'The Midnight Snack (1941)' is the second short starring Tom and Jerry and the first to be labelled with those names. The piece focuses on Jerry's efforts to get a bit of cheese from the fridge, and Tom's attempts to stop him. These earlier shorts tend to focus on Tom toying with Jerry before finally attempting to get him for good, having Jerry act as a clear-cut protagonist who only causes harm to the cat when it's absolutely necessary for his own survival (he doesn't antagonise him simply to see him suffer, as he often does in later pieces). Although the plot is perhaps a bit thin for the length of the affair, this is a mostly entertaining effort that has plenty of enjoyable sequences. The animation is notably fluid and the characters have a lot of personality, which is all conveyed via their movements and expressions (as to be expected). The housekeeper character - who is undeniably a racial stereotype, by the way - sometimes has three fingers and sometimes has four (mainly in close up), which is a bit disconcerting once you notice it. Other than that, though, this is visually appealing. The cartoon is somewhat familiar for those who have seen the later shorts, but this isn't really an issue with it specifically; after all, it's hardly fair to judge a short's originality based on the sequels that used a similar formula. Ultimately, this is a slightly rough-around-the-edges but fun early outing for Tom and Jerry.
Review of The Midnight Snack
