DePatie–Freleng Enterprises

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DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
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DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
OwnersDavid H. DePatie
Friz Freleng

DePatie–Freleng Enterprises

Mirisch brothers and Geoffrey Productions, and DFE Films) was an American animation studio founded by former Warner Bros. Cartoons employees in May 1963, before dissolving in 1981. Based in Burbank, California
, DFE produced animation for film and television.

Notable among these are the opening titles for The Pink Panther, its sequels and an associated series of theatrical shorts featuring the Pink Panther character, entries in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series from 1964 to 1967, the Dr. Seuss television specials from 1971 to 1982, the lightsaber effects in the original Star Wars, and the Bod Squad and Time for Timer series of public service announcements for ABC in the mid 1970s.

History

Origins

DFE was formed by two former employees at Warner Bros. Cartoons, director/composer/producer Friz Freleng and executive David H. DePatie, after Warner Bros. closed its animation studio in May 1963.[1][2] Although Freleng and DePatie were no longer working for Warner Bros., a generous gesture from a Warner executive allowed Freleng and DePatie to lease the former Warner cartoons studio on California Street in Burbank, complete with equipment and supplies for a low rent 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 film, The Pink Panther. Pleased with the design by Hawley Pratt for the character, Edwards contracted with DFE to produce the animated titles for the film. Upon the film's release, the titles garnered a tremendous amount of attention, so much that a large amount of the picture's gross is believed to have been generated by the success of DFE's title sequence.[3]

DFE then signed with United Artists to produce a series of animated short subjects featuring the Pink Panther, which included over 100 shorts for both theatrical and television audiences through 1980. Also in 1964, DePatie and Freleng's longtime employer, Warner Bros., contracted with DFE to produce additional new Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoon shorts for theatrical release.[4]

DePatie and Freleng soon found themselves overflowing with work; as many of the animators who had worked at Warner Bros. during the 1950s and 1960s returned to the old Warner cartoon studio to work for DFE. The first entry in the Pink Panther series,

Academy Award in 1964. In 1966, DFE would receive another Academy Award nomination for The Pink Blueprint
, before losing the award.

The Pink Panther and other television series

The Pink Panther theatrical series of cartoons became the basis of a Saturday morning television series,

The Pink Panther Show had several incarnations during the 1970s. The show was very popular on NBC's Saturday morning line-up, starting as a half-hour program and expanding a few years later to 90 minutes each week. The studio provided the animated sequences for the 1969–1970 television series My World and Welcome to It based on the drawings of James Thurber. DFE was one of the subcontractors for the 1964–1967 Warner Bros. cartoons, along with Format Productions.

The Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies shorts made by the studio can be easily identified by their modernized "Abstract WB" opening and closing sequences (although the "Abstract WB" opening and closing sequences were first used in three cartoons made by Warner Bros. Cartoons). However, select 1964–1967 DePatie–Freleng Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies were panned by fans and critics alike, with some of the harshest judgements made against cartoons directed by Rudy Larriva.[8] After early 1967, DFE did not continue doing Warner cartoon work until the late 1970s/early 1980s, with the TV specials Bugs Bunny's Easter Special (1977), Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales (1979), and Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-Citement (1980).

DFE also created

Tommy Smothers voicing the little bear who goes out to find Christmas (in the human world) while his fellow bears head for hibernation. DFE was also responsible for a number of Dr. Seuss specials, including The Cat In The Hat and different incarnations of the Grinch
.

Later years

In 1981, Freleng and DePatie sold DFE Films to Marvel Comics, and Freleng returned to Warner Bros. Animation, which Warner Bros. had re-opened the previous year, to produce a series of feature films featuring vintage Warner cartoons with new connecting footage. DePatie made the transition to become the head of Marvel Productions, as DFE was renamed.[9] In March 1982, David DePatie announced that they started producing animated programs.[10] The DePatie-Freleng name was later revived in-name-only in 1984 for Pink Panther and Sons, which was otherwise entirely produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions.

Although Marvel produced mainly superhero cartoons and animated series based on licensed toy lines (including Hasbro properties), it continued to produce new productions starring the Pink Panther (a special for television Pink at First Sight and motion picture titles for Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation would later make a 1993 revival show 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 1993, Marvel Productions was renamed to

Fox Family Worldwide
.

Subsequent ownership

In 2009,

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment through the Dr. Seuss estate and CBS Media Ventures
.

While the television catalog has often 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.

List of theatrical and television cartoons

In a short time, DFE began producing television shows as well as theatricals and specials, becoming a competitor to Hanna-Barbera and Filmation. The studio's various cartoons, specials and shows are listed below.

Theatrical series

Original series

Title Years Notes
The Pink Panther 1964–1980 The 1978–1980 cartoons were originally broadcast on TV before they were screened in theaters.
The Inspector 1965–1969
Roland and Rattfink 1968–1971
The Ant and the Aardvark 1969–1971
Tijuana Toads 1969–1972
The Blue Racer 1972–1974
Hoot Kloot 1973–1974
The Dogfather 1974–1976

Commissioned series

TV series

Title Years Network Notes Episodes
The Super 6 1966–1967 NBC 20
Super President 1967–1968 30
Here Comes the Grump 1969–1971 17
The Pink Panther Show
* Misterjaw (shorts; 1976)
* Crazylegs Crane (shorts; 1978)
1969–1980 NBC/ABC co-production with
Mirisch Films
190
Doctor Dolittle 1970–1971 NBC co-production with
20th Century Fox Television
17
The Barkleys 1972–1973 13
The Houndcats 1972–1973 co-production with
Viacom Enterprises
13
Bailey's Comets 1973–1975 CBS 16
The Oddball Couple 1975–1977 ABC co-production with Paramount Television 16
Return to the Planet of the Apes 1975–1976 NBC co-production with
20th Century Fox Television
13
Baggy Pants and the Nitwits 1977–1978 NBC 13
What's New, Mr. Magoo? 1977–1979 CBS co-production with
United Productions of America
16
The New Fantastic Four 1978 NBC co-production with Marvel Comics Animation 13
Spider-Woman 1979–1980 ABC co-production with Marvel Comics Animation 16

Commissioned series

TV specials

Air date Title Network Property Notes
March 31, 1970 Goldilocks NBC Bing Crosby Live-action and animated co-production with the Sherman Brothers
March 10, 1971 The Cat in the Hat CBS Dr. Seuss
February 14, 1972 The Lorax Dr. Seuss
November 12, 1972 Clerow Wilson and the Miracle of P.S. 14 NBC Clerow Wilson Stars comedian Flip Wilson. Many of his characters appear in the special, including Geraldine Jones and Reverend Leroy.
January 6, 1973 Luvcast U.S.A. ABC One-shot episode of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie
February 7, 1973 The Incredible, Indelible, Magical, Physical Mystery Trip an ABC Afterschool Special
October 15, 1973 Dr. Seuss on the Loose CBS Dr. Seuss
December 17, 1973 The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas NBC One-Shot currently owned by Lionsgate
April 3, 1974 Clerow Wilson's Great Escape Clerow Wilson sequel to Clerow Wilson and the Miracle of P.S. 14
May 15, 1974 The Magical Mystery Trip Through Little Red's Head ABC One-Shot an ABC Afterschool Special, also a sequel to The Incredible, Indelible, Magical, Physical Mystery Trip
February 19, 1975 The Hoober-Bloob Highway CBS Dr. Seuss
December 14, 1975 The Tiny Tree NBC One-Shot
February 16, 1977 My Mom's Having a Baby ABC One-Shot an ABC Afterschool Special
October 29, 1977 Halloween Is Grinch Night Dr. Seuss
February 1, 1978 Michel's Mixed-Up Musical Bird One-Shot an ABC Afterschool Special
December 7, 1978 The Pink Panther in: A Pink Christmas Pink Panther
February 22, 1980 The Pink Panther in: Olym-Pinks
March 5, 1980 Where Do Teenagers Come From? One-Shot an ABC Afterschool Special
May 2, 1980 Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? Dr. Seuss
May 8, 1981 Dennis the Menace in Mayday for Mother NBC Dennis the Menace
May 10, 1981 The Pink Panther in: Pink at First Sight ABC Pink Panther production finished by Marvel Productions
May 20, 1982 The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat Dr. Seuss

Commissioned specials

Airdate Title Network
April 7, 1977 Bugs Bunny's Easter Special CBS for Warner Bros.
November 27, 1979 Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales CBS for Warner Bros.
April 1, 1980 Daffy Duck's Easter Show NBC for Warner Bros.

Commercials

Film and television title design

Pink Panther series

Other films:

Other TV series

Former Warner Bros. Cartoons employees at DePatie–Freleng

In the beginning, DePatie–Freleng had virtually the same facilities, personnel and producer as Warner Bros. Cartoons. Although Chuck Jones would later work with DePate–Freleng on The Cat in the Hat, Jones and most of his group of artists ended up at Sib Tower 12 Productions. Jones independently produced 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
created most of the studios' new cartoon series, both for theatrical release and for television. These series included The Ant & The Aardvark, The Tijuana Toads, Here Comes The Grump, and Roland and Ratfink, among others.

Many of the DFE cartoons were written and storyboarded by Dunn, including the first Pink Panther cartoon, The Pink Phink. Dunn's drawing style also found its way into the DFE cartoons.

Notes

References

Sources

External links