Puttin’ on the Dog is a 1944 animated short that is the 16th of Tom and Jerry’s shorts. It is one of the funniest, but more problematic films.
Tom disguises himself as a dog in order to get into a dog pound to search for Jerry. This is an expected territory for the filmmakers and it is an entertaining setting. Tom is really good here and Jerry is excellent as well. But Spike is the worst here since his introduction as he is too stupid. And that is the biggest problem of this movie. The portrayal of dogs as these incredibly stupid creatures is so stereotypical and although done with funny results, is still a weak choice.
The ending is also not as good as it could have been, but is still an okay finale. But Puttin’ on the Dog is incredibly funny. That is its biggest strength. It is often really humorous and at times even hilarious. It is one of the rare instances of a Tom and Jerry short being very funny, but also very troublesome in other regards. It is well animated with all of the dogs well depicted and it is well scored. I just wished for a less stereotypical approach to the story.
Puttin’ on the Dog is an evidently funny short filled with hilarious moments, but it is also stereotypical and problematic in its plot.
Puttin’ on the Dog Review
