DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
Encyclopedia
DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (or DFE Films) was a Hollywood-based animation production company, active from 1963 to 1981. They produced theatrical cartoons, animated series, commercials, title sequences and television specials. Notable among these is The Pink Panther
film titles and cartoon shorts and the Dr. Seuss
cartoon adaptations made for CBS
and ABC
. Most DFE productions are owned by The Walt Disney Company
.
Exceptions are all Looney Tunes
and Merrie Melodies
cartoons (owned by Warner Bros.
), all cartoons produced for United Artists
(owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
), the Dr. Seuss
cartoon specials (currently licenced from copyright owner Dr. Seuss Enterprises by Universal Studios
, with the exception of How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Horton Hears a Who, which were produced by MGM Animation/Visual Arts
), Doctor Dolittle and Return to the Planet of the Apes
(owned by 20th Century Fox
), What's New, Mister Magoo? (owned by Classic Media
) and The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas
(currently owned by Lionsgate).
alumni Friz Freleng
and partner David H. DePatie after Warner Bros. quit the animated cartoon business in 1963. Although Freleng and DePatie were no longer working for Warner Bros., a generous gesture from a WB executive allowed Freleng and DePatie to continue to work at the old WB cartoon plant on California Street in Burbank, complete with equipment and supplies for a few dollars each year. Although DFE's initial business was commercials and industrial films, several lucky breaks put the new studio into the theatrical cartoon business.
Director Blake Edwards contacted DFE and asked them to design a panther character for Edwards's new movie, The Pink Panther
. Pleased with the design for the character, Edwards contracted with DFE to produce the animated titles for the movie. When the movie was released, the titles garnered a tremendous amount of attention, so much in fact that a huge amount of the picture's gross is believed to have been generated by the success of DFE's title sequence.
DFE soon agreed to a contract with United Artists (once the owner of the pre-1950 Warner feature library
, along with all color cartoons released prior to August 1, 1948 and all but the first Harman/Ising
Merrie Melodies) to produce over 100 new theatrical cartoons featuring the Pink Panther and friends over a 10+ year period. Around the same time, Freleng and DePatie's old employer, Warner Bros., decided to make more WB cartoons.
Contracting with DFE in the old Warner Cartoon studio, on the Warner lot, DePatie and Freleng found themselves overflowing with work. Many of the animators who had worked at Warner Bros. in the 1950s and 1960s returned to the old Warner studio working for DFE. Beginning the new Pink Panther series with The Pink Phink
, which was directed by Freleng, DFE won their only Oscar
in 1964. A few years later, in 1967, DFE would receive another nomination for The Pink Blueprint
.
, DePatie-Freleng became an animation studio powerhouse. The studio's various cartoons, specials and shows are listed below.
Commissioned series
Commissioned specials
The Pink Panther theatrical series of cartoons became the basis of a Saturday morning television series, The Pink Panther Show
, which also included theatrical cartoons of The Inspector and eventually The Ant and the Aardvark, Roland and Rattfink, and The Texas Toads (Tijuana Toads). Like most animated television cartoons at the time, The Pink Panther Show contained a laugh track with narration.
The cartoons were edited and in some cases re-dubbed to make them more PC. The Pink Panther Show had several incarnations during the 1970s. The show was very popular on NBC's Saturday morning line-up. The show started with a half-hour time slot in its first year and within a few years was expanded to 90 minutes each week.
. The Looney Tunes
shorts made by the studio can be easily identified by their modernized "Abstract WB" opening and closing sequences. DFE would continue to do Warner Cartoon work into the 1970s with the Looney Looney Christmas Tales Holiday special. DFE made the animated title sequence for the television show I Dream of Jeannie
, created and produced by Sidney Sheldon
for Screen Gems
between 1965 and 1970.
They were also responsible for the animated opening sequence for the 1965-1969 Wild Wild West
series, and the innovative animated sequences for the 1969-1970 television series My World and Welcome to It
, based on the drawings of James Thurber
. They also created Return to the Planet of the Apes
which ran on NBC from 1975 to 1976 and The Oddball Couple
, which ran on Saturday mornings on ABC from 1975 to 1977.
One of their television specials was 1973's The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas
, with Tommy Smothers voicing the little bruin who goes out to find Christmas (in the human world) while his fellow bears head for hibernation instead. DFE was also responsible for a number of Dr. Seuss
specials, including The Cat In The Hat and different incarnations of The Grinch
.
Although many DePatie Freleng employees contributed greatly to the success of its product, story artist and Disney and Warner alumnus John W. Dunn
probably had the most impact on the company. With the exception of The Pink Panther, Dunn created most of the studios' new cartoon series (theatrical and otherwise) which included The Ant & The Aardvark, The Tijuana Toads, Here Comes The Grump, Roland and Ratfink, etc.
Many of the better DFE cartoons were written and storyboarded by Dunn, including the first Pink Panther cartoon, The Pink Phink
. Dunn's unique drawing style also found its way into the DFE cartoons. When talking about DFE its impossible to ignore Dunn's tremendous contributions. The list below features many former Warner staffers, but also includes Ex Disney, MGM and Lantz staffers as well. All made their impact on DFE.
and Freleng returned to Warner Bros. Studios to produce a series of feature films featuring the older Warner cartoons with new connecting footage. DePatie made the transition to become the head of Marvel Productions
.
Although Marvel would produce mainly superhero cartoons as well as animated series based on licensed toy lines, they would also continue to produce new productions starring the Pink Panther (titles for Trail of the Pink Panther
and Curse of the Pink Panther
and a special for television Pink at First Sight
). MGM would later credit a 1993 revival series of the Pink Panther
as a joint venture between MGM, Mirisch-Geoffrey-DePatie-Freleng and United Artists, a decade after DFE's merger with Marvel and Mirisch/UA's merger into MGM.
In the 90s, Marvel sold their animation back catalog to Saban Entertainment. In 2001, Saban, as well as Fox Family and Fox Kids, was sold to Disney, thus the non-licensed DFE library fell into the hands of Disney, with the Dr. Seuss material and all other licensed properties belonging to their respective owners. Ironically, The Walt Disney Company would too finally buy out Marvel Comics in 2009, ultimately bringing both the all-original DFE library and the Marvel Comics-based DFE library back full circle.
While the television catalog has largely changed hands over the years, the theatrical cartoons continue to be owned by their original distributors: United Artists (via its current corporate parent, MGM) for the Mirisch Company
cartoon library and Warner Bros. for the Looney Tunes
/Merrie Melodies
cartoons.
The Pink Panther (character)
The Pink Panther is the main and title character in the opening and closing credit sequences of every film in The Pink Panther series except for A Shot in the Dark and Inspector Clouseau. His popularity spawned a series of theatrical shorts, merchandise, a comic book, and television cartoons...
film titles and cartoon shorts and the Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
cartoon adaptations made for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. Most DFE productions are owned by The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
.
Exceptions are all Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
and Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
cartoons (owned by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
), all cartoons produced for United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
(owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
), the Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
cartoon specials (currently licenced from copyright owner Dr. Seuss Enterprises by Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, with the exception of How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Horton Hears a Who, which were produced by MGM Animation/Visual Arts
MGM Animation/Visual Arts
MGM Animation/Visual Arts was an animation studio established in 1962 by animation director/producer Chuck Jones and producer Les Goldman as Sib Tower 12 Productions...
), Doctor Dolittle and Return to the Planet of the Apes
Return to the Planet of the Apes
Return to the Planet of the Apes is a short-lived animated series, by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in association with 20th Century Fox Television, based upon Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle. Boulle's novel had previously been adapted in a series of movies, beginning with the 1968 Planet of the...
(owned by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
), What's New, Mister Magoo? (owned by Classic Media
Classic Media
Classic Media, LLC, is an American production company and distributor of family programming. It was founded in 2000 by former Marvel Entertainment CEO Eric Ellenbogen and former Broadway Video executive John Engelman in hopes of acquiring mismanaged classic properties and giving exposure to...
) and The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas
The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas
The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas is an animated Christmas TV special. It premiered on NBC on December 17, 1973 in the United States. This animated special was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and starred the voices of Tommy Smothers, Arte Johnson and Barbara Feldon, with narration by...
(currently owned by Lionsgate).
Origins
DFE was founded by Warner Bros. CartoonsWarner Bros. Cartoons
Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was the in-house division of Warner Bros. Pictures during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, Warner Bros. Cartoons was primarily responsible for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical...
alumni Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
and partner David H. DePatie after Warner Bros. quit the animated cartoon business in 1963. Although Freleng and DePatie were no longer working for Warner Bros., a generous gesture from a WB executive allowed Freleng and DePatie to continue to work at the old WB cartoon plant on California Street in Burbank, complete with equipment and supplies for a few dollars each year. Although DFE's initial business was commercials and industrial films, several lucky breaks put the new studio into the theatrical cartoon business.
Director Blake Edwards contacted DFE and asked them to design a panther character for Edwards's new movie, The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther is a series of comedy films featuring the bungling French police detective Jacques Clouseau that began in 1963 with the release of the film of the same name. The role was originated by, and is most closely associated with, Peter Sellers...
. Pleased with the design for the character, Edwards contracted with DFE to produce the animated titles for the movie. When the movie was released, the titles garnered a tremendous amount of attention, so much in fact that a huge amount of the picture's gross is believed to have been generated by the success of DFE's title sequence.
DFE soon agreed to a contract with United Artists (once the owner of the pre-1950 Warner feature library
Associated Artists Productions
Associated Artists Productions was a distributor of theatrical feature films and short subjects for television. It existed from 1953 to 1958. It was later folded into United Artists. The former a.a.p. library was later owned by MGM/UA Entertainment and then Turner Entertainment. Turner continues...
, along with all color cartoons released prior to August 1, 1948 and all but the first Harman/Ising
Harman and Ising
Hugh Harman and Rudolf "Rudy" Ising were an American animation team best known for founding the Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation studios...
Merrie Melodies) to produce over 100 new theatrical cartoons featuring the Pink Panther and friends over a 10+ year period. Around the same time, Freleng and DePatie's old employer, Warner Bros., decided to make more WB cartoons.
Contracting with DFE in the old Warner Cartoon studio, on the Warner lot, DePatie and Freleng found themselves overflowing with work. Many of the animators who had worked at Warner Bros. in the 1950s and 1960s returned to the old Warner studio working for DFE. Beginning the new Pink Panther series with The Pink Phink
The Pink Phink
The Pink Phink is a 1964 animated short comedy film, directed by Friz Freleng and Hawley Pratt, featureing Blake Edwards' Pink Panther competing with the Little Man over the new colour scheme of a house...
, which was directed by Freleng, DFE won their only Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
in 1964. A few years later, in 1967, DFE would receive another nomination for The Pink Blueprint
The Pink Blueprint
The Pink Blueprint is the 18th cartoon produced in the Pink Panther series. A total of 124 6-minute cartoons were produced between 1964 and 1980.-Plot:...
.
List of theatrical and television cartoons
In a short matter of time, DFE began producing television shows as well as theatricals and specials. Like Hanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
, DePatie-Freleng became an animation studio powerhouse. The studio's various cartoons, specials and shows are listed below.
Theatrical series
Original series- The Pink Panther (1964–1980)
- The InspectorThe InspectorThe Inspector is a series of 1960s theatrical cartoons produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and released through United Artists. The titular character is based on Jacques Clouseau, a comical French police officer who is the main character in the Pink Panther series of films.-Plot:Although the...
(1965–1969) - Roland and RattfinkRoland and RattfinkRoland and Rattfink is a series of animated shorts produced and released from 1968 to 1971. The main characters also made several guest appearances on the The Pink Panther animated series. The series was produced by David H...
(1968–1972) - The Ant and the AardvarkThe Ant and the AardvarkThe Ant and the Aardvark is a series of 17 theatrical short cartoons produced at DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and released by United Artists from 1969 to 1971.-Production:...
(1969–1971) - Tijuana ToadsTijuana ToadsTijuana Toads is a series of 17 theatrical cartoons produced by DePatie-Freleng and released through United Artists.-Plot:The series was about two toads, Toro and Pancho, who live in the Mexican city of Tijuana. Throughout the cartoon they try to eat their prey, but always get out-smarted...
(1969–1972) - The Blue RacerThe Blue RacerThe Blue Racer is a series of 17 theatrical cartoons produced from 1972 to 1974.-Production:The cartoons are directed by Art Davis, Gerry Chiniquy, Sid Marcus, Bob McKimson, David Deneen, Bob Balser, Cullen Houghtaling and produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng...
(1972–1974) - Hoot KlootHoot KlootHoot Kloot was a series of theatrical cartoons It was produced at DePatie-Freleng Enterprises from 1973 to 1974. 17 shorts were produced.-Plot:...
(1973–1975) - The DogfatherThe DogfatherThe Dogfather was created by Hawley Pratt and Friz Freleng. The shorts were produced by DFE films, released through theaters by United Artists and ran from 1974 to 1976. 17 shorts were produced.-Plot:...
(1974–1976)
Commissioned series
- Looney TunesLooney TunesLooney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
and Merrie MelodiesMerrie MelodiesMerrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
(for Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
) (1964–1967)
TV series
- The Super 6The Super 6The Super 6 was an animated cartoon series which was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in 1966, and shown on the NBC television network from 1966 to 1969...
(1966–1969) - Super PresidentSuper PresidentSuper President was an American animated cartoon that aired Saturday mornings on NBC from September 16, 1967 to December 28, 1968. The series was produced by the DePatie-Freleng animation company.-Plot:...
(1967–1968) - Here Comes the GrumpHere Comes The GrumpHere Comes the Grump is an animated cartoon series produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and aired on NBC from 1969 to 1971.-History:The main character was a small, grumpy wizard named Susanne who put a spell of melancholy on the kingdom of the Princess Dawn...
(1969–1971) - The Pink Panther ShowThe Pink Panther ShowThe Pink Panther Show is a showcase of cartoon shorts produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng between 1969 and 1979. The television series was produced by Mirisch Films and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, and was broadcast on two American TV networks:...
(1969–1980)- Crazylegs CraneCrazylegs CraneCrazylegs Crane is a 16-episode made-for-television cartoon series produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in 1978 for The All New Pink Panther Show on ABC.-Production:This was Crazylegs Crane's first series dedicated solely to him...
(shorts; 1976) - MisterjawMisterjawMisterjaw is a 34-episode made-for-television cartoon series, produced at DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in 1976 for The Pink Panther and Friends television series on NBC.-Plot:...
(shorts; 1978)
- Crazylegs Crane
- Doctor Dolittle (1970–1971)
- The BarkleysThe BarkleysThe Barkleys is an animated television series that ran from 1972 to 1973 on NBC and was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises.-Story:The cartoon was inspired by CBS's hit sitcom All in the Family; it lasted only one season. The series featured a dog family consisting of Arnie, a bus driver and...
(1972–1973) - The HoundcatsThe HoundcatsThe Houndcats was a 1970s animated television cartoon series shown on the NBC television network.-Plot:Loosely based on the CBS adventure series Mission: Impossible, it was headed by a combined team of dogs and cats, hence the name "Hound-Cats"-Members:* The "Houndcats" were led by the cat Stutz,...
(1972–1973) - Bailey's CometsBailey's CometsBailey's Comets was an animated cartoon series that was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. The show was created by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng in association with Joe Ruby and Ken Spears-Plot:...
(1973–1975) - The Oddball CoupleThe Oddball CoupleThe Oddball Couple was an animated half hour Saturday morning show that ran on the ABC TV network from September 6, 1975 to September 3, 1977...
(1975-1977) - Return to the Planet of the ApesReturn to the Planet of the ApesReturn to the Planet of the Apes is a short-lived animated series, by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in association with 20th Century Fox Television, based upon Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle. Boulle's novel had previously been adapted in a series of movies, beginning with the 1968 Planet of the...
(1975-1976) - Baggy Pants and the NitwitsBaggy Pants and the NitwitsBaggy Pants and the Nitwits is a 1977 animated series, produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and broadcast on NBC.-Overview:Each half-hour episode contains two cartoon segments:...
(1977-1978) - What's New, Mister Magoo? (1977-1979)
- Fantastic FourFantastic Four (1978 TV series)Fantastic Four is an animated series produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and Marvel Comics Animation in the late 1970s.-Premise:It is the second animated series based on Marvel's comic book series Fantastic Four. The 1978 series replaced the character of the Human Torch with a robot named...
(1978) - Spider-WomanSpider-Woman (TV series)Spider-Woman is an animated television series, based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Woman. The series was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and Marvel Comics Animation, and aired on September 22, 1979 to January 3, 1980, one season of sixteen episodes, on the ABC-TV network...
(1979–1980)
TV specials
Original specials- Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1970)
- The Cat in the HatThe Cat in the Hat (TV special)The Cat in the Hat is an animated musical television special first aired on CBS on March 10, 1971, based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss' children's book of the same name and produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
(1971) - The LoraxThe Lorax (TV special)The Lorax is an animated musical television special produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and first aired on CBS on February 14, 1972 based on the book of the same name by Dr. Seuss.-Plot:...
(1972) - Clerow Wilson and the Miracle of P.S. 14 (1972)
- Luvcast U.S.A. (1973)
- The Incredible, Indelible, Magical Physical, Mystery Trip (1973)
- Dr. Seuss on the LooseDr. Seuss on the LooseDr. Seuss on the Loose is an animated musical television special, cartoon first airing on CBS on October 15, 1973, and hosted by The Cat in the Hat. who appears in bridging sequences where he introduced animated adaptations of Dr...
(1973) - The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas (1973)
- Clerow Wilson's Great Escape (1974)
- The Magical Mystery Trip Through Little Red's Head (1974)
- The Tiny Tree (1975)
- The Hoober-Bloob HighwayThe Hoober-Bloob HighwayThe Hoober-Bloob Highway is an animated musical special written by Dr. Seuss and produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises for CBS in 1975. The special is a musical, and features several songs written by Dr. Seuss and composed by Dean Elliott.Mr...
(1975) - My Mom's Having a BabyMy Mom's Having a BabyMy Mom's Having a Baby is an American television teen comedy/documentary that aired as a ABC Afterschool Special on February 16, 1977. The program would be historic as it was the first television program of its kind in the United States to showcase the pregnancy process and conception to young...
(1977) - Halloween Is Grinch NightHalloween is Grinch NightHalloween Is Grinch Night is a 1977 25-minute TV special and prequel to How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. It won the 1977 Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. It premiered on ABC on October 29, 1977...
(1977) - A Pink ChristmasThe Pink Panther in: A Pink ChristmasThe Pink Panther in: A Pink Christmas is a holiday-themed special starring the famous hip feline. It first aired on ABC on December 7, 1978.-Plot:...
(1978) - Olym-PinksThe Pink Panther in: Olym-PinksThe Pink Panther in: Olym-Pinks, is an animated sports-themed special which first aired on ABC on February 22, 1980.-Plot:In Lake Placid, the cool cat and the little man are in a series of Olympic games...
(1980) - Where Do Teenagers Come From? (1980)
- Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You?Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You?Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? is an animated musical television special written by Dr. Seuss, directed by Gerard Baldwin, produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and first aired on ABC on May 2, 1980...
(1980) - Dennis the Menace: Mayday for Mother (1980)
- Pink at First SightThe Pink Panther in: Pink at First SightThe Pink Panther in: Pink at First Sight is an animated Valentine's Day special starring The Pink Panther. It premiered on ABC on February 14, 1981. Although Marvel Productions made the titles for Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther a year later, this was the only other Pink...
(1981, production finished by Marvel Productions) - The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the HatThe Grinch Grinches the Cat in the HatThe Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat is an animated musical television special and crossover starring two of Dr. Seuss' famous characters, The Grinch and The Cat in the Hat. It premiered on May 20, 1982 on ABC and won two Emmys.-Plot:...
(1982, production finished by Marvel Productions)
Commissioned specials
- Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas TalesBugs Bunny's Looney Christmas TalesBugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales is an animated Christmas television special featuring Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters, in three newly-created cartoon shorts with seasonal themes.The special originally aired on CBS on November 27, 1979....
(1979, for Warner Bros.) - Bugs Bunny's Easter SpecialBugs Bunny's Easter SpecialBugs Bunny's Easter Special was released on April 7, 1977.-Cast:*Mel Blanc as Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, Pepe Le Pew, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, Daffy Duck/the Easter Bunny.*June Foray as Granny.-Plot:...
(1980, for Warner Bros.) - Daffy Duck's Easter Show (1980, for Warner Bros.)
TV commercials
- Time for TimerTime for TimerTime for Timer was the collective title for a short series of public service announcements broadcast on Saturday mornings on the ABC television network starting in the early 1970s. The animated spots featured Timer, a tiny cartoon character who represented the sense of "time" in the human body...
- ABC Health and Nutrition Commercials
- Charlie the TunaCharlie the TunaCharlie the Tuna, the cartoon mascot tuna for StarKist Tuna, was created by Tom Rogers of the Leo Burnett Agency after StarKist hired Leo Burnett in 1961. StarKist Tuna is the name of a brand of tuna currently owned by Dongwon Industries....
The Pink Panther theatrical series of cartoons became the basis of a Saturday morning television series, The Pink Panther Show
The Pink Panther Show
The Pink Panther Show is a showcase of cartoon shorts produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng between 1969 and 1979. The television series was produced by Mirisch Films and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, and was broadcast on two American TV networks:...
, which also included theatrical cartoons of The Inspector and eventually The Ant and the Aardvark, Roland and Rattfink, and The Texas Toads (Tijuana Toads). Like most animated television cartoons at the time, The Pink Panther Show contained a laugh track with narration.
The cartoons were edited and in some cases re-dubbed to make them more PC. The Pink Panther Show had several incarnations during the 1970s. The show was very popular on NBC's Saturday morning line-up. The show started with a half-hour time slot in its first year and within a few years was expanded to 90 minutes each week.
Other cartoons and television series
DFE was one of the subcontractors for the 1960s Warner Bros. cartoons, along with Format FilmsFormat Films
Format Films was a television animation studio which was founded by Herbert Klynn in 1959 with Jules Engel as vice president, Herb McIntosh and Joseph Mugnaini. It was most active during the 1960s, producing episodes of The Alvin Show, Popeye, and The Lone Ranger...
. The Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
shorts made by the studio can be easily identified by their modernized "Abstract WB" opening and closing sequences. DFE would continue to do Warner Cartoon work into the 1970s with the Looney Looney Christmas Tales Holiday special. DFE made the animated title sequence for the television show I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
, created and produced by Sidney Sheldon
Sidney Sheldon
Sidney Sheldon was an Academy Award-winning American writer. His TV works spanned a 20-year period during which he created The Patty Duke Show , I Dream of Jeannie and Hart to Hart , but he became most famous after he turned 50 and began writing best-selling novels such as Master of the Game ,...
for Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
between 1965 and 1970.
They were also responsible for the animated opening sequence for the 1965-1969 Wild Wild West
Wild Wild West
Wild Wild West is a 1999 American steampunk action-comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, and starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline , Kenneth Branagh and Salma Hayek.Similar to the original TV series it was based on, The Wild Wild West, the film features a large amount of gadgetry...
series, and the innovative animated sequences for the 1969-1970 television series My World and Welcome to It
My World and Welcome to It
My World and Welcome to It was a US-made half-hour sitcom based on the humor and cartoons of James Thurber. It starred William Windom as John Monroe, a Thurber-like writer and cartoonist who works for a magazine that closely resembles The New Yorker, called The Manhattanite...
, based on the drawings of James Thurber
James Thurber
James Grover Thurber was an American author, cartoonist and celebrated wit. Thurber was best known for his cartoons and short stories published in The New Yorker magazine.-Life:...
. They also created Return to the Planet of the Apes
Return to the Planet of the Apes
Return to the Planet of the Apes is a short-lived animated series, by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in association with 20th Century Fox Television, based upon Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle. Boulle's novel had previously been adapted in a series of movies, beginning with the 1968 Planet of the...
which ran on NBC from 1975 to 1976 and The Oddball Couple
The Oddball Couple
The Oddball Couple was an animated half hour Saturday morning show that ran on the ABC TV network from September 6, 1975 to September 3, 1977...
, which ran on Saturday mornings on ABC from 1975 to 1977.
One of their television specials was 1973's The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas
The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas
The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas is an animated Christmas TV special. It premiered on NBC on December 17, 1973 in the United States. This animated special was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and starred the voices of Tommy Smothers, Arte Johnson and Barbara Feldon, with narration by...
, with Tommy Smothers voicing the little bruin who goes out to find Christmas (in the human world) while his fellow bears head for hibernation instead. DFE was also responsible for a number of Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
specials, including The Cat In The Hat and different incarnations of The Grinch
The Grinch
The Grinch is a fictional character created by Dr. Seuss. He first appeared as the main protagonist in the 1957 children's book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!...
.
Warner Bros. Members at DePatie-Freleng
In the beginning, DePatie Freleng was the Warner Bros. studio with a new name. The facilities, the personnel and producer were virtually the same. Although Chuck Jones would later work with DePatie Freleng on a few Looney Tunes and Seuss projects in the 1970s, Jones and most of his group of artists ended up independently producing new Tom and Jerry cartoons for MGM.Although many DePatie Freleng employees contributed greatly to the success of its product, story artist and Disney and Warner alumnus John W. Dunn
John W. Dunn
John W. Dunn was a Scottish writer and animator for animated cartoons from 1955 to 1983.Dunn began his career at the Walt Disney cartoon studio, where his first story credit—Man in Space—received an Oscar nomination...
probably had the most impact on the company. With the exception of The Pink Panther, Dunn created most of the studios' new cartoon series (theatrical and otherwise) which included The Ant & The Aardvark, The Tijuana Toads, Here Comes The Grump, Roland and Ratfink, etc.
Many of the better DFE cartoons were written and storyboarded by Dunn, including the first Pink Panther cartoon, The Pink Phink
The Pink Phink
The Pink Phink is a 1964 animated short comedy film, directed by Friz Freleng and Hawley Pratt, featureing Blake Edwards' Pink Panther competing with the Little Man over the new colour scheme of a house...
. Dunn's unique drawing style also found its way into the DFE cartoons. When talking about DFE its impossible to ignore Dunn's tremendous contributions. The list below features many former Warner staffers, but also includes Ex Disney, MGM and Lantz staffers as well. All made their impact on DFE.
Producers
- Friz FrelengFriz FrelengIsadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
- David H. DePatie
- Ted GeiselDr. SeussTheodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
(Dr. Seuss specials)
Directors
- Friz FrelengFriz FrelengIsadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
- Hawley PrattHawley PrattHawley Pratt was an American film director, animator, and illustrator. He is best known for his work during the heyday of Warner Bros. Cartoons and as the right-hand man of director Friz Freleng as a layout artist and later as a director...
- Chuck JonesChuck JonesCharles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
(reused animation for The Wild ChaseThe Wild ChaseThe Wild Chase is a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies short produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises featuring Speedy Gonzales and Sylvester, with Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner along for the race. It was directed by Friz Freleng and Hawley Pratt, and was released February 27, 1965. This cartoon was the...
(1965), Road Runner a Go-GoRoad Runner a Go-GoRoad Runner a Go-Go is one of 3 cartoons reused from the unsold pilot Adventures of the Road-Runner ....
(1965), Zip Zip Hooray (1965), Muchos LocosMuchos LocosMucho Locos is a 1966 Merrie Melodies animated short featuring Speedy Gonzales and Daffy Duck. In the short, Speedy highlights some of his and Daffy's previous exploits.-Plot:...
(1966), and A Haunting We Will Go (1966)) - Robert McKimsonRobert McKimsonRobert "Bob" Porter McKimson, Sr. was an American animator, illustrator, and director best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros., and later DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
- Art Leonardi
- Gerry Chiniquy
- Art Davis
- Irv Spector
- Rudy LarrivaRudy LarrivaRudolph "Rudy" Larriva was an American animator and director from the 1940s to the 1980s.Born in El Paso, Texas, Larriva worked at a number of animation studios, including Format Films, Filmation, Walt Disney Productions, but is best known for his work at Warner Bros...
- George Singer
- George Gordon
- Grant Simmons
- Cullen Blaine (credited as Cullen Houghtaling)
Writers
- John W. DunnJohn W. DunnJohn W. Dunn was a Scottish writer and animator for animated cartoons from 1955 to 1983.Dunn began his career at the Walt Disney cartoon studio, where his first story credit—Man in Space—received an Oscar nomination...
- David Detiege
- Friz Freleng
- Rudy LarrivaRudy LarrivaRudolph "Rudy" Larriva was an American animator and director from the 1940s to the 1980s.Born in El Paso, Texas, Larriva worked at a number of animation studios, including Format Films, Filmation, Walt Disney Productions, but is best known for his work at Warner Bros...
- Len Janson
- Don Jurwich
- Nick Bennion
- Al BertinoAl BertinoAl Bertino , was an American animator best remembered for his work with the Walt Disney CompanyBorn in California in 1912, Bertino began work for Walt Disney in 1935...
- Tom Dagenais
- Dale Hale
- Michael O'Connor
- Sid Marcus
- Irv Spector
Voices
- Paul FreesPaul FreesPaul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
- John BynerJohn BynerJohn Byner is an American actor, comedian, and impressionist who has had a lengthy television and movie career. His voice work includes the cartoon series The Ant and the Aardvark, in which the title characters are voiced by Byner's impressions of Dean Martin and Jackie Mason,...
- Mel BlancMel BlancMelvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
- Daws ButlerDaws ButlerCharles Dawson "Daws" Butler was a voice actor originally from Toledo, Ohio. He worked mostly for Hanna-Barbera and originated the voices of many famous animated cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, and Huckleberry Hound.Daws Butler trained many working actors...
- Ralph JamesRalph JamesRalph Torrez James was an American voice and character actor. Although he did a few voices for the Looney Tunes, James might be remembered best for performing the voice of Mr. Turtle in the classic commercials for Tootsie Pops which ran throughout the 1970s...
- Hal SmithHal Smith (actor)Harold John "Hal" Smith was an American character actor and voice actor. Smith is best known as Otis Campbell, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show, and was the voice of many characters on various animated cartoon shorts...
- Gege Pearson
- Joan GerberJoan GerberJoan Gerber is an American voice actress for a variety of cartoons.- Filmography :* 1959: Matty's Funday Funnies : Additional Voices...
- Stan FrebergStan FrebergStanley Victor "Stan" Freberg is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, radio personality, puppeteer, and advertising creative director whose career began in 1944...
- Gonzales Gonzales
- June ForayJune ForayJune Foray is an American voice actress, best known as the voice of many animated characters...
- Bob Holt
- Don MessickDon MessickDonald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....
- Allan ShermanAllan ShermanAllan Sherman was an American comedy writer and television producer who became famous as a song parodist in the early 1960s. His first album, My Son, the Folk Singer , became the fastest-selling record album up to that time...
- Paul WinchellPaul WinchellPaul Winchell was an American ventriloquist, voice actor and comedian, whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s...
- Hans ConriedHans ConriedHans Georg Conried, Jr. was an American comedian, character actor and voice actor.-Early years:He was born on April 15, 1917 in Baltimore, Maryland to Hans Georg Conried, Sr. and Edith Beyr Gildersleeve. His mother was a descendant of Pilgrims, and his father was a Jewish immigrant from Vienna,...
Music
- William LavaWilliam LavaWilliam "Bill" B. Lava was a musical composer and arranger who worked on the Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated cartoons from 1962 onwards, replacing the deceased Milt Franklyn. Lava's music was very different from that of Franklyn and previous composer Carl Stalling...
- Herman SteinHerman SteinHerman Stein was an American composer who wrote music for many of the 1950s science-fiction and horror films from Universal Studios...
- Doug Goodwin
- Irving GertzIrving GertzIrving Gertz is an American composer recognized for his compositions for many fantasy and horror B-movies and TV series of the 1950s and 1960s....
- Walter GreeneWalter GreeneWalter Greene was a film and television composer who worked on numerous productions for over 30 years.-Career:...
- Henry ManciniHenry ManciniHenry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
- Dean ElliottDean Elliott-Career:Educated at the University of Wisconsin, Elliot's first composing work was for Four Star Revue an early comedy program which debuted in 1950. From here, he went on to compose for various cartoon series, most prominently Mr...
- Joe RaposoJoe RaposoJoseph Guilherme Raposo, OIH was a Portuguese-American composer, songwriter, pianist, television writer and lyricist, best known for his work on the children's television series Sesame Street, for which he wrote the theme song, as well as classic songs such as "Bein' Green" and "C is for Cookie"...
- Milt FranklynMilt FranklynMilton J. Franklyn was a musical composer and arranger who worked on the Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes animated cartoons....
(reused soundtracks for Road Runner a Go-GoRoad Runner a Go-GoRoad Runner a Go-Go is one of 3 cartoons reused from the unsold pilot Adventures of the Road-Runner ....
and Zip Zip Hooray!)
Later years
As inflation went out of control, and the escalating expense of producing theatrical cartoons and the pressures of producing television series, quality eventually began to drop in the mid- to late 1970s. Even with this consideration, DFE still managed to produce better-quality animation product than its competition. In 1981, Freleng and DePatie sold DFE Films to Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and Freleng returned to Warner Bros. Studios to produce a series of feature films featuring the older Warner cartoons with new connecting footage. DePatie made the transition to become the head of Marvel Productions
Marvel Productions
Marvel Productions Ltd. , last called New World Animation, was a television and film studio subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment Group , based in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, then New World Entertainment and News Corporation/Fox...
.
Although Marvel would produce mainly superhero cartoons as well as animated series based on licensed toy lines, they would also continue to produce new productions starring the Pink Panther (titles for Trail of the Pink Panther
Trail of the Pink Panther
Trail of the Pink Panther is a 1982 comedy film starring Peter Sellers. It was the seventh film in the Pink Panther series, and the last in which Peter Sellers starred as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, although Sellers died before production began and the film thus contains no original material...
and Curse of the Pink Panther
Curse of the Pink Panther
Curse of the Pink Panther is a 1983 comedy film, the eighth installment of the The Pink Panther series of films started by Blake Edwards in the early 1960s....
and a special for television Pink at First Sight
The Pink Panther in: Pink at First Sight
The Pink Panther in: Pink at First Sight is an animated Valentine's Day special starring The Pink Panther. It premiered on ABC on February 14, 1981. Although Marvel Productions made the titles for Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther a year later, this was the only other Pink...
). MGM would later credit a 1993 revival series of the Pink Panther
The Pink Panther (1993 TV series)
The Pink Panther is a 1993 animated television series. It was credited as a co-production of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation, Mirisch-Geoffrey DePatie-Freleng and United Artists .-Plot:This version stars the legendary hip feline in new adventures...
as a joint venture between MGM, Mirisch-Geoffrey-DePatie-Freleng and United Artists, a decade after DFE's merger with Marvel and Mirisch/UA's merger into MGM.
In the 90s, Marvel sold their animation back catalog to Saban Entertainment. In 2001, Saban, as well as Fox Family and Fox Kids, was sold to Disney, thus the non-licensed DFE library fell into the hands of Disney, with the Dr. Seuss material and all other licensed properties belonging to their respective owners. Ironically, The Walt Disney Company would too finally buy out Marvel Comics in 2009, ultimately bringing both the all-original DFE library and the Marvel Comics-based DFE library back full circle.
While the television catalog has largely changed hands over the years, the theatrical cartoons continue to be owned by their original distributors: United Artists (via its current corporate parent, MGM) for the Mirisch Company
Mirisch Company
The Mirisch Company was a film production company owned by Walter Mirisch and his brothers, Marvin and Harold Mirisch. The company was also known at various times as Mirisch Production Company, Mirisch Pictures, Inc., and The Mirisch Corporation.Walter Mirisch began producing at Monogram Pictures...
cartoon library and Warner Bros. for the Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
/Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
cartoons.