Gracie Films
 Gracie Films logo | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film and television animation production |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | James L. Brooks |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Richard Sakai (President)[1] |
| Website | http://www.graciefilms.com |
Gracie Films is an American independent film and television production company created by James L. Brooks in 1986. The company is primarily responsible for producing the long-running animated series The Simpsons, as well as the films Big, Broadcast News, and Jerry Maguire.
Overview
James L. Brooks founded Gracie Films at 20th Century Fox in 1986, with Polly Platt as executive vice president. Named for comedian Gracie Allen, the company was established to "provide real writers with a vehicle to get their movies made".[2] Its primary distributor is currently Sony Pictures Entertainment, though it continues to produce The Simpsons at Fox's studios in Century City, Los Angeles.
According to Simpsons Confidential, Brooks gave The Simpsons' writing staff free rein, as he firmly believed they were the most important part of the process,[3] and "in the legal battles over The Simpsons, it was Fox that was being sued, not Gracie Films".[4] The company also coordinates international distribution and dubbing for The Simpsons,[5] "in Italy, in particular... [finding] voices for dubbing that would match those of the original American actors as closely as possible."[6]
Gracie Films' production logo depicts noisy patrons in a movie theater being shushed by a woman before the company's name appears on the screen, accompanied by its nine-note musical signature.[7] Treehouse of Horror episodes often have the jingle played in minor key on a pipe organ, with the shush replaced by a woman screaming. Other audio variations exist on The Simpsons, often with dialogue from the episode or characters such as Homer responding to the shush.
Filmography
Television
| Title | Creator(s) | Years active | Co-Produced by |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Tracey Ullman Show | James L. Brooks, Jerry Belson, Ken Estin, Heide Perlman | 1987–1990 | 20th Century Fox Television |
| The Simpsons | Matt Groening | 1989–present | 20th Century Fox Television, The Curiosity Company (Season 28–present) |
| Sibs | Heide Perlman | 1991–1992 | Columbia Pictures Television |
| Phenom | Sam Simon, Dick Blasucci, Marc Flanagan | 1993–1994 | Columbia Pictures Television, ELP Communications |
| The Critic | Al Jean, Mike Reiss | 1994–1995 | Columbia Pictures Television, Film Roman |
| What About Joan? | Ed. Weinberger | 2001–2002 | Columbia TriStar Television |
Films
Miscellaneous productions
| Title | Released | Distributor | Co-produced by | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare" | July 13, 2012 | 20th Century Fox Animation | Film Roman | Short film, shown with Ice Age: Continental Drift |
References
- ^ "Richard Sakai / Variety". Variety. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
- ^ Alisa Perren, Indie, Inc.: Miramax and the Transformation of Hollywood in the 1990s, p. 159, at Google Books
- ^ John Ortved, Simpsons Confidential, p. 30, at Google Books
- ^ John Ortved, Simpsons Confidential: The uncensored, totally unauthorised history of the world's greatest TV show by the people that made it, p. 126, at Google Books
- ^ Michela Ardizzoni, Chiara Ferrari (eds.), Beyond Monopoly: Globalization and Contemporary Italian Media, p. 101, at Google Books
- ^ Chiara Francesca Ferrari, Since When Is Fran Drescher Jewish?: Dubbing Stereotypes in The Nanny, The Simpsons, and The Sopranos, p. 73, at Google Books
- ^ "All Gracie Films Variants" on YouTube