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 include selected Tom and Jerry shorts on each volume. Volume 1 was released on October 19, 2004, Volume 2 on October 25, 2005, and the third and final volume on September 11, 2007. On October 15, 2019, the set, which consists of 4 discs, was repackaged with some errors fixed.

Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection
Directed byWilliam Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Rudolf Ising
Produced byHanna-Barbera
M-G-M Cartoon Studio
Fred Quimby
William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Rudolf Ising
StarringTom Cat
Jerry Mouse
Music byScott Bradley
Distributed byWarner Home Video

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 2 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

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 1 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. The Bowling Alley Cat
  8. Fine Feathered Friend
  9. The Lonesome Mouse
  10. Puttin' on the Dog
  11. The Mouse Comes to Dinner
  12. Mouse in Manhattan
  13. Springtime for Thomas
  14. Trap Happy
  15. Part Time Pal
  16. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse
  17. Old Rockin' Chair Tom
  18. Professor Tom
  19. The Cat and the Mermouse
  20. Polka-Dot Puss

Disc 2

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

  1. Saturday Evening Puss
  2. Little Quacker
  3. Texas Tom (repeat)
  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 2
  15. Muscle Beach Tom 2
  16. Down Beat Bear 2
  17. Mucho Mouse 2
  18. Tot Watchers 2

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 is in 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 that series.)

Disc 1

Disc one contains non-CinemaScope shorts.[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

Disc 2

Disc two contains shorts presented in the CinemaScope format, all in new anamorphic widescreen transfers.[4] However, one short, Pup on a Picnic, is presented in a cropped and zoomed 16:9 version rather than in its true 2.35:1 proportions. This short was later released by Warner on streaming in its correct aspect ratio.

  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. Tops with Pops
  9. Timid Tabby
  10. Feedin' the Kiddie
  11. Tom's Photo Finish
  12. Happy Go Ducky
  13. Royal Cat Nap
  14. The Vanishing Duck
  15. 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]

Censorship

The Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection sets contain shorts that have been altered from their original versions.

The first volume contains three shorts (The Milky Waif, The Truce Hurts, and The Little Orphan) that include depictions of blackface. Censored versions of these were in the 2004 release, though Warner corrected this through a disc replacement program, which began in 2006. Subsequent releases are not censored.

The second volume contains four shorts (The Lonesome Mouse, Polka-Dot Puss, Saturday Evening Puss and Nit-Witty Kitty) with edited sound tracks. These four shorts contained a redubbed Mammy Two Shoes audio track, instead of the original. Similarly to the first volume, Warner instated a disc replacement program, and later reprints contain the original Mammy Two Shoes tracks.

The final volume contains an edited version of His Mouse Friday (1951). The shorts Mouse Cleaning (1948) and Casanova Cat (1951) were omitted from the set due to their inappropriate racial stereotypes, according to a statement from Warner Home Video.[5] These two shorts were the only original Tom and Jerry shorts not present in the Spotlight Collection series, however, the two shorts are on the European Classic Collection.

See also

References
  1. Miller, Randy III (October 20, 2004). "Tom and Jerry: Spotlight Collection". DVD Talk. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  2. Weinberg, Scott (November 13, 2005). "Tom and Jerry: Spotlight Collection Vol. 2". DVD Talk. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  3. Lacey, Gord. "Tom and Jerry - Two shorts missing - Statement from Warner Bros". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2007. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
  4. Corey, Joe (October 15, 2007). "Tom and Jerry: The Spotlight Collection, Volume 3 – DVD Review". Inside Pulse. Digital Grout. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  5. "Tom and Jerry DVD news: Two shorts missing - Statement from Warner Bros | TVShowsOnDVD.com". 2008-11-04. Archived from the original on 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
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