Tom and Jerry: The Golden Era Anthology 1940–1958 features Hanna-Barbera’s complete collection of 114 theatrical cartoon shorts in a must-own six-disc Blu-ray set. The anthology is presented in a mixture of 1.37:1 and 2.35:1 aspect ratios in 1080p High Definition with a DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono and stereo soundtrack. Tom and Jerry: The Golden Era Anthology 1940–1958 is intended for the adult collector and is not suitable for children.

This comprehensive collection includes seven Oscar-winning shorts, giving Tom and Jerry the record for cartoon characters with the most Academy Award wins. Every short in the set has been restored and presented as originally released in theaters by MGM during the Golden Age of Hollywood. As such, Warner Bros. includes a content warning for ethnic, racial, gender, and other stereotypes. While some material has not aged well, presenting the shorts uncut makes this the definitive compilation of animation’s favorite feuding duo.

Casanova Cat, Mouse Cleaning, and His Mouse Friday have been remastered and presented uncut for the first time. Casanova Cat and Mouse Cleaning previously had Blackface gags removed from television airings and DVD releases. Warner Bros. is right to present them as they originally appeared, as omitting them would ignore the fact that such stereotypes and biases existed. It goes without saying that it was wrong then and is wrong today.

I spent most of Monday watching the shorts on the first two discs, making it through 32 in all. To my knowledge, these were all first-time viewings. Among them was The Cat Concerto, an Oscar-winning short considered one of the greatest cartoons of all time. Watching this and the others, one cannot help but be impressed by what the filmmakers achieved with animation and storytelling during this era, especially on the slapstick front. Their antics are right up there with Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner in the Looney Tunes universe.

Even with what I have been able to watch so far, one can see the amount of care that went into the restoration and remastering process. This is one of the things that I appreciate about Warner Archive and what they do. Say what you will about the content itself, but the picture looks amazing for 2025.

One of the things I love about the Warner Archive Collection is how they’ll often package short films alongside the feature film getting a Warner Archive release. This has allowed me to watch Warner Bros. or MGM shorts I might never have otherwise seen. Later this month, I’ll be diving into both volumes of the new Looney Tunes Platinum Collection. Both of those volumes run north of 350 minutes. The Tom and Jerry set shows a listed runtime of 817 minutes on the cover, though MovieZyng lists a 1200-minute runtime.

While the shorts span five discs, a sixth disc is devoted to more than three hours of bonus features. If that’s not enough, the set also includes a collectible 28-page booklet with artwork and essays.

Tom and Jerry: The Golden Era Anthology 1940–1958 may well be the must-own Blu-ray release of the year. If you haven’t pre-ordered yet, don’t wait. Bring it home on Blu-ray as soon as you can!

Bonus Features

• 2 All-New Featurettes
  • Lady of the House: The Story of Mammy Two Shoes – Meet one of the essential characters in Tom and Jerry: their beloved caretaker, known fondly as Mammy Two Shoes. Discover her untold story, her enduring legacy and the inspiring life of Lillian Randolph, the unsung actress behind her unmistakable voice.
  • Animal Hijinks: The Friends and Foes of Tom – Tom and Jerry don’t just play games of cat and mouse. From the bulldogs Spike and Tyke to the alley cats Butch and Toodles Galore, meet the animal pals that gave the duo a run for their money and left their paw prints on the classic comedy series.
• 9 Vintage Featurettes
  • The Midnight Snack Pencil Test – Side by Side
  • Cat and Mouse: The Tale of Tom and Jerry
  • Tom and Jerry: Behind the Tunes
  • Animators as Actors
  • 1953 Excerpt from Dangerous When Wet
  • How Bill and Joe Met Tom and Jerry
  • Vaudeville, Slapstick, and Tom and Jerry
  • The Comedy Stylings of Tom and Jerry
  • “The Worry Song” from Anchors Aweigh (1946)
• 20 Commentaries by Animation Experts
  • Disc 1
    • Puss Gets the Boot
    • The Night Before Xmas
    • The Yankee Doodle Mouse
    • The Zoot Cat
    • Mouse Trouble
    • Quiet Please!
  • Disc 2
    • The Cat Concerto
    • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse
    • Kitty Foiled
    • The Little Orphan
    • Hatch Up Your Troubles
    • Heavenly Puss
  • Disc 3
    • Saturday Evening Puss
    • Jerry’s Cousin
    • The Two Mouseketeers
    • Push-Button Kitty
  • Disc 4
    • Johann Mouse
• Three Bonus Shorts
  • Good Will to Men (1955)
  • Give and Tyke (1957)
  • Scat Cats (1957

DIRECTORS: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera

Tom and Jerry: The Golden Era Anthology 1940-1958 is now available on Blu-ray.

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