For over 80 years, the famed cat & mouse duo Tom & Jerry have entertained audiences across the world. From countless cartoons, television shows, movies, and other miscellaneous merchandise, these classic natural prey vs predator characters continue to live on in the minds of animation and comedy fans. So if we're to truly appreciate them for all they're worth, it's best to look back at their first appearance, Puss Gets the Boot. Although initially just a one off short, the cartoon proved to be so successful that it spawned more cartoons and an Oscar nomination. So how does it hold up nowadays on its own?
In their very first installment, Tom the cat (named Jasper) chases an unnamed Jerry mouse around the house but is threatened to be kicked out of the house if he breaks anything. The basic premise is a perfect setup for what would eventually turn into the antics courtesy of the iconic duo we know today, albeit with a more grounded basis. Appearing to be a lot more mangy and malicious than the character that Tom would become in later years, Jasper fools around with the mouse like that of a bully picking on the small helpless victim, but instead of elaborate traps and slapstick gags, a lot of the antics and shock come from genuine violence against one prey and their enemy. Thanks to a lot of strong suspense, the advantage the mouse has to try breaking random objects in the house creates a lot of fear and potential conflict in Jasper's world, creating a lot of anticipation as one can only imagine what will happen next. In many ways, this early pilot to the Tom & Jerry cartoons is a lot like a moral about messing with the wrong guy, because you might get the boot at the end of it all.
With the talented mix of William Hanna's articulate comic timing and Joseph Barbera's precise visual gags brought to life, this film captures the right amount of pantomime needed for a story like this. Animated through strong characterization affected by a given situation, the animation crew was able to capture the pain and anguish Jasper endures by attacking the mouse and trying to keep as many ornaments from breaking as possible. The difference in moods are exact depending on how the cat feels, as he can feel so much arrogant joy and delight in harassing his prey while also cringing in desperation in trying to keep himself thrown out of the house by the housemaid. Speaking of said maid, this would become the first appearance of the infamous stereotyped character Mammy Two Shoes. While her appearance is a sadly outdated trope that would never be accepted in today's society, she does create a strong threat in making the rules in the house. Add on Scott Bradley's energetic score to intensify the mood and you got yourself all the obstacles in this poor cat's way.
In a day and age where people have become so jaded with the cat chases mouse trope in animation, it's nice to look back at the famous duo that made said premise work so well in the first place. While Tom & Jerry would go on to many greater things in years onward, Puss Gets the Boot is a wonderful initial kickstart to the household named frenemies that we all know and love. If you've seen a million Tom & Jerry shorts and have somehow not checked this flick out, now would be a perfect time to give it a go. Remember that it was only 83 years ago that this seed sprouted a ginormous plant in animation.
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