Mouse Trouble

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Mouse Trouble

Tom and Jerry series

The title card of Mouse Trouble
Directed by William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Produced by Fred Quimby
Story by William Hanna (unc.)
Joseph Barbera (unc.)
Music by Scott Bradley
Animation by Ray Patterson
Irven Spence
Kenneth Muse
Pete Burness
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s) November 23, 1944
Color process Technicolor
Running time 9 min
Preceded by Puttin' on the Dog
Followed by The Mouse Comes to Dinner
IMDb profile

Mouse Trouble is a 1944 one-reel animated cartoon featuring Tom and Jerry, and was released in theatres on November 23, 1944 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. It was produced by Fred Quimby and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, with music by Scott Bradley (the music is actually based on the popular jazz song "All God's Children Got Rhythm"). The cartoon was animated by Ray Patterson, Irven Spence, Kenneth Muse and Pete Burness. The cartoon won the 1945 Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons, the second award bestowed upon the series.

[edit] Plot

Mouse Trouble has a conceptually simple plot, using the premise of a large tome that explains how to catch mice. The storyline has Tom reading the book and trying to follow its directions, only for Jerry to turn the tables each and every time:

  • Chapter I: First - Locate the Mouse:
Firstly, Tom locates the mouse. Tom spots Jerry, right under his nose, reading the same page as him. As Tom tries to grab Jerry, the rodent slams the book in his face and disappears into his hole.
  • Chapter II: Next...Try the simple mousetrap:
Next, Tom tries a simple mouse trap, not knowing it was a specific model designed for cats' fingers and not mice. However, the mousetrap fails to catch Jerry, despite the mouse struggling to remove the cheese from the trap. As soon as Tom touches the trap, it snaps on his finger.
  • Chapter III: A Snare Trap Never Fails:
Following this, Tom sets a snare trap around a piece of cheese. Jerry simply substitutes the cheese for a bowl of cream, and Tom ends up falling into his own trap.
  • Chapter IV: A Curious Mouse is easy to catch:
Then, Tom tries to make Jerry curious by reading the book and laughing noisily. A curious Jerry ventures out of his hole and tries to read the book, but Tom repeatedly turns the book away from him. Eventually, the trap works and Tom captures Jerry by shutting him into the book; however, Jerry escapes by using a ridiculously similar trick on Tom.
  • Chapter V: A Cornered Mouse NEVER FIGHTS:
Tom chases Jerry into a corner. After reading the chapter, Tom pounces onto Jerry. Crashes and bangs are heard, and ultimately, a very bruised Tom cries out in a weird echoey voice "Don't you believe it."
Tom and Jerry read from How To Catch A Mouse in Mouse Trouble. Animation by Pete Burness.
Tom and Jerry read from How To Catch A Mouse in Mouse Trouble. Animation by Pete Burness.

At this point, Tom stops reading from chapter-to-chapter and skims the book, trying suggestions that he likes or thinks will work.

  • Chapter VII: Be Scientific in your approach:
Tom uses a stethoscope to listen for Jerry within the walls of the house. As Tom finds Jerry and his heartbeat, Jerry swallows a piece of cheese very loudly and promptly screams into the microphone, almost deafening Tom. Tom forces a shotgun into Jerry's mousehole. However, the barrel of the gun bends outwards, through the wall, pointing straight at Tom's head. The rest of the cartoon sees Tom wearing a dodgy toupee. Tom pushes a bear trap into Jerry's hole, but Jerry pushes the same trap out of a side hole, which Tom sits on, ending up with his head stuck in the ceiling. Later, Tom tries to hit Jerry with a mallet, missing him repeatedly, until Jerry snatches the mallet out of the cat's hands and promptly hits him on the head with it.
  • Chapter IX: Slip Him a Surprise Package:
Tom hides inside a large present. Jerry, seeing the box, knocks on it. With no response, he sticks pins into the box, and ignoring Tom's yelling, proceeds to saw the box in half. Jerry looks inside the box and in horror, displays a sign reading "IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?"
Tom gets his finger caught in a mousetrap. Animation by Ray Patterson.
Tom gets his finger caught in a mousetrap. Animation by Ray Patterson.
  • Chapter XII: Mice are Suckers for Dames:
Tom, covered in bandages, winds up a toy mouse, which repeatedly exclaims "Come up and see me some time," a-la Mae West. Tom attempts to lure Jerry into a mouse-sized "hotel," the door of which leads into Tom's open mouth. Jerry ushers the mechanical mouse into the hotel first, which Tom swallows. He repeatedly hiccups, followed by the Mae West line repeatedly.

An enraged Tom breaks a mirror used to watch his damaged teeth and tears the book to pieces, and, still hiccuping "come up and see me some time," Tom fills the room with dynamite and gunpowder kegs. Tom lights the dynamite and a huge explosion is seen and heard. All that remains of the house is Jerry and his mousehole (with no surrounding walls). Tom, though, is floating on a cloud, ascending to heaven, all the while, hiccuping "come up and see me some time" ad infinitum.

[edit] Trivia

Don't you believe it!
Don't you believe it!
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