Friz Freleng

Isadore "Friz" Freleng (1906–1995), sometimes credited as I. Freleng, was an American animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros. He introduced and/or developed several of the studio's biggest stars, including Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the cat, Yosemite Sam (to whom he was said to bear more than a passing resemblance) and Speedy Gonzales.

The senior director at Warners' Termite Terrace studio, Freleng directed more cartoons than any other director in the studio (a total of 266), and is also the most honored of the Warner directors, having won four Academy Awards. After Warners shut down the animation studio in 1963, Freleng and business partner David H. DePatie founded DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, which produced cartoons (notably The Pink Panther Show), feature film title sequences, and Saturday morning cartoons through the early 1980s.

The nickname "Friz" came from his friend Hugh Harman, who initially nicknamed him "Congressman Frizby" after a fictional senator that was in articles in the Los Angeles Examiner. Over time this shortened to "Friz".

Friz Freleng is known for work in directing across film and television. New Release currently presents 25 verified screen credits connected to this profile.

Selected work includes Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary (1986), ABC Afterschool Special (1972), The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries (1995), The Pink Panther (1993), Pink Panther and Pals (2010), Gremlins (1984), The All New Pink Panther Show (1978), The Inspector (1965). The recorded credits span 1940 to 2010, including 6 movies and 19 TV shows.

The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.