Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren)

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

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].

Film poster

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].

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^[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 it's 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.

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 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]

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.^[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]

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 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
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 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 (also A Fireman's Life and "Fire! Fire!" through Astra TV and Official Films, respectively)	George Stallings and Frank Tashlin (the latter credited as 'Tish Tash')	April 28, 1933
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

Copyright Status

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]

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 films in the public domain in the United States