Arthur Davis

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For the similarly named Congressman, see Artur Davis.

Arthur "Art" Davis (June 14, 1905 - May 9, 2000) was an animator and a director for Warner Brothers' Termite Terrace cartoon studio. He got his start as an animator for the Charles Mintz studio. While there, he helped create and develop Toby the Pup and Scrappy with fellow animators Dick Huemer and Sid Marcus. Davis would eventually be promoted to director and remained at the studio even after it became Screen Gems in 1940.

In 1942, Davis left Screen Gems along with Frank Tashlin for Warner Bros. Davis worked as an animator for Tashlin's department until 1946 when it was assumed by Robert McKimson. Later that same year, he became a director himself, replacing Bob Clampett, who started his own studio.

Davis directed a number of hilarious Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts, with a tone somewhere in-between those of Clampett and McKimson. Unfortunately, his department was shut-down only three years later in 1949 when Warners was having a budget problem. Davis then was taken into to Friz Freleng's unit until the studio closed.

Thirteen years later, Davis directed a cartoon for Warners again when Freleng was busy with other projects. This cartoon was "Quackodile Tears", which was also his last Warners short; he soon left to work at Walter Lantz as animator. He left Lantz in 1965 to work briefly for Hanna-Barbera Productions. He later moved over to DePatie-Freleng Enterprises to direct Pink Panther shorts and other cartoon series.