The Midnight Snack
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''The Midnight Snack'' is a ''
Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series c ...
'' cartoon released on July 19, 1941. It is the second of the ''Tom and Jerry'' films, returning to the basic premise of the previous film, '' Puss Gets the Boot'', following that cartoon's
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination. This cartoon featured the second appearance of Tom and Jerry, and was the first in which the characters were given their familiar names; the first cartoon, ''Puss Gets the Boot'' had the cat named
Jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases,Kostov, R. I. 2010. Review on the mineralogical systematics of jasper and related rocks. – Archaeometry Workshop, 7, 3, 209-213PDF/ref> ...
and the mouse without a name, though animation model sheets referred to the latter as "Jinx".


Plot

The cartoon takes place in a kitchen at midnight. Jerry pokes his head out of the refrigerator door and steals some cheese, unaware that Tom is watching him. Tom weighs the mouse down enough such that he can no longer see in front of him. After Jerry falls off from a rolling pin, Tom emerges from his hiding place with a smug face. Jerry "salutes" the cat and returns the slice of cheese to the refrigerator. He then proceeds to steal ''just'' a tiny bit of cheese, but Tom stomps on his tail with one of his hind paws and replaces the cheese. However, the cat soon realizes that he has the free run of the refrigerator, so he places an iron on top of Jerry's tail and begins eating. Jerry frees himself, but is soon caught by Tom and returns himself to the iron. Tom then presents Jerry with the wedge of cheese, but the iron attached to Jerry's tail prevents him from reaching the cheese. Tom then proceeds to allow Jerry to lick some cream off a few donuts, and then the mouse gets sprayed with the rest of it, plus a cherry for good measure. Tom then smells the cheese, but soon sees that it is the wedge of cheese, much to his nose's displeasure, and tosses it away. Unfortunately, the cheese smashes some crockery and wakes up Tom's owner
Mammy Two Shoes Mammy Two Shoes is a Character (arts), fictional character in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM's ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoons. She is a heavy-set middle-aged African Americans, African American woman who takes care of the house in which Tom and Jerry reside ...
, who goes downstairs. Tom quickly shoves Jerry into the refrigerator and hides. Mammy rushes in and opens the fridge, screaming in terror when she spots Jerry. Leaping onto a stool and comically hiking up numerous, patterned layers of underclothes, Mammy calls Tom who emerges and pursues Jerry. In the midst of the chase, Mammy leaves the room. Tom surprises Jerry behind a trash bin, but Jerry tricks Tom into looking over the bin and jumps on the pedal, sending it to crash into Tom's face. Jerry then jumps into the toaster and Tom starts it. Jerry pops up, his tail is on fire, and cools it in a sink full of water, only to be chased again by Tom. Tom ends up losing his grip and gets his tail caught up in an ironing board, with his body facing the refrigerator. Jerry climbs down the blind, picks up a fork with his tail and stabs Tom with the fork, causing Tom to slide down the board and eventually breaking the plates, up a washing board, onto the grater and crashes into the fridge just as Jerry had planned. Mammy re-enters the room on the belief that Tom has caught Jerry and disposed of Jerry. Then she opens the refrigerator door to get Tom a bowl of cream, only to find Tom in the refrigerator, covered in food. Jerry overhears Mammy shouting at Tom and kicking the screeching cat out of the house while munching on his wedge of cheese and feeling very pleased with himself.


Reception

''Motion Picture Exhibitor'' reviewed the short on August 6, 1941, not yet recognizing the soon-to-be stars as anything special: "The old story of the cat and the mouse, with the latter again victorious over the cat who winds up in the refrigerator. Some byplay is humorous. Fair."


Voice cast

*Harry Lang as Tom Cat (uncredited] *William Hanna as Jerry Mouse (uncredited) * Lillian Randolph as
Mammy Two Shoes Mammy Two Shoes is a Character (arts), fictional character in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM's ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoons. She is a heavy-set middle-aged African Americans, African American woman who takes care of the house in which Tom and Jerry reside ...
(1941 original version) (uncredited) *
Thea Vidale Thea R. Vidale (born November 20, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian and actress. Vidale is perhaps best known for her role as Thea Armstrong-Turrell in the ABC sitcom '' Thea'', which originally aired from 1993 until 1994. Vidale is noted as ...
as Mammy Two Shoes (1989 dubbed version) (uncredited)


Availability

;DVD: *''
Tom and Jerry Golden Collection ''Tom and Jerry Golden Collection'' is a series of two-disc DVD and Blu-ray sets, produced by Warner Home Video. It was expected to be collecting the 161 theatrical ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoon shorts released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from the 1940s thr ...
'' Volume One, disc one *''
Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection The ''Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection'' is a series of two-disc DVD sets released by Warner Home Video. Originally planned as an uncensored, chronological set, the issued ''Spotlight Collection'' sets include selected ''Tom and Jerry'' shorts ...
'', Volume Two, disc one ;VHS: *''Starring Tom & Jerry'' ;LaserDisc: *''Tom & Jerry Classics'' *''The Art of Tom & Jerry''


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Midnight Snack, The 1941 animated films 1940s English-language films 1941 short films 1940s American animated films 1940s animated short films Tom and Jerry short films American comedy short films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated short films Short films directed by William Hanna Short films directed by Joseph Barbera Films directed by Rudolf Ising Films produced by Fred Quimby Films scored by Scott Bradley Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio short films American animated short films Animated films about cats Animated films about mice