Also Known As: Mouse at War

Directed by: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: A World War II themed short finds mouse Jerry fighting cat Tom via makeshift military equipment in a basement.

Cartoon Cat: As in most Tom and Jerry cartoons, Tom is the antagonist, chasing after Jerry, although as usual Tom gets the worst at every turn. The war references begin right away as Jerry dives into his mousehole which is marked as a Cat Raid Shelter.

Jerry pelts Tom with “hen grenades” (eggs).

Then bombs Tom with champagne corks and sinks him with a brick.

Tom attempts to lure Jerry from his hole with a piece of cheese and a mallet which one only finds in cartoons. But Jerry makes short work of Tom with a cheese grater converted into a Jeep.

Creating a smoke screen with flour, Jerry manages to get in a few good whacks with a board.

Tom next unleashes some fireworks on Jerry. But somehow Tom always ends up getting the brunt of the explosions.

In one instance, Tom and Jerry play hot potato with a firecracker. Then Jerry grabs the firecracker away from Tom, leading Tom to grab it back.

Of course Tom wins the battle and gets blasted again.

An apparent dud eventually explodes right when Tom looks into the kettle, which Jerry has just vacated.

Tom tries sending an explosive to Jerry on a paper airplane but Jerry blows it right back.

Jerry then sets up a massive looking firework right behind Tom.

It unveils smaller and smaller fireworks until finally there is a just a teeny tiny one left. Tom laughs at it, but of course it lets out a big explosion.

Jerry then bombs Tom with light bulbs from a makeshift aircraft.

Tom uses a Roman candle to attack Jerry and watches from the safety of a barrel.

The explosions eventually blow the barrel apart leaving Tom on a kind of bicycle.

Tom finally catches Jerry using a dart gun.

He plans to launch Jerry on a large rocket. Jerry is nice enough to help tie the knots.

Of course Jerry has tied Tom’s hands to the rocket and it launches, creating an American flag in the sky. At the end of the short we see a communique Jerry has written to the war office telling them to “Send more cats!” signed Lt. Jerry Mouse.

Final Mewsings: Cats should learn to be safe and sane around fireworks!

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