The Mouse Comes to Dinner (1945)

Who payed the critics

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Blistering performances.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I've practically seen all of these things and I've yet to see one quite as brutal as this! It's so unfair the way this episode was banned from DVD or a TV screening because of the appearance of Mammy Two-Shoes at the beginning. What a complete load of crap, although it does actually annoy me a little when she appears in the guise of a maid. It feels a lot more wrong as opposed to when she's the owner of the house. I'm well aware that in this "ideal" age of over-sensitivity and political-correctness, more people than not will likely see the character as nothing more than a bad stereotype and offensive, and perhaps they've got some kind of point, but I personally have always found her brisk, bakin' cookies momma's way manner and personality to be warm, cosy. Homely. I love Mammy. Okay, the violence featured in this particular Tom and Jerry offering seemed to be a little more extreme than the usual fare. Tom is set on fire, fried, stabbed, hammered, bitten, tricked into biting his own tongue, tricked into biting his own tail twice(the dumbass!), and drowned! It's open warfare on the dinner table and everything such a table has to offer is taken full advantage of. Several choice assaults that I found enjoyably shocking were the tongue-biting, when Tom leaps into the air and almost lands on a carefully-placed knife, and when Tom knocks Jerry out with the spoon. I kinda hope no kids ever tried to imitate this stuff(!) I don't get why the people complain about the noise of the chaos being overheard or whatever-as if you quibble about things of that nature when you're watching a Tom and Jerry! Some things that I didn't care for was the design of Tom's date. She was so weirdly small, not much bigger than Jerry. I also really dislike it whenever the characters speak. It completely destroys their precious mystique. Although it was very good, I did find the quality of the animation to be a little crude in comparison to a lot of the other 50's shorts. The Mouse Comes to Dinner feels to me like it could be verging on being a bit bland at times, but the eye-popping gags thankfully more than keep it going, and if not exactly a perfect one, make the show a very good, entertaining lil' ride and well worth anybody's while. One last thing, just in case you didn't know, this is the Tom and Jerry that E.T. screams at in the movie of the same name!

Now I liked this Tom and Jerry cartoon very much, it isn't a favourite, but I was entertained. Even if some gags were on the predictable side and the pacing a little more leisurely than usual, there is a lot to like about The Mouse Comes to Dinner. The animation is beautiful, old-fashioned but nice and ornate. Just looking at that dinner made my mouth water. The music is a lovely touch, the story is nicely constructed and there are some funny gags as well. I did feel somewhat sorry for Tom here as his tail for example got burned, Tom is cunning if rather dim-witted too(he should have known that Jerry would get his revenge) and Tom's girlfriend is a cute 'un. Overall, lovely Tom and Jerry cartoon, nice and funny if a little predictable on occasions. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This is one of my favorite Tom and Jerry featurettes and I rank this one up there with other classics starring them that I'd consider the best. Tom invites his girlfriend, Tootles, over for dinner, but Jerry gets in on the meal unannounced and he just won't let them have this event to themselves. This is the rare time (if not just one of those rare times) in which we get to hear Tom and Tootles speak, and Tom has solely one line throughout the entire cartoon. I find the little dialog they have interesting. I agree with one of the other reviewers who mentioned that this would be perfect for Thanksgiving. I remember this one well. Full of hilarious moments. This one is not to be passed.

This is a hilarious Tom and Jerry short. Tom gets his tail and butt on fire and runs for water. He is just about to sit down for some relief when Jerry puts a chafing dish under his flaming butt. He sits down and sizzles for a few min! He thinks he is getting cooled off, but he is getting heated up....A LOT!. He then realizes what has happened and flies off the surface, only to have his rear end stick to it. His butt comes free and he smashes through the roof with the flames from his butt trailing behind him. When he lands back to Earth, he is too dazed to realize that he could sit in the punch bowl to cool his rear. He just sits there while Jerry and Toots paint "SS Drip" on his burned backside. How embarrassing for him. He tired to show off and ends up with his rear end burned off and sinks into a bowl of punch. What a day!!!!!!!