Fred Quimby, ????? Options

[looneylover2]

What's he like? Any pictures?? I never heard anything about except his name and his job. It seems to me, that HB are tight lipped about him.

[hiselliotness]

There are pictures and descriptions of Quimby in Joe Adamson's old book Tex Avery: King Of Cartoons. Leonard Maltin's Of Mice And Magic outlines the history of the MGM studio, and there is some mention of Quimby.

Basically, he was a middle-aged, veteran MGM short subjects executive who was put in charge of the newly-formed, in-house MGM cartoon studio. The studio had previously distributed the independently-produced Harman-Ising cartoons.

It's amazing that Quimby was able to keep his job, considering the turmoil and chaos that reigned at the studio in its first few years. A staff was hired that was part ex-Harman-Ising employees and partly a contingent of New Yorkers, mostly laid-off Van Buren employees. The lack of staff cohesiveness resulted in many hirings, firings, and resignations. Two relatively inexperienced animators, Bob Allen and William Hanna, were hired, along with veteran Schlesinger director Friz Freleng, to direct the awful Captain And The Kids series. After the abandonment of this series, the demotion of Allen and Hanna, hiring and firing of two more directors (Milt Gross and Harry Hirshfield), the resignation of Freleng, and the re-hiring of Harman and Ising, things finally stabilized between 1940 and 1942 with the success of Hanna & Barbera's Tom & Jerry and the subsequent hiring of Tex Avery.

The most common description of Quimby, as a person, is that he had absolutely no sense of humor. When the first Tom & Jerry cartoon, Puss Gets The Boot was released, he didn't like it. Only after the film received an Academy Award nomination did he realize that it was a success. Quimby was totally baffled by Tex Avery's cartoons; he never understood the gags or the humor.

Quimby retired in 1955, and Hanna and Barbera were appointed as his successors. The studio staff was greatly reduced, and Tex Avery had to share animators with Hanna and Barbera until he was laid off shortly thereafter. In 1957, the entire cartoon studio was shut down.

[MikeH0714]

This is an excerpt of an article by Richard W. Bann at a Laurel and Hardy website, containing some background information (such as how Quimby wound up at MGM in the first place). Note Hal Roach's evaluation of Quimby toward the end:

Fred Quimby managed production of the short feature department at M-G-M. Besides handling the Roach output, Metro produced its own series, including Carey Wilson Miniatures, John Nesbitt's Passing Parade, and the Crime Does Not Pay series. Quimby previously held the corresponding post at Pathe and moved to Metro in tandem with Roach in l927. So by l936 Quimby and Roach had worked together for two decades. When so many Loew's regional branch managers besieged Quimby for Laurel & Hardy short product, he telephoned Roach on November ll, l936. Both men understood the business reasons precluding the production of new two-reelers starring Laurel & Hardy. Since Roach could no longer manufacture shorts for the money that Metro was willing to pay to serve a dwindling audience, reissuing old subjects was the only solution to their problem. During the l920s and l930s films might remain in original release for about a year, and were thought to have a shelf life of about a decade. Roach's distribution agreement with M-G-M did provide for a ten year term, and he promised to nominate three subjects for Quimby's consideration.

Roach conferred with Matthew D. O'Brien to make a selection. O'Brien and Roach were boyhood friends from Elmira. In l936 O'Brien was general manager and secretary-treasurer of Hal Roach Studios, Inc. Together they selected three titles both men liked and O'Brien phoned Quimby. In response, Quimby sent O'Brien this letter on November l8: "Confirming our telephone conversation believe that following two-reel Laurel and Hardy comedies will be satisfactory for reissue, however, would like to see print of each before making definite decision: PERFECT DAY, NIGHT OWLS, BLOTTO. Believe that we also should look at print of the four-reel subject BEAU HUNKS with the thought of reissuing it, to be used as a second feature in double feature houses. Discussed the two-reel reissuing with Mr. Roach but did not discuss reissuing of BEAU HUNKS, however, am quite certain that he will be agreeable to the plan."

He was, as noted in hand by O'Brien on Quimby's letter. Whether it was Quimby or someone else who suggested re-releasing COUNTY HOSPITAL instead of NIGHT OWLS is not known. In l98l Hal Roach did not recall much about this, but did say of Fred Quimby, "He was a competent executive, I trusted him, but he was completely humorless. Why Louie Mayer placed him in charge of shorts there, I never understood. I mean the Pete Smith Specialties, the Bob Benchley things, the cartoons, they were comedies. Quimby never knew what was funny, or why."

Fred Quimby retired from M-G-M in l955. Animators of the Tom & Jerry cartoons, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, replaced him. By then one-reel cartoons were virtually the only shorts one could see on theater screens.

The entire article can be found here: http://www.laurel-and-hardy.com/featuresho...ie/0017/17.html

Michael

[Dr. Madcap]

If you have a look in Leonard Maltin's book, "Of Mice And Magic" you will find a photo of Fred Quimby and Tex avery looking at the storyboard for "Red Hot Riding Hood" on page 291 in the current edition.

[Gman4ever]

Hmmm...."Fred Quimby". "Fred Quimby". Say it ; "Fred Quimby".
It sounds great in a Bill Thompson Droopy voice.....

[Brandon]

The most common description of Quimby, as a person, is that he had absolutely no sense of humor. When the first Tom & Jerry cartoon, Puss Gets The Boot was released, he didn't like it. Only after the film received an Academy Award nomination did he realize that it was a success. Quimby was totally baffled by Tex Avery's cartoons; he never understood the gags or the humor.

Do you think Fred Quimby and Eddie Selzer were brothers separated at birth?

[RobEB]

Do you think Fred Quimby and Eddie Selzer were brothers separated at birth?

It IS amazing how guys like these wind up with authority positions in cartoon studios. I mean I'm sure they must have been good businessmen, or at least competent. But you would think the first thing needed to run a CARTOON STUDIO would be a sense of humor...

[Gman4ever]

These guys sound like princes compared to many modern animation producers. Sure these guys went around nipping at heels making sure everything was on time and on budget but they didn't mess with creative process and decisions of directors.

[Gman4ever]

Frankly, the problem is producers who think they're creative... or worse yet a whole bunch of them at once that think they're creative. Much rather they nag me about being under-quota or over budget than telling me something is off-model or to arbitrarily change the bunny to a duckie.

[hiselliotness]

It IS amazing how guys like these wind up with authority positions in cartoon studios. I mean I'm sure they must have been good businessmen, or at least competent. But you would think the first thing needed to run a CARTOON STUDIO would be a sense of humor..

Frankly, the problem is producers who think they're creative... or worse yet a whole bunch of them at once that think they're creative.

Guys like Quimby and Selzer weren't hired either because they were creative or because they were uniquely qualified to run cartoon studios. They were the type of career bureaucrats that used to be called "company men." They were rewarded for their long terms of service to the company; they probably kissed a lot of butts to get to their positions.

Selzer, in fact, was an inspiration to the Warner Bros. staff. If Selzer thought something was a bad idea, that meant it must be good!

[billfullersson]

[QUOTE=Gman4ever,Mar 23 2005, 09:08 AM]These guys sound like princes compared to many modern animation producers. Sure these guys went around nipping at heels making sure everything was on time and on budget but they didn't mess with creative process and decisions of directors.[/
QUOTE]

And say what you like about Quimby as a personality...but in the UK, when the Tom and Jerrys were being shown on the BBC in the sixties and seventies, we always looked for the Quimby signature..if it was there, we would know we were in for a treat. Generals do not have to be the sharpest shot, they have to know who the sharpshooters are, and keep them supplied with ammunition. Quimby was a five star General.