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 wound up including selected *Tom and Jerry*
 shorts on each volume. Volume one was released on October 19, 2004,
volume two on October 25, 2005, and the third and final volume on
September 11, 2007. On October 15, 2019, the set was repackaged and had
fixed some of the errors, which consists of 4 discs.

## Contents

The following 113 shorts were directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio in Hollywood, California. All shorts were released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer between 1940 and 1958. The original MGM Hanna-Barbera classics are a total of 114 shorts.

### *Spotlight Collection*

A superscripted one ( 1 ) denotes cartoons presented in the CinemaScope aspect ratio using a new anamorphic widescreen transfer.

#### Disc 1

Disc one contains shorts from the 1940s.[1]

1. *The Yankee Doodle Mouse*
2. *Sufferin' Cats!*
3. *Baby Puss*
4. *The Zoot Cat*
5. *The Million Dollar Cat*
6. *The Bodyguard*
7. *Mouse Trouble*
8. *Tee for Two*
9. *Flirty Birdy*
10. *Quiet Please!*
11. *The Milky Waif*
12. *Solid Serenade*
13. *Cat Fishin'*
14. *The Cat Concerto*
15. *Kitty Foiled*
16. *The Truce Hurts*
17. *Salt Water Tabby*
18. *The Invisible Mouse*
19. *The Little Orphan*
20. *Heavenly Puss*

#### Disc 2

Disc two contains shorts from the 1950s.[1]

1. *Texas Tom*
2. *Jerry and the Lion*
3. *Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl*
4. *Jerry and the Goldfish*
5. *Cue Ball Cat*
6. *Slicked-up Pup*
7. *Jerry's Cousin*
8. *Cat Napping*
9. *The Flying Cat*
10. *The Two Mouseketeers*
11. *Smitten Kitten*
12. *Johann Mouse*
13. *Two Little Indians*
14. *Baby Butch*
15. *Mice Follies*
16. *Designs on Jerry*
17. *Pecos Pest*
18. *Touché, Pussy Cat!* 1
19. *The Flying Sorceress* 1
20. *Blue Cat Blues* 1

#### Bonus features

* Commentary by Jerry Beck on: *The Zoot Cat*, *Kitty Foiled*, and *Heavenly Puss*[1]
* "Behind the Tunes: The MGM Orchestra" (documentary on the music of Tom and Jerry)[1]
* "How Bill and Joe Met Tom and Jerry" (documentary on the origin of the series)[1]
* Jerry Dances with [Mucking it the blood up]] (excerpt from *Anchors Aweigh*)[1]
* Tom and Jerry Swim with Esther Williams (excerpt from *Dangerous When Wet*)[1]

### *Spotlight Collection, Vol. 2*

A superscripted one ( 1 ) denotes cartoons in the standard Academy ratio presented in newly remastered versions. A superscripted two ( 2 ) denotes cartoons presented in the CinemaScope aspect ratio using a new anamorphic widescreen transfer.

#### Disc 1

Disc one contains shorts from the 1940s.[2]

1. *Puss Gets the Boot* 1
2. *The Midnight Snack* 1
3. *The Night Before Christmas*
4. *Fraidy Cat* 1
5. *Dog Trouble* 1
6. *Puss n' Toots* 1
7. *Fine Feathered Friend*
8. *The Lonesome Mouse*
9. *Puttin' on the Dog*
10. *The Mouse Comes to Dinner*
11. *Mouse in Manhattan*
12. *Springtime for Thomas*
13. *Trap Happy*
14. *Part Time Pal*
15. *Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse*
16. *Old Rockin' Chair Tom*
17. *Professor Tom*
18. *The Cat and the Mermouse*
19. *Polka-Dot Puss*

#### Disc 2

Disc two contains shorts from the 1950s.[2]

1. *Saturday Evening Puss*
2. *Little Quacker*
3. *Texas Tom (again)*
4. *Safety Second*
5. *Sleepy-Time Tom*
6. *Nit-Witty Kitty*
7. *Cruise Cat*
8. *Triplet Trouble*
9. *Push-Button Kitty*
10. *The Missing Mouse*
11. *Jerry and Jumbo*
12. *Just Ducky*
13. *Little School Mouse*
14. *Tom and Chérie*
15. *Muscle Beach Tom*
16. *Down Beat Bear*
17. *Mucho Mouse*
18. *Tot Watchers*

#### Bonus features

* An introduction by Whoopi Goldberg

 where Goldberg explains that the Tom and Jerry cartoons may contain
racial stereotyping (particularly centered on the appearance of Mammy
Two-Shoes) that may offend some modern-day viewers.[2] A similar introduction was given to the third volume of the *Looney Tunes Golden Collection*.

* Commentary tracks on *Puss Gets the Boot*, *The Night Before Christmas*, *Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse*, and *Saturday Evening Puss* by *MADtv* castmember Nicole Parker and animation historian Earl Kress[2]
* "Animators as Actors": Actor's workshop of where the inspiration for character personalities come from[2]
* "The Comedy Stylings of Tom and Jerry" (featuring appearances by Mark Kausler, Jerry Beck, and *MADtv* castmembers Nicole Parker and Ike Barinholtz)[2]
* "Silent Pencil Sketch: 'The Midnight Snack'"[2]

### *Spotlight Collection, Vol. 3*

*Vol. 3* completes the Hanna-Barbera *Tom and Jerry* cartoons, save for *Mouse Cleaning* and *Casanova Cat*. According to a Warner Home Video press release, these cartoons were omitted from the set for racial stereotyping.[3] (These cartoons are presented uncut on the European PAL DVD set *Tom and Jerry: The Classic Collection*, with *Mouse Cleaning* appearing on Vol. 2 and *Casanova Cat* appearing on Vol. 3 of this series.)

#### Disc 1

Disc one contains non-CinemaScope shorts (except for *Tops with Pops*).[4]

1. *A Mouse in the House*
2. *Hatch Up Your Troubles*
3. *Love That Pup*
4. *Jerry's Diary*
5. *Tennis Chumps*
6. *The Framed Cat*
7. *His Mouse Friday (Edited)*
8. *The Duck Doctor*
9. *Little Runaway*
10. *Fit to Be Tied*
11. *The Dog House*
12. *That's My Pup!*
13. *Life with Tom*
14. *Puppy Tale*
15. *Posse Cat*
16. *Hic-cup Pup*
17. *Downhearted Duckling*
18. *Neapolitan Mouse*
19. *Mouse for Sale*
20. *Smarty Cat*
21. *Tops with Pops*

#### Disc 2

Disc two contains shorts presented in the CinemaScope format.[4]

1. *Pet Peeve*
2. *Southbound Duckling*
3. *Pup on a Picnic*
4. *That's My Mommy*
5. *The Egg and Jerry*
6. *Busy Buddies*
7. *Barbecue Brawl*
8. *Timid Tabby*
9. *Feedin' the Kiddie*
10. *Tom's Photo Finish*
11. *Happy Go Ducky*
12. *Royal Cat Nap*
13. *The Vanishing Duck*
14. *Robin Hoodwinked*

#### Bonus features

* "Cat and Mouse: The Tale of Tom and Jerry": a documentary on the history of the *Tom and Jerry* shorts, and the censorship issues the series has had to deal with.[4]
* *The Karate Guard*, a 2005 *Tom and Jerry* short directed by co-creator Joseph Barbera.[4]

## Controversy and negative consumer reaction

The *Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection* sets have received intense negative consumer reaction, due to the edits in certain cartoons on each set.

The first set contained three edited shorts (*The Milky Waif*, *The Truce Hurts*, and *The Little Orphan*),
 which Warner stated was a mistake. All three of these shorts originally
 included various characters in blackface. A replacement program was
begun at the end of 2006, two years after the set's initial release.
Warner Home Video has corrected the problem and the set can be purchased
 without any problems.

The second volume contained four shorts (*The Lonesome Mouse*, *Polka-Dot Puss*, *Saturday Evening Puss* and *Nit-Witty Kitty*)
 with edited sound tracks. These four shorts contained the censored
Mammy Two Shoes audio track, instead of the original. However, Warner
corrected the problem and the discs do contain the original Mammy Two
Shoes tracks.

The final volume contained an edited version of *His Mouse Friday*
 (1951), in which the scene were Jerry meets a real black savage is cut.
Consumers have also expressed disappointment at the fact that, although
advertised as being "restored and remastered", none of the cartoons on
the first volume are restored, having been sourced from the same
transfers used for television. However, all widescreen/CinemaScope
cartoons are restored in their original aspect ratios.

Complaints also arose over *Mouse Cleaning* (1948) and *Casanova Cat*
 (1951) being omitted from Volume 3 because of racial stereotyping,
according to a Warner Home Video press release. These two shorts were
the only Tom and Jerry shorts from the Hanna-Barbera era not present on
DVD. These two shorts can be found on the European Classic Collection
DVDs.

## Other notes on sets

* Due to an error, *Texas Tom* (1950) was accidentally included on *both* Volume 1 and Volume 2.
* At the end of the commentary for *Kitty Foiled* (1947), commentary narrator Jerry Beck accidentally said Tom instead of Jerry ("There is Tom and his feathered friend" says Beck).
* *Touché, Pussy Cat!* (1954), on Volume 1, uses an unreleased stereo

 mix of its soundtrack. This mix (if heard on certain sound systems) is
missing a few lines of dialogue present in the mono mix, specifically
the character Tuffy singing "Frère Jacques"
 while painting an unflattering caricature of Tom (the score
accompaniment to "Frère Jacques" is still present in the soundtrack
without the singing).[5]

* *Touché, Pussy Cat!* (1954) and *Pup on a Picnic* (1955)

were originally produced simultaneously in standard Academy and
CinemaScope formats. The CinemaScope versions (which are missing
non-critical information present at the top, bottom and left sides of
the frame in many shots from their Academy versions) are included on the
 Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collections. In addition, *Touché, Pussy Cat!* is included on Volume 1 and presented in a 2.55:1 ratio correctly, while *Pup on a Picnic*

```
is included on Volume 3, but presented in a 1.78:1 ratio instead of a

```

2.55:1 ratio, thereby cropping the left and right sides of the
CinemaScope picture for the latter.

* Two other shorts (*Pet Peeve* (1954) and *Southbound Duckling*

```
(1955) on Volume 3) were originally produced simultaneously in standard

```

 Academy and CinemaScope formats. The CinemaScope versions of each of
these shorts are missing non-critical information present at the top and
 bottom of the frame in many shots from their Academy versions. This is
not an error, but a consequence of working in both aspect ratios.
Contrary to the CinemaScope versions, the Academy versions are missing
information present at the left and right sides of the frame in many
shots from their CinemaScope versions.

* Also, the Volume 2 DVD states that there are 40 shorts included. However, two shorts (*Pet Peeve* and *Southbound Duckling*)

 that are stated to be included on the DVD back cover and inside are
missing from the disc they are stated to be on. They are on Volume 3.

* Contrary to the other versions that were on MGM/UA Home Video, *His Mouse Friday* (1951) is included on Volume 3. However, it is presented in an edited version. The uncut version

 is not included on the set. All other cartoons are uncensored, with the
 exception of the two cartoons that were skipped entirely.

## See also

* *Tom and Jerry Golden Collection*
* *Tom and Jerry: The Chuck Jones Collection*