TOM THE CAT AND JERRY THE MOUSE

TOM THE CAT AND JERRY THE MOUSE were the stars of the popular cartoon, Tom and Jerry. Many fans, except for biggest ones, probably have no idea that Tom was originally named Jasper and would later be dubbed Tom Cat or Tomcat by some. Tom was a domestic shorthair feline who was gray in color. He was mostly the aggressor in the cartoon, constantly going after Jerry, the mouse, though Jerry played a role in the antagonism. He would often bait Tom until he would begin chasing them and together the two would cause all sorts of mayhem as Jerry was a small, ordinary mouse, who lived in Tom’s house.

Tom and Jerry first aired in 1940 and was originally produced by MGM, by the famed animation producing duo, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Tom and Jerry would continue to star in cartoons and movies into the 21st century.

The Tom and Jerry show wasn’t the first time that Tom and Jerry appeared in a cartoon. Both had cameos in the Puss Gets the Boot cartoon. When the duo stared together in Tom and Jerry, the premise of the show played off the adversarial relationships that cats and mice have in real life. Except in this story, Tom rarely ever tried to consume Jerry. That wasn’t really the point of the cartoon. The focus was always the chase and the comedy and entertainment that it provided for viewers.

Though Tom was the bigger animal of the two and a predator by nature, his size and basic instincts didn’t win out over Jerry’s smarts. Jerry would use his wits to out duel Tom. Now, there would be times when Tom would get the best of Jerry but only rarely. There would also be times when neither would come out on top. These ended being draws but entertaining ones no less.

Even though Tom and Jerry was rivals, they had a soft place in each of their heart’s for each other. If either of them were ever truly in danger, the other would come to the rescue, although the chase would eventually resume.

Throughout the series, there were several female characters that Tom was interested in romantically. They included Toots, from Puss n’ Toots and another character by the same name, who appeared in The Zoo Cat. Toodles Galore, however, was his most notable love interest.

There would be a few times when Tom would apparently die, only to show back up in the next episode. He would never stay dead for long.

Surprisingly, even though Tom and Jerry were the main characters of Tom and Jerry, they rarely ever spoke. The show’s supporting characters had much more to say then the show’s stars.

There were some people who felt that the Tom and Jerry show was too violent, although there were never any gruesome or gory scenes. What would pass for controversial then wouldn’t come close to doing so now. The show was popular amongst children, both older and younger. Many of today’s, older adults are still fans of the show. It holds a special place in their hearts. Younger children and teens are also being acquainted to the show via reruns and the more recent series, Tom and Jerry Kids.

THE RELATIONSHIP

THE RELATIONSHIP between Tom and Jerry was one of love and hate. Though every episode Tom chased Jerry around, even attempting to eat him a few times, the two would work together when it was necessary and even seemed to like each other sometimes. Now, Jerry wasn't the innocent in all of this. There were times when he would instigate Tom and get stuff started.

Tom and Jerry was produced by Rembrandt Films in 1960 in Eastern Europe. The production of the carton would eventually make its way back to the United States, in Hollywood. Sib-Tower 12 Productions handled production duties beginning in 1963. That would last for about 4 years, between the years of 1963 and 1967.

The Tom and Jerry series kept resurfacing throughout the decades of the 1980s, 80s and 90s. A movie was even produced in 1992. Tom and Jerry: The Mansion Cat, was released as a television short and aired in 2001. Tom and Jerry Kids, aired in 1990, and lasted until 1994. Younger versions of Tom and Jerry, Spike and Tyke and Droopy and Dripple were the show's primary characters.

Fans of the series were able to purchase a total of 30 shorts when the Tom and Jerry Deluxe Anniversary was released in 2011 to celebrate the cartoon's 70th anniversary. In 2009, theTom and Jerry: The Chuck Jones Collection was released. It featured two DVD discs and 34 cartoons, along with two documentaries.

Time Warner currently owns the rights to the iconic cartoon, via their Turner Entertainment division. Warner Brothers takes care of the cartoon's distribution. Several spins offs have been produced via Turner Entertainment, amongst them, Tom and Jerry Tales.

TOM AND JERRY

 TOM AND JERRY is one of America’s most iconic cartoons. Many older adults grew up watching the cat and mouse duo engage in the battle of the wits, with Jerry (the mouse) almost always managing to get away. Overall, the carton was an enjoyable one and beloved by tons of fans, many which remain fans of the series even today.

Tom and Jerry was created by the animation, power-house duoJoseph Barbera and William Hanna, who both worked for MGM(Metro Goldwyn Mayer). The premise of the show revolved around the relationship between Tom, the cat and Jerry, the mouse. Tom would chase Jerry and the two would engage in comical battles. The cartoon was often ridiculed for being violent, though what passed as violence in those days, pales in comparison to what’s featured in cartoons today.

Between the years of 1940 and 1957, Barbera and Hanna scripted and directed more than 100 shorts Tom and Jerry while at MGM. The duo was quite successful. Tom and Jerry won an Academy Award for Animated Short film, a rather impressive 7 times. Much later, in 2000, Time magazine would name Tom and Jerry as one of the best television programs ever.

Not only was Tom and Jerry well received in the television industry, it was also popular amongst fans. The audience was a mixed bag, consisting of young children, teens and even adults.