Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren)

For the later MGM cartoon cat and mouse duo, see Tom and Jerry.

File:Tom And Jerry.jpg

Film poster

Tom and Jerry are fictional characters that starred in a series of early sound cartoons produced by the Van Beuren Studios, and distributed by RKO Pictures. 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 Tom and Jerry, the famous MGM cartoon series of the '40s and '50s. Today, animation historians refer to the characters as Van Beuren's Tom and Jerry. Today, all of these cartoons are in the public domain.

Joseph Barbera began his career as an animator and storyman 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.

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, did not obtain popularity of the type Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, and Bosko had, and the series was cancelled in 1933.

Filmography

Title	Directors	First release
Wot a Night	John Foster and George Stallings	August 1, 1931
Polar Pals	John Foster and George Rufle	September 5, 1931
Trouble	John Foster and George Stallings	October 10, 1931
Jungle Jam	John Foster and George Rufle	November 14, 1931
A Swiss Trick	John Foster and George Stallings	December 19, 1931
Rocketeers	John Foster and George Rufle	January 30, 1932
Rabid Hunters	John Foster and George Stallings	February 27, 1932
In the Bag	John Foster and George Ruflem	March 26, 1932
Joint Wipers	John Foster and George Stallings	April 23, 1932
Pots and Pans	John Foster and George Rafle	May 14, 1932
The Tuba Tooter	John Foster and George Stallings	June 4, 1932
Plane Dumb	John Foster and George Rafle	June 4, 1932
Redskin Blues	John Foster and George Stallings	July 23, 1932
Jolly Fish	John Foster and George Stallings	August 19, 1932
Barnyard Bunk	John Foster and George Rufle	September 16, 1932
A Spanish Twist	John Foster and George Stallings	October 7, 1932
Piano Tooners	John Foster and George Rufle	November 11, 1932
Pencil Mania	John Foster and George Stallings	December 9, 1932
Tight Rope Tricks	John Foster and George Rufle	January 6, 1933
Magic Mummy	John Foster and George Stallings	February 7, 1933
Happy Hoboes	George Stallings and George Rufle	March 31, 1933
Puzzled Pals	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)	George Stallings and Frank Tashlin	April 28, 1933
In the Park	Frank Sherman and George Rufle	May 26, 1933
Dough Nuts	Frank Sherman and George Rufle	July 10, 1933
The Phantom Rocket	Frank Sherman and George Rufle	July 31, 1933

See also

• List of films in the public domain

External links

• Before the Cat and Mouse: Van Beuren's Tom and Jerry
• Plane Dumb, a Tom and Jerry cartoon
• Public Domain Movie Torrents with PDA iPod Divx PSP versions
• TOM & JERRY: Antes del gato y el ratón (Spanish)