Freleng, Friz (1906-1995), was an American animator and director of cartoons. While working at the Warner Bros. motion-picture studio, Freleng created the popular cartoon characters Yosemite Sam and Sylvester the Cat. He was also responsible for many cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Speedy Gonzales, and Tweety. He received 15 Academy Award nominations for his cartoons, winning 5 awards.
Isadore Freleng was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He entered the motion-picture industry in 1924 and worked for a short time for Walt Disney in 1928 and 1929. After a brief stay with another studio, Freleng joined Warner Bros. in 1930 and, except for two years at MGM studios in the 1930’s, he worked at Warner Bros. until 1963.
Freleng left Warner Bros. to form his own production company, De Patie-Freleng Enterprises, with David De Patie. During the next several years, Freleng developed several cartoon series for TV, notably the “Pink Panther” series. He also created many animated TV commercials and directed several TV animated films featuring characters created by Dr. Seuss. In 1980, Freleng returned to Warner Bros., where he directed several compilations of his movie cartoons that starred Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig.
See also Looney Tunes .
