Tom & Jerry RKO cartoons

[Bugsy Boy]

This topic does not refer to the cat and mouse team of the same name.This Tom & Jerry is a pair of cartoon men with derbies,one is shorter than the other.It is a series of black and white musical theatrical cartoons from the 1930s,produced by RKO Radio Pictures.As a Christmas present,I recieved a package labeled"100 Classic Cartoons",containing 12 DVDs filled with ten cartoons each.One of them consists of ten of these Tom & Jerry cartoons.I recently put it in my DVD player thinking that these cartoons were of the cat and mouse of the same name.Interesting surprise.But I liked what I saw.Has anyone else seen these cartoons?

[kurt komit]

I really don't know too much about these cartoons, but I do know that they were originally made between 1931 and 1933. Their first cartoon was called Wot a Night, and their last one was The Phantom Rocket. When they were relesed on 16mm films for home viewing in the 50's they were renamed "Dick & Larry" (for obvious legal reasons!).

[Banned Bunny]

I really don't know too much about these cartoons, but I do know that they were originally made between 1931 and 1933. Their first cartoon was called Wot a Night, and their last one was The Phantom Rocket. When they were relesed on 16mm films for home viewing in the 50's they were renamed "Dick & Larry" (for obvious legal reasons!).

What are the "obvious" legal reasons ?

[frizfrelengfan]

These cartoons were made by the Van Beuren studio and distributed by RKO. I've only seen one of them, "Magic Mummy." It is quite surrealistic and not unlike what Fleischer was doing at the time.

[Cartman]

Wouldn't it be unfair that these characters who were created first would have to change their names for a cartoon duo created about a decade later? Why wasn't MGM sued for naming their characters those names?

[wundermild]

Has anyone else seen these cartoons?
At least some folks did, and they set up a quite informative page: http://www.cartoonresearch.com/tomjerry/

WW

[JDWeil]

Actually, there were three cartoon pairs that were named Tom & Jerry. The first was from a short lived series that was produced by Arrow film in the 1920's. The second was the Mutt-&-Jeff combo created by the Van Beuren Corp. in the 1930's, And, of course, the cat-and-mouse duo from MGM. The Metro pair's names were chosen by lottery so we'll probably never know who really named them there.

[Sogturtle]

Actually, there were three cartoon pairs that were named Tom & Jerry. The first was from a short lived series that was produced by Arrow film in the 1920's. The second was the Mutt-&-Jeff combo created by the Van Beuren Corp. in the 1930's, And, of course, the cat-and-mouse duo from MGM. The Metro pair's names were chosen by lottery so we'll probably never know who really named them there.

Banned Bunny and JDWeil~

The legal reasons were that MGM wisely trademarked the names, nobody else had been smart enough to do that before...
As regards WHO suggested the names "Tom and Jerry" at MGM, YES we do know exactly who named them... None other than the king of puns and former Tex Avery collaborator, animator Jack Carr (late of Mintz, Lantz, Schlesinger).

[Banned Bunny]

Banned Bunny and JDWeil~

The legal reasons were that MGM wisely trademarked the names, nobody else had been smart enough to do that before...
As regards WHO suggested the names "Tom and Jerry" at MGM, YES we do know exactly who named them... None other than the king of puns and former Tex Avery collaborator, animator Jack Carr (late of Mintz, Lantz, Schlesinger).


I looked on the USPTO for Tom Jerry.... the oldest cartoon references were from 1992, with one referencing a first use of 1962. There were some non-catmouse related ones from 1947. Do you have the trademark numbers issued to MGM ?