The Yankee Doodle Mouse (1943) User Reviews

Tom and Jerry go to war

[movieman_kev · 9/10 · 30 May 2005]

Jerry the mouse and tom the cat are at war with each other, Jerry using such items as egg 'hen' grenades, light bulb bombs, and various other Weapons of Mass Distraction. Tom is pretty much the Nazi to Jerry's American soldier in this one. It won the Oscar for best short cartoon in 1944 and rightfully so as this is one of the funnier Tom and Jerry cartoons that I've seen and worth having in ANYone's collection. This hilarious award winning cartoon can be found on disc one of the Spotlight collection DVD of "Tom & Jerry" Which is a great buy however way you slice it.

My Grade: A

An perfect game of Cat and Mouse

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 8/10 · 7 September 2006]

In this Oscar-winning cartoon (a fact that they're modest enough to mention in the opening credits) Tom and Jerry wage war on each other in the basement of a house. Using household objects as weapons in a variety of imaginative ways, they advance and retreat on each other, desperate to win their mini-conflict.

I suppose this was one of MGMs entries into the pro-WWII cartoon efforts that Disney and Warner seemed to be having a blast with. It's got a very patriotic feel to it and makes war out to be fun. I have no problem with this kind of propaganda at all, but I am surprised that PC-thug groups haven't forced outrage over this, since their lot have ruined many other Tom and Jerry cartoons. Maybe their so blinkered that they cannot really see the subtext.

Anyway, it's a surprisingly good cartoon and really did earn the Academy Award it was honored with.

The first of seven Oscars for the cat and mouse

[llltdesq · 9/10 · 27 March 2001]

This cartoon was the first of seven Oscar winners in the Animated Short category. While it is the least of the seven, in my view, it speaks more to the quality of the others than to any weakness in this particular cartoon. Sort of "Jerry Goes To War", it is a reflection of the times and is very well executed and funny. Shows frequently on Cartoon Network. Recommended.

Extremely Good; Well--Deserved Academy Award Winner

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 19 December 2006]

This is a Tom & Jerry "war" cartoon with Jerry in the war mode pulverizing hapless Tom. Right from the beginning when he's tossing "hen-grenades" (eggs) to the end, he's using all kinds of objects as warfare. There are bunch of clever references to war slogans but modified, such as "That Friendly Rat May Tell The Cat" as one of the old warnings to use to give folks about being careful who you talk to, etc.

Jerry, complete a bottle-cap for a helmet, also dive-bombs the poor cat, riding paper airplanes with firecrackers, until he's finally shot down but he parachutes with a bra and lands safely. He even uses smoke screens by dragging a bag of flour along the ground. - whatever he can think up to win the "war." It's all clever and very funny.

This is non-stop action with a patriotic ending. I have no argument about this winning an Academy Award for best animated short.

One of the Best Tom and Jerry Cartoons

[Ostrumation · 7 October 2006]

Tom and Jerry are one of the funniest cartoon duos in years. In this 1943, which was released during WWII, Tom and Jerry fight each other with fireworks. The slapstick violence in this cartoon is really funny.

I like how they fight with the explosives. It uses some classic jokes, and unique ideas, like Jerry using a cheese grater as an army jeep, or a bra as a parachute.

This is one the best, and the violence goes on and on for about 7 minutes straight.

A 10 out of 10, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera did a really good job on this cartoon of the outrageously funny duo. I like at the end where the contract says "Send more cats!"

Very funny and very clever

[mforsting · 10/10 · 20 January 2021]

This cartoon is perfect excellent slapstick violence. Love that they used house filled objects to kill each other in a war.

Pretty okay overall

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 30 October 2017]

"The Yankee Doodle Mouse" is an American 7.5-minute cartoon from 1943, which means that this one will have its 75th anniversary next year and that it was from the days of World War II. And as it was made by Hanna Barbera, it is a Tom & Jerry cartoon, one of their more, maybe even most, known and liked. Actually is is really many very short films put together here. They may not have much of a connection, but they have certain things in common. For example, they are pretty much always about explosions and Jerry keeps being in a somewhat hopeless situation, but he keeps prevailing and eventually triumphing with Tom being the loser, sometimes through bad luck, at other times through his own incompetence. There are no other cats, other mice or dogs in here - pure Tom vs. Jerry. To me, the film needed a bit to get going, but the middle part is where it is at its best and funniest and the ending is solid too. Okay I think that is all. Oh yeah, I guess the Oscars pretty much liked the patriotic note at the very end and as they have always been kinda big on Tom and Jerry, they gave them another Academy Award here picking this one over works by some other greats from that era. It's probably not my favorite cartoon about the world's most famous cat-and-mouse duo, but it is a decently entertaining watch for lovers of old cartoons. I give it a thumbs-up.

Perhaps the Academy was pandering to the war effort?

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 2 September 2009]

This cartoon appears, at least to me, to possibly be an effort by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS--the Oscar people) to announce that they were squarely behind the war effort--though THE YANKEE DOODLE MOUSE was an excellent film. Unlike a typical Tom and Jerry cartoon, this one had several allusions to WWII--such as Jerry sending dispatches to the war office that he's taken car of the enemy, the cat. This is all very typical of a WWII era cartoon and perhaps this wasn't the main reason the cartoon won the Oscar for Best Animated Short--we'll never know.

Regardless of why it won, it was a superior product. The animation quality of these earlier Tom and Jerry cartoons were he best of the series--with amazingly beautiful story boards. Of the big three animation studios of the day, Disney, Warner Brothers and MGM, MGM probably had the best quality animation from a purely technical standpoint. Additionally, it's fun watching these characters beat the snot out of each other. However, this isn't exactly new stuff--most Tom and Jerry cartoons are very, very similar to each other. As usual, Tom tries to kill Jerry and by the end Jerry wins the day--no huge surprises here. While me saying this is a bit of a spoiler, it probably comes as no surprise to anyone that Jerry is the winner. Heck, I can only remember one time where Tom ended up the victor in all their many films.

An Oscar Winner

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 27 June 2021]

In tribute to American fighting men, Jerry declares an all-out war against Tom from his cat-raid shelter.

*Note* - This was the first Tom & Jerry cartoon to win an Academy Award.

T&J do their bit for the war effort.

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 13 March 2008]

By the end of 1941, the US had entered WW2, and Hollywood was doing its part to raise morale with uplifting movies depicting the heroic efforts of American service men and women. Tom and Jerry also joined in with the war effort with Yankee Doodle Mouse, a war-themed cartoon that sees the beleaguered mouse fighting bravely against the odds against the imposing cat, and ultimately succeeding in winning his battle.

The main purpose of this episode was to boost morale, and the cartoon definitely succeeds in being extremely entertaining stuff, with a lively pace and some lovely visual humour on display: Tom laughing at a tiny explosive which results in a massive explosion; Tom putting his face into a kettle containing more explosives, and being turned into a 'flower'; Jerry using a bra as a parachute; and Tom tying his own hands to a rocket.

Very patriotic (Jerry salutes a firework Stars and Stripes at the end!), but also very funny and inventive, this one deservedly won an Oscar in 1944.

This cartoon presents viewers with a real dilemma . . .

[tadpole-596-918256 · 7/10 · 12 August 2022]

. . . as to whether they should comment upon it under its ACTUAL title, THE YANKEE DOODLE MOUSE, as opposed to the little understood moniker you MUST search for to reach this page. Why on Earth would a supposedly professional web site use TWO names for the exact same thing, incomprehensibly giving preference to their "Own Private Idaho"-style listing? Somehow, all 15 user reviewers to date have directed their comments HERE, and NOT to the page with the genuine McCoy heading, THE YANKEE DOODLE MOUSE, which is unintelligibly lumped together with millions of "TV Episodes." Has this whole fiasco arisen because of the recent meddling of a foreign hacker? If so, that would go a long way toward explaining why 20 years of YANKEE DOODLE MOUSE comments wound up on the proper page, now mislabeled as MOUSE AT WAR. Which begs the questions, Who came up with such a martial law heading for a children's cartoon, and exactly when?

If you consider the main purpose of cartoons to be . . .

[pixrox1 · 8/10 · 3 October 2021]

. . . getting viewer's dander up by spreading misinformation, hatred against minority groups and fomenting treason versus America, then THE YANKEE DOODLE MOUSE surely will fit your bill. With its choruses of "Dixie" and dark-face "gags," what's NOT to tickle the fancy of irredeemable core supporters favoring anti-American Principles? Some of the younger residents of this Our Modern 21st Century puzzle over how James Crow sentiments could have persisted for more than a century across our U. S. Homeland. To obtain a deeper historical understanding of this deplorable swamp thinking, one can start by viewing ALL of the entries in this decades-long series.

Tom and Jerry's First Oscar

[maxschoby · 5/10 · 12 October 2023]

The first Oscar winning short, The Yankee Doodle Mouse, is fine. In my opinion, this shirt is incredibly subpar, with nothing of real enjoyment found. I believe this short to be boring because of the gags just not landing for me. The part with Tom and the tiny stick of dynamite comes to mind, which has never really landed for me. Some other, like the cheese grater car Jerry uses, the pot that Tom floats on, and the eggs being used as grenades, just don't land for me. The best part of this cartoon is when flour is spread, and Tom is hit multiple times with a board. The finale feels a little boring, with Jerry doing the same basic rope tie trick. I understand why many like this short, and how it was able to win an Oscar, but overall, I don't like The Yankee Doodle Mouse very much.

The Yankee Doodle Mouse

[Michael_Elliott · 29 December 2015]

The Yankee Doodle Mouse (1943)

*** (out of 4)

Award-winning short has Tom and Jerry paying respect to America who was deep into WWII. This short has the two in the basement doing a rather violent battle involving eggs, bombs and various other objects. THE YANKEE DOODLE MOUSE isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination but there are some very good moments scattered throughout the film and there's no question that it's certainly the most violent film in the series up to this point. Tom certainly takes a beating in various ways including several bombs meant for Jerry not working out correctly. The film has a very good and quick pacing to it, which certainly helps and there are some good laughs along the way as well.

Curious title, but one of the better early Tom and Jerry cartoons

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 18 June 2010]

There is no doubt in my mind this was one of the better early Tom and Jerry cartoons. Even with its decidedly curious and somewhat ironic title. The Yankee Doodle Mouse is extremely good all the same, with a great story and a very patriotic ending. The animation is fantastic, the visual effects are dazzling especially with the US flag and the music score here is one of my favourite soundtracks on a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Even more impressive were the sound effects, they were really authentic, and the sight gags are brilliantly timed and all of them work superbly. Overall, even with the curious title, but it is for me one of the better early Tom and Jerry cartoons. 9/10 Bethany Cox

War parody and one to watch on 4th of July!

[blanbrn · 8/10 · 6 July 2021]

This "Tom and Jerry" short from 1943 called "The Yankee Doodle Mouse" is one that was done clever and highly memorable. The duo battle it out of course only this time it's in the house basement and it's an all out war mode! As food and house supplies are used as war gear! The fire and explosions are felt as fire comes from up above as little mouse Jerry does his best to outsmart Tom, you name it eggs, light bulbs, flour, and firecrackers are all used to bring smoke! Still in the end it's honor and the patriot way for a little mouse! Fun enjoyable short one of the better and earlier ones!