Brief introduction of Tom and Jerry in English

The birth of stars

A huge gray demon cat, with yellow iris eyes flashing Machiavelli-like light, and a small brown angel-like brazen mouse chased each other in the kitchen, destroying the ice box, ironing board, plate rack, sink full of plates, and eggshells, dripping egg yolk and oozing jam everywhere on the floor.

The kitchen war continued, and the final result was unknown to the participants. But for people watching in the warm and dark theater, there is no doubt about the identity of the winner-it will be a little mouse.

Because the cat and mouse are Tom and Jerry, of course this is Tom and Jerry. Jerry cartoon.

The dueling duo, from Hollywood amphitheater to Hungary, chased into space and back again, are still strong 50 years after their film debut. The second-hand Tom & Jerry cartoons are still shown in cinemas and televisions, and are packaged into video tapes for sale or rental.

Born in Hollywood, Tom and Jerry won the joy and laughter of the global audience, won enough Oscar awards, made any movie star selfishly complacent, and played the leading role in movies, TV shows and comic books. (p9)

Besides, Tom and Jerry have very clear personalities. Tom is an evil opportunist, always eager to please the authorities, whether it is the housekeeper, the dog or sometimes even the mouse; Jerry, the naughty schemer, is happy to pay attention to his career until he is cornered, angered or generally angered. (p 16)

To discover their secrets, people must go back to their creative place, the main venue of MGM in Culver City, California. Here, in a rounded corner, two-story, cream-colored stucco building, there is an animator, layout artist, middleman, ink and paint girl, photographer and film machine in a rabbit room, and Tom and Jerry magically jump into life. (p 2 1)

Fred Quimby times

Fred Quimby is not only a producer in Tom and Jerry, but also a producer in the whole cartoon department of MGM. Since 1937, he has been associated with a group of funny cartoonists, and he knows little about these cartoonists. Unfortunately, as a cartoonist, he has no sense of humor.

It is generally believed that Quimby won the title of producer because he worked as a top salesman in his hometown of new york for many years. In fact, he knew nothing about animation. As Irv Spence recalled, cartoons were "a strange thing for him."

Playing the role of high school principal, contrary to the childish enthusiasm of animators, he acts as a liaison between them and the front desk, and usually seems to refuse requests for increased budget, salary increase and special funds.

But under his management, Tom and Jerry sailed on the warm sea like a flagship. Hannah and Babela don't have to directly face the bad-tempered corporate mind in the administrative field, but they can freely exert their creativity, which makes Tom and Jerry the "golden sand twins" of MGM.

After being in charge of the Comics Department 18 years, Quimby retired, and this is where the storm clouds began to flash. (page 83)

Quimby's retirement did not hinder the creation of Tom and Jerry cartoons at all, but his departure marked the end of an era, the golden age of Hollywood, in the world of action and animation.

The world has begun to change. Television, the huge swallowing box with knob and convex screen, has swallowed up a large number of theater audiences, allowing them to be entertained at home in the dark night. (page 84)

Box office receipts dropped and then plummeted. The film studio began to worry, and then panic. New technologies have been put into use, including CinemaScope, which broadens the theater screen and provides a more inclusive world view.

Cartoons were also forced to succumb to the anger of CinemaScope. Tom and Jerry's first outing was in Peeves in 1954. (page 85)

Gene Deitch era. 196 1- 1962

On 1957, MGM, without warning the crew, closed their cartoon department, and put Jerry in Tom & s cartoon "Edge of Hell", as well as unemployed Hannah, Babela and staff. When the blow came, they supervised the final touch-up of the cartoon being made, and people could imagine them sleepwalking in the studio like frightened people.

"We had nothing to do," Bill Hanna recalled. "We finished watching the rest of the cartoons, but we knew they wouldn't watch any more."

At that time, cartoon production in other studios was limited, and no one was recruiting. At the last minute when the contract is about to expire, Joe and Bill are going to sell a new cartoon series to the TV station. They created Ruff and Ready and sold them to Screen Gems, a subsidiary of Columbia Pictures. There, due to the limited budget (3,000 dollars for a 5-minute cartoon instead of 45,000-65,000 dollars for MGM), they had to use every new commercial stunt and feature to get the characters around. Thus, limited animation was born. Limited animation means "you can keep your body (which means your body is still) and put your arms on different levels (different cells), mouth, eyes, everything." You can blink your eyes and do nothing else. If your body stays still and you reach for something, only your arm will move. "

Then, with the dawn of 1960, life was reborn. MGM has decided that its "Golden Twin" may still be a viable property, and Gene Deitch has been signed to produce 13 new shorts.

Dai Qi's contributions include being the artistic director of Tretoons, where he created the acclaimed Tom Terrific, a series of imaginative films for the children's TV program captain Kangaroo, and Munro, a short drama film for which he won an Oscar.

He recently moved himself and his studio to Prague, and his Czechoslovakian animators have only half a dozen Tom & Jerry cartoons to familiarize themselves with his new role.

In contrast, Hannah, Babela, Owen Spencer, Kemmuse and other animators of MGM, who collectively Tom & Jerry, the Eastern European team never had a chance to continue the old magic.

Although they managed to keep the basic appearance of the characters-if you met them in the street, you might recognize them-they didn't behave like Tom and Jerry. Jerry, his charming appearance has made a great contribution to his charm, and it has been covered up. Somehow, it gives the impression that looking through the wrong end of the telescope, Tom has lost his irresistible cunning quality, giving him an action personality, and instead becomes another character flying on the screen.

Still, there are lovely elements; However, all the cartoons are not up to the original level on which they are based. Dai Qi's contract was not extended beyond the first 13. (pages 93-98)

Chuck Jones era 63-67.

When Warner Bros. closed the cartoon door at 1963, MGM jumped in and provided Chuck Jones with a theatrical version of the new Tom & Jerry. Jones is an experienced and talented animator who has played an important role in the development of Warner Bros. stars bugs bunny, daffy duck and their brothers.

He began to work, and his first task was to transform the famous duo. Tom was endowed with boris karloff's eyebrows, which enhanced his demonic demeanor, and he was very similar to Bugs himself in many postures, with a tail and short ears. Jerry got bigger and more charming eyes, bigger ears and sweeter expression.

Tom & Jerry logo has also been renovated, and the old title box has been replaced by spiffier 1960s and a new jingling music signature. Even Leo, the lion of MGM, who has appeared at the beginning of every cartoon since the establishment of the studio, was replaced by Tom who meowed and hissed at the camera in the middle of the film.

But these are the only differences between Tom & Jarvis and Jones. The graphics are fashionable and the colors are bright, while the latter turns to posture and personality. Like Bugs' plots, they are usually strong at first, and then diverted by other ideas. Although this style is suitable for other Jones formats, Tom & Jerry is different without a solid story behind it.

After 34 such cartoons, MGM of 1967 was discontinued. Believing that drama cartoons have no future, the studio chose not to renew the contract with Jones, and Tom and Jerry were once again demoted to the dusty files in the studio library. (Page 98-102)

The Return of the King

Eight years later, in 1975, Hannah and Babela, the original Tom & Ampjeremen, came up with the idea of having their old friend play a role in a new series on Saturday morning TV.

This is a difficult sale. TV executives laughed heartily when showing old cartoons, but they were worried that these cartoons were too violent and would be severely criticized by parents' groups. As a compromise, Hannah Babela agreed to transform the role (again! ).

Tom and Jerry have always been partners backstage. In their latest incarnation, they are also partners on the screen, spending cartoon time in friendly competition, solving mysterious events and helping others.

1989, Hannah Babela began to produce a new Saturday morning TV series Tom & Jerry Children, featuring children with cats and mice. (p 102-3)

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