Hilda is a character who appeared in The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show episode Heavy Booking. She is voiced by Linda Gary. She is the loud and short-tempered librarian from the City Library.
Characteristics[]
Appearance[]
She is a huge obese, overweight librarian who has Caucasian skin, with short brown hair and wears a green long-sleeved dress. Like Mammy Two-Shoes before her, her face and head is never seen and is only shown from below the neck, though her head is briefly shown in one scene when Tom ties a bunch of books around the sides of her head as makeshift earmuffs.
Personality[]
She has a nearly bass-boosted voice and is cranky, irritable, obnoxious, and short-tempered, as she shakes the floor with her jumping as she screams. She does not like her nap to be disturbed even by the slightest of sound. She is very noise-sensitive (similar to Joe Bear from Tex Avery's "Rock-a-Bye Bear"), unable to tolerate even the slightest sound such as a pin drop, which makes her cranky when disturbed.
Much like Tom's other notorious owner, she has severe temper problems and often aggressively blames Tom for all the chaos Jerry causes without doing any proper research. She even goes so far as to punish Tom brutally by kicking him out to Mars when her sleep gets disturbed way too many times in the episode's conclusion.
Similar to Jeannie from the original series, she is very lazy and an irresponsible babysitter, preferring to sleep on the job rather than actively watch babysit the baby.
She is also portrayed as a hypocrite; while she tolerates the baby's crying, she cannot stand any of the noise that Tom makes. Additionally, she calls Tom "lard belly" after he swallows a drum whole, despite her own appearance.
Role in Episode[]
The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show[]
Heavy Booking[]
In the The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show episode Heavy Booking, Hilda is tasked with taking care of a baby at the City Library while the baby's mother goes shopping. Throughout the episode, she attempts to take a nap but is repeatedly disturbed by Tom and Jerry's antics. Hilda takes her role as a caregiver seriously, expressing irritation whenever she is awakened, and her short temper leads her to confront Tom aggressively.
When Tom inadvertently makes noise and wakes her, she issues stern warnings and even threatens to send him to Mars if he continues to disturb her rest. Despite her loud demeanor and tough exterior, Hilda ultimately displays a level of irresponsibility, as she prefers to sleep rather than actively care for the baby. Eventually, her limits are tested when Tom's actions culminate in chaos, leading her to kick him out of Earth entirely. Hilda's actions encapsulate her character as a cranky, noise-sensitive babysitter who prioritizes her own rest over the well-being of those around her.
Reception/Trivia[]
- She is considered extremely unpopular among fans of the franchise, similar to Tom's notorious owner, Jeannie, or Nancy, as she is not only a lazy, neglectful babysitter, yet she is considered a cruel owner to Tom who frequently blames the innocent cat for all the chaos Jerry causes without any proper research, even going so far as to kicking Tom out to Mars when her sleep gets disturbed way too many times. In short, she basically represents all the worst traits of Tom's notorious owner and Jeannie combined.
- For this reason, she is the most hated character of the entirety of the Filmation era and therefore is quickly phased out after her debut appearance.
- Much like Tom's owner from Gene Deitch era, she is unaware of Jerry's existence thus blaming Tom for all the noises that happen.
- Hilda appears to be heavily inspired by Joe Bear from Tex Avery's Rock-a-Bye Bear.
Gallery[]
