In 1847, famous composer Franz Liszt wrote Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (henceforth called Number 2), which is considered today as one of the most iconic pieces of classical music ever written. Though made to be a dramatic piece, it has had a place in the world of comedy, mainly in animated shorts and feature productions. The first use of the tune in film came from the 1929 Disney short "The Opry House", and this started a trend with other movie studios, including Universal, Warner Brothers, and MGM, on making comedic interpretations of the Liszt's masterpiece performed by cartoon characters. Tom & Jerry, at this point, have become household names in the motion picture industry as one of the greatest film duos ever conceived, even before the creation of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. For MGM, the Tom & Jerry shorts have become just as memorable for their craftsmanship, writing, and execution as their now classic movie musicals like "Singin' in the Rain" or "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". For years, Tom & Jerry showed that the art of the chase is eternal, having both characters beat the everloving hell out of each other with whatever they could get their hands on, most of the time taking place in an old-fashioned suburban household. However, this short takes a different turn from the usual house setting. Instead, it takes place in a fancy concert hall, which is the last place you would expect the duo to be at this point.
In this short, Tom Cat is a concert pianist who arrives on stage to perform Liszt's "Number 2" on the grand piano in front of a massive audience. When he begins to play, everything is going fine as if it was a dead-serious musical event or an episode of PBS' Great Performances. That is, until we look inside the piano and we find that Jerry has made himself a small abode. Of course, he is waken up, though he doesn't get angry about it when he finds out who's at the keys. So he decides to have a bit of fun by making Tom's big night something he wishes never happened. Plus, in a way, it serves as a lesson for all piano owners: make sure there's no mice inside to ruin your session, 'cause then you're gonna have a bad time, and no one wants to have a bad time.
Anywho, what makes this short work to its advantage is how it slowly builds up the slapstick as the tune goes on, and as it goes into the second half of the short, it starts to get more hectic, with the orchestra joining in. At first, Jerry does things to the piano that just irritates and distracts Tom, but when the tempo begins to rise, Jerry decides to make Tom's night a living hell by pushing him towards exhaustion, as if the last straw was finally drawn. In the end, as is the norm, Jerry gets the last laugh, as the spotlight shines on him and he takes a bow for the performance, whilst Tom is laying on the keys breathing heavily. Now THAT is a sign of satisfaction.
This is one of the Tom & Jerry shorts that has gotten such high praise from critics and audiences as a comedy classic, it became one of seven Tom & Jerry shorts to win an Academy Award for Best Short Subject in the Cartoon category, which was accepted by the film's producer, Fred Quimby. It's indeed one of the greats from the Hanna-Barbera catalog. The animation and timing is well done, and the comedy is as smart as usual. The music, obviously, flows with the on-going havoc, and it fits perfectly, making it one of the best uses of Liszt's classic piece. In fact, I have a feeling that the scene from Robert Zemeckis' Who Framed Roger Rabbit where Donald Duck and Daffy Duck do dueling pianos in the Ink and Paint Club pretty much pays tribute to this particular short.
In conclusion, this is a gem in the Tom & Jerry franchise, and a step forward for the characters to interact in different environments. As a kid, I looked forward to seeing this film appear on a Tom & Jerry block on Cartoon Network, and they still do this today. Though if you're looking to own this film so you can watch it at anytime, it can be found on the first Tom & Jerry Spotlight Collection volume or the first volume of the more recent Tom & Jerry Golden Collection. It is also a bonus feature on the DVD release of the MGM's 1946 film The Yearling.
DID YOU KNOW?:
- The film fell under controversy when Warner Brothers released the Bugs Bunny short Rhapsody Rabbit at the same time. This short involved Bugs also performing Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 on the piano at a concert hall, similar to this film. Both films were sent to a film lab that serviced both studios, with the lab accidentally sending the opposite films to the studios. This led to the filmmakers of both films accusing each other of plagiarism. It was settled eventually when both sides agreed that the similarities were, in fact, coincidental. Rhapsody Rabbit was not nominated for the Best Short Oscar.