The plot revolves around a kitten named Tommy (a feline prototype of Sniffles the Mouse) whose father is too sick to do his job as the night watchman, leaving him to pick up the slack. The rats in the kitchen take advantage of this and walk all over him.
Notably, it is one of a handful Warner Bros. cartoons that depicts the cat as the hero and the rats as the villains.
The short can be viewed on Max.
"The Night Watchman" provides examples of:
- Badass Adorable: Tommy is as cute as ever, even after mopping the floor with the rats.
- Balloon Belly: The rats rapidly expand when eating food larger than themselves.
- Big Eater: The rats quickly down most of the food in the kitchen, including items as large as watermelons. One rat eats an entire jar of olives in a snake-like fashion.
- Big "SHUT UP!": After politely telling the rats to be quiet while they're singing "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree", Tommy snaps and screams at them to be quiet at the top of his lungs.
- Bowdlerise: On The WB, the scene with Tommy punching the mice is shortened.
- Brick Joke: At the very end of the cartoon, Tommy gets the lead rat back by pulling the button from his suspender, just like he did to Tommy at the beginning of the short.
- Comedic Underwear Exposure: When Tommy pulls the lead rat's suspender button off, it results in his suspenders falling down because it had only one strap.
- Cute Kitten: Tommy is a rather adorable brown kitten.
- Dinner Deformation: One rat gets a banana shot into his mouth, causing him to become just as long as the banana.
- Extreme Doormat: Tommy finds himself being pushed around by the rats and following their orders, even as he's telling them to stop raiding the kitchen.
- Everything Is an Instrument: During the short's musical sequence, the rats use funnels like trumpets.
- Goofy Print Underwear: After Tommy pulls the button from the lead rat's suspenders, they fall down to reveal flower-print boxers.This can also double as "Uncool Undies"
- The Klutz: Tommy's father tells him to be very careful. Tommy nods, only to crash into the door immediately after. He then runs out of the room, only to crash into a crate of bottles.
- Mickey Mousing: The scene where Tommy fights back against the rats is timed to an instrumental of "Yankee Doodle Dandy".
- No Name Given: None of the characters except Tommy and his father, Thos. Cat, have names.
- Oh, Crap!: After Tommy screams at the rats to be quiet for the last time, he draws their attention and immediately covers his mouth.Rat leader: A heckler, eh? (slugs Tommy in the face)
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Tommy's guardian angel delivers one to him when he walks away sobbing after the lead rat punches him across the room.Angel: Aren't you ashamed of yourself? How about your poor old daddy that trusted you? You're not gonna let him down, are you? Are you a cat or are you a mouse?
Tommy: (yelling) I'm a cat!
Angel: Alright, then! Get back in there and act like one! - Shout-Out: The leader of the rats pulling the button from Tommy's suspenders is a reference to Mortimer Mouse doing the same thing to Mickey in Mickey's Rival.
- Sick Episode: Tommy's father is feverish and bedridden, and has to have his son take his place as watchman.
- Took a Level in Badass: At the end of the short, Tommy's guardian angel chides him for being so pathetic. Following this, Tommy decides to act like the cat he is and knocks all of the rats out, one-by-one.
- Vocal Dissonance: Tommy has a childish voice identical to that of Jones' later character Sniffles, except when he delivers his Big "SHUT UP!", where he suddenly has a deeper voice provided by none other than Mel Blanc.
- Would Hurt a Child: The lead rat has no problem with attacking Tommy, who is still a kitten.
- You Dirty Rat!: The rats in this short are depicted as complete thugs who steal the food in the pantry and physically assault Tommy.
