Tom and Jerry

The series features comic fights between an iconic set of adversaries, a house cat (Tom) and a house mouse (Jerry). The plots of many shorts are often set in the backdrop of a house, centering on Tom (who is often enlisted by a human) trying to capture Jerry, and the mayhem and destruction that follows. Tom rarely succeeds in catching Jerry, mainly because of Jerry's cleverness, cunning abilities, and luck. However, on several occasions, they have displayed genuine friendship and concern for each other's well-being.

At other times, the pair set aside their rivalry in order to pursue a common goal, such as when a baby escapes the watch of a negligent babysitter, causing Tom and Jerry to pursue the baby and keep it away from danger, in the shorts Busy Buddies and Tot Watchers respectively. Despite their endless attacks on one another, they have saved each other's lives every time they were truly in danger, with the exception of The Two Mouseketeers and Blue Cat Blues . The cartoons are known for their violent gags. While Tom and Jerry has often been criticized as excessively violent, there is no blood or gore in any scene.

: 42 : 134 Tom uses axes, hammers, firearms, firecrackers, explosives, traps and poison to kill Jerry, and Jerry's methods of retaliation are far more violent, with frequent success, including slicing Tom in half, decapitating him, shutting his head or fingers in a window or a door, stuffing Tom's tail in a waffle iron or a mangle , kicking him into a refrigerator, getting him electrocuted, pounding him with a mace , club or mallet , letting a tree or electric pole drive him into the ground, sticking matches into his feet and lighting them, etc. Music plays a very important part in the shorts, emphasizing the action, bringing in humor, filling in for traditional sound effects, and lending emotion to the scenes. Musical director Scott Bradley created complex scores that combined elements of jazz , classical , and pop music . Bradley often used contemporary pop songs and songs from other films, including MGM films like The Wizard of Oz and Meet Me in St.

Louis . The two lead characters speak English on rare occasions. Most of the vocal effects used for Tom and Jerry are their high-pitched laughs and gasping screams. Even though Tom and Jerry almost never speak, the shorts often show other characters speaking.

For example, the character Mammy Two Shoes has lines in nearly every cartoon in which she appears.