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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio
MGM Cartoons
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryAnimation
Motion pictures
PredecessorHarman-Ising Productions
FoundedAugust 23, 1937; 89 years ago (1937-08-23)
FounderFred Quimby
DefunctTemplate:End date and age
FateClosed
SuccessorsStudio:
MGM Animation/Visual Arts
Pacific Television Corporation
Hanna-Barbera
Library:
Warner Bros.
(through Turner Entertainment Co.)
HeadquartersOverland and Montana Avenue[1],
Culver City, California
,
United States
Key people
William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Hugh Harman
Rudolf Ising
Tex Avery
Fred Quimby
Preston Blair
Michael Lah
ProductsAnimated theatrical short films
ParentMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
(Loews, Inc.)

The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio, often referred to as MGM Cartoons, was a prominent American animation studio under the ownership of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer throughout the Golden Age of American animation. Operating between 1937 and 1957, the studio specialized in producing animated shorts that accompanied MGM's feature films shown in Loew's Theaters. Among its most notable creations were the acclaimed Tom and Jerry series, crafted by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, alongside Tex Avery’s popular character Droopy.

Prior to establishing its own animation division, MGM distributed works from independent animator Ub Iwerks as well as the Happy Harmonies series produced by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising. The formation of the MGM cartoon studio was intended to succeed Harman-Ising Productions, with both Harman and Ising eventually joining MGM's ranks. The studio's reputation rose significantly in 1940 when The Milky Way became the first non-Disney short to receive the Academy Award for Best Animated Short.

The studio expanded its creative team by attracting animators who left Warner Bros. and Disney amid labor unrest. Initially managed by executive producer Fred Quimby, leadership transitioned to Hanna and Barbera after Quimby retired in 1955. The studio ceased operations on May 15, 1957; soon after, Hanna and Barbera launched their own enterprise, Hanna-Barbera Productions, bringing along much of the original staff.

In 1986, the MGM cartoon collection was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System through Turner Entertainment Co. Although Turner sold back certain MGM/UA production divisions later on, it retained ownership of all MGM content created before May 1986. Following Turner's merger with Time Warner in 1996, the rights to these MGM cartoons passed to Warner Bros., which also controls a significant portion of Hanna-Barbera’s catalog after integrating it into Warner Bros. Animation in 2001.

Background

During the 1930s, film studios created various short films—including travel documentaries, serials, comedies, newsreels, and animated cartoons—to attract more audiences to theaters. Walt Disney Productions achieved significant acclaim with its Mickey Mouse series, which was distributed through Pat Powers' Celebrity Pictures for Columbia Pictures. Rival studios such as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) aimed to compete with Disney but were unable to obtain distribution rights for Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies.

MGM’s earliest animation venture was the Flip the Frog series, produced independently by Ub Iwerks, a former lead animator at Disney who was hired by Pat Powers. The debut Flip the Frog cartoon, Fiddlesticks, premiered in January 1931, followed by more than twenty additional episodes. In 1934, MGM replaced Flip with the less successful Willie Whopper, which underperformed and prompted MGM to terminate its distribution agreement with Iwerks and Powers. Meanwhile, Iwerks began self-distributing his own ComiColor cartoons.

For MGM’s 1934 musical comedy film Hollywood Party, Walt Disney Productions contributed a Technicolor animated segment and an interaction featuring Jimmy Durante, marking one of the rare occasions Disney provided animation services to other studios.

In August 1934, MGM formed a partnership with the Harman-Ising studio—recently separated from Warner Bros.—to develop a new high-budget color cartoon series. This collaboration brought on key animators such as William Hanna and the McKimson brothers. Learning from Disney’s experience regarding character ownership, they retained rights to their character Bosko.

The initial MGM Happy Harmonies cartoon, The Discontented Canary, premiered in October 1934 and transitioned from two-strip to three-strip Technicolor by 1935. The series featured Bosko shorts redesigned as a distinctive African-American boy by 1936. Harman and Ising aimed to rival Disney’s acclaimed Silly Symphonies through elaborate and sophisticated productions.

Nevertheless, the series suffered from budget overruns as Hugh Harman resisted MGM’s efforts to reduce costs. Consequently, MGM established its own cartoon studio in February 1937, recruiting most of Harman-Ising’s employees. The last Happy Harmonies short was released in March 1938 before Harman and Ising launched a new freelance animation studio that served Walt Disney.

In 1937, during the making of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, artists from Harman-Ising assisted both on this feature and on the Silly Symphonies short Merbabies, fostering collaboration and training among animators.

Early years (1937–1939)

In March 1937, MGM appointed Fred Quimby, a film sales executive without prior animation experience, to head its newly formed cartoon division. Directors William Hanna and Bob Allen, along with production manager Carmen Maxwell, continued from the Harman-Ising team. Quimby attracted leading talent from prominent studios, including Friz Freleng from Leon Schlesinger Productions and Joseph Barbera from Terrytoons. The MGM cartoon studio officially opened on August 23, 1937.

Despite having a modern facility and experienced directors, MGM’s first animated series, The Captain and The Kids, based on Rudolph Dirks' comic strip Katzenjammer Kids, failed to capture audiences. Freleng, Hanna, and Allen found it challenging to adapt the comic’s humor into animation effectively, resulting in the series’ cancellation after only fifteen episodes. Only two of these cartoons were produced in Technicolor; the remainder were black-and-white with sepia tones.

To enhance content quality and develop original properties, MGM also hired newspaper cartoonists such as Milt Gross and Harry Hershfield. Gross completed two cartoons featuring characters Count Screwloose and J.R. the Wonder Dog, whereas Hershfield did not produce any completed works.

Harman and Ising's Comeback (1938–1943)

In January 1939, Quimby reinstated Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising as the creative leaders, supervising many of the former Harman-Ising staff members.

Rudolf Ising introduced The Bear Who Couldn't Sleep (1939), which marked the debut of Barney Bear, MGM's first original cartoon character who remained popular until 1953. Despite his appeal, Barney Bear never achieved the widespread market presence of icons like Mickey Mouse or Porky Pig. While Ising concentrated on producing Barney Bear shorts, Harman focused on crafting intricate one-shot cartoons and a short-lived Bear Family series.

Among Harman’s significant contributions during this timeframe was Peace on Earth (1939), a poignant short film with a post-apocalyptic theme released shortly after the outbreak of World War II in Europe. This work earned an Academy Award nomination for Short Subjects (Cartoons) and was even considered for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Tom and Jerry Era (1940–1958)

Friz Freleng briefly collaborated under Harman before returning to Schlesinger in 1939. Meanwhile, Joseph Barbera teamed up with director William Hanna to co-direct cartoons within Rudolf Ising’s unit. This partnership between Hanna and Barbera, which lasted over sixty years, began with the 1940 short Puss Gets the Boot, featuring a cat named Jasper and a cunning mouse. The cartoon was nominated for an Academy Award, encouraging MGM to produce additional cat-and-mouse shorts that eventually led to the creation of the iconic characters known as Tom and Jerry. Although Puss Gets the Boot did not win, MGM claimed the 1940 Best Cartoon Oscar with Rudolf Ising’s The Milky Way, marking a significant victory over Walt Disney.

Tom and Jerry emerged as MGM’s flagship animated series, generating substantial box office revenue and inspiring licensed merchandise such as comic books and toys. The series amassed twelve Academy Award nominations for Short Subjects (Cartoons), securing seven wins: The Yankee Doodle Mouse (1943), Mouse Trouble (1944), Quiet Please! (1945), The Cat Concerto (1947), The Little Orphan (1949), The Two Mouseketeers (1952), and Johann Mouse (1953). This record equaled Disney’s Silly Symphonies as the most decorated theatrical cartoon series.

Initially prohibited from creating a sequel to Puss Gets the Boot, Hanna and Barbera devoted themselves almost exclusively to Tom and Jerry between 1941 and 1955, supported by animators including George Gordon, Jack Zander, Kenneth Muse, Irven Spence, Ed Barge, Ray Patterson, and Pete Burness. They also produced several standalone shorts such as Gallopin' Gals (1940), Officer Pooch (1941), along with the final Tex Avery-directed cartoons featuring Droopy.

A vital contributor to the success of these cartoons was composer Scott Bradley, who scored nearly all MGM animations from 1934 through 1957. His innovative fusion of classical music with jazz elements often incorporated songs from MGM feature films like "The Trolley Song" from Meet Me in St. Louis and "Sing Before Breakfast" from Broadway Melody of 1936.

Tex Avery's Tenure (1942–1953)

Following Hugh Harman’s departure from MGM in 1941 and Rudolph Ising’s exit in 1943, Tex Avery was brought on board to head animation production, introducing his distinctive zany comedic approach from the Schlesinger studio. Avery’s inaugural MGM short was the WWII satire Blitz Wolf, which received an Academy Award nomination in 1942. He expanded cartoon humor through exaggerated character designs and precise gag timing.

Among Avery’s celebrated MGM creations were slapstick classics such as Red Hot Riding Hood (1943), Jerky Turkey (1945), Northwest Hounded Police (1946), and Bad Luck Blackie (1949). He developed memorable characters including Screwball "Screwy" Squirrel, the duo George and Junior, as well as his signature figure Droopy, voiced by Bill Thompson. Droopy first appeared in 1943's Dumb-Hounded, leading to a dedicated series beginning with Señor Droopy in 1949.

Avery’s creative vision significantly influenced industry standards; competitors like Hanna and Barbera adapted their own Tom and Jerry cartoons to reflect his dynamic style. His creative team included principal story writers Rich Hogan and Heck Allen, alongside animators Michael Lah, Ed Love, and Preston Blair, who is renowned for animating the iconic singer in Red Hot Riding Hood. In 1946, Quimby briefly assigned Blair and Lah to direct new Barney Bear cartoons but reversed this decision after three productions.

CinemaScope Era (1953–1957)

Tex Avery, renowned for his meticulous approach to storytelling and animation pacing, departed from MGM in May 1950 after finishing Rock-a-Bye Bear, which was released in 1952 due to a backlog. Following his exit, Dick Lundy—formerly a director at Disney and Walter Lantz—assumed control of Avery’s unit, completing one Droopy and ten Barney Bear cartoons before Avery returned in October 1951 with Little Johnny Jet (released in 1953).

After his return, Avery directed eleven additional shorts that reflected the influence of UPA studio’s streamlined artistic style. In March 1953, MGM temporarily shut down its cartoon department in anticipation of a transition to 3D filmmaking. Avery remained with the studio until June, co-directing Deputy Droopy and Cellbound (issued in 1955). The latter was finished with the assistance of Michael Lah and the commercial animation team led by Hanna and Barbera. Early in 1954, Avery moved on to Walter Lantz Productions, while Lah shifted focus to commercial animation.

When MGM’s cartoon unit resumed operations in 1954, financial constraints compelled Hanna and Barbera to simplify the Tom and Jerry shorts. They also produced one "cheater" cartoon annually by reusing existing footage. That same year saw the release of Pet Peeve, MGM’s inaugural widescreen CinemaScope cartoon—a calculated effort to maintain theatrical audiences amid the growing competition from television. After Pet Peeve (late 1954), several Tom and Jerry shorts were issued simultaneously in both standard and CinemaScope formats; starting with Pecos Pest (1955), all MGM cartoons adopted CinemaScope presentation. Additionally, six earlier MGM cartoons—including Hugh Harman’s Peace on Earth—were remade in CinemaScope. The 1955 remake titled Good Will to Men, like its 1939 predecessor, earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Short Subject (Cartoons).

Final Years (1955–1957)

Quimby retired in 1955, leading Hanna and Barbera to take over studio management. Michael Lah returned briefly to direct an animated segment for MGM's film Invitation to the Dance and oversaw a new series of CinemaScope Droopy cartoons alongside Tom and Jerry. Lah’s work on One Droopy Knight garnered a 1957 Academy Award nomination for Best Short Subject (Cartoons). Nevertheless, between 1955 and 1957, the quality of CinemaScope Droopy and Tom and Jerry cartoons diminished due to budget reductions that resulted in weaker narratives and more basic animation.

By late 1956, MGM concluded that reissuing older shorts generated revenue comparable to producing new ones, allowing annual savings of $600,000 by ceasing new cartoon production. Most reissued titles featured Tom and Jerry, Droopy, and Tex Avery’s shorts starring Red the showgirl; however, Avery’s Screwy Squirrel and George and Junior were excluded from reissues. The MGM cartoon studio officially ceased operations on May 15, 1957, although its final cartoon was released in 1958.

Following the studio’s closure, Hanna and Barbera transitioned their team toward television animation under the banner Hanna-Barbera Productions. When MGM opted not to distribute their television cartoons, Columbia Pictures’ Screen Gems acquired distribution rights. This development established Hanna-Barbera as prominent leaders in global television animation production. Subsequently, MGM commissioned Gene Deitch—and later Chuck Jones’ Sib Tower 12 studio (renamed MGM Animation/Visual Arts in 1964)—to produce additional Tom and Jerry shorts.

Legacy

MGM's animated cartoons continue to enjoy enduring popularity, largely due to their unique animation techniques, distinctive humor, memorable music, and notable features such as the slapstick violence in Tom and Jerry and the risqué themes present in Red's shorts. Works like To Spring (1936) and The Dot and the Line (1965) are celebrated for their artistic innovation, while others, including Screwball Squirrel (1944), highlight imaginative creativity. Although MGM's animations did not achieve the widespread commercial success of Disney or Warner Bros., they remain highly esteemed among animation experts and historians.

By 2009, most of the Hanna-Barbera-produced Tom and Jerry shorts had been made available on DVD via the Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection. Subsequently, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment issued restored, unedited editions in the form of the Tom and Jerry Golden Collection on both DVD and Blu-ray starting in 2011, offering high-definition remasters. Plans for a second volume were ultimately abandoned due to concerns over politically sensitive content. Additionally, a comprehensive two-disc set containing all Droopy cartoons was released in 2007.

While a full Tex Avery MGM compilation has yet to be released in the United States, his cartoons have been distributed on DVD in France. In 2020, Warner Archive Collection began issuing Tex Avery cartoons on Blu-ray through the Tex Avery Screwball Classics series. On February 11, 2025, Warner Archive unveiled Tom and Jerry: The Complete CinemaScope Collection, which assembles all 23 CinemaScope shorts alongside two Spike and Tyke cartoons and the short Good Will to Men.

Productions

Series
One-shot cartoons


Live-action films incorporating animated segments
Additional productions
  • The Traitor Within (1946; educational film about cancer risks produced for John Sutherland Productions)
  • Animated commercials for Chiquita Banana (1947–1949 for John Sutherland Productions)
  • Industrial cartoon series titled Fun And Facts About America (1948–1952 for John Sutherland Productions)

Producers

Directors

Writers

Animators

Layout and Background Artists

Voice Talent

 * Cal Howard
 * Rudolf Ising
 * Harry Lang
 * Patrick McGeehan
 * Lillian Randolph
 * _Kent Rogers_
 * _Bill Thompson_
 * _Thea Vidale_
 * _Martha Wentworth_
 * _Gayne Whitman_

Musical Direction

Scott Bradley (1937–1957), Bert Lewis (1937–1939), Edward Plumb (1953)

Sound Design Team

Fred McAlpin (1937–1948), Jim Faris (1948–1952), Lovell Norman (1952–1957)

See also

The Golden Age of American animation

Turner Entertainment Co.

Warner Bros. Animation

Hanna-Barbera

MGM Animation/Visual Arts

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation


References

  • Barrier, Michael (1999). Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age. Oxford: Oxford University Press. .
  • Maltin, Leonard (1980, revised 1987) Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, New York: Plume Books.
  • Adams, T.R. (1991), Tom and Jerry: Fifty Years of Cat and Mouse.
  1. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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