David Hudson DePatie (December 24, 1929 - September 23, 2021) is an American film and television producer. He was the last executive in charge of the original Warner Bros. Cartoons cartoon studio. He also formed DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, with Friz Freleng.
Early Life[]
DePatie was born on December 24, 1929 in Los Angeles at The Good Samaritan Hospital. His father, Edmond L. DePatie, was the head of the counter department at Warner Bros, and he would spend his entire career at Warner, and later became executive vice president and general manager of the studio, reporting only to Jack Warner. Because of this, David, in his own words, became a "Warner Brat".
DePatie–Freleng Enterprises[]
While he held his production position at Warner Bros., DePatie originally received no on-screen credit, similar to his two predecessors after Leon Schlesinger retired in 1944. In 1963, he began to receive on-screen credit with new producer (and former director) Friz Freleng. Around this time, they formed DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, also known as DePatie–Freleng Entertainment.
Marvel Productions[]
DePatie and some of his production staff worked for Marvel Productions. He was an executive producer. He left the company in 1984, and then briefly worked for Hanna-Barbera, producing Pink Panther and Sons, before retiring.