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1945 Animated Short Oscar Analysis

1945 was a strong year for animation with the Tom and Jerry series being particularly prominent in this period, but Looney Tunes were also getting better with their flicks. As for the Academy, their slate was actually quite strong, certainly much better than the previous one. A couple of flicks here are weaker, but others are all very good, and studios are also well represented in this diverse slate. I could not find to watch one of these seven nominees anywhere, so my list is going to include the remaining six cartoons.

My Ranking of the Nominees:

6. The Poet and the Peasant

Woody Woodpecker and Andy Panda give a piano performance for an audience of barnyard animals. Yes, both of these classic characters appear in this short, and needless to say, it was an odd choice. This Walter Lantz cartoon is entirely unoriginal and quite tiresome in its storytelling as I have seen such films many times before from other studios, but the animation is actually quite good and colorful whereas the score is great with the classical music well used. But it still remains the weakest nominee from this slate.

5. Jasper and the Beanstalk

This famous tale is told here in a not so convincing manner. The video that I found on the Internet is very poor admittedly, so I cannot judge the animation wholly objectively, but it did not look all that great regardless of the video quality. I did like the score and music in it quite a bit with the song near the end being fine. This flick tries to cover a lot of ground in a very short time, and although admirable, it ended up being quite messy as a result. It’s a solid, but admittedly cheaper in look film.

4. Mighty Mouse in Gypsy Life

In this entry in this famous superhero series of short films, Mighty Mouse has to save the other mice by fighting with their attackers – the cat bats. Yes, the cats here have wings like bats, and are after the poor mice. That imagery is instantly striking and the third act presents an action spectacle that is so well executed and fun. Though the opera singing in the short made it dated, it was to me extremely entertaining and charming in a way. I also admired its staggeringly detailed animation. It’s a stupendous film that really surprised me with its high quality.

3. Life with Feathers

Sylvester is the star here, but without Tweety oddly enough. Instead we get a fatter, bluer bird who hates his wife and wants to commit suicide, but the cat doesn’t want to eat him so he continues to make the cat do it. Yes, that premise is instantly memorable and hilarious when you think about it. The second half could have been better, but the whole film is still wildly entertaining and superbly executed in terms of action and humor. I liked that bird a lot while Sylvester is at his usual great here. The formula is also twisted in a very original way.

2. Donald’s Crime

Donald’s Crime is one of the better Donald Duck shorts out there. Yes, the ending is undeniably abrupt, but the rest of the film is great and it explores its concept so well. Donald steals money from his nephews’ piggy bank and then his conscience comes to haunt him. What I absolutely adored here is its noirish atmosphere in the second half with the inner monologue and the dark animation being superbly executed. It’s a great joke that the film acts all serious when in reality Donald did not do that terrible a thing in the first place.

1. Quiet Please!

Spike the dog warns Tom that he wants to sleep and that the two do not make any more noise. Jerry then provokes Tom in order to wake up Spike. It is a classic formula for the duo that works for the entire running time. It starts off well and it ends on a solid, albeit not that memorable note, but the middle parts are the strongest with superb action on screen and some terrific gags. Tom speaks here, but thankfully only in one sentence. Jerry is so dangerous here. The cat drugging the dog is the funniest scene while the entire premise and execution are mostly terrific. The action is also superb. It’s not the best Tom and Jerry short this year, but it’s close to the best, and it’s easily the finest flick from this slate, so it deserved its win for sure.

Films That Should Have Been Nominated:

The Mouse Comes to Dinner – Tom is having a dinner with Toots and tries to impress her while making Jerry serve him, but the mouse eventually has his vengeance and tortures the cat. The gags here are absolutely fantastic, the premise is brilliant and the action is as violent as ever. It’s a classic movie that was utterly snubbed for an Oscar this year.

Flirty Birdy – Tom is chasing Jerry but has a competition in Eagle who is also looking to eat the mouse. The cat then disguises himself as a female bird in order to distract the bird and get the mouse. This one offers a great first look at Eagle who is such a great character. The action is fantastic throughout and it’s another hilarious Tom and Jerry short that is fun throughout.

Hare Trigger – Hare Trigger gives us the first ever appearance of Yosemite Sam and he’s excellent here. Though the short itself is not great throughout as it’s rather uneven, it’s excellent in the interactions between the two iconic characters. The premise and the animation are also quite strong.

Ain’t That Ducky – Daffy here is chased by a hunter, but the two also want to find out why the little duckling is crying and what exactly is written on the paper in his suitcase. Though incredibly weird, I still respected a lot this film for being so different and unique from the rest of Daffy’s output. The animation is great and the story is very interesting.

Tee for Two – Tom is this time playing golf while Jerry annoys and sabotages his efforts. Though a bit uneven in some segments, this Tom and Jerry cartoon offers a great dynamic between the two per usual and excellent animation. It also utilizes its golf field setting so well with some terrific action and humorous situations.