Famous Studios

Paramount Cartoon Studios
Formerly	Famous Studios (1942–1956)
Predecessor	Fleischer Studios
Founded	May 24, 1941
Founders	Sam Buchwald; Seymour Kneitel; Isadore Sparber
Defunct	December 31, 1967
Fate	Shut down by Paramount Pictures
Successors	Studio:; Paramount Animation; Nickelodeon Animation Studio/Klasky-Csupo; DreamWorks Animation(Viacom ownership from 2005-2011); MTV Entertainment Studios/MTV Animation; Library:; Paramount Pictures; (through Melange Pictures and Paramount Animation); (August 1942-September 1950 and March 1962-December 1967 cartoons only); Universal Pictures; (through DreamWorks Animation and Classic Media); (October 1950-February 1962 cartoons under Harvey Films only); Warner Bros.; (through Turner Entertainment Co. and DC Entertainment); (Popeye the Sailor and Superman only)
Headquarters	Miami, Florida (1941–1943); New York City, New York (1943–1967)
Key people	Sam Buchwald; Seymour Kneitel; Isadore Sparber; Dan Gordon; Howard Post; Ralph Bakshi; Max Fleischer; Dave Fleischer
Products	Animated cartoons
Owner	Paramount Pictures; (Gulf+Western)
Number of employees	Approx. 50

Famous Studios (renamed Paramount Cartoon Studios in 1956) was the first animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was established as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount seized control of the aforementioned studio amid the departure of its founders, Max and Dave Fleischer, in 1942. The studio's productions included three series started by the Fleischers—Popeye the Sailor, Superman, and Screen Songs—as well as Little Audrey, Little Lulu, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Honey Halfwitch, Herman and Katnip, Baby Huey, and the Noveltoons and Modern Madcaps series.

The Famous name was previously used by Famous Players Film Company, one of several companies which in 1912 became Famous Players–Lasky Corporation, the company which founded Paramount Pictures. Paramount's music publishing branch, which held the rights to all of the original music in the Fleischer/Famous cartoons, was named Famous Music, and a movie theater chain in Canada owned by Paramount was called Famous Players.

The library of Famous Studios cartoons is currently divided between three separate film studios (via various subsidiaries):

Paramount Pictures via Melange Pictures (which owns the Pre-October 1950 cartoons by Fleischer and Famous Studios cartoons- outside of Popeye and Superman) and Paramount Animation (which owns the March 1962-December 1967 cartoons);
Universal Pictures via DreamWorks Animation and Classic Media (which owns the October 1950-February 1962 cartoons under Harvey Films);
Warner Bros. via Turner Entertainment Co. (which owns all the Popeye the Sailor cartoons, with King Features Entertainment under license for the original comics and characters); and DC Entertainment (which owns all the Superman cartoons).