In this first short, the cat is named Jasper, and appears to be a mangy, battle-hardened street cat, more malicious than the character that Tom would develop into over time. The unnamed mouse (known as Jinx) was similar to the ultimate Jerry character, just a bit skinnier. The basic premise was the one that would become familiar to audiences; in "The Art of Hanna-Barbera", Ted Sennett sums it up as "cat stalks and chases mouse in a frenzy of mayhem and slapstick violence. Though the studio executives were unimpressed, audiences loved the film and it was nominated for an Academy Award.