Nancy Angelina Farwell (April 18, 1918 – July 15, 2008) was an American animator, director, producer, cartoonist and artist best known for creating Friendly Fox and other cartoon characters for Noveltoons, producing several short films, feature films and television programs for Paramount Animation throughout first six decades.
Farwell joined Fleischer Studios around 1938 after graduating high school. In 1942, Farwell later moved to Famous Studios, where she created a famous cartoon character for Noveltoons, Friendly Fox, who later become the studio's most valuable animated property, as well as becoming an American cultural icon and the official mascot of Paramount. In 1955, after years working with Famous, Farwell later founded Paramount Animation, which became the most successful animation studio in the business.
In 1984, after Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg left Paramount to joined The Walt Disney Company, Farwell later become CEO of Paramount Animation. However, in 1994, Burke and Ponce retired and later sold their petition to Games Animation founders William Mathews and River Becker, but Farwell remained as CEO, as well as controlling the entire Viacom animation group (including Nickelodeon). She passed away from breast cancer and pneumonia complications at age 90.
Nancy Angelina Farwell (April 18, 1918 – July 15, 2008) was an American animator, director, producer, cartoonist and artist best known for creating Friendly Fox and other cartoon characters for Noveltoons, producing several short films, feature films and television programs for Paramount Animation throughout first six decades.
Farwell joined Fleischer Studios around 1938 after graduating high school. In 1942, Farwell later moved to Famous Studios, where she created a famous cartoon character for Noveltoons, Friendly Fox, who later become the studio's most valuable animated property, as well as becoming an American cultural icon and the official mascot of Paramount. In 1955, after years working with Famous, Farwell later founded Paramount Animation, which became the most successful animation studio in the business.
In 1984, after Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg left Paramount to joined The Walt Disney Company, Farwell later become CEO of Paramount Animation. However, in 1994, Burke and Ponce retired and later sold their petition to Games Animation founders William Mathews and River Becker, but Farwell remained as CEO, as well as controlling the entire Viacom animation group (including Nickelodeon). She passed away from breast cancer and pneumonia complications at age 90.
Early life[]
Nancy Farwell was born on April 18, 1918, in Manhattan, New York, to Danna Conway and Harold Farwell. She later moved with her parents and three siblings to the Los Angeles, California area.
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Career[]
Fleischer Studios[]
After she graduates from high school, Farwell decided to join Fleischer Studios, an animation studio that produces Betty Boop and Popeye the Sailor shorts for Paramount Pictures.
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Famous Studios[]
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Paramount Animation[]
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Personal life[]
Illness and death[]
Farwell was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1992, and was admitted to the hospital in 1994 after it slowly got worse. She received treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Hospital, where she was cured of tuberculosis. In June 2003, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Appointed to Cedars-Sinai in January 2004, she received chemo and radiation therapy treatments, which shrunk the cancer cells to an extent.
On July 14, 2008, at 2:45p.m., Farwell was rushed to the hospital after she stopped breathing. She had been diagnosed with pneumonia three weeks prior, and her conditions started to worsen from that point onward. At 1:20a.m. on July 15, 2008, Farwell died of breast cancer, as well as from complications of pneumonia, in Los Angeles, California. She was 90 years old. After her death, Nickelodeon aired a 20-second segment with black dots tracing Farwell's portrait with the words "We'll miss you – Nick" fading in on the right-hand side. This same type of tribute happened for William Mathews in 1997, George Burke, River Becker in 2003, and Lana Ponce in 2007, when each of them died. However, Farwell, unlike the other three, had an audio clip of her voice playing in her Nickelodeon promotional tribute.
More coming soon!
Legacy[]
Coming soon!
Trivia[]
Coming soon!
See also[]
- List of Nancy Farwell filmography
- Friendly Fox
Career[]
Fleischer Studios[]
After she graduates from high school, Farwell decided to join Fleischer Studios, an animation studio that produces Betty Boop and Popeye the Sailor shorts for Paramount Pictures.
More coming soon!
Famous Studios[]
Coming soon!
Paramount Animation[]
Coming soon!
Personal life[]
Illness and death[]
Farwell was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1992, and was admitted to the hospital in 1994 after it slowly got worse. She received treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Hospital, where she was cured of tuberculosis. In June 2003, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Appointed to Cedars-Sinai in January 2004, she received chemo and radiation therapy treatments, which shrunk the cancer cells to an extent.
On July 14, 2008, at 2:45p.m., Farwell was rushed to the hospital after she stopped breathing. She had been diagnosed with pneumonia three weeks prior, and her conditions started to worsen from that point onward. At 1:20a.m. on July 15, 2008, Farwell died of breast cancer, as well as from complications of pneumonia, in Los Angeles, California. She was 90 years old. After her death, Nickelodeon aired a 20-second segment with black dots tracing Farwell's portrait with the words "We'll miss you – Nick" fading in on the right-hand side. This same type of tribute happened for William Mathews in 1997, George Burke, River Becker in 2003, and Lana Ponce in 2007, when each of them died. However, Farwell, unlike the other three, had an audio clip of her voice playing in her Nickelodeon promotional tribute. Her resting place was at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
More coming soon!
Legacy[]
Coming soon!
Trivia[]
Coming soon!
See also[]
- List of Nancy Farwell filmography
- Friendly Fox