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Tom Cat

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This article is about the Tom and Jerry cartoon character. For other uses, see Tomcat.

Tom Cat
Tom and Jerry (MGM/United Artists) character
Tom's design in the Hanna-Barbera shorts.
First appearancePuss Gets the Boot (As Jasper) The Midnight Snack (As Tom)
Created byWilliam Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Voiced byClarence Nash (1940-1942)
William Hanna (1942-1958)
Allen Swift (1961-1962)
Mel Blanc (1963-1967)
Richard Kind (Tom and Jerry: The Movie)
In-universe information
FamilyMammy Two Shoes
Unnamed man from Posse Cat and Cruise Cat
George and Joan
RelativesGeorge (identical musophobic cousin)
Butch ("buddy" or rival)
Meathead ("buddy" or rival)
Topsy ("buddy" or rival)
Lightning ("buddy" or rival)
Fluff, Muff and Puff (enemy)
Quacker ("buddy" or mostly rival)

Thomas "Tom" Cat is a fictional character and one of the title characters (the other being Jerry Mouse) in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's series of Tom and Jerry theatrical cartoon short films. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Tom is a blue/grey anthropomorphic domestic short-haired cat who first appeared in the 1940 animated short Puss Gets the Boot.[1] Tom was originally known as "Jasper" during his debut in that short;[2] however, beginning with his next appearance in The Midnight Snack he is known as "Tom" or "Thomas".[3]

History

Tom and Jerry cartoons

His full name, "Tom Cat", is based on "tomcat", a phrase which refers to male cats. He is very rarely heard speaking with the exception of a few cartoons (such as 1943's "The Lonesome Mouse" and Tom & Jerry Tales' League of Cats) and "Tom and Jerry: The Movie". His only notable vocal sounds outside of this are his various screams whenever he is subject to pain or panic. He is continuously after Jerry Mouse, for whom he sets traps, many of which backfire and cause damage to him rather than Jerry.

Tom has changed remarkably over the years upon his evolution, especially after the first episodes. For example, in his debut, he was quadrupedal and had normal cat intelligence. However, over the years (since the episode Dog Trouble), he has become almost completely bipedal and has human intelligence and he is similar to his previous appearance, in 1945 short he had twisted whiskers and his appearance kept changing. In the 1940s and early 1950s, he had white fur between his eyes. In newer cartoons, the white fur is gone. As a slapstick cartoon character, Tom has a superhuman level of elasticity. Tom is usually defeated (or very rarely, killed, like in Mouse Trouble, where he explodes) in the end, although there are some stories where he outwits and defeats Jerry.

Anchors Aweigh & Dangerous When Wet

Tom and Jerry appeared together in the 1945 Technicolor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical Anchors Aweigh where Tom briefly appears as a butler for King Jerry, the latter who has a dance sequence with Gene Kelly, and also in another musical with the same studio Dangerous When Wet (1953), where, in a dream sequence, main character Katie Higgins (Esther Williams) does an underwater ballet with Tom and Jerry, as well as animated depictions of the different people in her life.[4]

Voice actors

'William Hanna: Vocal effects in the Hanna-Barbera era (1942–1958) shorts: The Lonesome Mouse, The Million Dollar Cat, Mouse Trouble, The Missing Mouse, Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers (archival recording from classic shorts), The Tom and Jerry Show (2014 TV series) (archival recording from classic shorts)

Love interests

Apart from chasing Jerry, Tom has multiple love interests with female cats. Their names all begin with "T", except in Tom and Jerry Kids. They are:

  • Toots, a fluffy beige cat who appears in Puss n' Toots and The Mouse Comes to Dinner, the latter being her only speaking role. This version of Toots also appeared in some 1940's Tom and Jerry comics.
  • Toots, a different cat by the same name who appears in The Zoot Cat. She has occasionally and erroneously been referred to as "Sheikie", but this is actually Tom's nickname, as seen on a gift card in the cartoon.
  • An unnamed, non-speaking cat who appears very briefly in The Bodyguard. She was made as a mere object of slap-stick humor, as when Tom gave her a wolf-whistle, he gave himself away to Spike, who was supposed to protect Jerry every time he whistles.
  • Tara, a non-speaking cat who appears in Texas Tom.
  • Toodles Galore, a non-speaking recurring cat who sometimes adores Tom and sometimes treats him badly (particularly in Love Me, Love My Mouse). She appears in multiple shorts.
  • An unnamed non-speaking brown cat who appeared in Muscle Beach Tom.
  • An unnamed white cat who appeared in Blue Cat Blues. Similar to the cat seen in Muscle Beach Tom, except with a personality like Toodles.

Owners

Over his years as a housecat, Tom has multiple owners, varying in different cartoons.

See also

References

  1. ^ IMDb. "Puss Gets the Boot". Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  2. ^ Mark Christopher Carnes, American national biography
  3. ^ IMDb. "The Midnight Snack (1941)". Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  4. ^ IMDb. "Dangerous When Wet (1953)". Retrieved 16 May 2010.
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