Tom and Jerry, produced by Amadee Van Beuren, was an series of short cartoons released by RKO Radio Pictures between 1931 and 1933.[1] Each cartoon placed them in a new situation or occupation; the pair sang, danced and used musical effects and gags.[2]
The characters are not MGM's later cat‑and‑mouse team; instead they are a human comedy team: a tall, thin character (Tom) and a short, plump partner (Jerry) – a combination animation historians describe as “Mutt and Jeff-ish”.[3]
Van Beuren originally considered a cat‑and‑dog pair but redesigned them as humans; the first released short was Wot a Night in 1931.[4] Their design reflected the "rubber‑hose" animation style -- distinguished by elastic, cylindrical anatomies -- popular in New York at the time.
Although the series was notable for its early and inventive use of synchronized sound, blending musical rhythm closely with on‑screen action, and often incorporated quirky humor and pre‑Code innuendo, it nevertheless failed to rival the popularity of its competitors in the early sound era, such as Mickey Mouse or Betty Boop.
Trade journals of the 1930s generally gave the Tom and Jerry cartoons good reviews. Film Daily liked Puzzled Pals: "Some novel gags, and a lively cartoon that will please."[5]
Few records exist of the voice actors. Animation historian Hal Erickson notes that when the characters spoke they were likely voiced by staff from the neighboring Fleischer studio. In December 1932 the trade journal Film Daily reported that singer Margie Hines – the original voice of Betty Boop – signed an exclusive contract with Van Beuren to provide cartoon voiceovers.[6]
Erickson writes that Hines remained at the studio until 1934, after which she returned to Fleischer and became the voice of Olive Oyl. Her distinctive Betty Boop‑like singing can be heard in cartoons such as Magic Mummy (1933) and Tight Rope Tricks (1933), which features a female character very closely modeled on Betty Boop.[7]
The names “Tom” and “Jerry” were not created by Van Beuren. Pierce Egan's 1821 book Life in London featured Regency rakes named Tom and Jerry; the book spawned a successful stage adaptation and a popular Christmas cocktail called the Tom and Jerry.[8]
The phrase entered popular vocabulary by the mid‑19th century,[9] writers at Sea Lion Press contend that Van Beuren likely named his cartoon characters after the cocktail rather than the book.[10]
By mid‑1933, RKO had grown dissatisfied with the creative direction of the shorts, viewing them as too surreal and lacking in broad commercial appeal.[11] According to animator Mannie Davis, RKO installed Hiram S. Brown, Jr. (nicknamed "Bunny" and the son of RKO executive Hiram Brown) as business manager in 1933. Brown clashed with Foster, and Foster's name disappeared from credits after March 1933.[12] He was replaced by George Stallings.
Film Daily announced on September 1, 1933 that the last Tom and Jerry cartoon produced was Dough-Nuts, and that the series had been discontinued, to be replaced by Otto Soglow's character "The Little King."[13] On September 21, 1933, supervisor Brown slashed the payroll by discharging 10 animators and assistants (from a staff of 96, according to head animator Harry Bailey).[14] Film Daily expressed surprise: "Harry D. Bailey, one of the head animators who has been with the company 12 years, and George Rufle, another chief animator, were among the departures."[15] Supervisor Brown went on to head the serial unit at Republic Pictures.
When Official Films acquired Van Beuren's library for home-movie distribution (and later television syndication), the characters were renamed Dick and Larry to avoid confusion with MGM's unrelated cat‑and‑mouse series of the same name. That later MGM series was co‑created by American animator and cartoonist Joseph Barbera, who had worked on the Van Beuren Tom and Jerry shorts early in his career, as an animator and scenario writer.[16]
| Title | Directors | First release |
|---|---|---|
| Wot a Night [1] | John Foster and George Stallings | August 1, 1931 |
| Polar Pals [2] | John Foster and George Rufle | September 5, 1931 |
| Trouble [3] | John Foster and George Stallings | October 10, 1931 |
| Jungle Jam [4] | John Foster and George Rufle | November 14, 1931 |
| A Swiss Trick [5] | John Foster and George Stallings | December 19, 1931 |
| Rocketeers [6] | John Foster and George Rufle | January 30, 1932 |
| Rabid Hunters [7] | John Foster and George Stallings | February 27, 1932 |
| In the Bag [8] | John Foster and George Rufle | March 26, 1932 |
| Joint Wipers [9] | John Foster and George Stallings | April 23, 1932 |
| Pots and Pans [10] | John Foster and George Rufle | May 14, 1932 |
| The Tuba Tooter [11] | John Foster and George Stallings | June 4, 1932 |
| Plane Dumb | John Foster and George Rufle | June 4, 1932 |
| Redskin Blues [12] | John Foster and George Stallings | July 23, 1932 |
| Jolly Fish [13] | John Foster and George Stallings | August 19, 1932 |
| Barnyard Bunk [14] | John Foster and George Rufle | September 16, 1932 |
| A Spanish Twist [15] | John Foster and George Stallings | October 7, 1932 |
| Piano Tooners [16] | John Foster and George Rufle | November 11, 1932 |
| Pencil Mania [17] | John Foster and George Stallings | December 9, 1932 |
| Tight Rope Tricks [18] | John Foster and George Rufle | January 6, 1933 |
| Magic Mummy [19] | John Foster and George Stallings | February 3, 1933 |
| Happy Hoboes [20] | George Stallings and George Rufle | March 31, 1933 |
| Puzzled Pals [21] | George Stallings and Frank Sherman | March 31, 1933 |
| Hook and Ladder Hokum (also A Fireman's Life and "Fire! Fire!" through Astra TV and Official Films, respectively) [22] |
George Stallings and Frank Tashlin (the latter credited as 'Tish Tash') | April 28, 1933 |
| In the Park [23] | Frank Sherman and George Rufle | May 26, 1933 |
| Dough Nuts [24] | Frank Sherman and George Rufle | July 7, 1933 |
| The Phantom Rocket | Frank Sherman and George Rufle | July 28, 1933 |
The Tom and Jerry animated short films produced by Van Beuren Studios (1931–1933) have entered the public domain in the United States. All were originally released during the early 1930s and therefore fell under U.S. copyright law in force at the time, which granted an initial 28‑year term followed by the option for a renewal term extending for an additional 28 years. Renewals were required to be filed in the 28th calendar year after publication; otherwise, the works entered the public domain at the end of that year.[17]
A review of the U.S. Copyright Office's Catalog of Copyright Entries renewal listings for 1958–1961 reveals that no renewals were found for any of the Van Beuren Tom and Jerry shorts. This is in unusual contrast to other Van Beuren titles (non‑animated live‑action films) that were renewed during the same period.[18]
Several of the Van Beuren Tom and Jerry shorts have been released on home video in various collections. Thunderbean Animation issued a DVD set of the series in 2010, followed by an upgraded Blu‑ray edition in January 2024 sourced from the best surviving prints, including Piano Tooners from the original camera negative.
Mill Creek Entertainment has included 12 of the 26 shorts across multiple compilation sets, such as Giant 600 Cartoon Collection, 150 Cartoon Classics, 100 Classic Cartoons, and 200 Classic Cartoons. The shorts have also appeared in themed releases including Tom Sawyer, and Other Cartoon Treasures.
Individual titles have been issued in other collections. The Tuba Tooter was released on DVD in Tom and Jerry & Friends: The Tuba Tooter as part of Digiview Productions’ Cartoon Craze series, and also appeared in the 350 Classic Cartoons compilation. Some shorts have been restored for inclusion in volumes of the Cartoon Roots Blu‑ray series.
