Charming and brutal

A Disappointing Continuation

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

As this short opens Tom walks out to conduct and orchestra of cats at the Hollywood Bowl; not long after they begin Jerry emerges from his mouse hole ready to conduct as well. He climbs up onto the music stand in front of Tom and starts conducting. Tom doesn't want the mouse taking over and puts him in his jacket; Jerry just emerges from one cuff then the other to conduct some more. As the cartoon progresses they continue to try to stop each other conducting; all the while the orchestra continue to play perfectly. Ultimately only one of them can continue as conductor and we can all guess who that will be! This was a fun short where the action went perfectly with the music (Die Fledermaus). As one would expect there is a fair amount of cartoon violence; Jerry is flattened between a pair of cymbals and Tom gets run over by a bus! There are also a good number of gentler gags; I liked seeing the two dancing together and the way Jerry's mouse hole mirrored the design of the Hollywood Bowl was fun. The story may be fairly minimal but that doesn't matter when it is as fun to watch and listen to as this.

After seeing The Cat Concerto and loving it, I saw Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl. This time Tom conducts the Die Flerdermaus Overture by Johann Strauss II(who also wrote On the Beautiful Blue Danube and Tales from the Vienna Woods), and once again Jerry is attracted to the music. The concept is simple but very effective, and the animation is truly excellent. I don't really need to explain how good the music is here, other than to say it is outstanding, you should see the whole operetta, it is really something, really cheered me up after a hard day it did. The sight gags are really original and extremely funny, with the ending a definite standout. And Tom and Jerry are both stellar here, you feel sorry for Tom at the end though. Overall, hugely enjoyable, a must see, and I do think "The Waltz King" would be proud! 10/10 Bethany Cox

"Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl" is my favorite Tom & Jerry cartoon. This is a very good one. Definitely Oscar material. How it didn't win any Oscars is beyond me. If 'The Cat Concerto' won, how come this one didn't? This one was actually more deserving of that honor.I believe this cartoon was inspired by 'The Cat Concerto'. After all, in both of them Tom plays classical music, Jerry is excited to participate but Tom doesn't let him and, of course, both have the traditional fights between them and Tom at the end trying desperately to compete with Jerry. This one, however, is more restrained on the infamous violent gags which Tom & Jerry's cartoons are known for. While this one still has some sadistic stuff, it doesn't overdo it, being very far from being one of the worst of Tom & Jerry on this aspect.This time Tom conducts an orchestra (the Hollywood Bowl, famous amphitheatre in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California) of cats at the sound of the beautiful music "Die Fledermaus" by Johann Strauss II. That is a very soft and relaxing music to hear.It's a quite clever cartoon. There are lots of intelligent gags, such as when Jerry pleads and begs Tom to let him conduct the orchestra but Tom uses Jerry's baton as a toothpick and throws it away and then an angry Jerry snaps Tom's baton in half and throws it away, only for Tom to take off a spare baton from his pocket and stick his tongue out at him. Other funny gags include with Tom using his baton as a snooker cue to throw Jerry off the podium, among other schemes of one against the other one.Conclusion: Definitely Tom & Jerry's finest. Timeless and classic. I almost can't find any faults on this because it really is "THE" Tom & Jerry classic for excellency and the only one which is as close to perfection as a Tom & Jerry cartoon can be. The artwork is also very nice. The use of classical music, as well as the classical music itself, for some reason makes me think of '2001: A Space Odyssey'. Perhaps some of its "film-making" also does, even though '2001' was yet far from existing at the time this was made and the music is not the same as in '2001'.

This cartoon is well made and excellently orchestrated. Music and gags go well hand in hand. This being said, I found the cartoon extremely boring. It is short on good gags and laughs.