I've reached that stage in Tom and Jerry's filmography where every other cartoon seems to have a cute supporting character, whether it be that irritating duckling Quacker, Spike's son Tyke, or, as in the case of Touché, Pussy Cat!, the saccharine Nibbles (or is it Tuffy?). Since I really don't like these characters, I'm finding it tough going…Here, the little, grey, diaper-wearing mouse hopes to become a mouseketeer and so visits Jerry for training. After several mishaps, Jerry is ready to send his new student packing, but when Nibbles steps in and saves Jerry from swordsman Tom, Jerry has a change of heart and makes the little mouse a fully fledged mouseketeer.While the brief sword-fighting action between Tom and Jerry is a lot of fun, the over-sweet grey mouse (speaking French) makes it all incredibly cloying.

Jerry the Mouse, Tom the cat, and Nibbles the orphan mouse are back in the times of the three musketeers. Nibbles torture Tom unmercifully and also sings. Pretty funny stuff if you ask me. ( of course you didn't ask, but I told you anyway) This short was nominated for an Oscar for best cartoon short subject in 1955, but sadly didn't win. I don't know why, since this short is simply delightful. One of the first Tom and Jerry shorts to be shown in Cinemascope, This hilarious animated short can be found on disc 2 of Warner Brother's 2-DVD Spotlight Collection set.My Grade: A

Tuffy arrives in Paris hoping to join Jerry's band of Mouseketeers. Unfortunately, certain things happen that make Jerry question Tuffy's potential, until Tom, a cardinal's guard, bursts onto the scene... This was the second of four cartoons that featured Tom as a cardinal's guard and Jerry and Tuffy as Mouseketeers, and is very enjoyable -- but isn't it peculiar how this cartoon was made AFTER 'The Two Mouseketeers'? This cartoon was nominated for an Academy Award and was the last of the Tom & Jerry series to achieve such a nomination.

This short was one at least three or four done with a theme of Jerry and Nibbles as "Mouseketeers" and Tom as their principal opponent. They were all good, but this one is the best of them, in my opinion anyway. It plays best with the basic themes of the swashbuckling type of films being parodied with affection here. Nominated for an Oscar, it's an absolute delight. Highly recommended.