Tom and Jerry are fictional characters that starred in a series of early sound cartoons produced by the Van Beuren Studios, and distributed by RKO Pictures. The series lasted from 1931 to 1933. When Official Films purchased the Van Beuren library in the 1950s, the characters were renamed Dick and Larry to avoid confusion with Tom and Jerry, the famous MGM cartoon series of the 40's and 50's. Today, animation historians refer to the characters as Van Beuren's Tom and Jerry. All cartoons are in public domain because of missing copyright indication.
Joseph Barbera began his career as an animator and scriptwriter on this series. In 1940, Barbera co-created with William Hanna another duo of cartoon characters using the same names: a cat and mouse named Tom and Jerry.
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The characters were a Mutt and Jeff-like pair, one short (Jerry) and one tall (Tom). Each cartoon featured a different adventure and the plot varied from film to film. Sometimes they were lawyers, hunters, plumbers, hobos, etc. Stylistically, the cartoons were similar to those made by Fleischer Studios, which like Van Beuren Studios was located in New York City. According to Markstein's Toonopedia, Fleischer staff sometimes moonlighted at Van Beuren's, which was situated just across the road (accounting for the many visual similarities between the two). Tom and Jerry's adventures were generally absurdist comedies, featuring bizarre imagery, racist themes, and more than a few (minor) sexual references. One 1932 short (Piano Tooners) introduced a "flapper" character clearly derived from Fleischer's Betty Boop, further demonstrating the stylistic relationship between the two studios. Tom and Jerry, however, did not obtain popularity of the type Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, and Bosko had, and the series was cancelled in 1933.
| 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 Ruflem | March 26, 1932 |
| Joint Wipers | John Foster and George Stallings | April 23, 1932 |
| Pots and Pans | John Foster and George Rafle | May 14, 1932 |
| The Tuba Tooter | John Foster and George Stallings | June 4, 1932 |
| Plane Dumb | John Foster and George Rafle | 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 7, 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 | April 28, 1933 |
| In the Park | Frank Sherman and George Rufle | May 26, 1933 |
| A Fireman's Life | Frank Sherman and George Rufle | June 19, 1933 |
| Dough Nuts | Frank Sherman and George Rufle | July 10, 1933 |
| The Phantom Rocket | Frank Sherman and George Rufle | July 31, 1933 |