From Academy Award wins to secret production behind the Cold War’s Iron Curtain – this is how Tom and Jerry, who turn 80 today, became one of the world’s best known double-acts.
The creators of Tom & Jerry, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera worked at MGM, who worked on a simple story of a cat and mouse who are constantly at war.
Tom & Jerry’s debut – Puss Gets the Boot – was a hit and won the studio an Oscar nomination for best animated short. Despite their work, the animators were not credited.
It was a nine-minute one-reel animated cartoon, which made its cinema debut on February 10 1940.
Jasper and Jinx, as they were first known, became Tom and Jerry.
Music composed by Scott Bradley underscored the action and Tom’s trademark human-like scream was voiced by Hanna himself.
These Tom and Jerrys are almost universally considered the best, with rich hand-drawn animation and detailed backdrops helping win them seven Academy Awards and cameos in Hollywood feature films.
