Tom and Jerry (theatrical shorts)

The Tom and Jerry theatrical shorts were originally distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1940 to 1967, animated by three production companies; the first was their own in-house, with William Hanna and Joseph Barbera directing, from 1940 and 1958, releasing 114; the second was Gene Deitch's Rembrandt Films from 1961 and 1962, releasing 13; and the third and last was Chuck Jones's Sib Tower 12 from 1963 and 1967, releasing 34. There was also a single one produced by Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) and distributed Warner Bros. Pictures in 2005. WBA also produced two shorts exclusively for HBO Max, an internet streaming service, in 2021.

The popularity of the MGM shorts, involving the eternal battle of wits between the cat named Tom and the mouse named Jerry, led to the shorts being syndicated, and specially made-for-TV series, which throughout the years have been produced by Hanna-Barbera, Filmation, and WBA. There has also been a 1992 full-length theatrical film Tom and Jerry: The Movie, a 2021 animated/live-action film, Tom & Jerry, and a series of direct-to-video films since 2001, beginning with Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring.

There was also a short-lived Spike and Tyke spin-off series in 1957.

Music
The original theme was composed by Scott Bradley.

Cast

 * William Hanna as Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse
 * Mel Blanc voiced Tom and Jerry while June Foray would voice Jerry, in the shorts produced and directed by Chuck Jones.
 * Lillian Randolph as Mammy Two Shoes

In popular culture

 * In The Simpsons, Bart and Lisa regularly watch The Itchy & Scratchy Show.
 * In the Outnumbered episode "The Long Night," a police officer told the Brockmans that their neighbor had hit her husband over the head with a frying pan which he knew "sounded a bit Tom and Jerry."