You are here:

The Mouse That Jack Built

The Mouse That Jack Built

Representation Score

0.9/10

Minimal

1959

NR

Director

Robert McKimson

Runtime

7 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film functions as a meta-textual parody of mid-century American media, specifically targeting the persona of Jack Benny. Its narrative structure relies on anthropomorphic satire and slapstick clichés rather than social commentary. Because the short aims to evoke nostalgia through celebrity clichés, it reinforces the social and cultural hierarchies of 1959. The representation reflects the era's status quo rather than challenging it.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Mouse That Jack Built have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on a parody of a romantic outing typical of the late 1950s. It does not explore LGBTQ+ identities or diverse gender expressions.

How does The Mouse That Jack Built portray gender?

Limited

Gender roles are based on conventional domesticity. The female character primarily serves as a foil for the protagonist's comedic shortcomings within traditional comedic structures.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Mouse That Jack Built?

Limited

The inclusion of a mouse version of Rochester reflects the television dynamics of the time. This mirrors contemporary media archetypes without challenging racial hierarchies.

How does The Mouse That Jack Built represent religion and culture?

Limited

The narrative emphasizes mid-century Western domesticity and celebrity culture. It operates within established American mainstream norms without critiquing institutions.

Does The Mouse That Jack Built include disability representation?

Minimal

Physical comedy is driven by slapstick genre conventions. There is no intentional representation of neurodivergence, physical disabilities, or chronic illnesses.

Present on Screen

  • Effective use of anthropomorphic satire to deconstruct celebrity personas.
  • Successful meta-textual parody of mid-century radio and television culture.

Limited or Absent

  • Reliance on traditional gendered archetypes and domestic roles.
  • Reinforcement of existing racialized comedic archetypes from contemporary media.
  • Lack of engagement with themes outside of Western mainstream norms.

Official Synopsis

In this spoof of "The Jack Benny Program", a mouse with Jack Benny's personality and poor violin playing ability lives, along with a mouse version of Benny's valet, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, in a hole in a wall of Jack Benny's own home. Jack the rodent takes a mouse version of 'Mary Livingstone (I)' out to dinner, and the two unwittingly walk right into the disguised mouth of an orange cat!

How are these scores produced? →

Where to Watch

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.