Tom and Jerry

The endearing cartoon characters Tom and Jerry were created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1940. From that date until 1957, when MGM closed its animation department, Hanna-Barbera wrote and directed mire than 130 Tom and Jerry cartoons. The dueling duo returned to the screen again in 1963 and stuck around until 1967, totaling 161 theatrical short cartoons. In 1993 Tom and Jerry appeared in Tom and Jerry: The Movie.

The duo will once again return to the big screen, only this time in a live-action version. Variety: Tom and Jerry Head to the Bigscreen (January 21, 2009) Tom and Jerry will be CGI animated but within a live-action setting. The film will introduce the rivalry between Tom and Jerry at the time they first meet. It continues with the pair getting lost in Chicago and must work together on the long journey home.Variety: Tom and Jerry Head to the Bigscreen (January 21, 2009)

The animations follow a similar pattern in which Jerry gets into mischief and Tom unsuccessfully tries to catch him or get him caught. Tom invariably comes the worst off, even on the few occasions that Jerry tries to help. Despite their many chases and battles, in some episodes they do seem to be friends, at least for a while. Then soon, Tom's feline nature takes control of him and the chase begins again.