The Midnight Snack is one of the first Tom and Jerry cartoons, if I am not mistaken it was the second. It is not quite as good as the cartoons of the 50s, most of which are classics, it does understandably have the feeling that they were still finding their feet, but it is infinitely better than the Gene Deitch abominations. What did I like about The Midnight Snack? A lot actually. As I've said, things are not quite settled but that is to be expected at the start. However, the animation really is wonderful. Tom's design would get better later on with his ears for example being more prominent and cat-like, but here he does look sweet I have to give you that. The backgrounds however have fluidity and detail and the colours are bright and beautiful-looking. The music has always been a key part to Tom and Jerry's success, full of energy and always enhancing the humour. The music for The Midnight Snack, even for so early on, does that exactly. The story is simple but never dull, and the gags are as you'd expect very funny. Jerry is the same as usual, cute and very clever for such a small rodent. Tom is much more playful than the more dastardly, cunning approach he'd have later, but he is very likable and interacts very well with Jerry. All in all, not one of the best but still very good. 9/10 Bethany Cox
23 Reviews
Early form of the Tom and Jerry characters.
llltdesq13 September 2003
The characters went through several different design changes from the early 1940s through to the 1960s, most often as a result of different directors. The most dramatic changes were made between the original design in the first cartoons and the characters' form that most would instantly think of as Tom and Jerry. This short is one of the earliest ones and things were still in flux.
This also has an appearance by Mammy Two Shoes and has Tom and Jerry going at it furiously, each trying to come out ahead, though Jerry is probably also trying to get some peace and some breathing room as well. Good fun and amusement all around. Well worth looking for. Recommended.
This also has an appearance by Mammy Two Shoes and has Tom and Jerry going at it furiously, each trying to come out ahead, though Jerry is probably also trying to get some peace and some breathing room as well. Good fun and amusement all around. Well worth looking for. Recommended.
Introducing Tom and Jerry
Tweekums22 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
There was one previous short featuring these two iconic animated characters but this was the first where they are actually called by these names. This is a fairly tame introduction to the characters; far less violent than later shorts... although it does have its moments.
It opens with Jerry stealing a wedge of cheese from the refrigerator and as he struggles under its weight Tom puts more and more items on top of it and eventually puts obstacles in front of him; inevitable Jerry drops the lot. Jerry then tries to get a smaller piece but Tom forces him to put it back. He then pins Jerry down with an iron while helping himself to a snack. When the lady of the house approaches Tom puts Jerry in the fridge so he can take the blame for the mess and stolen food and Tom can be the hero when he catches Jerry again. The woman does indeed scream when she sees Jerry but in the ensuing chase it is Jerry that gets the better of Tom; this leads to a painful finally involving a toasting fork and a grater!
While this may be a fairly tame example of Tom and Jerry it is still funny and provided a good introduction to the characters. I liked how their conflict started fairly gently before escalating to the painful finale. It is interesting that we never see the face of the lady of the house; we just see her lower body and here her shouting; always referring to Tom by his full name; Thomas. I believe that in a later version this black woman has been removed and been replaced by a white woman; apparently some people thought the character was racist but personally I couldn't see that and think removing her is worse unless more negative aspects of the character were revealed in other instalments. The animation looks great as do the backgrounds; it is clear that this wasn't made on the cheap. If you are a fan of Tom and Jerry this is obviously a must see and even if you aren't it is a lot of fun for adults and children alike.
It opens with Jerry stealing a wedge of cheese from the refrigerator and as he struggles under its weight Tom puts more and more items on top of it and eventually puts obstacles in front of him; inevitable Jerry drops the lot. Jerry then tries to get a smaller piece but Tom forces him to put it back. He then pins Jerry down with an iron while helping himself to a snack. When the lady of the house approaches Tom puts Jerry in the fridge so he can take the blame for the mess and stolen food and Tom can be the hero when he catches Jerry again. The woman does indeed scream when she sees Jerry but in the ensuing chase it is Jerry that gets the better of Tom; this leads to a painful finally involving a toasting fork and a grater!
While this may be a fairly tame example of Tom and Jerry it is still funny and provided a good introduction to the characters. I liked how their conflict started fairly gently before escalating to the painful finale. It is interesting that we never see the face of the lady of the house; we just see her lower body and here her shouting; always referring to Tom by his full name; Thomas. I believe that in a later version this black woman has been removed and been replaced by a white woman; apparently some people thought the character was racist but personally I couldn't see that and think removing her is worse unless more negative aspects of the character were revealed in other instalments. The animation looks great as do the backgrounds; it is clear that this wasn't made on the cheap. If you are a fan of Tom and Jerry this is obviously a must see and even if you aren't it is a lot of fun for adults and children alike.
That Technicolor food looks good enough to eat!
nnwahler17 August 2006
Getting everything right in the second entry in a series isn't too shabby an achievement!! This film's three times as good as "Puss Gets The Boot." The balance of the three characterizations is just right, and the story cements both Tom's personality as a lovable scoundrel & Jerry's as being a put-upon character who only eventually gets the upper hand. And forget about the early, "ugly" design of Tom--remember, it's characterization, story and comedy timing that count here. Of course, when Tex Avery entered MGM, the series would be adopting many of his methods of freneticism and outrageousness......but when all's said & done, a cartoon like THIS is really ALL I NEED.
The funniest animated short ever
BennyM28 December 2001
Not only the best Tom and Jerry film, but the best animated short I've ever seen. The timing, the animation, the character expressions, the sound effects... Not one false note. This one leaves me in stitches every time.
Right Names But Not A Lot Of Laughs Yet
ccthemovieman-125 July 2007
Hey, at least we have the right names: Tom and Jerry. The first episode of this famous cartoon had the cat and mouse called "Jasper" and "Jinx." Now, at least we're headed in the right direction with the T&J we're used to seeing and hearing. Still, you know this an early cartoon just by the furry look on Tom.
The story is simply about raiding the refrigerator which we see Jerry doing, trying to haul off a big piece of cheese. Tom makes it difficult for him in an amusing sketch that is playful more than the sadistic things were saw in T&J 'toons in later years. Later, Tom decides to taste the goodies in the fridge, himself, and there is a semi-humorous scene with jello.
Still later, Tom frames Jerry as Mammy the maid comes down to investigate the noise. By the way, the presence of the maid, "Mammy," in some of these early cartoons brings the usual introduction of the DVD from Whoopi Goldberg, whom Warner Brothers apparently feels they have to hire to tell us uninformed folks all the politically-correct B.S. This woman comes across as condescending and phony, gives the same speech she gave in the Looney Tunes Golden Collection except she substitutes a few names. Note to Warner Brothers: hey, we know what's right and wrong; you don't have to tell us.
Overall, this wasn't much and not really recommended for those who have a seen a bunch of Tom and Jerry cartoons from the later '40s and 1950s. Tom still doesn't look like "Tom" and the humor has none of the familiar edge to it. I guess they were still getting the kinks out before settling down with the kind of characters and stories that made them famous.
The story is simply about raiding the refrigerator which we see Jerry doing, trying to haul off a big piece of cheese. Tom makes it difficult for him in an amusing sketch that is playful more than the sadistic things were saw in T&J 'toons in later years. Later, Tom decides to taste the goodies in the fridge, himself, and there is a semi-humorous scene with jello.
Still later, Tom frames Jerry as Mammy the maid comes down to investigate the noise. By the way, the presence of the maid, "Mammy," in some of these early cartoons brings the usual introduction of the DVD from Whoopi Goldberg, whom Warner Brothers apparently feels they have to hire to tell us uninformed folks all the politically-correct B.S. This woman comes across as condescending and phony, gives the same speech she gave in the Looney Tunes Golden Collection except she substitutes a few names. Note to Warner Brothers: hey, we know what's right and wrong; you don't have to tell us.
Overall, this wasn't much and not really recommended for those who have a seen a bunch of Tom and Jerry cartoons from the later '40s and 1950s. Tom still doesn't look like "Tom" and the humor has none of the familiar edge to it. I guess they were still getting the kinks out before settling down with the kind of characters and stories that made them famous.
Sophomore outing for the famous cat and mouse.
BA_Harrison13 March 2008
The second outing for everyone's favourite cartoon cat and mouse (and the first in which they are actually named Tom and Jerry), the Midnight Snack is a vast improvement over their first appearance (in 1940's Puss Gets The Boot). Tom is still a little rough around the edges, lacking the defined look he would get in the Quimby episodes, but the style and feel of the animation is much more refined.
The story is still fairly simpleJerry raids the fridge whilst Tom does his best to stop himbut the level of invention is much higher, with some lovely use of various food as props. The visual humour and quality of animation ain't quite up to the standards that would be reached in the years to follow, but it's definitely heading in the right direction.
The story is still fairly simpleJerry raids the fridge whilst Tom does his best to stop himbut the level of invention is much higher, with some lovely use of various food as props. The visual humour and quality of animation ain't quite up to the standards that would be reached in the years to follow, but it's definitely heading in the right direction.
When Tom was Playful
TheMan305112 November 2002
If I'm not mistaken this is the third Tom and Jerry short and there is something about animated shorts that the very early appearances of the characters are usually not like their familiar presence. In a way early shorts are like the first draft of a script! While Jerry here is still the same Jerry we all know and love Tom however, is not the devilish cat we know. Instead here he is a playful cat just joking around with Jerry. In a way Jerry is the bad guy of this short because he didn't have a sense of humor!
3(***)out of 4(****)stars
3(***)out of 4(****)stars
Funny, slightly
CuriosityKilledShawn24 May 2004
Not much is happening in this short. Jerry fancies himself a midnight snack, so he decides to raid the fridge. Tom in watching and foils his plans. Content with neutralizing the mouse, Tom helps himself to whatever he feels in the fridge. But he soon makes a mess and the offensive, highly stereotypical black slave/owner goes mad at him. Tom pins the blame on Jerry and a chase follows.
There's not much in the way of creativity in this short. The kitchen environment just doesn't seem to offer too many traps, props or tricks. And while Jerry looks normal, Tom looks more feline and raggedy than he does in the later cartoons. Yes, it's worth watching but it's not as good as the Tom and Jerry we're familiar with.
There's not much in the way of creativity in this short. The kitchen environment just doesn't seem to offer too many traps, props or tricks. And while Jerry looks normal, Tom looks more feline and raggedy than he does in the later cartoons. Yes, it's worth watching but it's not as good as the Tom and Jerry we're familiar with.
Nice episode
thesangliangreat11 January 2015
The movie is cool. I want to tell you why. I don't see get too much hate, it got possible reviews. And i really like how tom stay up late. Great movie, as well. Y'a know? Jerry did things wrong. She broke too much plates causing her to get in trouble! The movie is released in ?/?/41. I watched it at 12:00. To be honest, it is way better than Battlefield Earth. The novel was good enough, and so does the episode! It was awesome, Excellent and cool! What a year! Victory for the episode and the novel! :) The episode contains no nudity and it was awesome! It was not rated r! It was Rated Y! Awesome! Cool. Maybe next time. :)
Anyone who's ever been shocked to discover . . .
pixrox111 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
. . . rodents or mouse leavings in their grandmother's refrigerator will surely suffer through a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder episode if they stumble across THE MIDNIGHT SNACK. The subject matter of this deplorable animated short is no laughing matter. Only the killer clown from IT would get a chuckle from this wrong-headed plot against human decency. One wonders what the psychotic misfits who threw together this aberration did for entertainment after work. I can think of at least half a dozen likely possibilities, but if you mention any of these on a family website you get censored or thrown off. It's small wonder that this abomination emanated from the House of the Groaning Fat Cat, the most infamous sleaze peddler on Tinsel Town's Poverty Row. Certainly the phrase "shock value" is a contradictory, self-negating oxymoron if applied to THE MIDNIGHT SNACK, as this kind of rancid squalor has absolutely NO value!
A Midnight Snack is Not Bad Right?
Kalashnikovin5 September 2022
Following the duo's Impeccable Start in the 1940 Big Oscar Nominee "Puss Gets The Boot," Hanna and Barbera decided to make one more cartoon of the Cat and Mouse Duo despite the fact that one of the Producers, Fred Quimby Himself, had displeased with the Duo due to finding it "Generic", Bill and Joe did not care about the Criticism and decided to continue the Duo's career with a sequel to "Puss Gets the boot".
I loved Puss Gets the Boot, it was a spectacular start and at the same time a great Competitor for the 1941 Oscar, Bill and Joe apply the same formula of the aforementioned cartoon, but with a couple of new ideas that fit nicely , here we see the duo, now called "Tom and Jerry" who now with a proprietary design make mischief in the Kitchen at Midnight but Mammy doesn't like the idea so she orders Tom to catch the Mouse!, The Cartoon counts with an even slower rhythm than "Puss Gets The Boot" both last 9 minutes and this last one started with the duo already fighting, here during the first 2 minutes we see a slow but memorable scene of Tom tormenting Jerry in the Dark, Obviously Tom's plans go awry and he ends up kicked out of the house, just like in Puss Gets The Boot.
The Cartoon shows us the MGM Animation in its purest form, the Backgrounds are exquisite, the Kitchen is so well drawn that it easily looks like a Photograph, Tom and Jerry have a Renewed Design and more similar to what they would have in the future, Mammy has not changed and retains the same look as its first appearance, the Animation for its time is Incredible, even to the Disney Grade at the time, there are obviously fluid movements and great attention to detail.
Scott Bradley's music is not far behind, it has a typical style of the 30s like in Puss Gets the Boot, it is not as lively and energetic as his music that he would do in later years, but it is really relaxing and calm to keep you entertained while you watch the cartoon.
This was a great Second Appearance of the Duo, it abandons the Disney style Elements of Puss Gets The Boot and shows us the greatness of MGM at that time, there are memorable moments and it is a complete Classic of the duo, the Relaxed Music keeps you entertained and The Animation is so juicy in details that you would doubt if the objects are drawings, Of course, there are great moments and it is much better than the previous cartoon.
In itself, The Midnight Snack is a complete Classic and a great Adventure of the Duo, I like the Animation as well as the Music, they are Excellent as well as the execution of the Cartoon, there are great moments and although a slow development, it manages not to bore you and it has a quite acceptable ending although not the best, but it is still better than its predecessor and slowly forges what would be Tom and Jerry in the Future.
For everything I said above, this Cartoon gets a deserved 10.
I loved Puss Gets the Boot, it was a spectacular start and at the same time a great Competitor for the 1941 Oscar, Bill and Joe apply the same formula of the aforementioned cartoon, but with a couple of new ideas that fit nicely , here we see the duo, now called "Tom and Jerry" who now with a proprietary design make mischief in the Kitchen at Midnight but Mammy doesn't like the idea so she orders Tom to catch the Mouse!, The Cartoon counts with an even slower rhythm than "Puss Gets The Boot" both last 9 minutes and this last one started with the duo already fighting, here during the first 2 minutes we see a slow but memorable scene of Tom tormenting Jerry in the Dark, Obviously Tom's plans go awry and he ends up kicked out of the house, just like in Puss Gets The Boot.
The Cartoon shows us the MGM Animation in its purest form, the Backgrounds are exquisite, the Kitchen is so well drawn that it easily looks like a Photograph, Tom and Jerry have a Renewed Design and more similar to what they would have in the future, Mammy has not changed and retains the same look as its first appearance, the Animation for its time is Incredible, even to the Disney Grade at the time, there are obviously fluid movements and great attention to detail.
Scott Bradley's music is not far behind, it has a typical style of the 30s like in Puss Gets the Boot, it is not as lively and energetic as his music that he would do in later years, but it is really relaxing and calm to keep you entertained while you watch the cartoon.
This was a great Second Appearance of the Duo, it abandons the Disney style Elements of Puss Gets The Boot and shows us the greatness of MGM at that time, there are memorable moments and it is a complete Classic of the duo, the Relaxed Music keeps you entertained and The Animation is so juicy in details that you would doubt if the objects are drawings, Of course, there are great moments and it is much better than the previous cartoon.
In itself, The Midnight Snack is a complete Classic and a great Adventure of the Duo, I like the Animation as well as the Music, they are Excellent as well as the execution of the Cartoon, there are great moments and although a slow development, it manages not to bore you and it has a quite acceptable ending although not the best, but it is still better than its predecessor and slowly forges what would be Tom and Jerry in the Future.
For everything I said above, this Cartoon gets a deserved 10.
Already an Improvement
maxschoby10 October 2023
The Midnight Snack is definitely an improvement over Puss Gets the Boot. The character designs have improved over Puss Gets the Boot, with Tom being bluer, and a bit softer, while Jerry looks a little less ratty. The episode is also funnier, with some moments including Tom getting hit by the trash can and Jerry getting objects stacked on top of his cheese. This episode is unfortunately one of the longer ones, and for a minute, it really drags along slowly. The downside to this cartoon is definitely it's runtime. It could be shortened to 7-8 minutes long. Otherwise, this cartoon is pretty fun, but the length definitely ruins some of it.
The Midnight Snack: The second ever Tom & Jerry cartoon
Platypuschow24 May 2019
After the previous years success with Jasper & Jinx it was inevitable that more shorts would follow, here however they've had a name change to the more familiar Tom & Jerry.
Here we see Tom stopping Jerry from taking the cheese from the fridge during the middle of the night. But you know how this plays out, the calamitous cat isn't going to find the deed easy.
Once again the animation is fantastic for its time and both characters (Especially Tom) look a little bit different. Regardless it's familiar charming stuff, even if it is entirely predictable.
Charming stuff, but I always feel bad for Tom.
The Good:
Looks great
Charming
The Bad:
More of the same
Here we see Tom stopping Jerry from taking the cheese from the fridge during the middle of the night. But you know how this plays out, the calamitous cat isn't going to find the deed easy.
Once again the animation is fantastic for its time and both characters (Especially Tom) look a little bit different. Regardless it's familiar charming stuff, even if it is entirely predictable.
Charming stuff, but I always feel bad for Tom.
The Good:
Looks great
Charming
The Bad:
More of the same
A classic piece of Tom & Jerry funny and well animated
bob the moo9 September 2004
Jerry is trying to steal cheese from a very well stocked pantry all at once or bit-by-bit he intends to have it. Tom spots him doing it and toys with him before stopping him getting any more cheese. Tom sets himself up in the fridge and starts eating food; when his owner comes down to investigate a noise, Tom frames Jerry for the crime starting a chase and prompting Jerry to even things up.
I'm not a massive fan of Tom & Jerry, I much prefer the more cynical and sharp edge that the Looney Toons had in their best moments. T&J often feels rather simple by comparison to Daffy in crazy mode and essentially they are.
The same routines, twisted slightly each time in order to make it different and, for that reason I suppose they deserve credit for keeping it going as long as they did. This short film is a good example of them at their best as it features good, colourful animation and plenty of lively action. It has no edge to appeal to adults but it was still lively enough to stop me getting board while the kids were laughing out loud along to it.
Overall I enjoyed this film and I'm not a fan of their cartoons. The routines are good and the animation is really bright and colourful, with both Tom and Jerry looking wide-eyed and well rounded (not the sharp edged, skinny Tom of later years). A good example of the best of Tom and Jerry.
I'm not a massive fan of Tom & Jerry, I much prefer the more cynical and sharp edge that the Looney Toons had in their best moments. T&J often feels rather simple by comparison to Daffy in crazy mode and essentially they are.
The same routines, twisted slightly each time in order to make it different and, for that reason I suppose they deserve credit for keeping it going as long as they did. This short film is a good example of them at their best as it features good, colourful animation and plenty of lively action. It has no edge to appeal to adults but it was still lively enough to stop me getting board while the kids were laughing out loud along to it.
Overall I enjoyed this film and I'm not a fan of their cartoons. The routines are good and the animation is really bright and colourful, with both Tom and Jerry looking wide-eyed and well rounded (not the sharp edged, skinny Tom of later years). A good example of the best of Tom and Jerry.
My rating is limited to the alternate version of this picture . . .
oscaralbert23 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
. . . called THE MIDNIGHT SNACK: PENCIL TEST, which is available as a "Bonus Feature" on Disc One of Tom and Jerry: The Golden Collection, Volume One. These nine minutes consist entirely of Black and White, partially animated drawings, which is far more apt for the insipid, milquetoast, lackluster, pale, one-dimensional, wan so-called "Tom and Jerry" animated series than the majority of related films available, which are mostly in the sort of color merited by vibrant cartoon characters such as Popeye, Bugs Bunny, Superman, Daffy Duck, Betty Bop, Porky Pig, Olive Oil, Sylvester Cat, Sweet Pea, Elmer Mud, Brutus, Yosemite Sam, Pip Eye, Tweet Bird, Pup Eye, Speedy Gonzalez, Lois Lane and Michigan J. Frog. Furthermore, though this pencil test version is dubbed with portions of the final dialog, Tom's REAL, more suitable name--Jasper the inept Cat--is written in on the preliminary drawings at least a half dozen times before the names were crassly changed to win over key manipulators of the annual vote for the animated short gelded statuette.
The fridge is for food, not cats and mice.
Pjtaylor-96-13804425 July 2023
'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.
Starring Tom and Jerry!
Otavio-clubpenguin21 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
For a second episode, this is certainly a improvement over the first one (Puss Gets the Boot), but it doesn't have laugh-out loud moments in this one, but there are moments that raise a smile in my face, such as Mammy-Two-Shoes pulling several layers on her dress or Tom blaming Jerry.
The Story?
At Midnight, Jerry starts to steal the Fridge food, but only to be followed by Tom, who stops Jerry. But, Tom decides to steal the fridge too, but he accidentally broke some dishes after throwing a cheese. Mammy-Two-Shoes comes down to see what happened, so Tom blames Jerry as the responsible, and start to chase him, in the end Jerry manages to push Tom against the fridge, breaking everything inside it, so Mammy throws him out of the house.
That Technicolor food looks really convincing to me, and makes me want to eat it! Like all early Tom and Jery cartoons, it have a beautiful animation and backgrounds.
I Recommend it! Give it a watch if you have free time.
The Story?
At Midnight, Jerry starts to steal the Fridge food, but only to be followed by Tom, who stops Jerry. But, Tom decides to steal the fridge too, but he accidentally broke some dishes after throwing a cheese. Mammy-Two-Shoes comes down to see what happened, so Tom blames Jerry as the responsible, and start to chase him, in the end Jerry manages to push Tom against the fridge, breaking everything inside it, so Mammy throws him out of the house.
That Technicolor food looks really convincing to me, and makes me want to eat it! Like all early Tom and Jery cartoons, it have a beautiful animation and backgrounds.
I Recommend it! Give it a watch if you have free time.
Memorable and good episode as it's a fight for food and the fridge!
blanbrn19 November 2020
This classic "Tom and Jerry" episode "The Midnight Snack" from 1941 is one that's memorable for it's story and chase and clever ways that one little mouse outsmarts Tom cat! Plus the technicolor was in top notch form as the food shown even made me hungry! It's late at night and Tom is on the prowl only one little mouse named Jerry is in the kitchen fridge and both have hungry stomachs! The chases and laughs are far out still this is a clever episode that deals with smarts and wit. Overall clearly one of the earliest and better episodes ever of "Tom and Jerry".
T&J 2 is OK
neil-4763 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
The second Tom & Jerry short gives them their accepted names for the first time, but is otherwise more or less a re-run of its predecessor although, even here, we see the beginnings of the caricatured violence for which Tom & Jerry became known.
Scott Barber's music punctuates the action with well-realised cues, but still contains quotations from mouse-based nursery rhymes.
Once again the black housekeeper puts in a vocal appearance and, once again, the current reaction that she is a racist stereotype misses the point that she is probably an accurate reflection of the time when the cartoon was made. Entertaining but not exceptional.
Scott Barber's music punctuates the action with well-realised cues, but still contains quotations from mouse-based nursery rhymes.
Once again the black housekeeper puts in a vocal appearance and, once again, the current reaction that she is a racist stereotype misses the point that she is probably an accurate reflection of the time when the cartoon was made. Entertaining but not exceptional.
Kitchen chaos
Horst_In_Translation23 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"The Midnight Snack" is an American short film from 1941, so this one has its 75th anniversary this year. The names Hanna and Barbera will probably immediately tell you that this is a Tom&Jerry cartoon and it is actually their second only in terms of chronology. You see that the looks of the characters changed a lot over the years and decades and here they are still at their most original. But nonetheless, this one is among the most known about the duo. I personally cannot say though that I consider it among the best. The action here is very slapstick-oriented and I cannot say I found a lot of it entertaining or even funny. The world's most famous cat&mouse pairing wreaks havoc in Tom's kitchen this time and while early on it all seems to go for Tom, this changes quickly as these movie goes on. At almost 9 minutes, it is slightly longer than they usually are. As a whole nowhere near my favorite T&J works. I have to give this one a thumbs-down.
The Midnight Snack
Michael_Elliott27 December 2015
The Midnight Snack (1941)
*** (out of 4)
THE MIDNIGHT SNACK would be the second Tom and Jerry cartoon but the first to use those names. The story has Jerry sneaking into the icebox for some cheese but when Tom catches him he decides to add some "weight" to make Jerry struggle. From here it's an all out war as Tom once again tortures the poor mouse until the maid comes to see what's going on. THE MIDNIGHT SNACK isn't the best film in the series but if you're a fan then there are enough clever moments to make it worth viewing. The highlight is some early creativity, which includes some bread being used as steps as Jerry is forced to work for his meal. There's a lot of fun action throughout as glasses are broken and various other bits of damage done.
*** (out of 4)
THE MIDNIGHT SNACK would be the second Tom and Jerry cartoon but the first to use those names. The story has Jerry sneaking into the icebox for some cheese but when Tom catches him he decides to add some "weight" to make Jerry struggle. From here it's an all out war as Tom once again tortures the poor mouse until the maid comes to see what's going on. THE MIDNIGHT SNACK isn't the best film in the series but if you're a fan then there are enough clever moments to make it worth viewing. The highlight is some early creativity, which includes some bread being used as steps as Jerry is forced to work for his meal. There's a lot of fun action throughout as glasses are broken and various other bits of damage done.
See also
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