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DePatie–Freleng Enterprises

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DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryAnimation
PredecessorWarner Bros. Cartoons
FoundedMay 1963; 61 years ago (1963-05)
FoundersDavid H. DePatie
Friz Freleng
Defunct1981; 43 years ago (1981)
FateAcquired and renamed by Marvel to Marvel Productions.
SuccessorsStudio:
Marvel Productions
Library:
The Walt Disney Company
Warner Bros. Animation
Amazon MGM Studios (via United Artists)
Headquarters
Burbank, California
,
United States
ProductsTelevision shows
Theatrical shorts
Television specials
Title sequences
Television commercials
OwnersDavid H. DePatie
Friz Freleng

DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, Inc.[a] (also known as Mirisch-Geoffrey-DePatie-Freleng Productions when involved with the Mirisch brothers and Geoffrey Productions, and DFE Films) was an American animation studio founded by former Warner Bros. Cartoons employees in May 1963, before being acquired by Marvel in 1981 and renamed Marvel Productions. Based in Burbank, California, DFE produced animation for film and television.

Notable among the productions that the company produced are the opening titles for The Pink Panther, its sequels and an associated series of animated 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 film, and the Bod Squad and Time for Timer series of public service announcements for ABC in the mid 1970s.

History

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Origins

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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, The Pink Phink, was directed by Freleng and won the studio its only 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 productions

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The Pink Panther theatrical animated shorts became the basis of a Saturday-morning cartoon, The Pink Panther Show, on September 6, 1969; the show also included theatrical animated shorts of The Inspector (introduced in 1966)[5] and eventually The Ant and the Aardvark, Roland and Rattfink (introduced in 1968),[6] 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 meet television standards and practices for content.[7]

The Pink Panther Show had several incarnations during the 1970s. The show was 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 television specials Bugs Bunny's Easter Special (1977), Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales (1979), and Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-Citement (1980).

DFE also produced Return to the Planet of the Apes (in association with 20th Century-Fox Television), which ran on NBC from September 6 to November 29, 1975, and The Oddball Couple, which ran on Saturday mornings on ABC from September 6 to December 20, 1975. One of the studio's television specials was The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas (1973), with 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

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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 New World Animation; after News Corporation purchased New World Entertainment in 1996, New World Animation was absorbed into Saban Entertainment, ending the life of the studio that once was DFE. Marvel would continue to produce animated shows through a partnership with Saban, which had recently acquired a 50% stake in Fox Kids. In 2001, The Walt Disney Company acquired Saban as part of its purchase of Fox Family Worldwide.

Subsequent ownership

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In 2009, The Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel Entertainment, bringing DFE's all-original and Marvel Comics-based programs full circle under one roof; all of these properties are now distributed by Disney–ABC Domestic Television. The Dr. Seuss specials animated by DFE are currently distributed by 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, Amazon MGM Studios) for The Mirisch Company cartoon library and Warner Bros. for the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons.

Former Warner Bros. Cartoons employees at DePatie–Freleng

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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 and the Aardvark, Tijuana Toads, Here Comes the Grump, and Roland and Rattfink, 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.

Filmography

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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

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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 Renamed “Texas Toads” for television in 1976.
The Blue Racer 1972–1974
Hoot Kloot 1973–1974
The Dogfather 1974–1976

Commissioned series

TV series

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Title Years Network Notes Episodes
The Super 6 1966–1967 NBC 20
Super President 1967–1968 15
Here Comes the Grump 1969–1972 17
The Pink Panther Show
* Misterjaw (shorts; 1976)
* Crazylegs Crane (shorts; 1978) 		1969–1980 NBC/ABC Co-production with United Artists Television and Mirisch Films 190
Doctor Dolittle 1970–1971 NBC Co-production with 20th Century-Fox Television 17
The Barkleys 1972–1973 Distributed by Viacom Enterprises 13
The Houndcats 1972–1974
Bailey's Comets 1973–1975 CBS 16
The Oddball Couple 1975–1977 ABC Distributed by Viacom Enterprises
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
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 16

Commissioned series

TV specials

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

Commercials

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Film and television title design

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Pink Panther series

Other films:

Other TV series

Notes

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  1. ^ /dəˈpæti ˈfriːləŋ/

References

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  1. ^ Bingen, Steven (2014). Warner Bros.: Hollywood's Ultimate Backlot. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 110. ISBN 9781589799622.
  2. ^ Beck 2005, p. 12.
  3. ^ Tracking the Many Sides of The Pink Panther
  4. ^ a b "Baking the Baker: David H. DePatie interview, part 1". 19 December 2010.
  5. ^ Beck 2005, p. 32.
  6. ^ Beck 2005, p. 40.
  7. ^ Beck 2005, p. 44.
  8. ^ "Misce-Looney-Ous: That Wasn't All, Folks!: Warner Bros. Cartoons 1964-1969", intanibase.com/
  9. ^ Johnson, Derek (2013). Media Franchising: Creative License and Collaboration in the Culture Industries. NYU Press. pp. 81–82. ISBN 9780814743898.
  10. ^ "Animated shows in works" (PDF). UPI. The Citizen. 1982-03-12. Retrieved 2023-02-21.

Sources

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