- For the famous cat and mouse duo see Tom and Jerry.
Tom and Jerry were fictional characters that starred in a series of early sound cartoons produced by the Van Beuren Studios. The series lasted from 1931 to 1933. When Official Films purchased the Van Beuren library in the 1950s, the characters were renamed Dick and Larry to avoid confusion with the famous cat and mouse team of the same name. Today, animation historians refer to the characters as Van Beuren's Tom and Jerry.
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Description
The characters were a Mutt and Jeff-like pair, one short (Jerry) and one tall (Tom). Each cartoon featured a different adventure and the plot varied from film to film. Sometimes they were lawyers, hunters, plumbers, hobos, etc. Stylistically, the cartoons were similar to those made by Fleischer Studios, which like Van Beuren Studios was located in New York City. According to Markstein's Toonopedia, Fleischer staff sometimes moonlighted at Van Beuren's, which was situated just across the road (accounting for the many visual similarities between the two). Tom and Jerry's adventures were generally absurdist comedies, featuring bizarre imagery, racist themes, and more than a few (minor) sexual references. One 1932 short ('Piano Tooners') introduced a 'flapper' character clearly derived from Fleischer's Betty Boop, further demonstrating the stylistic relationship between the two studios. Tom and Jerry, however, could not obtain popularity like the one Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, and Bosko had (most likely because of the surprisingly low quality of most of them), and were cancelled in 1933.
Filmography
1931
- Wot a Night! Directed by John Foster and George Stallings, first released on August 1, 1931.
- Polar Pals. Directed by John Foster and George Rufle, first released on September 5, 1931.
- Trouble. Directed by John Foster and George Stallings, first released on October 10, 1931.
- Jungle Jam. Directed by John Foster and George Rufle, first released on November 14, 1931.
- A Swiss Trick. Directed by John Foster and George Stallings, first released on December 19, 1931.
1932
- Text Rocketeers. Directed by John Foster and George Rufle, first released on January 30, 1932.
- Rabid Hunters. Directed by John Foster and George Stallings, first released on February 27, 1932.
- In the Bag. Directed by John Foster and George Ruflem, first released on March 26, 1932.
- Joint Wipers. Directed by John Foster and George Stallings, first released on April 23, 1932.
- Pots and Pans. Directed by John Foster and George Rafle, first released on May 14, 1932.
- The Tuba Tooter. Directed by John Foster and George Stallings, first released on June 4, 1932.
- Plane Dumb. Directed by John Foster and George Rafle, first released on June 4, 1932.
- Redskin Blues. Directed by John Foster and George Stallings, first released on July 23, 1932.
- Jolly Fish. Directed by John Foster and George Stallings, first released on August 19, 1932.
- Barnyard Bunk. Directed by John Foster and George Rufle, first released on September 16, 1932.
- A Spanish Twist. Directed by John Foster and George Stallings, first released on October 7, 1932.
- Piano Tooners. Directed by John Foster and George Rufle, first released on November 11, 1932.
- Pencil Mania. Directed by John Foster and George Stallings, first released on December 9, 1932.
1933
- Tight Rope Tricks. Directed by John Foster and George Rufle, first released on January 6, 1933.
- Magic Mummy. Directed by John Foster and George Stallings, first released on February 7, 1933.
- Happy Hoboes. Directed by George Stallings and George Rufle, first released on March 31, 1933.
- Puzzled Pals. Directed by George Stallings and Frank Sherman, first released on March 31, 1933.
- Hook and Ladder Hokum. Directed by George Stallings and Frank Tashlin, first released on April 28, 1933.
- In the Park. Directed by Frank Sherman and George Rufle, first released on May 26, 1933.
- Dough Nuts. Directed by Frank Sherman and George Rufle, first released on July 10, 1933.
- The Phantom Rocket. Directed by Frank Sherman and George Rufle, first released on July 31, 1933.
Trivia
Joseph Barbera began his career as an animator and script writer on this series. In 1940, Barbera co-created with William Hanna another duo of cartoon characters using the same names: a cat and mouse named Tom and Jerry.
