Tom has undergone extensive changes in his appearance through the history of the show. When the show started in the 1940s, Tom looked more like a real cat. He used to walk on all fours in the initial episodes. Moreover, he also had thick and unkempt fur, multiple facial wrinkles, as well as eyebrow markings. By the end of the 1940s, Tom’s appearance was made more workable. Jerry, on the other hand, has remained almost exactly the same during the entire history of the show. (source)
7 In one of the episodes of the show, Tom and Jerry apparently committed suicide.
“Blue Cat Blues” is a Tom and Jerry animated short that was released on November 16, 1956. The episode starts with Tom sitting on the rail tracks depressed. Jerry watches his friend, apparently from the bridge over the railway tracks, and goes on to narrate how Tom ended up like this.
The episode depicts Tom and Jerry as very close friends until Tom is mesmerized by a white female cat. The female cat also returns Tom’s love and they end up in a loving relationship. But, as always, then enters the villain. The villain here is Mr. Butch, the wealthy cat that lives next door to the white female cat. He sweeps the female cat of her paws with his wealth. The female turns out to be an opportunist, as warned by Jerry, and leaves Tom for the wealthy cat.
Even though Tom realized how shallow the female cat was, he didn’t stop. He used up all his finances, much against Jerry’s advice, in an attempt to win her back. But no matter how much Tom tried, Butch was always one step ahead of and many dollars wealthier than him. Mr. Butch and the white female cat get married leaving Tom penniless, hopeless, and in immense depression.
After all this, Jerry thinks of his girlfriend Toots who has been faithful to him all this time. But at that very moment, Jerry sees Toots going away with another mouse, and that too married. Jerry, heartbroken, joins Tom on the tracks. They sit on the tracks and wait for an oncoming train. The train’s whistle grows louder as the cartoon fades, giving an impression to the audience that Tom and Jerry just committed suicide.
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There have been numerous controversies surrounding this episode. Some people believe that it is impossible that Tom and Jerry can be killed by the oncoming train as they have survived much worse things throughout the show. Hammers, gunshots, explosions – you name it. They have survived it all. Moreover, some people believe that since “Blue Cat Blues” was not the last episode of the animated series, there is no way that Tom and Jerry may have died on the tracks. (source)
8 Tom and Jerry had multiple spin-offs such as The Tom and Jerry Show, The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show, Tom and Jerry Kids, Tom and Jerry Tales, etc.
Numerous shows were made based on the original Tom and Jerry animated series. Some of these television series include The Tom and Jerry Show (1975), The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show (1980–82), Tom and Jerry Kids (1990–93), Tom and Jerry Tales (2006–08), and The Tom and Jerry Show (2014–present).
There was also a feature-length film Tom and Jerry: The Movie was made based on the cartoon series. It was released in 1992. Since 2002, 13 direct-to-video films have been released.
Other than these original Tom and Jerry shows, the duo has also made numerous cameo appearances. In 1945, Jerry appeared in Anchors Aweigh, a musical by MGM. In the movie, Jerry performs a dance routine with Gene Kelly. The shot was made with the help of special effects. Tom also appears for a brief time in Anchors Aweigh handing food to Jerry on a tray.
In 1953, Tom and Jerry appeared in Dangerous When Wet, where they performed in a dream sequence with Esther Williams. In the show MAD, that airs on the Cartoon Network, Tom and Jerry appeared in three segments: “Mickey Mouse Exterminator Service”, “Celebrity Birthdays”, and “Tom and Jury.”(1,2)
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9 Tom and Jerry cartoons won seven Oscarsand were nominated for six more.
Tom and Jerry were not just loved by people across generations who watched the show but also by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Oscar community. The animated series has won seven Oscars to date under the “Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons” category. They have been nominated for six more.
The episodes that won the Oscar include “The Yankee Doodle Mouse” in 1943, “Mouse Trouble” in 1944, “Quiet Please!” in 1945, “The Cat Concerto” in 1946, “The Little Orphan” in 1948, “The Two Mouseketeers” in 1952, and “Johann Mouse” in 1953. In the episode “The Cat Concerto” which won the Oscar in 1946, Tom performs Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No 2. (1,2)
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10 Since the show started in February 1940, Tom and Jerry would now be 82 years of age.
