Puss Gets the Boot (1940, animated short)

Puss Gets the Boot is a 1940 American animated short film and is the first short in what would become the Tom and Jerry cartoon series, though neither were yet referred to by these names. It was directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, and produced by Rudolf Ising, Fred Quimby and William Hanna It was based on the Aesop's Fable, The Cat and the Mice. As was the practice of MGM shorts at the time, only Rudolf Ising is credited. It was released to theaters on February 10, 1940, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

In this first short, the cat is named Jasper, and appears to be a mangy, battle-hardened street cat, more malicious than the character that Tom would develop into over time. The unnamed mouse (known as Jinx) was similar to the ultimate Jerry character, just a bit skinnier. The basic premise was the one that would become familiar to audiences; in The Art of Hanna-Barbera, Ted Sennett sums it up as "cat stalks and chases mouse in a frenzy of mayhem and slapstick violence. Though the studio executives were unimpressed, audiences loved the film and it was nominated for an Academy Award.

Voice cast:
Harry E. Lang as Jasper Cat
William Hanna as Jinx Mouse
Lillian Randolph as Mammy Two Shoes (original)
June Foray and Thea Vidale as Mammy Two Shoes (re-edited)