Founded in 1988 by Harmony Gold writer Carl Macek (the man associated, perhaps unfairly, with the Macekre) and animation historian Jerry Beck, Streamline Pictures was the first company to bring over and dub anime uncut on video in North America.note While all of Streamline's dubs and productions were uncut, Carl Macek's script rewrites were designed to increase accessibility for American audiences, and this was usually more than enough to tick off the louder contingent of hardcore fans in the already-exhausting Subbing Versus Dubbing war. Despite the name behind the company, these were not Macekres with totally different character names and gratuitous edits. Needless to say, the scope of the changes varied by production, with some translations being more faithful than others.
Throughout the late 80's/early 90's, as other anime distributors began releasing subtitled tapes along with the better-selling dubbed versions, and then putting both versions on Laserdisc/DVD, Streamline Pictures stayed with the dub-only approach (since Macek firmly believed that releasing subtitled animation was pointless since the Japanese dialog was also technically dubbed). On their laserdisc releases and some of their DVD releases you can have both Japanese and English audio, but no subtitles. AKIRA and Twilight of the Cockroaches were the only releases with subtitled versions available (on TotC, the subtitles were done – poorly – by Macek himself). There were actually subtitles created for Vampire Hunter D, and their Miyazaki films, but they were only released as film prints (there were a few roadshows back around 1992). There also was one instance of Harmony Gold releasing subbed anime, as part of the Robotech Perfect collection which had two episodes of Robotech, and the corresponding two episodes of one of the three Japanese series that made it up with rather poor subtitles. Each set got approximately halfway through its source series.
Streamline also issued much of their early product in their original aspect ratio. Akira, Twilight of the Cockroaches, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, and The Professional: Golgo 13 were among them. Though most were later released by Orion Pictures in pan-and-scan format, one later release, Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo, did get the letterbox treatment.
Due to the failure of Crimson Wolf in 1995 as well as Orion's financial problems, Streamline Pictures folded in 1997, just as DVD (and anime in general) was beginning to grow in popularity. The few DVD's Streamline put out prior to their collapse are extremely rare today.
After Streamline Pictures went under, other anime companies would pick up the rights to much of their catalog. Some companies (Urban Vision) chose to keep the Streamline dubs on their releases while others (Bandai Entertainment, Geneon) chose to commission new dubs. ADV Films did mostly the latter, but kept a few Streamline dubs. Recent releases of old Streamline properties by Nozomi Entertainment and Discotek Media (Eastern Star) have included Macek's dubs, even if a newer dub exists (in those cases, they try to include both). And of course, Disney decided to produce their own dubs of the Miyazaki films when they took over the Studio Ghibli catalog.
Most of Streamline's dubs were recorded at Screenmusic Studios (now Studiopolis) in Los Angeles, with a few being recorded at Wally Burr Recording or InterSound. Many of the company's voice actor pool would continue to work in dubbing/ADR for years afterwards, becoming well-regarded industry veterans. Some also moved into ADR writing and directing. Macek himself continued writing scripts for anime series and voice directing (including a dub of Aura Battler Dunbine for ADV Films) until his sudden death in 2010. One of the studio's employees, animation enthusiast Fred Patten, would go on to do a 18-part retrospective of the company on Beck's Cartoon Research, which can be found here
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Voice actors include:
- Richard Allen (died 2013)
- Stephen Apostolina
- Robert Axelrod (died 2019)
- Robert V. Barron (died 2000)
- Catherine Battistone
- Bob Bergen
- Cyn Branch
- Steve Bulen
- Wally Burr (died 2017)
- Richard Cansino
- William Capizzi (died 2007)
- Russell Case
- Frank Catalano
- Ardwight Chamberlain
- Louise Chamis
- Cheryl Chase
- Cam Clarke
- Christopher Carroll
- Tony Clay
- Lara Cody
- John Dantona
- Rachel Davies
- Mari Devon
- Julie Diamond
- Juliana Donald
- David Ellenstein
- Richard Epcar
- Sam Fontana
- Michael Forest (sometimes credited as Alfred Thor)
- Rebecca Forstadt
- Eddie Frierson
- Barbara Goodson
- Melora Harte
- Milton James (died 2018)
- Eleni Kelakos
- Alexandra Kenworthy
- Art Kimbro
- Jason Klassi
- Steve Kramer
- Gaye Kruger
- Joyce Kurtz
- Wendee Lee
- Carl Macek (died 2010)
- Svea Macek
- Julie Maddalena
- Kerrigan Mahan
- Dave Mallow
- Edward Mannix (died 1995)
- Michael McConnohie
- Melanie McQueen (sometimes credited as Aline Leslie)
- Diane Michelle
- Karlyn Michelson
- Lisa Michelson (died 1991)
- Edie Mirman
- Iona Morris
- Daran Norris
- Joan-Carol O'Connell
- Tony Oliver
- Fred Patten (died 2018)
- Bob Papenbrook (died 2006)
- Bodie Plecas
- Tony Pope (died 2004)
- David Povall
- Simon Prescott
- Jan Rabson
- Mike Reynolds (died 2022)
- Lia Sargent
- Ernie Sheesley
- Brianne Siddall
- Gregory Snegoff
- Michael Sorich
- Melodee M. Spevack
- Bonnie Stauch
- Barry Stigler (died 2005)
- Doug Stone
- Kirk Thornton
- Dean Wein
- Clifton Wells (died 2000)
- Bruce Winant
- Jeff Winkless (died 2006)
- Daniel Woren
- Tom Wyner
Note: on the later releases with the Streamline dubs, on the intro it will have Carl Macek's name on it.
List of dubs from Streamline (some of the shows were redubbed later):
- 3×3 Eyes (1992) (later redubbed and released on DVD by Geneon; Streamline dub only on VHS and Laserdisc)
- 3×3 Eyes 2 (1997) (later redubbed and released by Geneon; Streamline dub only on VHS and Laserdisc)
- 8 Man After (1994) (Streamline dub only on VHS and DVD as a Compilation Movie; later re-released on DVD by Discotek Media as individual episodes with both the Streamline dub and the Japanese language track.)
- AKIRA (1988) (later distributed by Orion Pictures, then Pioneer with a new dub, then Bandai, then Funimation. Technically not dubbed by Streamline Pictures, who simply provided US distribution, though the dub itself contains much of the same voice pool as their actual output. The Funimation release contains both dubs)
- Babel II (1995) (VHS and DVD only, later rereleased on DVD by Discotek Media who kept the Streamline dub)
- Barefoot Gen (1995)
- Casshan: Robot Hunter (1995) (later released to DVD by Discotek Media, who kept the Streamline dub)
- Clutch Cargo (released as part of their Archive Series in the early '90s)
- Colonel Bleep (released as part of their Archive Series in the early '90s)
- Crimson Wolf (1995) (VHS and DVD only)
- Crying Freeman (1994) (later distributed by ADV Films in original form, with subtitles added; ADV handled the final OVA installment, with Steve Bulen and Edie Mirman reprising their respective roles alongside ADV's usual talent pool)
- The Dirty Pair's Affair on Nolandia (1993) (later licensed and redubbed by ADV Films; Nozomi Entertainment re-released the OVA in 2012 with both the Streamline and ADV dub tracks)
- Dirty Pair: Flight 005 Conspiracy (1994) (later licensed and redubbed by ADV Films; Nozomi Entertainment re-released the OVA in 2012 with both the Streamline and ADV dub tracks)
- Dirty Pair: The Movie - Project Eden (1994) (later licensed and redubbed by ADV Films; Nozomi Entertainment re-released the film in 2012 with both the Streamline and ADV dub tracks)
- Doomed Megalopolis (1993) (later distributed by ADV Films, with the Streamline dub kept on DVDs)
- Fist of the North Star Movie (1991) (later distributed by Image Entertainment on VHS/LD/DVD, followed many years later by a new DVD release from Discotek Media)
- Great Conquest: The Romance of Three Kingdoms (1995) (later distributed by Orion Pictures and Discotek Media)
- Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot (1996) (Not owned by them but the first 8 episodes in Production Order were licensed through Orion Pictures, later rereleased in its entirety and in proper airing order by MGM and Shout! Factory in 2013. It was also notable for being their only Toku release).
- Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) (later distributed and redubbed by Disney and GKids; only available in the Japanese "Ghibli ga Ippai" LaserDisc boxset)
- Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1989) (later licensed and redubbed by Disney and GKids; Technically not actually dubbed by Streamline, who simply provided US distribution, though the dub itself contains much of the same voice pool as their actual output. Currently only available on the Japanese DVD)
- Lensman (1990) (VHS and Laserdisc only in US)
- Lily C.A.T. (1994) (VHS only, later distributed on DVD by Discotek Media with the Streamline dub kept)
- Lupin III Tales Of The Wolf (1994) (two episodes of the second TV series, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, later relicensed by Discotek Media, with the dubs for these two episodes intact)
- Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo (1995) (distributed by Orion Pictures; later licensed and redubbed by Geneon, re-licensed again in 2012 by Discotek Media, who released the film to DVD with all four dubs)
- Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1992) (dubbed version; later licensed and redubbed by Manga Entertainment. Both dubs are included on the Discotek Media rerelease, and the Streamline dub was also sublicensed by Disney for inclusion on their Miyazaki box set)
- Megazone 23 (1995) (later distributed and redubbed by ADV Films and AnimEigo. Parts of Megazone 23 were also adapted into Robotech: The Movie)
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988) (Released by Troma Films, of all people, in 1993. The dub was distributed on home video by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Even later distributed by Disney who redubbed it for their release)
- Nadia (1992) (production ceased after 8 episodes; re-released in 1995 as The Secret of Blue Water. Later redubbed and released to completion by ADV Films and Sentai Filmworks)
- Neo Tokyo (1987) (1992) (later distributed by ADV Films, keeping the Streamline dub)
- Planet Busters (1992) (later distributed and redubbed by ADV Films under the original title Birth)
- Robot Carnival (1991) (Only on VHS and Laserdisc in the US, rereleased by Discotek on DVD with Streamline dub intact.)
- Robotech (1985) (previously released by Harmony Gold and Family Home Entertainment, later released by ADV Films and A&E Home Entertainment, currently distributed by Lionsgate)
- Silent Möbius (1994) (later distributed by Miramax Films and Bandai Entertainment; the latter eventually redubbed it; Streamline's dub was only on VHS)
- Space Adventure Cobra (1995) (distributed to home video by Urban Vision, but dubbed by Streamline; a planned VHS release by Streamline had been cancelled due to problems with the distributor. Released to DVD in 2012 by Discotek Media with the Streamline dub kept)
- Space Angel (released as part of their Archive Series in the early '90s)
- The Professional: Golgo 13 (1992) (later distributed by Urban Vision and Discotek, with the Streamline dub kept)
- The Speed Racer Show (1993) (later released on home video by Live Entertainment under the Family Home Entertainment name as "Speed Racer: The Movie", consists of "The Car Hater", the "Mammoth Car" 2-parter and several 50s commercials)
- Twilight of the Cockroaches (1989) (Only on VHS and Laserdisc in the US)
- Vampire Hunter D (1992) (originally distributed by CBS Theatrical Films, later distributed by Urban Vision. Later rereleased and redubbed by Sentai Filmworks)
- Wicked City (1993) (later distributed by Urban Vision and Discotek, with the Streamline dub kept)
- Windaria (1991) (later distributed by ADV Films under the title Once Upon a Time)
- Zillion (1990) (only five episodes dubbed, later relicensed sub-only by Funimation)
- Zillion: Burning Night (1991)(later released sub-only by Funimation)
