Stairway to Light (1945)/Quiet Please! (1945)

Part of John Nesbit’s Passing Parade series, Stairway to Light brings to the forefront the work of Dr. Philippe Pinel, a French pioneer in treating mental illness. His work led to more humane ways of caring for patients and also classifying their illnesses. The short is a bit simplistic and hokey, but useful in teaching the work of a lesser known influencer.

Quiet Please! has Spike threatening Tom not to wake him up from his nap, a situation Jerry of course takes advantage of. It’s a pretty standard Tom & Jerry short with a plot that’s so typical for the duo that this particular short does not stand out on its own, though I do generally enjoy when the duo becomes a trio with the addition of Spike and how that changes the dynamic.  

Oscar Win: Best Short Subject, One-reel (Stairway to Light); Best Short Subject, Cartoons (Quiet Please!)