Which cartoon studio in the 1940s did the best with theatrical cartoons?

[Stumpos]

Sequel to the one for the 1930s.

Among the studios in the 1940s producing cartoon shorts, Walt Disney Productions, Warner Bros Cartoons, MGM, Walter Lantz Productions, and Terrytoons returned from the 1930s. Fleischer Studios would be retooled into Famous Studios in 1942 after Paramount took control of the studio and fired the Fleischer brothers. Screen Gems would be shut down in 1946 (but the backlog lasted until 1949) and replaced by UPA for Columbia Cartoons.

Between these studios, which one was the best with theatrical cartoons during the 1940s and why (note this doesn't include the feature films by Disney and Fleischer at the time)? And how did the other studios fare in comparison?

• Walt Disney Productions
• Warner Bros Cartoons
• MGM
• Walter Lantz Productions
• Terrytoons
• Fleischer/Famous Studios
• Screen Gems/UPA

 

[Leviathan]

WB, no contest, with MGM as a very close second.

If you've seen any of their cartoons, you'll know why.

Lantz and Disney are tied for third in my eyes, since both their work was more hit-and-miss, but their best work compares favorable with WB and MGM.

 

[Edward Joseph]

WB, without a doubt, with MGM in second place.

 

[Stumpos]

WB, no contest, with MGM as a very close second.

If you've seen any of their cartoons, you'll know why.

Lantz and Disney are tied for third in my eyes, since both their work was more hit-and-miss, but their best work compares favorable with WB and MGM.

WB, without a doubt, with MGM in second place.

What about the other studios?

 

[Leviathan]

What about the other studios?

After WB, MGM, Disney and Lantz, Famous would be my favorite studio. They made a lot of fun and solid shorts, particularly Popeye shorts like Rocket to Mars.

It's hard to say things about 40's Fleischer. The Fleischer-Famous transition happened super-early in the decade (and according to current research, like with Spumco/Games Ren and Stimpy the dividing lines between the two are blurry at best). There's the Supermans and the last few good Popeye shorts they did like the ones with him in the Navy.

Terrytoons never really did anything for me. They're just kind of there. It's the epitome of a studio that never aimed higher artistically than being filler for undiscriminating children (Famous would decline to that as well, but after the period we're talking about),

And dead last is Screen Gems. You can count the good shorts they made on the fingers of two hands tops. UPA only made a couple of shorts in the 40's, so they're hard to judge.