Fred Quimby (Tom and Jerry)
Fred Quimby born on Saturday 31st of July 1886 and died Thursday 16th of September 1965 was an American cartoon producer, best known as producer of Tom and Jerry cartoons, for which he won seven Academy Awards. He was the film sales executive in charge of the Metro-Godwyn-Mayer cartoon studio, which included Tex Avery and the team of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, creators of Tom and Jerry.
Fred Quimby was born in Minneapolis, and started his career as a journalist. In 1907, he managed a film theatre in Missoula, Montana. Later, he worked at Pathe, rising to become a member of the board of directors before leaving in 1921 to become an independent producer. He was hired by the 20th centery fox in 1924 and then MGM in 1927 to head its short features department. In 1937, he was assigned to put together its animation department.
In 1939, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera presented him with their project for a series of cartoons featuring a cat and mouse. Fred Quimby approved, and the result was Puss Gets the Boot, which was nominated for an Academy Award. Initially he refused to pursue more Cat and Mouse cartoons after Puss Gets the Boot but success and money earnings that were from the cartoon he agreed to make Tom and Jerry and official cartoon for the MGM cartoon studio. As producer, Fred Quimby became a repeated recipient of the Academy Award for Animated Short Film for the Tom and Jerry films without inviting Hanna and Barbera onstage and his name became well known due to its prominence in the cartoon credits. Even though Fred Quimby had taken sole credit for approving and producing The Tom and Jerry series, he never actually worked on it. Besides Fred Quimby had a difficult relationship with animators even Hanna and Barbera.
Fred Quimby retired from MGM in 1955, with Hanna and Barbera assuming his role as co-heads of the studio and taking over the production from the Tom and Jerry shorts. Despite the success of Hanna and Barbera MGM assumed that bringing in old cartoons got more money and MGM's cartoon division did not last long after; it was closed in 1957 but MGM still loved the Tom and Jerry shorts and saved the contracts for producing the shows even later allowing legendary animator Chuck Jones make a new series of Tom and Jerry, despite that Chuck Jones never worked for MGM. Fred Quimby died in Santa Monica, California in 1965 and was buried in Glendale.
In 1939, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera presented him with their project for a series of cartoons featuring a cat and mouse. Fred Quimby approved, and the result was Puss Gets the Boot, which was nominated for an Academy Award. Initially he refused to pursue more Cat and Mouse cartoons after Puss Gets the Boot but success and money earnings that were from the cartoon he agreed to make Tom and Jerry and official cartoon for the MGM cartoon studio. As producer, Fred Quimby became a repeated recipient of the Academy Award for Animated Short Film for the Tom and Jerry films without inviting Hanna and Barbera onstage and his name became well known due to its prominence in the cartoon credits. Even though Fred Quimby had taken sole credit for approving and producing The Tom and Jerry series, he never actually worked on it. Besides Fred Quimby had a difficult relationship with animators even Hanna and Barbera.
Fred Quimby retired from MGM in 1955, with Hanna and Barbera assuming his role as co-heads of the studio and taking over the production from the Tom and Jerry shorts. Despite the success of Hanna and Barbera MGM assumed that bringing in old cartoons got more money and MGM's cartoon division did not last long after; it was closed in 1957 but MGM still loved the Tom and Jerry shorts and saved the contracts for producing the shows even later allowing legendary animator Chuck Jones make a new series of Tom and Jerry, despite that Chuck Jones never worked for MGM. Fred Quimby died in Santa Monica, California in 1965 and was buried in Glendale.
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