The Debut of Thomas Cat

{{short description|1920 film}}

{{Distinguish|The Tail of Thomas Kat}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}

{{Infobox film

| name = The Debut of Thomas Cat

| producer = Earl Hurd

| studio = Bray Pictures

| released = {{Film date|1920|2|8}}

| country = United States

| language = Silent

}}

The Debut of Thomas Cat (also spelled Kat and Katt in various sources) was the first color animated cartoon made in the United States.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HjmNAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA46 |title=A/V A to Z: An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Media, Entertainment, and Other Audiovisual Terms |last=Kroon |first=Richard W. |publisher=McFarland |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-7864-4405-2 |page=46}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2TEEaCrPiWsC&pg=PT326 |title=Robertson's Book of Firsts: Who Did What for the First Time |last=Robertson |first=Patrick |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |page=326 |date=November 11, 2011 |isbn=9781608197385 |accessdate=December 29, 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://www.awn.com/mag/issue4.10/4.10pages/cohenmilestones2.php3 |title=Milestones of the Animation Industry in the 20th Century |last=Cohen |first=Karl |website=Animation World Magazine |issue=10 |page=2 |date=January 2000 |volume=4 |accessdate=December 29, 2015}} It was produced by Earl Hurd for Bray Pictures using the Brewster Color film process,{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E9GVJJqNjGAC&pg=PA49 |title=Introducing Color |work=Disney Stories: Getting to Digital |last1=Lee |first1=Newton |last2=Madej |first2=Krystina |publisher=Springer Science+Business Media |page=49 |date=April 26, 2012 |isbn=9781461421016 |accessdate=December 29, 2015}} and was released on February 8, 1920. This film is lost.