A Mouse in the House (1947) User Reviews

Three For The Price Of Two

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 16 November 2007]

This story is a familiar one in the long-running Tom and Jerry cartoons, especially in the 1940s, the only difference being that two cats instead of one are threatened to be evicted if they don't catch the mouse (Jerry). Tom has an unnamed buddy ("Butch?") living in the house with him, so this really upsets "Mammy Two Shoes" who can't believe that they have a mouse despite TWO cats in the house.

Anyway, the one who catches Jerry can stay while the other gets the boot, so the competition is on!

Even though it's familiar territory I still enjoyed this because the cartoon had enough original sight gags to make entertaining. You not only had the cats competing against each but Jerry in the equation as well, so there were enough good gags to definitely recommend if you are a Tom & Jerry fan.

An example of a cartoon where nobody wins

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 21 June 2010]

The story is on the predictable side of things, but in my opinion everything else works. This is a very good example of a cartoon where nobody(not counting Mammy Two Shoes), and this was a nice sort of change I feel. The animation is colourful and solid-looking, the music is rousing, Mammy Two Shoes's dialogue is good and didn't interfere too much and the sight gags are constantly amusing. I also liked how quick the cartoon went as well. Tom and Butch are funny, and Jerry is a great foil for them.

Overall, A Mouse in the House is a little predictable but still funny with a refreshing ending. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Routine but entertaining Tom and Jerry short

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 26 September 2012]

Fed up of the mess being cause by Jerry the mouse, Mammy Two Shoes give her two cats, Tom and Butch, an ultimatum... the one of them who catches the mouse can stay; the other is out! They quickly start searching the house and are joined by Jerry; when they actually realise he is right there they start fighting over him. What follows isn't totally unexpected but is still funny; they have a duel, a boxing match and even try to disguise them selves as Mammy Two Shoes... with the inevitable results!

There is plenty to laugh at here although the generic setting makes it a fairly forgettable entry in the series. Highlights were the duel where only one of them had a real gun and later when they took turns dressing up as Mammy Two Shoes to trick each other then attacked the real Mammy Two Shoes thinking it was the other cat! The animation was as sharp as one would expect from the era and Lillian Randolph is great as the voice of Mammy Two Shoes.

A Hilarious Tom & Jerry Film

[looneythad · 10/10 · 31 March 2000]

Tom and Butch Cat fight over the capture of Jerry Mouse because the one who doesn't catch Jerry gets kicked out. The two cats dress in their master's clothing to disguise themselves and lets the other have it! Confused, Tom and Butch whack their master's rear and all three of them get kicked out.

A formulaic, and instantly forgettable T & J episode.

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 21 June 2008]

Tom and 'ex-arch-enemy-turned-best-friend' Butch, are read the riot act by Mammy Two Shoes, who is fed up with the mouse that is raiding her fridge. She tells the two useless felines that whoever fails to catch the rodent will be turfed out of the house. Naturally, this pits the two moggies against each other in a battle to capture poor Jerry.

Not terrible, but way too predictable to be anything special, A Mouse in the House features the usual plethora of slapstick and violence, without adding anything particularly new to the formula.

A fun ending, which sees both cats AND Jerry booted out the front door, ends the action on a satisfying note, but it's not enough to make this cartoon worth recommending.

What could be more fun than seeing one . . .

[pixrox1 · 7/10 · 26 September 2022]

. . . film character shoot another in the head? This is the question raised by A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE, another anti-social offering from Tinsel Town's infamous Poverty Row, specifically spewing forth from the House of the Groaning Fat Cat. Speaking of felines, has anyone else noticed that the deplorable kitties populating these misbegotten animations have human hands?! Backwards, superstitious people such as the Ancient Egyptians are notorious for dreaming up monsters comprised of body parts from this, that and the other thing. However, my understanding is that A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE dates from the 1900's, well after most of the mummies died on the Nile, meaning that there's no excuse for such hokum and malarkey.

Enough is enough

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 31 October 2017]

"A Mouse in the House" is an American 8-minute cartoon from 1947, so this one has its 70th(!) anniversary already this, maybe even its 80th depending on when you read this review. It is another Hanna Barbera production and as such a Tom and Jerry (and Butch) cartoon. This one features the cats' owner more prominently than usual as she has enough from the mess Jerry creates and tells the cats that only the one who catches Jerry may stay in the house. And we see a costume of her later too and again see her at the very end, which means this is a T&J cartoon with unusually much spoken language. But the animals are quiet of course in contrast to some more recent works that have the two strangely talking to each other. This film is at its funniest early on when the two cats listen to the speech chilling before panically getting up and searching the mouse (who helps them). And as strange as the dress-up part near the end felt, it still was funny eventually. This is one of the Tom & Jerry cartoons I liked more than the average,. some funny moments in here, even if the Oscars for once did not like it too much. The middle part was a bit forgettable and may be the main reason why I am not giving this one an even higher rating. But I can see why it's among the more remembered today, even without the awards attention. Go check it out if you love cartoons and the world's most famous cat-and-mouse duo in particular. You won't be disappointed.

An Ultimatum

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 1 July 2021]

"A Mouse In The House" was originally released back in 1947.

Anyway - As the story goes - The battle is on when the house mistress gives Tom and his rival, Meathead, an ultimatum: Catch Jerry or be kicked out.

Generic T&J short.

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 5/10 · 7 May 2007]

In this cartoon Mammy-Two-Shoes (not dubbed to be less 'offensive' in the one I saw) is devastated to learn that there is a mouse in the house and he's eating all the food and making a mess. So far, so typical. She gives the two lazy cats (Tom and someone else who isn't named) and ultimatum-the one that catches Jerry will not be thrown out.

Cue the usual chases around the house and tricks using household objects in a cartoon that is so generic and formulaic it's almost a cut and paste of many other T&J shorts strung along in succession for 7 minutes. Yes, there are laughs, but it's utterly forgettable and average at best.

The Mouse Will Always Win

[Hitchcoc · 5/10 · 1 January 2019]

Not much to say here. Jerry, the mouse, has been doing a number on the home where Tom and his compadre laze around all day. They are threatened with eviction if they don't do something. Of course, they are so stupid that they can't do anything about the situation. Jerry is in complete control and the two cats end up locked in combat. It's all the same old stuff.