seeing T&J mixed in with other MGM shorts and WB shorts that I find a block a just Tom and Jerry cartoons to be a little hard to take.

[Gasmask Ted]

"Compared to the Looney Tunes Golden Collections, Warner Home Video has usually been giving the classic Tom and Jerry shorts rather crappy treatment when it comes to DVD release"

Or perhaps you could view it as that WHV gave Tom and Jerry far better treatment than the WB cartoons as they released the vast majority of the cartoons. This of course classes T&J as an equal to all of WB's output, which is fairly silly, but there has been no attempt to release anything like a series based on a WB characters (until the new sets, kinda), as opposed to MGM, where we have not gotten general collections, but only character based ones (unless you include the pan-studio Oscar collection or the individual disc bonus shorts).

[Fibber Fox]

I've noticed for a classic cartoon forum, there is nowadays practically next to no discussion on Tom and Jerry (yes, I mean the cat and mouse duo).
<snip>
Any comments?

MGM cartoons never aired in this part of the country when I grew up. So I'm generally fairly silent on them.

F. Fox
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com

[FishBulb]

I'm not in the same boat personally. I don't have Cartoon Network, I've seen very little Tom & Jerry Tales (what I've seen was generally pretty OK) and I've only seen one of their DTV movies (The Magic Ring which I actually quite liked). Personally, I'm just glad there are a couple of GAC-era characters who seem to be genuinely popular with today's kids.

I just bought the Fifty Years of Cat and Mouse book when I saw it in the window of a second-hand shop yesterday. So personally I would say, no, I'm not bored of them;)

[FleischerFan]

I love Tom & Jerry. I have the 3 DVD sets of the M-G-M shorts produced by Hanna & Barbera, but in terms of discussion, what is there left to say?

You don't see many threads about the Roadrunner cartoons either.

That's because both those series (actually Roadrunner even more than T&J) are amongst the most formula-driven of the classic cartoon series.

Nearly all of the great T&J cartoon feature the cat and mouse taking turns torturing each other very violently.

As the series featured very little in the way of dialogue, it is almost all sight gags. So, no voice acting to comment on either.

I don't think the lack of threads indicates a lack of love - just a lack of topics for meaningful discussion.

[Speedy Boris]

I love Tom & Jerry. I have the 3 DVD sets of the M-G-M shorts produced by Hanna & Barbera, but in terms of discussion, what is there left to say?

You don't see many threads about the Roadrunner cartoons either.

That's because both those series (actually Roadrunner even more than T&J) are amongst the most formula-driven of the classic cartoon series.

Nearly all of the great T&J cartoon feature the cat and mouse taking turns torturing each other very violently.

As the series featured very little in the way of dialogue, it is almost all sight gags. So, no voice acting to comment on either.

I don't think the lack of threads indicates a lack of love - just a lack of topics for meaningful discussion. Pretty much how I feel. I love T&J and consider it my third favorite classic cartoon series (after Looney Tunes and Tex Avery's MGM work, if the latter counts as a series), but aside from the more "unique" shorts (such as "Blue Cat Blues"), there really isn't a lot to say, other than maybe a gag or two that you liked. It doesn't help that their filmography, save for Deitch and Jones & co., was directed by the same two guys, making it really homogeneous.

There are many reasons why I almost exclusively discuss Looney Tunes on this board, but the main one is variety. Each short offers a new experience, whether it be in who directed it or who animated it or who did the backgrounds or who did the music or what music was used or favorite lines (as we know, T&J was mostly silent, which nixes that category), and that's not even counting the differing characterizations between the various directors... lots to discuss.

[Thad]

Tom & Jerry is the animated equivalent of The Three Stooges - there's about two dozen or so really great shorts in each series, but outside of that, I could live without seeing most of them ever again. Hanna-Barbera could have made the series interesting but they chose not to. Most of the shorts after the late 40s are taxing save the occasional title.

The whole joke of the Road Runner series was that the Coyote was stuck in a universe of humiliation, doomed to chase his prey forever. There's no hint of irony like that in Tom & Jerry - just a lot of noise.

Having said that, they are NOT, as Mike Barrier has said, "Terrytoons in a Harman-Ising shell". H-B at least knew something about comic timing, which is pretty much nonexistent in Terrytoons.

[looneytooney]

Tom & Jerry is the animated equivalent of The Three Stooges - there's about two dozen or so really great shorts in each series, but outside of that, I could live without seeing most of them ever again.

That's a totally good point. After three Stooge shorts, I have to give it a break.

[oceansoul]

Tom & Jerry is the animated equivalent of The Three Stooges - there's about two dozen or so really great shorts in each series, but outside of that, I could live without seeing most of them ever again. Hanna-Barbera could have made the series interesting but they chose not to. Most of the shorts after the late 40s are taxing save the occasional title.

The whole joke of the Road Runner series was that the Coyote was stuck in a universe of humiliation, doomed to chase his prey forever. There's no hint of irony like that in Tom & Jerry - just a lot of noise.

Having said that, they are NOT, as Mike Barrier has said, "Terrytoons in a Harman-Ising shell". H-B at least knew something about comic timing, which is pretty much nonexistent in Terrytoons.

The series indeed went downhill in the 50s (I think the famous intro/theme song used in that period marks it), however there were still a lot of gold in those toons. One thing was definately new: Tom was allowed to win... I think after '54 or so, he played .500 ball against Jerry, which was a huge change from the '40s cruel treatment of the cat. IMO even the worst Tom winning cartoons (like "The Vanishing Duck") have the guilty pleasure to the viewers.

Anyway, I'm wondering which are those two dozen shorts you mentioned. Even in the 40s there are much more of their cartoons that have the own unique feeling and merits. However, I do agree with Leviathan, that Tom and Jerry should be more interesting mixed with other MGM shorts.

As for the Road Runner, that oh so irony of doom really gets tiring after a couple of views. The series is really nothing else, but 23 remakes of a stone cold masterpiece "Fast and Furry-ous" + some hackwork in the post-64 era. Like in many other 50s WB formulas, the less would have been more here. At least Tom and Jerry had depth with the characters and the plots.

[Thad]

At least Tom and Jerry had depth with the characters and the plots.

I agree. Except no.

[looneytooney]

Wile E. Coyote was in a DESERT of all places and he had no choice but to chase the Road Runner. :beepbeep:

Tom, on the other hand, was in a house. He could have given up on chasing Jerry and see what was in the fridge, discreetly, anyway. :tomcat:

[oceansoul]

I agree. Except no.

OKOK, I should have sensed the bias earlier. :rolleyes:

Anyway, the lack of character depth means we see a different cat in "Jerry and Jumbo" and in "Puppy Tale".

[looneytooney]

I think there was something in Thad's blog about the gags in Tom and Jerry not having much of a payoff. This may sound silly, but what does that technically mean?

[Dirty Skunk]

I have to agree that a little Tom and Jerry goes a long way. I just been so accustomed to seeing T&J mixed in with other MGM shorts and WB shorts that I find a block a just Tom and Jerry cartoons to be a little hard to take.

I've always found hours upon hours of non-stop Tom and Jerry quite easy-going. Not every episode has a chase, and each one features a different location. Then you've got music and a variety of supporting characters. For me, personally, compared to Roadrunner, Sylvester and Tweety and Pluto cartoons, and even the Goofy "How To" cartoons, it's hard to tire of Tom and Jerry's formula.

[CueBallCat79]

Thad, what do you think are the "two dozen or so" best tom and Jerry's?

Here are mine, exactly 24:

The Lonesome Mouse
Yankee Doodle Mouse
The Zoot Cat
The Bodyguard
Mouse Trouble
The Mouse Comes to Dinner
Mouse in Manhattan
Tee For Two
Flirty Birdy
Quiet Please
Part Time Pal
Solid Serenade
Cat Concerto
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse
A Mouse in the House
Kitty Foiled
The Truce Hurts
Old Rockin' Chair Tom
Professor Tom
Mouse Cleaning
Polka Dot Puss
Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl
Jerry and the Goldfish
Nit-Witty Kitty

I've always found hours upon hours of non-stop Tom and Jerry quite easy-going. Not every episode has a chase, and each one features a different location. Then you've got music and a variety of supporting characters. For me, personally, compared to Roadrunner, Sylvester and Tweety and Pluto cartoons, and even the Goofy "How To" cartoons, it's hard to tire of Tom and Jerry's formula.

This is me. I never get tired of Tom and Jerry, especially anything made before 1950. It was my father's favorite cartoon and it's always been my favorite cartoon.

[Thad]

Thad, what do you think are the "two dozen or so" best tom and Jerry's?

Here are mine, exactly 24:

Give or take a few, that would pretty much be my own. (I'd have to make room to include Million Dollar Cat, Springtime for Thomas, Trap Happy, Baby Butch, and The Flying Cat -- the canary pictures are fairly perfect.)

1945 and 1948 were the best years for T&J's. I wish the series as a whole maintained that variety.

[oceansoul]

Thad, what do you think are the "two dozen or so" best tom and Jerry's?

Here are mine, exactly 24:

The Lonesome Mouse
Yankee Doodle Mouse
The Zoot Cat
The Bodyguard
Mouse Trouble
The Mouse Comes to Dinner
Mouse in Manhattan
Tee For Two
Flirty Birdy
Quiet Please
Part Time Pal
Solid Serenade
Cat Concerto
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse
A Mouse in the House
Kitty Foiled
The Truce Hurts
Old Rockin' Chair Tom
Professor Tom
Mouse Cleaning
Polka Dot Puss
Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl
Jerry and the Goldfish
Nit-Witty Kitty

I tried to list my two dozens, but hell, I had to exclude a lot of greats so I gave up. Another proof how great this series is.

[CueBallCat79]

Give or take a few, that would pretty much be my own. (I'd have to make room to include Million Dollar Cat, Springtime for Thomas, Trap Happy, Baby Butch, and The Flying Cat -- the canary pictures are fairly perfect.)

I agree with all of these too, and I actually forgot about "Trap Happy" when making my list.

1945 and 1948 were the best years for T&J's. I wish the series as a whole maintained that variety.

I agree completely.

[oceansoul]

I agree with all of these too, and I actually forgot about "Trap Happy" when making my list.



I agree completely.

And what's your opinion about Heavenly Puss? IMHO it's one of the best cartoons ever made.

[Debbie]

I can honestly say that I am not tired of Tom and Jerry, at least not the GOOD Tom and Jerry's. I can't say that I care for the Direct-to-Video movies ("The Magic Ring" had a novelty factor when it was the only one...), but I literally have been watching the older shorts for most of my life, from catching them daily on WLVI 56 in Boston, on the Turner cable channels and later VHS and DVD releases and even the mixed bag of shorts in Tom and Jerry Tales, Tom and Jerry is one of my all-time favorite cartoon series.

...but I may be biased.

[Steve Siegert]

Tom and Jerry is easily on my top 5 list of animated series of all time, but like many have previously said, about 20% of the Hanna-Barbera output is what makes this series memorable. The rest don't really require too many repeat viewings.

I don't think the public has grown weary of Tom and Jerry, but I do believe that Warner Bros. is sucking the life out of this franchise. They have been putting too much emphasis on Tom and Jerry for the last decade or so (can we say this franchise has become the sibling of Scooby-Doo?). Too many direct-to-video films (none of which I have seen, nor do I ever plan to see), and numerous DVD releases (most of which are marketed for a family budget). Tom and Jerry is also the only classic that is still airing on Cartoon Network.

Tom and Jerry is a classic, and rightfully does deserve recognition, but it seriously does not need to be shoved in our faces the way it has been. There are other classic cartoons out there (some of which are actually better) that deserve to be recognized as well.

With that said and done, too much of a particular thing will make some people lose interest after a while. For that reason alone, I can understand why some people might think it is time to set aside Tom and Jerry and start to focus on something that hasn't received as much recent attention.

[Bugsy-Kun]

It's funny how many peoples seems to compared Tom and Jerry to the Road Runner series. The main reason why i like Road Runner more than Tom and Jerry which was where i live, Tom and Jerry was not really existent except for the TV revivals.

The Road Runner cartoons was showed frequently by now but it's like each time i watching one of this films, they have something i never see. Yes, it's a classic formula, but works only if they cares on it.

About Tom and Jerry, i'm not very excited on this series, which i considered more a bad Disney influence. The only cartoons i liked was "Kitty Foiled", "Quiet, Please", "Springtime for Thomas", "Mouse Trouble" and "Part-Time Pal". Some 50's cartoons are good personally but it's more the weirdness i enjoy it.

[Ray Pointer]

Are these "have we grown weary" threads a reincarnation of Hit or Miss Polls? That's what is seems like. If you are weary of them, why not state your position and prepare for the debate?

[Tim Lones]

Are these "have we grown weary" threads a reincarnation of Hit or Miss Polls? That's what is seems like. If you are weary of them, why not state your position and prepare for the debate?

Ray:
I hadnt really thought of it that way, but I think that in phrasing the question differently "Have we grown weary" vs. "Hit And Miss" allows for more depth of conversation..I would almost never respond to "Hit/Miss" Threads, but I did for this one..And I gave I thought common sense reasons for not caring much for Tom and Jerry..

[Bradskey]

I can understand or have even experienced some of the sentiments expressed here about T&J that lead me to generally neglect them. I know I've seen them all, as they were widely shown on TV when I was a kid. It's remarkable how hard WB continues to push them to this day while equally worthy series continue to languish in the vaults. For the reasons of easy access, constant play and poor presentation, I do not devote much viewing time to Tom and Jerry at all. That doesn't mean the series doesn't contain some of the finest examples of golden age animation, interesting situations, great music and laugh-out-loud humor. It's just you get it in your mind that you're tired of something or you've seen it all or you can always watch it later maybe. I find it helpful once in a while, as sort of a mental exercise, to make an effort to view something and pretend that it's the first time you've ever seen it and see if you don't enjoy it.

Naturally I'm still selective and would only attempt this with the classics of the series. Even if I could own the Deitch entries I wouldn't, much less any of the TV incarnations, and not much to say about the Jones shorts either. But give me a "Texas Tom" or "A Mouse in the House" and I'm happy.

[Der Captain]

Thad, what do you think are the "two dozen or so" best tom and Jerry's?

Here are mine, exactly 24:

The Lonesome Mouse
Yankee Doodle Mouse
The Zoot Cat
The Bodyguard
Mouse Trouble
The Mouse Comes to Dinner
Mouse in Manhattan
Tee For Two
Flirty Birdy
Quiet Please
Part Time Pal
Solid Serenade
Cat Concerto
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse
A Mouse in the House
Kitty Foiled
The Truce Hurts
Old Rockin' Chair Tom
Professor Tom
Mouse Cleaning
Polka Dot Puss
Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl
Jerry and the Goldfish
Nit-Witty Kitty



This is me. I never get tired of Tom and Jerry, especially anything made before 1950. It was my father's favorite cartoon and it's always been my favorite cartoon.


Nice list, but I would remove "Professor Tom", "T&J in the Hollywood Bowl", "Nit Witty Kitty"(although I like them) and "Jerry and the Goldfish" and replace them with "The Night Before Christmas", "Puttin on the Dog", "The Framed Cat" and "Heavenly Puss".

[Ray Pointer]

Give or take a few, that would pretty much be my own. (I'd have to make room to include Million Dollar Cat, Springtime for Thomas, Trap Happy, Baby Butch, and The Flying Cat -- the canary pictures are fairly perfect.) 1945 and 1948 were the best years for T&J's. I wish the series as a whole maintained that variety.

I would total agree. You mention some of my favorites, Thad. There are a few others that belong on the list, one of them being DR. JECKLE AND MR. MOUSE.

[Der Captain]

I would total agree. You mention some of my favorites, Thad. There are a few others that belong on the list, one of them being DR. JECKLE AND MR. MOUSE.

But that one's already on the list.

[CueBallCat79]

Lets just put it this way: between 1943 and 1949 just about every Tom and Jerry cartoon was gold. I really can't think of any weak ones.

[oceansoul]

I put my mind together, and made my personal list of favourites in order. The list includes 15 cartoons only.

1. Heavenly Puss
2. Mouse Trouble
3. Trap Happy
4. The Night Before Christmas
5. Mouse in Manhattan
6. Mouse Cleaning
7. Part-Time Pal
8. Polka-Dot Puss
9. Quiet Please
10. Puss Gets the Boot
11. Tom and Jerry in Hollywood Bowl
12. Little School Mouse
13. Puppy Tale
14. Dog Trouble
15. Blue Cat Blues