Animation
United States of America
Puss Gets the Boot is a 1940 American animated short film directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. It is well-known as the first appearance of Tom (then unnamed) and Jerry (then called Jasper), two characters who would go on to star in many more animated shorts and a television series.
The plot follows Jasper, a mischievous and lazy housecat, who is repeatedly warned by his owner to stop breaking things around the house. However, Jerry the mouse sees an opportunity to have some fun by antagonizing Jasper and making it look like the cat is causing all the destruction.
Throughout the film, Jasper tries to catch Jerry and get rid of him once and for all, but always ends up causing more chaos in the process. The hilarity of the situation attracts the attention of the homeowner's maid and a Japanese house boy, who begin to suspect that Jasper is causing trouble on purpose.
In the end, Jasper is caught in the act and is kicked out of the house by his frustrated owner. As he's leaving, he spots Jerry laughing at him and chases him one last time, setting up the classic rivalry that would become a hallmark of the Tom and Jerry franchise.
Puss Gets the Boot was originally released under the name "Jasper's first appearance" and was intended to be a one-off cartoon. However, its success led to the creation of more animated shorts featuring the iconic duo, who would go on to become one of the most beloved and enduring pairings in animation history.
