‘Tom and Jerry’ Director, Animator Gene Deitch Dies At 95

Oscar winning director, Gene Deitch has died.

Best known for directing the animated series, Tom and Jerry, Deitch was born in 1924 in Chicago and moved to Prague shortly after meeting his wife.

Deitch’s movie, Munro, awarded him the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1960. He was nominated twice more in 1964 for Here’s Nudnik and How to Avoid Friendship.

While co-producing Sidney’s Family Tree, he created Tom Terrific, which eventually led to Tom and Jerry. In 2004, he was then awarded the Winsor McCay Award for his lifelong contribution to animation.

Deitch is survived by his second wife and three children. According to Deitch’s Czech publisher, Petr Himmel, the director died unexpectedly overnight on April 16-17th, he was 95.