Since the 1940s, Tom and Jerry have provided cat and mouse antics for all ages. As a kid growing up in the 1970s and '80s, I found these characters created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera to be just as entertaining as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd. And now with kids of my own, I truly enjoy having the ability to share these shorts with my two daughters and seeing them laugh just as much as I still do as an adult.
Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases, Volume 4 continues the trend by Warner Home Video of releasing batches of classic cartoons for new generations to enjoy on DVD. Volume 4 includes 14 more classic shorts from the 1940s and 1950s.
Among some of my favorite shorts in this collection are:
- "Little Quacker" (1950) and "Just Ducky" (1953), featuring Jerry's little friend duck
- "Tom and Chérie" (1955) features Tom, Jerry, and Jerry's assistant Tuffy in the third "Mouseketeer" short (after "The Two Mouseketeers" (1952) and "Touche', Pussy Cat!" (1954))
- "Jerry & Jumbo" (1953) featuring Jerry and his baby elephant friend Jumbo, who fell off a circus train
- "Little School Mouse" (1954) entertains the notion of Jerry teaching Tuffy how to outwit cats and ends up with him needing to learn a thing or two himself
There's an innocence to these cartoons that I still find endearing after all these years. Sure, there's cartoon violence, but the only blood you'll see is the ketchup used to fool Tom into thinking he's bleeding every now and then (and not at all in this collection).
What I am always consistently amazed by is the music. Scott Bradley scored all but one of the original Tom and Jerry cartoons for MGM and Hanna-Barbera and I have to say that they are not only full of fun music, but a wide variety of styles — from jazz and blues to ballroom and country.
Tom and Jerry will forever be among my favorite cartoons and I've enjoyed revisiting my youth while watching them again on DVD. Be sure to look for Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases, Volume 4 at your local retailer or rental store.
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