Fred Quimby
history| location = Minneapolis, Minnesota | deathdate = | deathplace = Santa Monica, California | spouse = }}
Frederick C. "Fred" Quimby (July 31, 1886A minority of sources give an alternative birth date of 1886. – September 16, 1965) was an American cartoon producer, best known as a producer of Tom and Jerry cartoons, for which he won seven Academy Awards. He was the producer in charge of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio, which included Tex Avery and the team of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, creators of Tom and Jerry.
In 1939, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera presented him with their project for a series of cartoons featuring a cat and a mouse. Quimby approved»The Creators, and the result was Puss Gets The Boot, which was nominated for an Academy Award. As producer, Quimby became a repeated recipient of the Academy Award for Animated Short Film for the Tom and Jerry films, and his name became well known due to its prominence in the cartoon credits. However, Quimby had a difficult relationship with animators:
Quimby retired from MGM in 1955, with Hanna and Barbera assuming his role as co-heads of the studio. MGM's cartoon division did not last long after; it was closed in 1957. Quimby died in Santa Monica, California in 1965.
Life and career
Quimby was born in Minneapolis, and started his career as a journalist. In 1907, he managed a film theater 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 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.