Down Beat Bear

'Down Beat Bear (1956)' is a perfectly pleasant little cartoon, one that sees a circus bear wander in to the midst of one of Tom and Jerry's usual battles. The piece is pretty much a one-gag affair, though. The bear dances whenever he hears music, taking a terrified Tom as his unwilling partner. Of course, Jerry decides this is the best possible outcome and will stop at nothing to keep the music playing. This is a decent enough premise but it wears thin fairly fast and the stakes aren't really raised all that much. It gets a little repetitive and is lacking in laughs. Still, it's enjoyable enough and does include a few chuckle-worthy sight-gags. It's well animated and generally quite charming, too. 6/10