During the '40s, MGM's Tom and Jerry series was animation's gold standard, challenging Disney in the Animated Short Film Oscar category. The lavishly produced shorts featured polished animation, brash slapstick gags, and lush watercolor backgrounds. The series, which began in 1940 with "Puss Gets the Boot," ran for 15 years and won seven Oscars. Many of these cartoons follow the pattern set in "Puss Gets the Boot": housekeeper Mammy Two-Shoes (voiced by Lillian Randolph) warns Tom that if he makes a mess or fails to catch the mice, he's out on his ear ("O-W-T, out!"). Jerry overhears the threat and makes trouble. In cartoons where Mammy doesn't appear, Jerry finds other reasons (or excuses) to cause problems for Tom. But the stories are only fast-paced vehicles for the animated gags, like Tom's exaggerated jitterbug in "Zoot Cat" or his jaw-dropping, bug-eyed "takes" in "Mouse Cleaning." The Golden Collection features cartoons from 1940 to 1948