‘Tom and Jerry’ the man behind Tom’s screams

If you are a fan of the famous cat and mouse duo TOM AND JERRY you know that Tom has had a distinctive yell. In my neck of the woods, children would tease each other by saying that someone was screaming like Tom. It was also common to hear boys tell each other that Tom screamed lie a little girl. During the cartoons, Tom has been set on fire, beaten and bashed, had doors slammed in his face and bowling balls and anvils dropped on his head. His tail has been cut off and bitten by dogs so this cat has a right to shout to the high heavens because of the pain.

Since 1941 the cries that emanate from the cat when he is in distress has been referred to as “Tom scream”. For those who were not aware, the man behind the iconic sound was William Hanna of HANNA BARBERA who together with Joseph Barbera created some of the most beloved cartoons ever. The duo met in 1937, while working at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), and began a collaboration that first received acclaim for the iconic cat and mouse, TOM AND JERRY.

Together these men co-founded HANNA-BARBERA in 1957 and it became the most successful television animation studio in the entertainment business. The team created or produced popular animations such as THE SMURFS, THE FLINTSTONES, YOGI BEAR, THE HUCKLEBERRY HOUND SHOW, THE JETSONS, and SCOOBY DOO. The 'Tom scream", however, belongs to William Hannah alone. Three videos of Tom's various screams are included here and the first one that can be seen below has the one that is my personal favorite.

Dates differ on when the Tom scream made its official debut. Some records indicate July 5, 1941, in the cartoon episode titled "The Alley Cat." Others say William Hanna's earliest performance of the iconic sound was for MGM in 1940 in the animated short "Fraidy Cat" and "Dog Trouble." Tom's signature sound that has been recorded and recycled was first heard in "Puss n' Toots and has been used in man other MGM cartoons. Fans with sharp ears have long suspected that Tom's scream was being utilized by others because it is so distinctive.

William Hanna later did a number of variations of the Tom scream for additional MGM and TOM AND JERRY cartoons. MGM utilized the screams until 1957 when their animation studio was shut down. Tom's yell was brougt back during the 1960s Chuck Jones era of MGM cartoons and used for Chuck's version of TOM AND JERRY. Once Chuck stopped creating his version of the cat and mouse team in 1967 Tom's signature scream ceased.

Recordings of "Tom scream" that were archived continue to exist, and were used by TURNER and later WB in THE TOM AND JERRY SHOW, and SHIVER ME WHISKERS. New screams were created for THE TOM AND JERY SHOW by Rich Danhaki, the uncredited series' sound designer/sound effects editor. As the old saying goes, "Aint nothing like the real thing baby" and long-time fans can tell the difference.

In addition to being an American animator, voice actor, and cartoonist, William Hanna was also a musician. His creative genius is responsible for entertaining children and adults for more than 80 years. MeTV currently airs episodes of TOM AND JERRY on their Saturday morning cartoon lineup and also be seen at 7:00 AM Monday through Friday on TOON IN WITH ME. During commercial ads for these shows, there is usually one of Tom's screams. It's a sound that is like no other and brings back fond memories for children of all ages.