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Friz Freleng

Friz Freleng

Directing • 1906-08-21 • Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Isadore "Friz" Freleng (1906–1995), sometimes credited as I. Freleng, was an American animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros. He introduced and/or developed several of the studio's biggest stars, including Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the cat, Yosemite Sam (to whom he was said to bear more than a passing resemblance) and Speedy Gonzales. The senior director at Warners' Termite Terrace studio, Freleng directed more cartoons than any other director in the studio (a total of 266), and is also the most honored of the Warner directors, having won four Academy Awards. After Warners shut down the animation studio in 1963, Freleng and business partner David H. DePatie founded DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, which produced cartoons (notably The Pink Panther Show), feature film title sequences, and Saturday morning cartoons through the early 1980s. The nickname "Friz" came from his friend Hugh Harman, who initially nicknamed him "Congressman Frizby" after a fictional senator that was in articles in the Los Angeles Examiner. Over time this shortened to "Friz".

Known For

The All New Pink Panther Show7.8

The All New Pink Panther Show

1978

Spider-Woman7.6

Spider-Woman

1979

ABC Afterschool Special6.5

ABC Afterschool Special

1972

Pink Panther and Sons7.4

Pink Panther and Sons

1984

Return to the Planet of the Apes6.8

Return to the Planet of the Apes

1975

The Fantastic Four7.6

The Fantastic Four

1978

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Filmography