The Life of Larry and Larry & Steve are two animated short films created by Seth MacFarlane in the 1990s that eventually led to the development of the animated sitcom Family Guy. MacFarlane originally created The Life of Larry as a thesis film in 1995, while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design.[1][2] His professor at RISD submitted MacFarlane's cartoon to Hanna-Barbera, where he was hired a year later.[3] Later that year, MacFarlane created a sequel to The Life of Larry called Larry and Steve, which featured the main character of his first film, the middle-aged Larry, and an intellectual dog named Steve. The short was broadcast as one of Cartoon Network's World Premiere Toons.
Executives at Fox saw both Larry shorts and contracted MacFarlane to create a series based on the characters, to be called Family Guy.[4] Peter Griffin, the main character in Family Guy, was largely based on Larry. In addition, Steve would be the main inspiration behind the Griffin family dog, Brian.[5] Fox proposed MacFarlane complete a 15-minute short, giving him a budget of $50,000.[6] MacFarlane stated that the pilot for Family Guy took half a year to create and produce.[3] Recalling the experience in an interview with The New York Times, MacFarlane stated, "I spent about six months with no sleep and no life, just drawing like crazy in my kitchen and doing this pilot."[7] Upon completion of the pilot, the series went on the air.[8] The network executives were impressed with the pilot and ordered thirteen episodes, seven of which aired during the first season of Family Guy. MacFarlane was offered a $2 million per-season contract.[9]
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| The Life of Larry | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Seth MacFarlane |
| Produced by | Seth MacFarlane |
| Written by | Seth MacFarlane |
| Starring | Seth MacFarlane Newt Gingrich Chang S. Han |
| Music by | Seth MacFarlane |
| Editing by | Seth MacFarlane |
| Studio | Rhode Island School of Design Microscope Films |
| Distributed by | Rhode Island School of Design |
| Release date(s) | 1995 |
| Running time | 11 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Life of Larry is a 1995 animated film. The film was directed by Seth MacFarlane, and stars MacFarlane as the majority of the characters, as well as a brief appearance from American politician Newt Gingrich. The short features a middle-aged slob named Larry Cummings, his cynical talking dog, Steve, supportive wife Lois, and pudgy teenage son Milt. The film also features live-action segments shot at MacFarlane's home in Kent, Connecticut where he comically describes the film and its characters in the form of a pitch to a television network. During the live action segments, MacFarlane is being served cheesecake by his Asian servant, Wang, played by fellow student Chang S. Han.
The Life of Larry was created as MacFarlane's thesis film during 1994 and 1995, while he was studying at the Rhode Island School of Design.[1][2] The animated film was created almost entirely by MacFarlane alone. The exception being the live action sequence, which was filmed by classmates Sean Leahy and Greg Scalzo.
Many of the jokes and cutaway gags used in The Life of Larry were later used in many of the first season Family Guy episodes.
| Larry & Steve | |
|---|---|
Title card for Larry & Steve. |
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| Directed by | Seth MacFarlane |
| Produced by | Davis Doi (supervising) Victoria McCollum (supervising) Executive producer: Larry Huber Sherry Gunther |
| Written by | Seth MacFarlane |
| Starring | Seth MacFarlane Lori Alan |
| Music by | Ron Jones Gary Lionelli (Theme) Bodie Chandler (director) |
| Editing by | Pat Foley Paul Douglas (supervising) |
| Studio | Fil-Cartoons, Inc. N Studios Hanna-Barbera Cartoons |
| Distributed by | Hanna-Barbera Productions Cartoon Network Studios |
| Release date(s) | April 28, 1997 |
| Running time | 11 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
While MacFarlane was working for Hanna-Barbara Studios, and Bigbc studios working on shows such as Johnny Bravo, Dexter's Laboratory, I Am Weasel, and Cow and Chicken,[8] he made a sequel of sorts, to The Life of Larry, which Cartoon Network broadcasted in 1997 as part of their World Premiere Toons series. The short featured notably better animation than most of MacFarlane's other projects.
The plot of Larry & Steve is that Larry adopts Steve from the dog pound, after noticing that he was the only talking dog (although to everybody else throughout the cartoon, Steve is just barking) and the two have a fast-paced, slapstick-filled day trying to buy furniture and appliances for Larry's apartment. There is also an airline pilot in this cartoon whose voice and appearance is very similar to the Family Guy character Glenn Quagmire who is also a commercial airline pilot in Family Guy. Larry mentions a furniture store called "Stewie's", a name that will later be used for the character of Peter Griffin's infant son.
In basic form, The Life Of Larry is very similar in format to Family Guy. Peter's character was largely based on Larry, and Steve would be the main inspiration behind Brian.[5] MacFarlane based Peter's voice, which was identical to Larry's,[5] on the voice of a security guard he once overheard talking, while he was attending the RISD.[10] Larry and Peter's wives share the same name and Milt, Larry's son, is almost identical to Peter's son Chris. A bit character from both films, Shelley Boothbishop, made his way into the Family Guy episode "Long John Peter".
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