Tom Thumb in Trouble (1940) User Reviews

combining "The Birds" and Wagner's music of course doesn't equal quite what I predicted

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 24 December 2007]

During his first few years as director, Chuck Jones actually veered more away from the zany comedy that had come to characterize Warner Bros. animation (although he did direct a few wacky cartoons, it seems like his work only turned to the totally crazy once he started directing Bugs Bunny). Two of his cartoons from this era - both stripped of their opening credits in the Blue Ribbon reissue - were so bereft of zaniness that it's a surprise that they even came from Termite Terrace: "Old Glory" and "Tom Thumb in Trouble".

The latter portrays a woodsman and his minuscule son Tom (would so tiny a boy actually use the mature form instead of the diminutive Tommy?) living alone in a log cabin. When the dad goes out and Tom nearly drowns, a bird flies in and saves the tyke. And then the dad arrives home and assumes that the bird attacked little Tom! Has the world run completely amok?! Here's what I mean by calling this cartoon a combination of Wagner's music and Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds". In the scene where Tom walks through the snow-laden forest in search of the bird, we hear "Ride of the Valkyries" (which Chuck Jones later used in "What's Opera, Doc?" when Elmer sings "Kill the wabbit! Kill the wabbit! Kill the wabbit!"). The Hitchcock connection arises in the scene where the dad finds the bird with Tom. It's clear that the bird crashed through the window - you may recall the scene where Jessica Tandy's character finds the man with his eye pecked out - and it looks as though the avian has turned violent.

OK, so I'm probably the only person who interpreted this cartoon like that. It's just that with the more saccharine cartoons, I like to maintain full sanity by coming up with weird interpretations. Overall, this one's okay in a pinch.

A boy in the hand is worth a bird in the beard---7/10.

[highclark · 7/10 · 27 February 2005]

Little Tom Thumb is just happy to be alive. Every day he wakes up and wrestles with the morning alarm clock in a fun, cute and harmless way. After the clock has been turned off, Tom eagerly emulates the larger than life actions of his gargantuan (by anyone's standards) father. This is just Tom's way of getting himself ready for another day of household chores, in a fun, cute and harmless way.

However, before starting up with those chores, little Tom Thumb must bathe himself properly. Tom gets himself clean by bathing in the water inside the cupped hands of his father. Does that sound cute? Well, that's because it is. But you know what? It gets cuter. Tom actually uses his father's thumb as a diving board.

However, once Tom's bath is over, Tom's father goes outside to take care of some 'big boy' errands. Little Tom Thumb is left alone to his own devices as he gets down to doing some chores around the house, namely taking care of the dirty dishes. Tom has many dishes to clean, and he gets each cup and dish to sparkle with an intense attention to detail that only a person of his size can give. The custom made devices that Tom uses to clean the dishes are fun, cute, but somewhat harmful.

Before Tom is able to complete his chores he accidentally slips on the cleaning soap and falls into the sink. Little Tom isn't used to pools of this size and it looks like little Tom is bound to drown. That is until a little birdie comes to his rescue.

As the bird crashes through the window from outside, Tom's father senses his son is in trouble. The bird manages to save little Tom just in time, but this life saving ends up looking like a murder in progress in the eyes of Tom's father. This guilty by appearance scenario predates the one used by Hitchcock in 'North By Northwest' by some twenty years. The bird escapes from the house within an inch of his life. Tom tries to explain to his father what actually happened, but his father won't listen, instead he tells Tom to go to bed. Tom betrays his father's demands by sneaking out at night when his father is asleep. Tom is in a search to find and then to apologize to his feathered friend.

The ending resolves the father, son and bird conflict rather beautifully, as the three end up falling asleep in the same bed…. in a fun, cute and harmless way, of course.

7/10. Clark Richards

Beautiful

[TheMan3051 · 9 January 2003]

Directed by Chuck Jones, this is a beautiful cartoon of a tiny little boy. Who stays home alone washing the dishes as his father works. Fate has it that he falls down to the water and begins to drown. However, a his little bird friend saves him but the father thinks the bird attacked him. And that's where the conflict begins.

This cartoon is kind of Disney-ish but it works and it's a great short!

4(****)out of 4(****)stars

About as edgy as a bowling ball.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 16 January 2022]

The animation quality of "Tom Thumb in Trouble" is pretty amazing...even for Looney Tunes. That being said, apart from that, this is an incredibly dull and cutesy cartoon...the sort of thing the studio would pretty much abandon during their glory years of the mid 40s-50s. Because of its cuteness, it seems much more like a better animated mid-30s product...something which is a problem because the cartoon lacks laughs. To make things worse, it tries VERY hard to be cute and sweet...and I do NOT watch Looney Tunes shorts for sweetness. In fact, their sweet cartoons are usually among their worst. Overall, a great looking short that lacks enjoyment because it lacks laughs.

Fabulous-Looking Sentimental Cartoon

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 8 November 2007]

Well, if you are looking for a comedy with a lot of laughs, skip this one. However, if you want a heartwarming story and one that is beautifully drawn, check this "oldie" out: it's magnificent.

The restored version of it on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 5 really does this wonderful animated short justice - it looks fabulous. This was drawn over 75 years ago but you'll be impressed at the visuals.

The story is extremely simple and is touching one of a father's love for his son: in this case, a big burly lumberjack-type and little Tom, who is no bigger than the man's thumb.

This is a wonderful, sentimental cartoon that - cliché aside - you don't see many anymore and probably haven't in 50 years. It's a treasure.

This annoying, Disney-like clap-trap . . .

[oscaralbert · 5/10 · 4 April 2016]

. . . is enough to give Warner Bros. a bad name, should it be anyone's Point of First Contact with the House of Looney Tunes. TOM THUMB IN TROUBLE might as well be titled WARNER BROS. GOES WANTING, as in, a reason to be. Reducing this outrageously saccharin tale to a plot description would be an inane exercise. Suffice it to say that if you were NOT diabetic BEFORE watching TOM THUMB IN TROUBLE, you surely will need an insulin injection AFTER viewing it! Doting dads, cute tots, warbling birdies--every ancient Disney hallmark is tossed into this sweet and sweeter dish--even the kitchen sink! As this sticky story winds down, most watchers will be hoping for some complication to add a touch of drama to the stale plain jello being consumed here. Perhaps an owl will swoop in to snatch Tom or his birdie friend (preferably, both of them)? No such luck. Doubtless a forerunner to Teletubbies and Barney the Purple Dinosaur in the Parent's Just-Shoot-Me Hall of Shame, let's hope TOM THUMB eloped with THUMBELINA before making any other shorts!

Jones does straight drama

[michael-anthoney · 8/10 · 7 September 2020]

Had Chuck Jones been employed at Disney, or in some alternate timeline a credible Disney competitor, I think he'd have served himself well with this effort. Starts with a little bit of slapstick, I'm sure to appease audience expectations as much as anything, and then segues into a sweet, and effective, mini drama, with some rousing moments. Recommended.

Adorable

[slymusic · 14 January 2011]

"Tom Thumb in Trouble" is an absolutely sweet, cute, innocent cartoon made at Warner Brothers. It was directed by Chuck Jones, and he most likely got in trouble for it. The Warner Bros. cartoon studio was known for its lively, fast-paced, hilarious cavalcade of animation treasures, and Leon Schlesinger, the "big guy" himself, declared that he didn't want any cutesy Disney-type cartoons. Chuck Jones fortunately followed Schlesinger's order, but for now, let us turn our discussion to the beautifully-made "Tom Thumb in Trouble". With its careful attention to detail, this film boasts interesting camera angles; a superlative usage of light & shadow; a fine music score by Carl Stalling; and a wonderful rapport between the adorable Tom Thumb, his kindly lumberjack father, and a sweet little bird.

My favorite moments from this cartoon? Tom is hilarious as he struggles to pin down an alarm clock ringer. While performing all his daily chores, Tom sings a cheerful tune. The ink/paint department did a fantastic job on the facial shadows of Tom's father as he opens his window and calls out to Tom during a violent snowstorm. When the father enters his home and glares menacingly downward at the bird, the effect is absolutely terrifying!

As you began reading my commentary for "Tom Thumb in Trouble", you might have predicted that the tone of my writing was going to be negative, but no, this is a cartoon that I highly admire, even if it does not have the wacky, looney spirit of the Warner Bros. animation department. As children, I'm certain we can all relate to Tom trying to explain something to his dad, who refuses to listen. Everything works out fine in the end, though.

excellent

[lynnfraser-1 · 10/10 · 6 June 2005]

i am not one for cartoons but this one is exceptional it is so true to life i was scared for the bird and felt so sorry for the bird and how tom went out in the blowing snow to find the bird then the father was sorry and he too went out searching for tom i felt very deep for this show i cried and i loved it i would like to purchase this movie that i seen so many years ago it has been etched into my heart for ever.

can this movie be purchased please email me i have looked for a life time to find it and to be so close to having it and possibly loose it all at once i would like my granddaughter to see it it says so much about feelings and wrong doing with out giving a chance to explain

thank you for making this movie

for ever a believer lynn fraser

The troubles of Tom Thumb

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 30 January 2018]

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.

Chuck Jones deserved, and still does deserve, his status as one of animation's most legendary, greatest and most important directors/animators. He may have lacked the outrageousness and wild wackiness of Bob Clampett and Tex Avery, but the visual imagination, wit and what he did with some of the best-known and most iconic characters ever were just as special. 'Tom Thumb in Trouble' may not be one of his best cartoons, but it shouldn't be dismissed as it can easily be for being a subdued effort for Jones that is more reliant on heartfelt emotion than it is hearty, witty humour.

Pacing may lack the zip that one would expect for Jones, something that early Jones cartoons have been criticised for. But really there is very little to criticise 'Tom Thumb in Trouble' for.

All three characters are immensely engaging and have a wonderful rapport with each other, very easy to relate to Tom Thumb. The friendship and love is realised beautifully and with a lot of heart. Shepperd Strudwick does understatement beautifully in his voice work.

Story is effective in its simplicity, is high in charm and cuteness and is very touching. It is easy to dismiss 'Tom Thumb in Trouble' as a sentimental cartoon that cloys too much, but actually to me the sentiment wasn't overdone and was well-meaning and poignant.

'Tom Thumb in Trouble' is beautifully animated. It's fluid in movement, crisp in shading, vibrant and atmospheric in colour and very meticulous in detail. Jones does direct very solidly. Ever the master, Carl Stalling's music is typically superb. It is as always lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it. The use of pre-existing music is inspired.

Overall, excellent. 9/10 Bethany Cox

This 8-minute film short is simple and honest.

[TxMike · 30 December 2004]

The TCM network shows film "shorts" as a time filler between movies and this one was shown right before the 'Tom Thumb' feature length movie with Russ Tamblyn. This animated short shows a typical winter day for Tom and his dad. Tom is so small, he takes a bath in the water held in dad's hands. When dad goes outside to labor, Tom uses a tiny mop and suds to clean a plate, as a normal size person might clean a kitchen floor. But Tom has a mishap and falls into a pot of soapy water and cannot get out, the sides are so slippery.

A bird about Tom's size is watching from outside, and flies so hard into the window to break it and rescue Tom. Dad, who looks much like 'Bluto' of the Popeye, comes back to find the broken window, Tom wet and barely conscious, and tries to swat the bird before it flies back out the window. Tom writes a very large (for him) note at night telling dad he is going out to find the bird that saved him. Dad is worried but Tom finds the bird, and flies home on the back of the bird which is about his size. The story ends with the three of them sleeping soundly, the bird making its nesting place in dad's beard. Cute animated film short.