Frederick C. "Fred" Quimby (July 31, 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 film sales executive 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.Life and careerQuimby 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 Pathé, rising to become a member of the board of directors before leaving in 1921 to become an independent producer. He was hired by 20th Century 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.[1][2]:65In 1939, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera presented him with their project for a series of cartoons featuring a cat and a mouse. Quimby approved,[1] 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 without inviting Hanna and Barbera onstage and his name became well known due to its prominence in the cartoon credits. Even though Quimby had taken sole credit for producing The Tom and Jerry series, he never actually worked on it. Besides, Quimby had a difficult relationship with animators:...unfortunately for a cartoon producer, [he had] no sense of humor to call upon... He knew nothing of animation and cartoons were a strange thing to him. Cast in the role of high school principal opposite the animators' boyish enthusiasms, he acted as liaisons between them and the front office, usually it seemed, turning down requests for bigger budgets, raises and special dispensations of funds.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.Oscar creditsWinner Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1940: The Milky Way - Producer (with Rudolf Ising)Nominated for Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1941: The Night Before Christmas - ProducerNominated for Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1941: The Rookie Bear - ProducerNominated for Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1942: The Blitz Wolf - ProducerWinner Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1943: The Yankee Doodle Mouse - ProducerWinner Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1944: Mouse Trouble - ProducerWinner Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1945: Quiet Please! - ProducerWinner Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1946: The Cat Concerto - ProducerNominated for Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1947: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse - ProducerWinner Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1948: The Little Orphan - ProducerNominated for Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1949: Hatch Up Your Troubles - ProducerNominated for Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1950: Jerry's Cousin - ProducerWinner Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1951: The Two Mouseketeers - ProducerWinner Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1952: Johann Mouse - ProducerNominated for Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1952: Little Johnny Jet - ProducerNominated for Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1954: Touché, Pussy Cat! - ProducerNominated for Short Subjects (Cartoons) 1955: Good Will to Men - Producer (with William Hanna & Joseph Barbera)
