Walter Lantz Productions

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Walter Lantz Productions

Logo used from 1944 to 1956.
Formerly	Universal Cartoon Studios (1928–1935)
Industry	Animation
Predecessor	Bray Productions
Founded	1928; 96 years ago (1928)
Founder	Walter Lantz
Defunct	March 10, 1972; 52 years ago (1972-03-10) 1984; 40 years ago (1984) (Universal merger)
Fate	Folded into Universal Pictures
Successor	Universal Animation Studios
Headquarters	100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, U.S.
Key people	Walter Lantz[1] LaVerne Harding Shamus Culhane Dick Lundy Paul J. Smith
Products	Woody Woodpecker and other Walter Lantz's cartoons
Brands	Woody Woodpecker Chilly Willy Andy Panda Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (formerly) Walt Lantz' Cartunes
Parent	Universal Pictures (MCA Inc.)

Walter Lantz Productions was an American animation studio that was in operation from 1928 to 1972. It was the principal supplier of animation for Universal Pictures.

The studio was originally formed as Universal Cartoon Studios on the initiative of Universal movie mogul Carl Laemmle, who was tired of the continuous company politics he was dealing with concerning contracting cartoons outside animation studios. Walter Lantz, who was Laemmle's part-time chauffeur and a veteran of the John R. Bray Studios with considerable experience in all elements of animation production, was selected to run the department.

In 1935, the studio was severed from Universal and became Walter Lantz Studio under Lantz's direct control, and in 1939, renamed to Walter Lantz Productions. Lantz managed to gain the copyright for his characters. The cartoons continued to be distributed by Universal through 1947, changing to United Artists distribution in 1947–49, and by Universal again from 1950 to 1972.

The most prominent characters for the studio were Woody Woodpecker, Andy Panda, Chilly Willy, and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The music-oriented Swing Symphony cartoons were another successful staple but ended after swing music's popularity faded after the end of World War II.