Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren)

Tom and Jerry, also known as Dick and Larry in Official Films cartoons, produced by Amadee Van Beuren, is a series of short cartoons released by RKO Radio Pictures between 1931 and 1933. Each cartoon placed them in a new situation or occupation; the pair sang, danced and used musical effects and gags.

Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry characters
Tom and Jerry Film Poster
First appearance	“Wot a Night” August 1, 1931
Last appearance	"Galloping Fanny" December 1, 1933
Created by	John Foster George Stallings
In-universe information
Species	Human
Gender	Male

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

The characters are not related to MGM's later cat‑and‑mouse team; instead they are a human comedy team: a tall, thin character (Tom) and a short, plump partner (Jerry) – a combination animation historians describe as “Mutt and Jeff-ish”.

Origin and development

Van Beuren originally considered a cat‑and‑dog pair but redesigned them as humans; the first released short was Wot a Night in 1931. Their design reflected the "rubber‑hose" animation style -- distinguished by elastic, cylindrical anatomies -- popular in New York at the time.

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

Reception

Trade journals of the 1930s generally gave the Tom and Jerry cartoons good reviews. Film Daily liked Puzzled Pals: "Some novel gags, and a lively cartoon that will please."

Voice talent

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 neighboring 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.

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 modeled on Betty Boop.

Name and cultural context

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.

The phrase entered popular vocabulary by the mid‑19th century, writers at Sea Lion Press contend that Van Beuren likely named his cartoon characters after the cocktail rather than the book.

Management change and series decline

By mid‑1933, RKO had grown dissatisfied with the creative direction of the shorts, viewing them as too surreal and lacking in broad commercial appeal. According to animator Mannie Davis, RKO installed Hiram S. Brown, Jr. (nicknamed "Bunny" and the son of RKO executive Hiram Brown) as business manager in 1933. Brown clashed with Foster, and Foster's name disappeared from credits after March 1933.

Film Daily announced on September 1, 1933 that the last Tom and Jerry cartoon produced was Dough-Nuts, and that the series had been discontinued, to be replaced by Otto Soglow's character "The Little King". On September 21, 1933, supervisor Brown slashed the payroll by discharging 10 animators and assistants (from a staff of 96, according to head animator Harry Bailey). Film Daily expressed surprise: "Harry D. Bailey, one of the head animators who has been with the company 12 years, and George Rufle, another chief animator, were among the departures." Supervisor Brown went on to head the serial unit at Republic Pictures.

New names

When Official Films acquired Van Beuren's library for home-movie distribution (and later 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.

Filmography

Title	Directors	Film	Distributor	Release Date	Notes
Wot a Night	John Foster and George Stallings		RKO Radio Pictures	August 1, 1931	The First Tom And Jerry Cartoon.
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 Rufle			March 26, 1932
Joint Wipers	John Foster and George Stallings			April 23, 1932
Pots and Pans	John Foster and George Rufle			May 14, 1932
The Tuba Tooter	John Foster and George Stallings			June 4, 1932
Plane Dumb	John Foster and George Rufle			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	First of Two Tom And Jerry Cartoons Which Don’t Have The Main Characters On The Title Screen Animated.
Piano Tooners	John Foster and George Rufle			November 11, 1932
Pencil Mania	John Foster and George Stallings			December 9, 1932	The Gandy Goose And Sourpuss Terrytoon “The Magic Pencil” Used A Similar Plot To This Cartoon.
Tight Rope Tricks	John Foster and George Rufle			January 6, 1933
Magic Mummy	John Foster and George Stallings			February 3, 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	George Stallings and Frank Tashlin (the latter credited as 'Tish Tash')			April 28, 1933	Retitled As “Fire! Fire!” By Official Film’s In The Late-1940’s And As “A Fireman’s Life” By Astra TV On Television Releases.
In the Park	Frank Sherman and George Rufle			May 26, 1933
Dough Nuts	Frank Sherman and George Rufle			July 7, 1933
The Phantom Rocket	Frank Sherman and George Rufle			July 28, 1933	The Last Tom And Jerry Cartoon, Though The Character’s Would Still Appear In Cameo Appearances Until The End Of The Year. 2nd Cartoon where Tom and Jerry are not animated on title card.

Copyright status

All cartoons in the Tom and Jerry animated short films produced by Van Beuren Studios (1931–1933) have 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.

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

Home video availability

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.

See also

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

External links

• Tom & Jerry shorts on Youtube