Editing Warner Bros. (section)

=== Warner's cartoons ===
{{Main|Warner Bros. Cartoons|Warner Bros. Animation}}

Warner's [[cartoon]] unit had its roots in the independent [[Harman and Ising]] studio. From 1930 to 1933, [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Walt Disney Studios]] alumni Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising produced musical cartoons for [[Leon Schlesinger]], who sold them to Warner. Harman and Ising introduced their character [[Bosko]] in the first ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' cartoon, ''[[Sinkin' in the Bathtub]]'', and created a sister series, ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'', in 1931.<ref name="HBTN987980">{{harvnb|Warner|Sperling|Millner|1998| p= 187}}</ref>

Harman and Ising broke away from Schlesinger in 1933 due to a contractual dispute, taking Bosko with them to MGM. As a result, Schlesinger started his own studio, [[Warner Bros. Cartoons|Leon Schlesinger Productions]], which continued with ''Merrie Melodies'' while starting production on ''Looney Tunes'' starring [[Buddy (Looney Tunes)|Buddy]], a Bosko clone. By the end of World War II, a new Schlesinger production team, including directors [[Friz Freleng]] (started in 1934), [[Tex Avery]] (started in 1935), [[Frank Tashlin]] (started in 1936), [[Bob Clampett]] (started in 1937), [[Chuck Jones]] (started in 1938), and [[Robert McKimson]] (started in 1946), was formed. Schlesinger's staff developed a fast-paced, irreverent style that made their cartoons globally popular.

In 1935, Avery directed [[Porky Pig]] cartoons that established the character as the studio's first animated star.<ref name="TermiteTerrace">Barrier, Michael (1999). pp. 329–333</ref> In addition to Porky, [[Daffy Duck]] (who debuted in 1937's ''[[Porky's Duck Hunt]]''), [[Elmer Fudd]] (''[[Elmer's Candid Camera]]'', 1940), [[Bugs Bunny]] (''[[A Wild Hare]]'', 1940), and [[Tweety]] (''[[A Tale of Two Kitties]]'', 1942) would achieve star power.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Porky Pig and the Small Dog |url=http://www.milechai.com/product2/children_books/porky-pig-and-the-small-dog.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714093724/http://www.milechai.com/product2/children_books/porky-pig-and-the-small-dog.html |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |access-date=July 9, 2008 |website=Aharon's Jewish Books and Judaica – Mile Chai City}}</ref> By 1942, the Schlesinger studio had surpassed Walt Disney Studios as the most successful producer of animated shorts.<ref>"[http://www.animationusa.com/resources/aboutwb.html Warner Bros. Studio biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090524120920/http://www.animationusa.com/resources/aboutwb.html |date=May 24, 2009}}". ''AnimationUSA.com''. Retrieved June 17, 2007.</ref>

Warner Bros. bought Schlesinger's cartoon unit in 1944 and renamed it [[Warner Bros. Cartoons]]. However, senior management treated the unit with indifference, beginning with the installation as senior producer of [[Edward Selzer]], whom the creative staff considered an interfering incompetent. Jack Warner had little regard for the company's short film product and reputedly was so ignorant about the studio's animation division that he was mistakenly convinced that the unit produced cartoons of [[Mickey Mouse]], the flagship character of [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Productions]].<ref name="thomas212" /> He sold off the unit's pre-August 1948 library for $3,000 each, which proved a shortsighted transaction in light of its eventual value.<ref name="thomas212">{{harvnb|Thomas|1990|pp= 211–212}}</ref>

Warner Bros. Cartoons continued, with intermittent interruptions, until 1969 when it was dissolved as the parent company ceased its production of film shorts entirely. Characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, [[Tweety]], [[Sylvester the Cat|Sylvester]], and [[Porky Pig]] became central to the company's image in subsequent decades. Bugs in particular remains a mascot to Warner Bros., its various divisions, and [[Six Flags]] (which [[Time Warner]] once owned). The success of the compilation film ''[[The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie]]'' in 1979, featuring the archived film of these characters, prompted Warner Bros. to organize [[Warner Bros. Animation]] as a new production division to restart production of original material.