5 things you never knew about Tom and Jerry cartoons

Two decades before The Flintstones, Hanna-Barbera made animation history with the cat and mouse.

Image: The Everett Collection

We all grew up with Tom and Jerry. No matter what your age might be. The cartoon cat and mouse made their debut over 80 years ago when MGM released the short Puss Gets the Boot in theaters on February 10, 1940. 

The animal adversaries were the creation of young animators Joseph Barbera and William Hanna (originally working alongside Rudolf Ising). 

The wildly popular Tom and Jerry cartoons garnered critical acclaim, as Hanna-Barbera crafted 114 shorts for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer up through 1958.

Hanna-Barbera left behind their cat and mouse to pursue their own Hanna-Barbera Productions, which would make television history with the smash primetime series The Flintstones in 1960. Other creators (Gene Deitch, Chuck Jones) would continue to make Tom and Jerry toons, while the superior originals ran in syndication. 


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1. They were originally named Jasper and Jinx.

The cat — then more of a realistic quadruped — chasing the chubby little mouse was dubbed "Jasper" in the debut cartoon, Puss Gets the Boot. The name of the mouse never arises onscreen in the cartoon itself, though he was named "Jinx" in pre-production. That being said, there was some debate over that matter, amongst the creators nonetheless. Hanna certainly considered the mouse to be named Jinx, as mentioned in his memoir A Cast of Friends. Barbera was not so sold.

Image: The Everett Collection

2. There was later a contest to name the characters.

So how did Tom and Jerry come to be "Tom and Jerry"? A contest, of course! Animator John Carr won $50 (more than $800 in today's cash) for coming up with the monikers Tom and Jerry. 

Image: The Everett Collection

3. They were named after a cocktail.

So why "Tom and Jerry" you might ask? Well, it was a popular boozy Yuletime drink, essentially eggnog with brandy added in alongside the rum. The drink recipe and name dates back to the 1820s, so it certainly predates the cat and mouse. In the early 19th century, "Tom and Jerry" was a British term for rambunctious youth, as coined in the 1823 book Life in London, or Days and Nights of Jerry Hawthorne and his elegant friend Corinthian Tom by Pierce Egan.

Image: The Everett Collection

4. They won seven Oscars.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences loved Tom and Jerry just as much as the kids in the audience. In total, 13 Hanna-Barbera Tom and Jerry cartoons earned an Oscar nomination in the Short Subject, Cartoon category. Eight of them would win a trophy. The Yankee Doodle Mouse took home the duo's first Oscar. Seven shorts in total would win Oscars.

Image: The Everett Collection

5. They were in a live-action Gene Kelly movie.

The 1945 musical comedy Anchors Aweigh paired dancing icon Gene Kelly with many celebrity partners, but none as fantastical as Jerry Mouse. Kelly and Jerry perform together through the magic of filmmaking in "The Worry Song." Jerry is royalty, while Tom makes a cameo as a servant. Some sources claim that the film originally wanted Mickey Mouse, but Disney declined to lend out their famous rodent.

Image: The Everett Collection

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42 Comments

RedSamRackham 21 months ago
* The cowboy mouse with the guitar singing that "Crambo" song in 1 cartoon was voiced by Shug Fisher best remembered as Shorty Kellems on The Beverly Hillbillies! ☺
That episode still cracks me up !
GEMof72 RedSamRackham 15 months ago
One of my favorites! 😂😂😂😂
The funniest gag I loved in that cartoon (#96 of 114 "Pecos Pest", Nov. 11, 1955) was at the end, when uncle pulled his new "guitar string" from one of Tom's whiskers, when performing on tv, right through the tv screen after Tom started laughing at the broken string! An inspired gag from the great Tom and Jerry writers!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNfABTiIzok
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_and_Jerry_filmography#1940–58:_Hanna-Barbera/MGM_Cartoons
Better URL for the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sozkf6bq2LM
CarolinePar 28 months ago
Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone - especially since 2021 was the year Toon in With Me began ❤️
ANW97 34 months ago
The adorable childhood memory. So, I wish Krtek (Mole) will be put on MeTV for mornings to be joined for 8am. But this cartoon is from Czech Republic and Tom and Jerry is from United States.
Toonhead 35 months ago
Gotta say that I knew most of the stuff except for the name game. My dad’s VFW post had a Tom & Jerry Xmas party; kids & toons downstairs, Tom & Jerry punch upstairs and a good time was had by all!
Andy 37 months ago
They were also both featured in the Esther Williams movie, "Dangerous When Wet".
PatrickRsGhost 38 months ago
The worst series of Tom and Jerry cartoons were the ones directed by Gene Deitch. They were very cheaply done, and it showed.
Tim PatrickRsGhost 38 months ago
Easily as bad as the early 60s Warner Bros. cartoons.
moax429 PatrickRsGhost 35 months ago
Some of those Deitch-produced Tom and Jerrys were good.

I especially liked "Calypso Cat," in particular when the steel drum-playing cat on the island woos Toots away from Tom and later uses Tom's head as a steel drum.
RedSamRackham Tim 21 months ago
* Recent "Wabbit" series absolute worst! ♠
OldTVfanatic 38 months ago
Tom also sang for Pink Floyd.
If you watch closely on the movie "Pink Floyd: The Wall" during the "Thin Ice" scene, and later during the "Nobody's Home" scene, Pink has the TV tuned to a Tom & Jerry cartoon, "Puttin' on the Dog".
Tom actually sang on Not Now John from the last Waters-era Floyd LP The Final Cut.
bumples 39 months ago
I have the Chuck Jones Collection of Tom & Jerry and although I love the 50's versions, I love the Chuck Jones toons
KorianderBullard 39 months ago
You forgot to add that when they were just starting, Hannah and Barerra worked at Van Buren Studios on a human, black and white Tom and Jerry.
MichaelSkaggs 39 months ago
Tom and Jerry. I look forward to January 4th.
RobertRodriguez 48 months ago
I grew up with Tom-and-jerry love the show love all the cartoons that came out for my time 56 years old and I miss all those cartoons
VaughnBaskin 49 months ago
Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse along with Spike and Tyke Pitbull, Yakky Doodle, Barney Bear, Red, McWolf, Screwball "Screwy" Squirrel, George and Junior Bear, and of course Droopy Bloodhound, really set the tones for every H-B, R-S, and Krofft character that comes after that, from Huckleberry Hound all the way to H.R. Pufnstuf. MeTV really needs to add Tom and Jerry to the Weekday afternoon and Sunday morning lineup roster with The Flintstones this year!
Barry22 50 months ago
Always been a fan of the Original Tom and Jerry, not the crap that came afterwards. I know it was racist, but the African-American cleaning lady always made me laugh. I'm not sure, but did they stop showing those episodes? I also heard they went back and and redubbed the voice.
RobCertSDSCascap Barry22 50 months ago
They replaced her body with the one shown below.
Steve922 Barry22 50 months ago
Please do not confuse "racist" with "stereotypical" of the day. All cultures were open to good natured ribbing. This was the practice of the day. Yes the cleaning lady's voice was replaced in several cartoons with a sterotype Irish American voice.
GEMof72 Steve922 15 months ago
No it was racist 🙄
GEMof72 Steve922 15 months ago
And the NAACP would like to disagree with being okay with good natured ribbing.
RobCertSDSCascap 50 months ago
Never a fan, since Jerry won 99.9% of the time.
I am still a fan of The Tom & Jerry/Grape Ape Show!
It was fun seeing them work together. Great theme
song, too!
Set your dial for a while!
Have a laugh, wear a smile!
The Tom & Jerry/Grape Ape Show!
You'll begin with a grin
When you first tune us in:
The Tom & Jerry/Grape Ape Show!
Introducing that famous cat and mouse...TOM & JERRY!
And there it is...it's THE GREAT GRAPE APE!
("I am, I am, Grape Ape, Grape Ape!" "Love that Tom and Jerry!")
(instrumental solo)
Lots of zing, lots to sing!
Everything's gonna swing!
So, get ready - here we go! (Beegle Beagle: "HERE WE GO!")
Big or small, short or tall,
You will all have a ball
On The Tom & Jerry/Grape Ape Show!
GRAPE APE, GRAPE APE!
Wish they would release it on DVDs!
AaronHandyIII VaughnBaskin 47 months ago
What they said! Always have been for 41 years, always will be a 1975 Tom and Jerry fan! 😊 Even erected a well-detailed fansite dedicated to the show. @ http://1975tomjerry.orgfree.com/ ! Enjoy. ☺

#Bulletin: as of December 2022, it can be accessed @ https://tomjerry1975.neocities.org/. Again, enjoy. 😉
Jeremy 50 months ago
My only complaint about them is not really the violence, it's the fact that Jerry wins more times than Tom. It's like they should've named it "Jerry and Tom" instead of "Tom and Jerry." There was another Tom and Jerry that I believe came before the cat and mouse did. Here's one of their cartoons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvtMrkc7tyg.
BrittReid 50 months ago
Violence 101.
MarkEd BrittReid 50 months ago
It's a cartoon, no one got hurt.
lmahabhashyam BrittReid 36 months ago
Violence my ass! And Call to Duty or any number of other video games aren’t violent nor to mention just watching the news or many TV shows today how can you compare a non realistic cartoon with human actors or realistic aviators. Sorry no contest.
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