When it comes to a central duo within Hanna-Barbera’s massive library of creations, you can’t keep a good thing down. Even with a mallet. As unbelievable as it is, an epic “cat and mouse game” has been going on for 80 years now.
The beloved duo of Tom and Jerry, created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, debuted in the short “Puss Gets the boot” in 1940. Although, at the time, they were called Jasper and Jinx. The studio later held a contest to rename both characters, which was won by animator John Carr. Now officially called Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse, the pair starred in their second cartoon “The Midnight Snack” in 1941. Their show ran as an animated short for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) from 1940 to 1958, producing an impressive total of 114 shorts. Throughout the original series run, Tom and Jerry were nominated for 13 Academy Awards, winning 7 for Animated Short film.
In most adaptations, Tom is a white and gray cat who often enjoys a comfortable life as a house cat, while Jerry is a small brown mouse who lives in close proximity to Tom. While Tom has quite a bit of energy and determination, his best efforts are no match for Jerry’s wits. As in most cartoons, the laws of reality are not imposed. Jerry can be seen lifting items such as anvils with relative ease, while Tom survives considerable impacts. Despite being criticized as excessively violent, the show never showed any blood or gore. There was, however, plenty of electrocution and beatings. The show was also criticized for cannibalism and the glamorization of smoking.
Typically cats chase mice to eat them, but Tom is motivated more by his desire to outwit Jerry, get revenge, or earn a reward from a human for catching the mouse. More often than not, the final fade out of each cartoon sees Jerry get the best of Tom. The slapstick series was primarily centered on the rivalry between Tom and Jerry, but subsequent shorts introduced recurring characters like Spike, Tyke, Butch, Toodles Galore, Nibbles, and the human Mammy Two-Shoes. Early episodes, especially those including Mammy Two Shoes, have since been censored for their depiction of racial stereotypes of that time.
The continued popularity of Tom and Jerry led to the series being revived even after MGM closed in 1958. MGM and Gene Deitch picked up the series to produce an additional 13 shorts for Rembrandt Films in 1961-1962. Tom and Jerry quickly became the highest grossing animated short film series of that time, even overtaking the Looney Tunes. Between 1963 and 1967, Chuck Jones produced another 34 shorts with Sib Tower 12 Productions. Aside from the original 164 shorts produced, the animated duo has starred in a number of spinoff television series, 13 direct to video movies, and a feature-length theatrical film, Tom and Jerry: The Movie.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary, Japan hosted the world’s first Tom and Jerry at Matsuya Ginza, called “Tom and Jerry-ten Cartoon no Tensai Combi Hanna = Barbera.” The exhibition featured 250 special materials and additional contents preserved by the Warner Archive, outlining the creator’s original starting ideas and many documents and materials they used to make the show. Japan also released Tom and Jerry: Purr-Chance to Dream, a musical adaptation of Tom and Jerry to celebrate the anniversary. The Perth Mint also released a commemorative Tom & Jerry 80th Anniversary 2020 1-ounce silver Proof coin, limited to 2,500. The coin, which features the classic imagery of Tom and Jerry with the logo and inscription of 80 years, retails for $120 and can be ordered by perthmint.com.
But wait, there’s more! Tom and Jerry are hitting the big screen in a live-action/animated comedy, expected to debut during the 2020 Christmas season, on December 23. Directed by Tim Story, the film stars Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass), Michael Peña (Ant-Man), Ken Jeong (Community), and Rob Delaney (Hobbs & Shaw). Reebok is also launching a capsule collection in collaboration with Warner Bros, inspired by Tom and Jerry. Along with the modernized Instapump Fury, Club C Revenge, and Club C models, the collection will also include a Reebok x Tom & Jerry quilted jacket, shirts, and a hooded dress, among others.
Clearly, what began as a simple game of “cat and mouse” has evolved into an expansive franchise with roots in nearly every medium. Even after eight decades, this dynamic duo remains a favorite among fans and a beloved piece of American history.
