Biography: Irv Spence

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Birth/Death

Birth: April 24, 1909
Death: September 21, 1995 in Dallas, Texas.

Occupation/Title

Animator

Bio Summary

Irvin Spence attended Compton High School in California with William Hannah.

Early Life/Family

Irvin Spence attended Compton High School in California with William Hannah.

Education/Training

Career Outline

Encouraged by William Hannah, Spence pursued a career in animation, first by working with Ub Iwerks on the “Flip the Frog” shorts. This was in the early 1930’s through 1936. That year Spence moved to the MGM Studios where he helped create the memorable duo of Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse. Spence would spend quite a bit of time with MGM studios and move once more to the Hannah-Barbera Studios. There he would help to develop the characters for “The Flintstones”, “The Jetsons”, and “Yogi Bear”. Spence also had some work on feature length animations such as “Wizards” 1977, and “The Lord of the Rings” 1978.

Comments On Style

Irvin Spence helped to create some of the most iconic work of the 20th century.

Influences

Personality

Anecdotes

While attending Compton High School, Irvin Spence and William Hannah were involved in the school newspaper. Irven Spence also kept an interesting cartoon diary.

Miscellaneous

Filmography

Egghead Rides Again (1937) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
A Sunbonnet Blue (1937) (animator)
Little Red Walking Hood (1937) (animator)
The Isle of Pingo Pongo (1938) (animator)
Blitz Wolf (1942) (animator) ?The Early Bird Dood It! (1942) (animator)
Red Hot Riding Hood (1943) (animator) (uncredited)
The Yankee Doodle Mouse (1943) (animator)
Baby Puss (1943) (animator)
The Zoot Cat (1944) (animator)
The Million Dollar Cat (1944) (animator)
The Bodyguard (1944) (animator)
Puttin’ on the Dog (1944) (animator)
Mouse Trouble (1944) (animator) ?… aka Cat Nipped ?… aka Kitty Foiled ?The Mouse Comes to Dinner (1945) (animator) ?… aka Mouse to Dinner
Mouse in Manhattan (1945) (animator) ?… aka Manhattan Serenade
Tee for Two (1945) (animator)
Quiet Please! (1945) (animator) ?The Cat Concerto (1946) (animator) ?Springtime for Thomas (1946) (animator) (uncredited)
The Invisible Mouse (1947) (animator)
The Little Orphan (1948) (animator) ?Kitty Foiled (1948) (animator)
The Truce Hurts (1948) (animator) ?Old Rockin’ Chair Tom (1948) (animator)
Professor Tom (1948) (animator)
Mouse Cleaning (1948) (animator)
Polka-Dot Puss (1949) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Hatch Up Your Troubles (1949) (animator)
Heavenly Puss (1949) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
The Cat and the Mermouse (1949) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Love That Pup (1949) (animator)
Tennis Chumps (1949) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Jerry’s Cousin (1950) (animator) (as Irvin Spence) ?… aka City Cousin ?… aka Muscles Mouse
Little Quacker (1950) (animator) ?Saturday Evening Puss (1950) (animator) (as Irvin Spence) ?… aka Party Cat
Texas Tom (1950) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Jerry and the Lion (1950) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)?… aka Hold That Lion
Safety Second (1950) (animator) (as Irvin Spence) ?… aka F’r Safety Sake
Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl (1950) (animator) ?The Framed Cat (1950) (animator)
Cue Ball Cat (1950) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
The Two Mouseketeers (1951) (animator)
Casanova Cat (1951) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Jerry and the Goldfish (1951) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Sleepy-Time Tom (1951) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
His Mouse Friday (1951) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Slicked-up Pup (1951) (animator)
Nit-Witty Kitty (1951) (animator)
Cat Napping (1951) (animator)
Johann Mouse (1952) (animator)
The Flying Cat (1952) (animator) ?The Duck Doctor (1952) (animator)
Triplet Trouble (1952) (animator)
Little Runaway (1952) (animator)
Fit to Be Tied (1952) (animator)
Push-Button Kitty (1952) (animator)
Cruise Cat (1952) (animator)
The Dog House (1952) (animator)
The Missing Mouse (1953) (animator)
Jerry and Jumbo (1953) (animator)
That’s My Pup! (1953) (animator) ?Just Ducky (1953) (animator) ?Two Little Indians (1953) (animator)
Life with Tom (1953) (animator)
Puppy Tale (1954) (animator)
Posse Cat (1954) (animator)
Hic-cup Pup (1954) (animator) ?… aka Tyke Takes a Nap
Little School Mouse (1954) (animator)
Baby Butch (1954) (animator)
Mice Follies (1954) (animator)
Neapolitan Mouse (1954) (animator)
Downhearted Duckling (1954) (animator)
Pet Peeve (1954) (animator)
Touché, Pussy Cat! (1954) (animator) ?Southbound Duckling (1955) (animator)
Pup on a Picnic (1955) (animator)
Mouse for Sale (1955) (animator)
Designs on Jerry (1955) (animator)
Tom and Chérie (1955) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Smarty Cat (1955) (animator)
Deputy Droopy (1955) (animator)
Pecos Pest (1955) (animator)
That’s My Mommy (1955) (animator) (as Irvin Spence) ?Cellbound (1955) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Good Will to Men (1955) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
The Flying Sorceress (1956) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
The Egg and Jerry (1956) (animator)
Busy Buddies (1956) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Muscle Beach Tom (1956) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Down Beat Bear (1956) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Blue Cat Blues (1956) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Barbecue Brawl (1956) (animator) (as Irvin Spence) ?Tops with Pops (1957) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Timid Tabby (1957) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Grin and Share It (1957) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Feedin’ the Kiddie (1957) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Blackboard Jumble (1957) (animator)
One Droopy Knight (1957) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
Sheep Wrecked (1958) (animator) (as Irvin Spence) ?Mutts About Racing (1958) (animator) (as Irvin Spence)
“The Dick Tracy Show” (1961) TV Series (animator) (as Irv Spence)
Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear (1964) (animator)
“Jonny Quest” (animation supervisor) (as Irv Spence)?(animator) (as Irv Spence) ?… aka The Adventures of Jonny Quest ?- The Robot Spy (1964) TV Episode (animation supervisor) (as Irv Spence) ?- Treasure of the Temple (1964) TV Episode (animation supervisor) (as Irv Spence) ?- The Curse of Anubis (1964) TV Episode (animator) (as Irv Spence) ?- Antarctic Splashdown (1964) TV Episode (animator) (as Irv Spence)
Matinee Mouse (1966) (animator)
The Man Called Flintstone (1966) (animator)
“Frankenstein, Jr. and the Impossibles” (1966) TV Series (animator) (as Irv Spence)
Shutter Bugged Cat (1967) (animator)
“The Atom Ant Show” (1967) TV Series (animator) (as Irv. Spence)
“Moby Dick and the Mighty Mightor” (1967) TV Series?(animator) (as Irv Spence)
Horton Hears a Who! (1970) (TV) (animator) (as Irv Spence)
Bridgework (1970) (animator)
Robin Goodhood (1970) (animator)
“Doctor Dolittle” (1970) TV Series (animator) (as Irv Spence)
Mumbo Jumbo (1970) (animator) ?The Phantom Tollbooth (1970) (animator) ?… aka The Adventures of Milo in the Phantom Tollbooth ?A Dopey Hacienda (1970) (animator) (as Irv Spence)
“The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show” (1971) TV Series (animator)
Rough Brunch (1971) (animator) (as Irv Spence)
“The New Scooby-Doo Movies” (1972) TV Series (animator) ?… aka Scooby-Doo Meets the Harlem Globetrotters?(USA: video title) ?… aka Scooby-Doo’s New Comedy Movie Pictures (USA)
Coonskin (1975) (sequence animator) ?… aka Bustin’ Out (UK: LD title) ?… aka Streetfight ?.. aka J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (USA: complete title) ?Wizards (1977) (sequence animator)
The Lord of the Rings (1978) (key animator)
Hey Good Lookin’ (1982) (animator)
“The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo” (1985) TV Series (animation director)
Christmas in Tattertown (1987) (TV) (animator) (as Irv Spence)
“A Pup Named Scooby-Doo” (1988) TV Series (animation director) ?Cool World (1992) (animator) (uncredited) ?Jetsons: The Movie (1990) (key animator) (as Irv Spence) ?”Potsworth & Co.” (1990) TV Series (animation director) ?… aka Midnight Patrol (USA) ?Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992) (animator) (as Irv Spence) ?