Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl
Tags: comic

Plot synopsis:
Tom walks onto the stage, ready to conduct a cat orchestra to the song "Die Fledermaus." Jerry emerges from his mouse hole and rushes to the podium to try to take over from Tom. Tom tries to whack Jerry with his baton, but Jerry continues to conduct the music from Tom's baton. Tom then stuffs Jerry into his suit, but Jerry pops out from Tom's sleeves. After Jerry pops out of Tom's dickie, Tom stretches Jerry on his baton and catapults him onto a harp. Jerry then offers to dance the Du und du with Tom. After they dance together, Jerry sends Tom spinning into a cello, where he is "strung" by the cello player. Tom then gets his revenge and tricks Jerry into dancing with him before walloping Jerry and hurling him into a sousaphone, where he is "squirted" by the sousaphone player.
Tom and Jerry continue to try to one-up the other and win the right to conduct the orchestra. When Jerry pleads Tom to let him conduct the orchestra, Tom uses his baton as a snooker cue to knock Jerry off the podium before using Jerry's baton as a toothpick and throwing it away. Jerry retaliates by snapping Tom's baton in half, only for Tom to produce a spare baton from his pocket and stick his tongue at Jerry. Jerry, fed up, hammers some wheels onto the podium and pushes it (with Tom still on it) out of the amphitheatre and onto the road, where an unaware Tom is flattened by a passing bus.
Tom, returning with his suit ripped and his eyes blackened, grabs Jerry and dangles him between two cymbals, which are bashed together, flattening Jerry. A flat and almost transparent Jerry floats down to the floor and pops back to his full size and structure. Enraged and deciding to sabotage the concert, Jerry grabs a saw and saws underneath the floor of the entire orchestra, causing the feline members of the orchestra to fall and disappear under the floor. Tom is left aimlessly running around to play the instruments until Jerry finishes conducting the symphony. As expected, Jerry takes all applause and credit for himself, and then points to the "One-man orchestra" Tom, who is now exhausted. Then Tom manages to stand up and nod to the crowd before he also falls off through the floor like the feline orchestra.

Review: An institution that will become legendary.
6 year olds, 85 year olds, geography teachers, members of the Royal Family, tramps, beggars, millionaires, everyone.
Everyone knows Tom and Jerry.
It is a rare phenomenon.
Wonderfully drawn, fantastic music effects, side-splittingly funny.
Something so popular, there were attempts to ban it, at one point.
How did they make it so good?I'm going to put a lot of the credit at Fred Quimby's door, and give kudos to Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera as well.
Every good Tom and Jerry cartoon had 'Produced by Fred Quimby' somewhere in the credits.
The brief bit of trivia on him says that he was despised by Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, and he constantly got into arguments with them.
All I can say is, whatever he did, however he got those cartoons produced, he did it perfectly, because every single one of them is well above average, and has more than a fair share of laughs.After Quimby, the cartoons that were both produced and directed by Hanna Barbera were also of an excellent standard, although subsequent producers, particularly Chuck Jones, did the name of Tom and Jerry no good at all.
When you think of Tom and Jerry, Fred Quimby's name on it is the seal of approval.As far as the animation goes, the expressions in particular were just exquisite, and frequently were they the source of the many laughs that each and every episode contained.
The way they could suddenly change.
When Tom is conducting, watch for the part when Jerry keeps tugging at his tuxedo, and pleading with him.
The urge was fortunately resisted to give Tom and Jerry proper, full-time speaking voices throughout Quimby's days in charge, instead just letting either character speak when it suited the part.Up to a few weeks ago, I'd known Tom and Jerry as something to watch if it came on, because it was reasonably funny.
But when I visited America recently, and watched Tom and Jerry for a full hour on the Cartoon Network every day, I realised just how good it was.
The two best Tom and Jerry cartoons are 'Hollywood Bowl', and 'Cat Concerto'.
They are the best cartoons in the Tom and Jerry range and considering all of Quimby's were excellent, that really is saying something.How exactly it is that a cat and mouse who hate each other, and spend most of their lives trying to kill each other, stayed so successful, and NEVER lost ANY of the humour under Quimby, I will never fully know, and I think MGM may have pondered on it themselves (look for the episode 'Life with Tom').
The facts are: Tom and Jerry was started over 60 years ago, and Quimby's last was made in 1955.
There were attempts to ban it, thanks to a woman named Mary Whitehouse, but she is dead, and Tom and Jerry lives on, as well known as it ever was.
All that remains is for me to say good riddance to Whitehouse, and long live Tom and Jerry!.
Cat Concerti: Part II.
In this one, Tom is conducting at the famous Hollywood Bowl.
Jerry is nearby with his mouse-hole shaped just like the Bowl.
He, too, comes out in tails and wants to conduct.
Why doesn't this mouse ever mind his own business and leave Tom alone?
He starts a lot of the trouble and yet he's supposed to be the "good guy?" You could call this "Cat Concerto: Part Two" since it is the same theme as the 1946 T&J short in which the cat and the mouse both get highly involved in a symphony orchestra presentation.Anyway, every move - deliberate or not - makes the orchestra continue to play the concert without skipping a beat.
Much of it is very clever.
There is much more to this than the Oscar-winning first film but it doesn't have the overall class and charm the first one had.
However, strictly for gags, this one offers much more.
Take your choice..
Tom and Jerry conduct an orchestra with typical hi-jinks..
Tom is conducting an orchestra when Jerry, complete with tuxedo and baton, comes out and wants to do some conducting also.
Typical Tom and Jerry chaos erupts periodically amidst the classical music wafting around them.
The blend of music and mayhem is inspiring!
An excellent cartoon, for the most part.
Cartoon Network runs this one reasonably often.
Most recommended..
The "Bat" in the Bowl.
I'm a BIG classical music buff, and "Hollywood Bowl" is one of the best Tom and Jerry cartoons that entice people like me.
The music of it was wonderful!
If you classical music-illiterate folks have no inkling of who wrote the glorious music, this is the overture to a little opera named "The Bat" (Ha, ha; funny name for an operetta, huh?) by Johann Strauss the Younger.Tom and Jerry were conductors who conduct the orchestra of cats.
Jerry wanted assistance to Tom, but he denies it.
This is better than any other T & J cartoons!
If you love classical music, watch this; it'll laugh your baton off!.
good cartoon,...especially if you like this sort of toon.
As for me, this Tom and Jerry short is a bit of a letdown.
While it is beautifully animated and exudes quality, I really don't like musical cartoons.
This goes not only for the Tom and Jerry ones where they are performing on stage, but those of Bugs Bunny as well.
Some people LOVE toons like the RABBIT OF SEVILLE or TOM AND JERRY IN THE Hollywood BOWL but they just don't appeal to me and I doubt they'll appeal to most people--particularly kids.
Classical music performances and cartoons just don't appeal to everyone.
Plus the Tom and Jerry formula is tampered with--it just doesn't look or feel right having them in this situation.
However, despite all my complaining, it's still an excellent cartoon..
One of the best!!!.
This episode contains very good music and good laughs!!!Tom and Jerry is a lovely show for kids though this kind of series are different from others.
I think it should be series like this in our time too.This episode is one of the best i think because there is so much understandings between Tom & Jerry.
They both act well and there is nothing wrong about this episode.
Very good Music witch fits in perfectly.
You are following both and feel sorry for them in different ways.
When the mouse for example begs Tom to play with him, Tom just ignores him.
Then you feel sorry for Jerry.
When Tom try to save the cat-concert in the end you feel sorry for Tom. This episode is different from the other Tom & Jerry episodes too.
All the episodes are mostly different.If you compare the shows of Tom & Jerry in the 40's and 50's with the kids show today you can see that the older shows is more smart.
Today it's embarrassing to see some series.
And that's because they had better directors before.This episode has an atmosphere witch is both interesting and funny.
I think those of you who are a Tom & Jerry fan and haven't seen this episode should see it.
It's pretty difficult sometimes for the director to make both an interesting, smart and funny episode.
This one they really did great.
Just see it and you know what i am talking about.
I can't imagine how great and good this episode is after all???
I think this episode should get an Oscar but it didn't.
I don't know why but it didn't!!!.
Just brilliant.
"Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl" is my favorite Tom & Jerry cartoon.
This is a very good one.
This is a very good one.
Definitely Oscar material.
How it didn't win any Oscars is beyond me.
If 'The Cat Concerto' won, how come this one didn't?
This one was actually more deserving of that honor.I believe this cartoon was inspired by 'The Cat Concerto'.
After all, in both of them Tom plays classical music, Jerry is excited to participate but Tom doesn't let him and, of course, both have the traditional fights between them and Tom at the end trying desperately to compete with Jerry.
This one, however, is more restrained on the infamous violent gags which Tom & Jerry's cartoons are known for.
While this one still has some sadistic stuff, it doesn't overdo it, being very far from being one of the worst of Tom & Jerry on this aspect.This time Tom conducts an orchestra (the Hollywood Bowl, famous amphitheatre in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California) of cats at the sound of the beautiful music "Die Fledermaus" by Johann Strauss II.
That is a very soft and relaxing music to hear.It's a quite clever cartoon.
There are lots of intelligent gags, such as when Jerry pleads and begs Tom to let him conduct the orchestra but Tom uses Jerry's baton as a toothpick and throws it away and then an angry Jerry snaps Tom's baton in half and throws it away, only for Tom to take off a spare baton from his pocket and stick his tongue out at him.
Other funny gags include with Tom using his baton as a snooker cue to throw Jerry off the podium, among other schemes of one against the other one.Conclusion: Definitely Tom & Jerry's finest.
Timeless and classic.
I almost can't find any faults on this because it really is "THE" Tom & Jerry classic for excellency and the only one which is as close to perfection as a Tom & Jerry cartoon can be.
The artwork is also very nice.
The use of classical music, as well as the classical music itself, for some reason makes me think of '2001: A Space Odyssey'.
Perhaps some of its "film-making" also does, even though '2001' was yet far from existing at the time this was made and the music is not the same as in '2001'..
Orchestra Tom. Tom the cat is conducting an orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl with some unwanted help from Jerry the mouse, which needless to say aggravates Tom. One of the few times that Tom gives as good as he gets, well almost.
While this animated short isn't as good as the earlier "Cat Concerto", it's still fun and a joy to watch, in my humble opinion.
And a million times better then the sugar coated homogenized crap that passes for kid's cartoons now a days.
This hilarious classic cartoon can be found on disc two of the Spotlight collection DVD of "Tom & Jerry" My Grade: A-.
If Johann Strauss II were alive to see this, I think he would be proud!.
After seeing The Cat Concerto and loving it, I saw Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl.
This time Tom conducts the Die Flerdermaus Overture by Johann Strauss II(who also wrote On the Beautiful Blue Danube and Tales from the Vienna Woods), and once again Jerry is attracted to the music.
The concept is simple but very effective, and the animation is truly excellent.
I don't really need to explain how good the music is here, other than to say it is outstanding, you should see the whole operetta, it is really something, really cheered me up after a hard day it did.
The sight gags are really original and extremely funny, with the ending a definite standout.
And Tom and Jerry are both stellar here, you feel sorry for Tom at the end though.
Overall, hugely enjoyable, a must see, and I do think "The Waltz King" would be proud!
10/10 Bethany Cox. Similar to, but not as good as, The Cat Concerto..
Watching Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl, one can't help but feel that its makers were desperately trying to replicate the success of their Oscar winning T&J classic The Cat Concerto (1947).
This time around, the animated mouse causes trouble at the titular L.A. amphitheatre where Tom is attempting to conduct a whole orchestra of cats playing classical music.There are lots of gags involving the use of orchestra's musical equipment as instruments of pain, but it all feels a lot less inspired than Cat Concerto, the antics far less amusing despite a greater number of musicians (miaowsicians?) to hand.
Bigger does not mean better in this instance.5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb..
Boring masterpiece.
This cartoon is well made and excellently orchestrated.
Music and gags go well hand in hand.
This being said, I found the cartoon extremely boring.
It is short on good gags and laughs..
A classic outing for Tom and Jerry.
As this short opens Tom walks out to conduct and orchestra of cats at the Hollywood Bowl; not long after they begin Jerry emerges from his mouse hole ready to conduct as well.
He climbs up onto the music stand in front of Tom and starts conducting.
Tom doesn't want the mouse taking over and puts him in his jacket; Jerry just emerges from one cuff then the other to conduct some more.
As the cartoon progresses they continue to try to stop each other conducting; all the while the orchestra continue to play perfectly.
Ultimately only one of them can continue as conductor and we can all guess who that will be!
This was a fun short where the action went perfectly with the music (Die Fledermaus).
As one would expect there is a fair amount of cartoon violence; Jerry is flattened between a pair of cymbals and Tom gets run over by a bus!
There are also a good number of gentler gags; I liked seeing the two dancing together and the way Jerry's mouse hole mirrored the design of the Hollywood Bowl was fun.
The story may be fairly minimal but that doesn't matter when it is as fun to watch and listen to as this..
I don't really see the appeal.
The soon 70-year-old "Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl" is one of the rare cartoons where you read about the two world's most famous cat and mouse characters in the title already, so yes this is another MGM Hanna Barbera short film.
And like some others with the duo involving Strauss and Tom at the piano, this is another piece of evidence that the music-focused T&J works are among their most known today.
Here Tom is a conductor who tries to make sure Jerry won't disturb him while guiding the orchestra.
I am not too fond of these because they really lack chase sequences and very funny interactions between the two protagonists.
This is extremely subjective though, but I agree with the Academy who awarded several T&J works, but not this one we have here.
It also did not really appeal to me and I would only recommend it to the very biggest fans of the characters here and those who love classical music too.
A thumbs-down from me, I only liked the animation, but story- and comedy-wise, there are hundreds of superior works from the Golden Age of Animation.