of all, they were successful and famous even before Hanna-Barbera was formed. They were cartoonists at the MGM Studios where they created the classic Tom and Jerry cartoon, which won a number of Academy Awards. Though it is now hard to imagine, MGM decided in 1957 to close its animation studio, apparently not seeing a strong future in animation. So, Bill and Joe were out of work at a critical point in their lives. They managed to scrape together enough money to open their own studio. They had a bit of money themselves, and the rest came from Harry Cohn, the legendary head of Columbia Pictures, and a well-known Hollywood director George Sidney. As always, Harry Cohn was a shrewd bargainer, and, in return for his investment, Hanna-Barbera agreed to distribute its product through Screen Gems, Columbia Pictures’ distribution arm. This deal lasted for many years and was very lucrative for Screen Gems. At the same time, they did an outstanding job of handling the Hanna-Barbera product.
