Norm Prescott

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Norm Prescott bigraphy, stories - Film

Norm Prescott : biography

January 31, 1927 – July 2, 2005

Norman "Norm" Prescott (January 31, 1927 – July 2, 2005) was co-founder and executive producer at Filmation Studios. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he began his radio career in the Hub, becoming program director at station WORL in the late 1940s. He went to work for Joseph E. Levine’s Embassy Pictures Corp. in 1959, serving as vice president of music, merchandising and post-production. He, Lou Scheimer and Hal Sutherland formed Filmation in 1963.

In many of Filmation’s shows in the 1970s, Prescott was co-credited as music composer under the pseudonym "Jeff Michael" (Jeff and Michael were the names of Prescott’s sons), along with Ray Ellis under the pseudonym "Yvette Blais" (his wife’s name) and Dean Andre (Wallschlaeger).

Productions

  • Pinocchio in Outer Space (Belgian co-produced feature film)
  • The New Adventures of Superman
  • Fantastic Voyage
  • The Batman/Superman Hour
  • The Archie Show
  • The Hardy Boys
  • Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down?
  • The Groovie Goolies
  • Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
  • The Brady Kids
  • Star Trek: The Animated Series
  • Lassie’s Rescue Rangers
  • My Favorite Martians
  • The U.S. of Archie
  • The New Adventures of Gilligan
  • The Original Ghostbusters
  • Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle
  • Tarzan and the Super 7
  • Ark II

Other Professional Work

Prescott also produced and directed the 1973 animated film Treasure Island and produced and wrote 1974’s Journey Back to Oz which featured Liza Minnelli as the voice of Dorothy. (Ms. Minnelli is the daughter of Judy Garland, the original Dorothy.)

Filmation produced the popular Star Trek animated series in 1973. Prescott also was producer for the cartoon series The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty, Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, The Space Sentinels, The New Adventures of Flash Gordon, The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle, The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show, Blackstar, and Sport Billy.

Death

Prescott died of natural causes in Los Angeles on July 2, 2005, at the age of 78. Professionally, he was survived by Lou Scheimer and his colleagues at Filmation Associates.