| This is my contribution to ABC Wednesday and for Round Ten I am focusing on people from the past, some famous, others less so. |
It is a strange fact that the producer of one of the funniest and most enduring cartoons knew nothing about animation and little by way of a sense of humour.
Fred Quimby, whose name you will have seen on the credits for Tom and Jerry and other cartoons, was born in Minneapolis in 1886.
At the age of just 21, he managed a film theatre in Montana before joining Pathé where he became a member of the board. Quimby then had a spell as an independent producer before being hired by 20th Century Fox and then MGM.
Fred Quimby
In 1937 he was asked to put together MGM’s animation department and two years later he was presented with an idea for a series of cartoons featuring a cat and a mouse by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Quimby approved it and 1940 saw the release of Puss Gets the Boot and Tom and Jerry were born.
As the producer, Quimby won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film no fewer than eight times and was nominated for a further ten, but not once did he invite Hanna and Barbera on stage to share the accolades.
According to Tom and Jerry online, ‘Since 1937 he had ridden herd on a zany cast of cartoonists of whom he understood little, having, unfortunately for a cartoon producer, no sense of humor to call upon.’
Quimby was very much the corporate man and treated the much-loved creations of Hanna and Barbera as a commodity to be promoted and sold. Even so, he presided over what was perhaps the golden age of Hollywood animation.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
What a shame for Hanna and Barbera to not get any credit for their creation. I guess Mr. Quimby was no Walt Disney!! Great history info.
Ann
In the photo, why is there a black dog sitting on Quimby’s shoulder? Was it real or animated and what was its name? Spike or Tyke? BTW – Have fun at The Stripper Bar tonight! Say hello to Jeanetta for me.
In that photo, from that particular angle, Mr. Quimby looks remarkably like President John F. Kennedy might have looked at an age that the president unfortunately never reached.
Oh goodness, like “RHYMESWITHPLAGUE” I thought it was a photo of Kennedy! Well, I certainly know those cartoons but didn’t know about Mr. Quimby. Learned something new today so thanks for that. Have a great week,
Leslie
abcw team
YP: The one talent that Fred Quimby had was an ability to make shadow puppets with his ears as you rightly spotted. Jeanetta sends her regards by the way and wonders if you’d like to settle your bill.
Mr Plague and Leslie: When I included the photo, something inside told me that he reminded me of a politician, but I hadn’t thought of JKK until you mentioned it. Something about the mouth?
Hair, coloring have a Kennedyesque quality
as for Quimby what a sourPUSS.
ROG, ABC Wednesday team
Interesting information. Didn’t know any of it.
At the moment New Zealand is being run by a businessman. It’s scary. It’s as though there’s just a machine at the top.
I always loved the maid in TOM AND JERRY
fat arms, bloomers and a voice that cut bread!
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