Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren)

Van Beuren's Tom and Jerry was an early‑sound series of short cartoons released by RKO Pictures between 1931 and 1933.^[1] Each cartoon placed them in a new situation or occupation; the pair sang, danced and used music as sound effects and gags.^[2]

The characters are not MGM's later cat‑and‑mouse team; instead they are a human comedy duo. They consist of 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 popular in New York at the time.

Although the series was notable for its early and inventive use of synchronised sound, blending musical rhythm closely with on‑screen action, and often incorporated quirky humour 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.

By mid‑1933, the distributor RKO Radio Pictures had grown dissatisfied with the creative direction of the shorts, viewing them as too surreal and lacking in broad commercial appeal.^[5] According to animator Mannie Davis, RKO installed “Bunny” Brown, a nephew of a top shareholder, as business manager in 1933. Brown clashed with Foster, and Foster's name disappeared from credits after March 1933.^[6] He was replaced by George Stallings, and the Tom and Jerry series ended later that year, with The Phantom Rocket.

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 neighbouring 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.^[7]

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 modelled on Betty Boop.^[8]

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.^[9]

The phrase entered popular vocabulary by the mid‑19th century,^[10] writers at Sea Lion Press argue that Van Beuren likely named his duo after the cocktail rather than the book.^[11]

When Official Films acquired Van Beuren's library for 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.^[12]

The Tom and Jerry animated short films produced by Van Beuren Studios (1931–1933) 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.^[13]

As of review of the U.S. Copyright Office's Catalog of Copyright Entries renewal listings for 1958–1961, no renewals were found for any of the Van Beuren Tom and Jerry shorts. this is in stark contrast to other Van Beuren titles (non‑animated live‑action films) that were renewed during the same period .^[14]

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.

• List of films in the public domain in the United States

• Tom & Jerry shorts on Youtube