I am never too fond of the Gene Deitch Tom and Jerry shorts. Some of them really feel like you're going through one heck of a nightmare. The scenics are not as good as the Hanna-Barbara cartoons, and the human characters...they're terribly one-dimensional and usually very cold and terrifying to be near. Some of them are downright creepy.
This certain one didn't give me the creeps fully, but it also wasn't that funny. Those human characters (the Sheriff and the Cheese Store owner) were no laughing matter, and were more like monsters of pure evil. William Hanna and Joseph Barbara did this MUCH better. They are disturbing and nightmarish. Now sure the Hanna Barbara-era had it's share of this, such as the Hell scenes in "Heavenly Puss," and the "Don't you believe it!" phrase in "The Missing Mouse," although they weren't used as frequently as the way Deitch did. These cartoons are disturbing often all the way through.
If you want go get started on Tom and Jerry, start with the original MGM Hanna-Barbara theatrical shorts; the way T&J were meant to be seen. The Chuck Jones and company team are also worth a view, IMHO.