tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806769496319369732024-03-14T00:10:30.815-07:00Animation - Who & WhereVisit here to get some insight on the people and places from the history of animation. We strive for accuracy and will often go to extreme lengths to ensure that the truths are revealed!Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-62090157652058185612011-09-07T18:01:00.000-07:002012-03-21T08:29:37.626-07:00Fred Moore's 100th Birthday!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-clVYOhK55Vg/Tmb0tHDFQMI/AAAAAAAAAg4/9IFJcDYM8B4/s1600/100years.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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Happy Birthday Fred!</div>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-57587080337419912522011-01-17T13:13:00.000-08:002011-01-17T13:20:17.910-08:00Disney Bulletin - January 17, 1939<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/TTRmtbLYl1I/AAAAAAAAAgU/CzIlTBKkBWw/s1600/artifacts_sm.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 90px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/TTRmtbLYl1I/AAAAAAAAAgU/CzIlTBKkBWw/s400/artifacts_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563184370285057874" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Turn the Clock Back 72 Years</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Another Disney Bulletin offering a peek into the goings-on at Disney's Hyperion Avenue studio. There is a mention of Mary Flanigan, jokingly listed as "Apple Mary" who was offici</span><span style="font-family:arial;">ally a stenographer or receptionist, but also ran a small side-business within the studio selling cigarettes, gum and other treats.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Lower on the first page is a brief but informative biography of Joe Grant apparently written by Dorothy Ann Blank who had earlier worked on Snow White in the story department. </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />In column two is a list of artists who were there for animation tryouts. The only name here which stands out is Hawley Pratt, a who later went on to fame as a layout artist with Warner Bros. cartoons and director with DePatie-Freleng. Readers may find one or more names they recognize.<br /><br />Further down is the mention of a Co</span><span style="font-family:arial;">nrad Buff art exhibi<span style="font-family:arial;">t at the Colonial Tea Room nearby. This Conrad Buff is not the Academy Award winning editor, nor his father the architect, but his grandfather the artist. Also below are listings for screenings and club meetings and a short list of artists whose gags were accepted for use in upcoming Donald Duck strips.</span></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />An outline for submissions to The Bulletin starts off the second and final page. Notable cost-cutting measures arise in a section titled, "Is Your Number Here?," where employees are asked to point out phone numbers they have called and step forward to pay for the charges. Beyond that is a list of new books in the studio library. Rounding out the issue is one simple classified ad from the great Roy Williams who is attempting to sell a brown suede jacket.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/TTSuuYhSxmI/AAAAAAAAAgc/6m92FZXkxbo/s1600/DB_1939_01_17a_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 165px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/TTSuuYhSxmI/AAAAAAAAAgc/6m92FZXkxbo/s320/DB_1939_01_17b_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563263551588714082" border="5" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/TTSu0HuiGHI/AAAAAAAAAgk/fDneuOTeT30/s1600/DB_1939_01_17b_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 5pt 5pt 15px 15px; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 165px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/TTSu0HuiGHI/AAAAAAAAAgk/fDneuOTeT30/s320/DB_1939_01_17a_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563263650160056434" border="5" /></a>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-57292719135478165452008-10-28T08:07:00.000-07:002008-10-28T08:42:43.567-07:00Rollin "Ham" Hamilton's 110th Birthday!<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SQaq1B-aEJI/AAAAAAAAAeM/hU1CbkHSSWM/s1600-h/100years.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 101px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SQaq1B-aEJI/AAAAAAAAAeM/hU1CbkHSSWM/s400/100years.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262081042668982418" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Rollin Clare* Hamilton was born 110 years ago today in South Dakota. His parents were William Clarence Hamilton and the former Ella Stevens, both natives of Iowa.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Two years earlier his older brother, Louis had been born in Iowa, but shortly after that, the young family was on the move to South Dakota where William worked as a druggist. His work had the family on the move every few years throughout the area.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />In the first two decades of the new century they lived in Edgeley, Grafton and Grand Forks, North Dakota as well as Casper, Wyoming. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">In 1906 the family grew once again when they welcomed Irene Martha. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">By 1922 the family had made the move to Los Angeles, California.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SQaqnpeLraI/AAAAAAAAAeE/XGkNUXm3tks/s1600-h/hamilton_ham_1928.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SQaqnpeLraI/AAAAAAAAAeE/XGkNUXm3tks/s400/hamilton_ham_1928.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262080812753071522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">In February, 1924, the twenty-five year old Hamilton was the first outside animator hired at the Disney Bros. Studio. He immediately began working on what would be the fifth of the Alice Comedies, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Alice's Spooky Adventure.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> Later in 1924 Disney hired his younger <span style="font-size:100%;">sister Irene as an inker.<br /><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Rollin would remain animating with Disney throughout the remaining <st1:place style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:city st="on"><i>Alice</i></st1:city></st1:place><span style="font-family:arial;"> shorts and all of the </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Oswald The Lucky Rabbit</i><span style="font-family:arial;"> cartoons until early May 1928 when he was among those who exited the studio when Charles Mintz took over physical production of the Oswald cartoons. </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Mintz, with the studio headed by his brother-in-law George Winkler would only produce the Oswalds for about a year. In April 1929 Universal who distributed the shorts and owned the</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > character took over produ<span style="font-family:arial;">ction themselves. Their new cartoon studio was on the lot and run by New York transplant, Walter Lantz.</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Hamilton, who had become close with Hugh Harman and Rudy Ising during the years they spent together at Disney's and the Winkler studio, joined them when they struck out on their own after earlier failed attempts. Success came when they sold the idea of a cartoon series to Warner Bros. The series, starring a new character Bosko, would be produced by Leon Schlesinger.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Rollin stayed animating </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >for the Warner Bros. cartoons even after Harman and Ising </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">ended their production of the shorts a few years later. Schlesinger took over and physical production was moved to a Looney Tunes studio on a corner of Warner Bros. Sunset Blvd. lot.</span><br /><br />Hamilton's last known credits were on some Looney Tunes shorts directed by Tex Avery in 1938.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On June 1, 1952 Rollin Hamilton suffered a heart attack and passed away two days later at the age of fifty-two. He was laid to rest at Forest Lawn in Glendale.</span> <span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /><br />* Most records have his middle name spelled as "Clare," but has also been found listed as "Claire."<br /></span></span></span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-35573230753932478682008-10-25T16:05:00.000-07:002010-01-01T20:29:22.907-08:00Tyrus Wong is 98 today!<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SQOpLkfN2wI/AAAAAAAAAd0/tA-RA680DPE/s1600-h/wong_tyrus2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SQOpLkfN2wI/AAAAAAAAAd0/tA-RA680DPE/s400/wong_tyrus2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261234805937134338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">I just wanted to point out that a major force responsible for the look of Disney's Bambi celebrates his birthday today. He was born in China and moved with his father to Southern California before he was ten years old.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">An accomplished artist, he was an art director for live action films for the greater part of his career. Wong also worked designing greeting cards for a time as well.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In recent years he can be found on the beach</span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SQOmd3PxQ4I/AAAAAAAAAds/zJ2Vns8Kd70/s1600-h/ty_wong.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SQOmd3PxQ4I/AAAAAAAAAds/zJ2Vns8Kd70/s400/ty_wong.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261231821675381634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> in Santa Monica the fourth Saturday of most any month flying his amazing handmade kites. He is generally accompanied by a crowd of family and friends. The photo</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> at right was taken two years ago on his birthday weekend kite flying trip.<br /><br />He didn't seem to have made it there this weekend.</span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-38827909496954514352008-09-30T08:29:00.000-07:002008-09-30T21:20:10.301-07:00Sound Finds Steamboat Willie<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SOLu6RzODwI/AAAAAAAAAUk/m-Yn_o8wMx8/s1600-h/80years_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 112px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SOLu6RzODwI/AAAAAAAAAUk/m-Yn_o8wMx8/s400/80years_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252022800445476610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Eighty years ago today Walt Disney supervised the recording of the soundtrack for</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> the Mickey Mouse short, Steamboat Willie</span><span style="font-family:arial;">. The recording took place in New York City under the baton of </span><span style="font-family:arial;">conductor Carl Edouarde.<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SOLwh9FYALI/AAAAAAAAAUs/GMh-joiz9uE/s1600-h/SWcard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 196px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SOLwh9FYALI/AAAAAAAAAUs/GMh-joiz9uE/s400/SWcard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252024581590876338" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Today is the anniversary of the successful second recording. The first had occurred two weeks earlier in a late-night session the result of which would ultimately be deemed unusable.<br /><br />The recording system used was Pat Powers' <span style="font-style: italic;">Cinephone</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">System</span>. Cinephone was a not-so-subtle copy of the Phonofilm system that had been developed by Lee DeForest.<br /><br />Steamboat Willie would premiere to the world six weeks hence at the Colony Theater in New York. This sound cartoon would go on to solidify Mickey Mouse in the popular culture and boost the fortunes of Walt Disney and his studio.<br /></span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-50002850325754608472008-05-17T15:40:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:26.387-08:00Century Birthday - Mel Blanc<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SD9-Bc6JErI/AAAAAAAAAUc/SuRxjZIGKRI/s1600-h/100years.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SD9-Bc6JErI/AAAAAAAAAUc/SuRxjZIGKRI/s400/100years.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206018257668608690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The legendary <span style="font-style: italic;">Man of 1000 Voices</span> was born 100 years ago today. Mel Blanc was born Melvin Jerome Blank to Frederick and Eva (Katz) Blank in San Francisco, California. Mel arrived four years after an older brother, Henry </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SD99qc6JEqI/AAAAAAAAAUU/9J19--qTXqE/s1600-h/blanc_mel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SD99qc6JEqI/AAAAAAAAAUU/9J19--qTXqE/s400/blanc_mel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206017862531617442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Charles.<br /><br />By 1910 the family was living comfortably at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00044e5f5090757829c0f&ll=37.756966,-122.421915&spn=0.003015,0.004807&t=h&z=18&iwloc=00044e5f5370b9c92a839">3332 Twenty First Street</a>* in the Mission District of San Francisco and for at least a while there, they had a live-in servant. The two story house still stands today having survived the past 108 years, including 1906 when the Great Quake and subsequent fire leveled much of the city.<br /><br />Shortly after Mel turned six, the family had moved to Portland, Oregon. For a few years the family made their home at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00044e5f5090757829c0f&ll=45.508497,-122.677953&spn=0.010692,0.019226&t=h&z=16&iwloc=00044e5f692ab5a05e069">225-1/2 Sherman Street</a>. By 1920 they has moved to another home at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00044e5f5090757829c0f&ll=45.510031,-122.679327&spn=0.010691,0.019226&t=h&z=16&iwloc=00044e5f92e1796e162f1">543 SW Fifth Avenue</a>. A decade later April of 1930 they would be listed next door at 541</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00044e5f5090757829c0f&ll=45.510031,-122.679327&spn=0.010691,0.019226&t=h&z=16&iwloc=00044e5f92e1796e162f1"></a>. While growing up Mel developed a good singing voice and he also learned the violin</span><span style="font-family:arial;">. After he graduated from Lincoln High school he found work at the local radio station KGW as whatever was needed; singer, announcer, musician. He would eventually become part of the station's orchestra, though at this point playing the tuba.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> He moved for a brief time back to San Francisco when he found work with the much larger KPO radio orchestra. In 1930 he was offered the job of pit conductor at the Orpheum Theater back in Portland. Mel jumped at the opportunity.<br /><br />During this period however, the vaudeville circuit was beginning to cool down with most of the major acts migrating to radio. Mel would soon find himself working in radio, and again back in San Francisco at station KGO. He was emcee of "The Road Show," a variety program, but the position also afforded him the chance to do a fair amount of acting -- often using his growing library of different dialects. In 1932 he succumbed to his urge to seek his fortunes in Hollywood and he soon packed his car and headed south.<br /><br />MORE SOON...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">* </span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >I have several sources that confirm the family at this address from 1910 through late 1914. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Mel specifically noted in his wonderful 1988 autobiography, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thats-Not-All-Folks-Blanc/dp/0446390895/"><span style="font-style: italic;">That's Not All Folks!</span></a> that they lived at Bush and Divisadero streets; where they may have been prior to 1910.</span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-23905532938299575662008-05-15T05:35:00.000-07:002015-06-01T12:07:52.290-07:00Century Birthday - Joe Grant<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SCxW7q76hiI/AAAAAAAAATk/Z0506vP40GI/s1600-h/100years.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200627252843939362" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SCxW7q76hiI/AAAAAAAAATk/Z0506vP40GI/s400/100years.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px;" /></a><br />Disney artist Joe Grant was born a century ago today in New York City. His parents Eva and George Albert Grant made their home at at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00044d51e35b4e9a456f1&ll=40.820973,-73.955508&spn=0.005773,0.009613&z=16">611 W. 136th Street</a> in Manhattan, where George worked as an art director at the New York Journal. Eva was a native New Yorker whose parents immigrated from Russia and George arrived with his parents from Poland (or Russia) at the age of five and settled in Philadelphia. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SC2SlK76hmI/AAAAAAAAAUE/99dsFu2rhLg/s1600-h/joegrant.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200974311971260002" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SC2SlK76hmI/AAAAAAAAAUE/99dsFu2rhLg/s400/joegrant.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 239px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 180px;" /></a>Joseph Clarence Grant* was born in the spring of 1908 and before he was three years old, the family had relocated to Los Angeles when his father was hired as art director on the Los Angeles Examiner. After a couple years they had returned to New York and soon Joe was joined by a sister, Geraldine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For Eva and the children the bounce from Los Angeles and back to New York would be repeated over the years as George had issues with alcohol and frequently lived apart from his wife and children, even when they were in the same city. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When he was ten, Joe, Geraldine and their mother were back in Los Angeles living with her father, Abe Green. Two years later they had returned to New York, but lived with aunt Sophia, (his mother's sister) at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00044d51e35b4e9a456f1&ll=40.798916,-73.952923&spn=0.011549,0.019226&z=16">105 113th Street</a>. His father was a short walk away on 110th Street. By the time he was in high school in 1924 they had returned to Los Angeles where they lived at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00044d51e35b4e9a456f1&ll=33.984951,-118.466198&spn=0.01265,0.019226&z=16">#28 Avenue 24</a> in Venice, just a few doors from the beach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SC0lH676hjI/AAAAAAAAATs/1y01LB3X4F8/s1600-h/grant_bela.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200853962692658738" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SC0lH676hjI/AAAAAAAAATs/1y01LB3X4F8/s400/grant_bela.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 150px;" /></a>Following high school, Joe would further his art studies at Chouinard near downtown Los Angeles, where a decade later he would return as an instructor. He soon after got a job as an artist for the Los Angeles Record (with a little help from his father) and in a short time he was asked to create caricatures for the paper's Drama section. His illustrations here would eventually catch the eye of Walt Disney. The newspaper clipping at left is an example of Joe's caricature work for the L.A. Record in August, 1932<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="color: #33cc00;">.<br />(click for a larger view)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In 1929 Joe had married and was living at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00044d51e35b4e9a456f1&ll=34.049584,-118.328032&spn=0.012641,0.019226&z=16">1224 S. Norton Avenue</a>. A year later they had moved up the street to <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00044d51e35b4e9a456f1&ll=34.048339,-118.325779&spn=0.012641,0.019226&z=16">1337½ S. Norton Avenue</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He was hired at the Disney Studio in 1933 based partly on his ability to caricature celebrities -- a talent needed for <span style="font-style: italic;">Mickey's Gala Premiere</span>, <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SC9dNa76hnI/AAAAAAAAAUM/OK95EQVzWIE/s1600-h/grant_funny.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201478579786516082" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SC9dNa76hnI/AAAAAAAAAUM/OK95EQVzWIE/s400/grant_funny.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 148px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 180px;" /></a>a short being made at the time. Pictured here is an early gag drawing he drew later that year for the Silly Symphonies short, <span style="font-style: italic;">Funny Little Bunnies</span>. In time he would come to head the Character Model Department at the studio.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By the mid 1930s Grant had moved to <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00044d51e35b4e9a456f1&ll=34.13582,-118.207569&spn=0.012628,0.019226&z=16">4930 La Roda Avenue</a>** near Eagle Rock, a much shorter drive to the Hyperion Avenue studio.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By 1938 Jennie and Joe had settled in the Verdugo Woodlands neighborhood above Glendale. The house at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00044d51e35b4e9a456f1&ll=34.175879,-118.228469&spn=0.025244,0.038452&z=15">1346 Opechee Way</a> would be home they would share for more than half a century. They would raise their two daughters, Carol and Joann in this house.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />Grant's first association with the Disney Studio ended in 1949 when the Character Model Department was broken up. He would return to work at the studio in the late 1980s. In the four decades in between Joe continued his artwork and formed Castle Ltd. (for the creation of greeting cards) and along with his wife, Opechee Designs a ceramics studio. Some of the tiles he created are shown below***.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SC00Da76hlI/AAAAAAAAAT8/wCA64z8fQrU/s1600-h/grant_tiles.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200870378057664082" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/SC00Da76hlI/AAAAAAAAAT8/wCA64z8fQrU/s400/grant_tiles.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 88px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sadly, his wife Jennie passed away in June, 1991<br /><br />Joe passed away on May 6, 2005 in his studio doing what he loved. He was a few days shy of his 97th birthday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #000099; font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">* When I asked Joe what the "C" in his name stood for he laughed and said Clarence, and he added that it was the kind of name that could get you beat up when you're a kid!<br /><br />** In the 1935 city directory he is listed at 3950 La Roda -- an address that today doesn't exist. The addresses may have been re-numbered that year, in which case it is probably the same house.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #000099; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br />*** The artwork for the tiles is owned by the estate of Joe Grant [<a href="mailto:jcastrup@aol.com">Jennifer Grant-Castrup</a>]<br />Tiles shown are from the collection of the author.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-58857633709850032682007-12-12T16:33:00.000-08:002008-11-18T20:09:28.423-08:00Century Birthday - Godfrey Bjork<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R2GlThXDp0I/AAAAAAAAASk/y9wfbrIGwp4/s1600-h/100years.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R2GlThXDp0I/AAAAAAAAASk/y9wfbrIGwp4/s320/100years.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143574004224993090" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Iwerks animator Godfrey Bjork would have been 100 years old today.<br /><br />Please see the <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3xmaxa"><span style="font-weight: bold;">earlier post</span> </a>from last May for more about this almost forgotten figure.<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R2GlfRXDp1I/AAAAAAAAASs/11IwjD5KChc/s1600-h/bjork_godfrey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 201px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R2GlfRXDp1I/AAAAAAAAASs/11IwjD5KChc/s400/bjork_godfrey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143574206088456018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">In the months since then, I have found that he was married at the time to a woman named Lydia. They apparently did not have any children.<br /><br />Noted in the earlier post was information that Bjork is interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The exact plot location is shown on the map below.<br /><br /><iframe width="400" height="250" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=k&om=1&s=AARTsJrvDBJ11OPDwdRFZnDPgPj-Q37aqQ&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.000441316c2e128ed8cc5&ll=34.088937,-118.318977&spn=0.004443,0.008583&z=16&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=k&om=1&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.000441316c2e128ed8cc5&ll=34.088937,-118.318977&spn=0.004443,0.008583&z=16&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small><br /></span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-73649370135424012422007-12-05T07:15:00.000-08:002008-11-18T20:09:29.005-08:00Time Magazine December 27, 1937<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R1dv0RXDpxI/AAAAAAAAASM/IcRll-Hy6_4/s1600-h/artifacts_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R1dv0RXDpxI/AAAAAAAAASM/IcRll-Hy6_4/s320/artifacts_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140700443470702354" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Nearly seventy years ago a 36 year old Walt Disney (his 106th birthday is today) and some stars from his new movie were featured on the cover of Time Magazine.<br /><br />The cover and article within are shown below:<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">(as usual, click on each for larger images)</span></span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R1dqhRXDpqI/AAAAAAAAARU/filFe3RjajM/s1600-h/time1_100.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 364px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R1dqhRXDpqI/AAAAAAAAARU/filFe3RjajM/s400/time1_100.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140694619495048866" border="0" /><br /><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R1dtcRXDpwI/AAAAAAAAASE/Wrv-DDxYSGQ/s1600-h/time4_100.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 133px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R1dtcRXDpwI/AAAAAAAAASE/Wrv-DDxYSGQ/s200/time4_100.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140697832130586370" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R1dsBxXDpuI/AAAAAAAAAR0/DI6SclRljiU/s1600-h/time2_100.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 133px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R1dsBxXDpuI/AAAAAAAAAR0/DI6SclRljiU/s200/time2_100.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140696277352425186" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R1dsaRXDpvI/AAAAAAAAAR8/4MSP74pTKlc/s1600-h/time3_100.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 133px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R1dsaRXDpvI/AAAAAAAAAR8/4MSP74pTKlc/s200/time3_100.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140696698259220210" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R1dqhRXDpqI/AAAAAAAAARU/filFe3RjajM/s1600-h/time1_100.jpg"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/R1dsBxXDpuI/AAAAAAAAAR0/DI6SclRljiU/s1600-h/time2_100.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-39458381599274707072007-10-25T06:26:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:29.674-08:00Snow White at The Carthay<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RyCqc5900gI/AAAAAAAAARE/sWFy5qynbdg/s1600-h/carthay0.jpg"><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RyCqc5900gI/AAAAAAAAARE/sWFy5qynbdg/s400/carthay0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125283789520818690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">There has been plenty of buzz recently regarding the Carthay Circle Theater, with a reproduction coming soon to Disney's California Adventure. The original theater once stood in the mid-Wilshire District of Los Angeles and was host to many film premieres including the west coast premiere of Gone With the Wind and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Here are a few snapshots of the diorama scenes that</span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RyCplJ900eI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/rHwXnb2rdDg/s1600-h/carthay1sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 188px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RyCplJ900eI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/rHwXnb2rdDg/s400/carthay1sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125282831743111650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> were on display for the premiere run of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. While the photographs certainly aren't professional, they do offer a rare peek at the theater grounds at the time.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RyChz5900dI/AAAAAAAAAQs/7Njxrxu8al4/s1600-h/carthay2sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 174px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RyChz5900dI/AAAAAAAAAQs/7Njxrxu8al4/s400/carthay2sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125274289053159890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Though these displays</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">don't necessarily</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> depict scenes from the film, they appear to have been well constructed and there are dwarfs (in the form of garden gnomes) placed throughout.<br /><br />The inclusion of monsters however, seems a bit out of place and begs the question, who thought those were a good idea? </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RyCplp900fI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/UEoON0DZqyg/s1600-h/carthay3sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 185px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RyCplp900fI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/UEoON0DZqyg/s400/carthay3sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125282840333046258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">I don't imagine that anyone from the Disney Studio was involved, but who knows. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">(click on each for a larger image)</span></span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-90647574938770727872007-10-22T12:08:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:30.299-08:00Joe Grant at Chouinard<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rxz1nihlJzI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/1Ou00yXTpNw/s1600-h/artifacts_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rxz1nihlJzI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/1Ou00yXTpNw/s400/artifacts_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124240535672137522" border="0" /><br /><br /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The clipping below is from a catalog for prospective students of the Chouinard Art Institute, School of Motion Picture Arts. Although undated, I believe this to be from the late 1930s, probably 1937 or 1938.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The School of Motion Picture Arts was established in September 1936 and headed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0587131/">Harold Miles</a>, a long-time educator, an art director for live-action films and also a credited art director on Walt Disney's Snow White. The school taught in the fields of set design, drafting, costume design, advertising art, and animation. The head instructor in Animation was Eugene Fleury, who also was an instructor at the Disney Studio.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Within the curriculum for Animation was a class in Caricature, taught by Joe Grant. The clipping contains a brief description, with an example drawing and a photo of a Grant in a dashing pose with a pipe and a sculpted caricature of Oliver Hardy.</span><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rxz1nihlJzI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/1Ou00yXTpNw/s1600-h/artifacts_sm.jpg"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rxz1_ihlJ0I/AAAAAAAAAQY/Z8LJiBWkwA8/s1600-h/joe_grant_chouinard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 296px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rxz1_ihlJ0I/AAAAAAAAAQY/Z8LJiBWkwA8/s400/joe_grant_chouinard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124240947988997954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-family:arial;" >(click for larger image)</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rxz1_ihlJ0I/AAAAAAAAAQY/Z8LJiBWkwA8/s1600-h/joe_grant_chouinard.jpg"><br /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:arial;">When I have some time in the future I will post other excerpts and eventually the entire catalog.</span><br /></div><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rxz1_ihlJ0I/AAAAAAAAAQY/Z8LJiBWkwA8/s1600-h/joe_grant_chouinard.jpg"><br /></a>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-35671439470107498682007-10-09T11:42:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:30.686-08:00Neighbors - chapter II<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RtnSpjJ7ICI/AAAAAAAAAPo/r_eBlfljyeU/s1600-h/neighbors.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105343263854501922" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RtnSpjJ7ICI/AAAAAAAAAPo/r_eBlfljyeU/s320/neighbors.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" ><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" >Fred, ...Meet Fred</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">While doing research several years ago in the depths of the Main Library in downtown Los Angeles, I came across the interesting fact that during the mid-1940s, Robert Fred "Freddie" Moore and Fred "Tex" Avery, two of the biggest names in the industry, were next-door neighbors!<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />In a part of Los Angeles now know as Valley Village, between Moorpark Street and the 101 Freeway, Freddie Moore lived at 4437 </span><span style="font-family:arial;">and Tex Avery lived at 4445 Carpenter Avenue.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RtnR1zJ7IAI/AAAAAAAAAPY/RnvVg5ZX3FI/s1600-h/HOmd_moore_fred_1944.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105342374796271618" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 207px; cursor: pointer; height: 117px;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RtnR1zJ7IAI/AAAAAAAAAPY/RnvVg5ZX3FI/s400/HOmd_moore_fred_1944.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Former home of Freddie Moore<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">4437 Carpenter Avenue</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">(click on it for a larger image)</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RtnVKjJ7IDI/AAAAAAAAAPw/yWZ8ltpQ-9I/s1600-h/HOmd_avery_tex_1940.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105346029813440562" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 229px; cursor: pointer; height: 129px;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RtnVKjJ7IDI/AAAAAAAAAPw/yWZ8ltpQ-9I/s400/HOmd_avery_tex_1940.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Former home of Tex Avery</span></span><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">4445 Carpenter Avenue</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">(click on it for a larger image)</span></span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><iframe marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&hl=en&t=h&om=1&s=AARTsJpEenrN9m2c5B_RtOELq-bnIfZvoA&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043c19da46a3d28e4d1&ll=34.151111,-118.391011&spn=0.003108,0.004292&z=17&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="300" scrolling="no" width="400"></iframe></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><small><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&hl=en&t=h&om=1&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043c19da46a3d28e4d1&ll=34.151111,-118.391011&spn=0.003108,0.004292&z=17&source=embed">View Larger Map</a></small></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Fred Moore's family included his wife Virginia and during the summer months daughters Suzanne and Melinda from his earlier marriage. Tex and Patricia Avery didn't have children until son Tim and daughter Nancy were born </span><span style="font-family:arial;">in the later 1940s.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Although there doesn't appear to be evidence of any cross-pollination in their work during this time</span><span style="font-family:arial;">, I often wonder how friendly the two might have been -- how many conversations they had over the fence.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">NOTE: While I'm sure it doesn't need to be said to any reader here, please remember that these are private residences.<br />Do not disturb the people living in or near these homes.</span></span><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ></span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-28268451500843041072007-10-08T10:50:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:31.048-08:00Century Birthday - Art Babbitt<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RwnVXShlJxI/AAAAAAAAAQA/NzQITrdMLNw/s1600-h/100years.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RwnVXShlJxI/AAAAAAAAAQA/NzQITrdMLNw/s400/100years.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118857047569671954" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br />BORN 100 YEARS AGO TODAY</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />Arthur Harold Babitzky entered the world in the unlikely city of Omaha, Nebraska,</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >at</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" > the eastern edge of the state </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >on the Missouri River</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br /></span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RwnTGyhlJwI/AAAAAAAAAP4/qvNcvTtKb3A/s1600-h/babbitt_art.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 193px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RwnTGyhlJwI/AAAAAAAAAP4/qvNcvTtKb3A/s400/babbitt_art.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118854565078574850" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >His parents Solomon* and Zelda were married in 1898 in their native Russia. His father first came to the United States</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >in 1903 and his mother arrived in 1906. Solomon worked in the clothing/textile industry, in dying and cleaning.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >Arthur was the first of four children to survive beyond infancy. A sister, Louise, born a year after him, also did not live more than a few years. It wasn't long before he was joined by brothers Issie and William</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >. The family home was at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&time=&date=&ttype=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&cd=2&geocode=0,40.579325,-73.960755&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043bf443d9ef8f9d5a0&om=1&ll=41.250258,-95.934377&spn=0.022941,0.038495&z=15">1436 S. 13th Street</a>, just south of downtown Omaha.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />In 1913 the family moved a hundred miles up the Missouri River to Sioux</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" > City, Iowa. In a short time the family had grown again with the birth of Arthur's sister, Fannie (or Hannah) in 1914. Their first home there was at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&time=&date=&ttype=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&cd=2&geocode=0,40.579325,-73.960755&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043bf443d9ef8f9d5a0&om=1&ll=42.50198,-96.416928&spn=0.005624,0.009624&z=17">705 W. Seventh Street</a> but after a few years they had moved across the street to <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&time=&date=&ttype=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&cd=2&geocode=0,40.579325,-73.960755&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043bf443d9ef8f9d5a0&om=1&ll=42.50194,-96.41535&spn=0.005624,0.009624&z=17">822 W. Seventh</a>.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" > </span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />When Art was in his late teens the family relocated once again to the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&time=&date=&ttype=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&cd=2&geocode=0,40.579325,-73.960755&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043bf443d9ef8f9d5a0&om=1&ll=40.579077,-73.964982&spn=0.023175,0.038495&z=15">Brighton Beach</a> neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" > </span><span style="font-family:arial;">and Art soon moved out and went to work in the field of animation. In 1929 he went to work for Paul Terry and Frank Moser where he animated on the Aesop's Fables cartoons and later on TerryToons.<br /><br />Frustrated with the low pay, Babbitt moved west to Hollywood hoping to find work with the Walt Disney Studio. He succeeded and was hired in July of 1932. There he would animate on Mickey Mouse cartoons and Silly Symphonies; notable among them, the award-winning Three Little Pigs.<br /><br />In the summer of 1934, Art embarked on a trip to New York along with some other studio employees including Frank Churchill, Les Clark and </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Dick and Juanita Lundy</span><span style="font-family:arial;">. After sailing on the Santa Elena through the Panama Canal they arrived back in Los Angeles on September 3. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Babbitt was continually trying to convince </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Vladimir "Bill" Tytla, </span><span style="font-family:arial;">his friend from Terrytoons, to come west to Disney's and by mid-November 1934 he had started at the studio. Babbitt invited Tytla to move in with him at his home in the Hollywood Hills at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&time=&date=&ttype=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&cd=2&geocode=0,40.579325,-73.960755&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043bf443d9ef8f9d5a0&om=1&ll=34.112942,-118.313645&spn=0.006316,0.009624&z=17">5600 Tuxedo Terrace</a>. In this home they began offering life drawing classes in the evenings after work.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Art grew to become on of the top animators at the studio during the 1930s and is credited with creating the character of Goofy (initally known as "The Goof.") He was a directing animator on the feature films, known for the characters of the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the stork in Dumbo. Perhaps his most well known is the scene of the the dancing mushrooms in the Nutcracker Suite segment of Fantasia.<br /><br />In 1936 Babbitt and Tytla moved to another home they shared just a short distance</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> away at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&time=&date=&ttype=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&cd=2&geocode=0,40.579325,-73.960755&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043bf443d9ef8f9d5a0&om=1&ll=34.112942,-118.313645&spn=0.006316,0.009624&z=17">5700 Hill Oak Drive</a>. It wasn't long though, before Art had married Marge Belcher, a dancer (and Snow White reference model.) Tytla moved out and soon was married himself.<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rwqs0yhlJyI/AAAAAAAAAQI/8xW1G5gMKNw/s1600-h/1941strike.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 159px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rwqs0yhlJyI/AAAAAAAAAQI/8xW1G5gMKNw/s400/1941strike.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119093949375784738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">In May of 1941 Babbitt was the primary figure behind the artists strike of the Disney Studio. This action would help lead to the establishment of what is now <a href="http://www.animationguild.org/">The Animation Guild, Local 839</a>. Much more has been written about this incident <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_animators%27_strike">elsewhere</a>.<br /><br />Art would go on to work at other studios including UPA and the studio of a former Disney co-worker, Shamus Culhane. He was also a co-founder of Quartet Films where he would be involved in the production of numerous commercials.<br /><br />With an apparent fondness for homes in the Hollywood Hills, he and his second wife, Annamarie lived in the hills above the Hollywood Bowl at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&time=&date=&ttype=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&cd=2&geocode=0,40.579325,-73.960755&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043bf443d9ef8f9d5a0&om=1&ll=34.111005,-118.339673&spn=0.006316,0.009624&z=17">6902 Los Tilos Road</a> during the 1950s. During this decade they had two daughters, Linda and Karen.<br /><br />When Art married again in the 1960s to Barbara Perry, they lived in a home just up the road in the same neighborhood. They remained there for many years including the time that Art was animating on the Raggedy Ann and Andy feature for Richard Williams.<br /><br />Art Babbitt passed away at the age of 84 on March 4, 1992.<br /><br />During his lifetime Art had been honored with dozens of awards for his work, and this week he will be among those honored by The Walt Disney Company as a <a href="http://legends.disney.go.com/legends/about#philosophy">Disney Legend</a>.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><br />* Solomon would later change his name to Samuel.</span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-50520896845547802972007-08-14T08:07:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:31.244-08:00Century Birthday - Dick Lundy<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RsHH0AQF54I/AAAAAAAAAPI/X61_DwoFN0Q/s1600-h/100years.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RsHH0AQF54I/AAAAAAAAAPI/X61_DwoFN0Q/s200/100years.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098575949394732930" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >BORN 100 YEARS AGO TODAY</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Richard James Lundy, an only child, was born to parents James and Minnie Lundy a century ago today. He was born in <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&hl=en&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.000437ac6834bf7d53cce&ll=45.912944,-86.550293&spn=5.419172,9.788818&z=7&om=1">Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan</a> on the eastern tip of Lake Superior at the Canadian border. The family would soon move south to <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.000437ac6834bf7d53cce&ll=42.341798,-83.049431&spn=0.089959,0.15295&z=13&om=1">Detriot</a> where James began work as an inspector for the Burroughs Adding Machine Company.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">By the time Richard was ten years old, his parents were separated and he and his mother had moved north to <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&hl=en&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.000437ac6834bf7d53cce&ll=43.644026,-95.405273&spn=23.640808,41.132813&z=5&om=1">Port Huron, Michigan</a>. A short time later he and his mother were back in Detroit where she, now divorced, was employed as a waitress at a n</span><span style="font-family:arial;">earby restaurant. The home they lived in was on <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1553+Western+Avenue,+los+angeles,+ca&sll=34.153735,-118.358814&sspn=0.003303,0.005021&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&ll=42.348308,-83.101991&spn=0.005899,0.010042&z=17&om=1">Tillman Street</a> very near where highways 96 and 94 intersect today.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Late in the 1920s Dick was in Los Angeles and by the middle of summer,1929 he had arrived at</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RsHm3wQF55I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/YP7e0HjdPKE/s1600-h/lundy_dick_1933.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 228px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RsHm3wQF55I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/YP7e0HjdPKE/s400/lundy_dick_1933.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098610098679703442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> the Disney Studio on Hyperion where he began in the ink & paint department. That September he was moved up and began inbetweening.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> With the departure of Ub Iwerks the following January, production began to slip behind. Lundy was soon promoted to animator to help with getting production deliveries back on track. He animated on several classic shorts including Three Little Pigs and Orphans Benefit, the film that would begin his association animating "the duck" later to become known as Donald.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Dick had several residences throughout the area during the 1930s, his first was an apartment at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;amp;hl=en&geocode=&q=1553+Western+Avenue,+los+angeles,+ca&sll=34.153735,-118.358814&sspn=0.003303,0.005021&ie=UTF8&ll=34.105613,-118.307927&spn=0.006609,0.010042&z=17&om=1">1740 N. Gramercy Place</a>, just north of Hollywood Boulevard. He moved closer to the studio by 1931 when he lived at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;amp;hl=en&geocode=&q=1553+Western+Avenue,+los+angeles,+ca&sll=34.153735,-118.358814&sspn=0.003303,0.005021&ie=UTF8&ll=34.105853,-118.293958&spn=0.006609,0.010042&z=17&om=1">4637 Melbourne Avenue</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">**</span>. Lundy had moved again the next year to an apartment at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1553+Western+Avenue,+los+angeles,+ca&sll=34.153735,-118.358814&sspn=0.003303,0.005021&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&ll=34.110117,-118.327303&spn=0.006609,0.010042&z=17&om=1">6514 Cerritos Place</a>, near Cahuenga Boulevard.<br /><br />Soon he would be married and he and his new wife, Juanita would settle into an apartment at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1553+Western+Avenue,+los+angeles,+ca&sll=34.153735,-118.358814&sspn=0.003303,0.005021&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&ll=34.113173,-118.281062&spn=0.006609,0.010042&z=17&om=1">3335 Rowena Avenue</a>. In 1934 they were on the move again, to a home at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1553+Western+Avenue,+los+angeles,+ca&sll=34.153735,-118.358814&sspn=0.003303,0.005021&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&ll=34.147426,-118.42221&spn=0.006606,0.010042&z=17&om=1">4115 Greenbush Avenue</a> in Sherman Oaks.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Following his work on the landmark feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Lundy was given to opportunity to direct some of the cartoon shorts beginning in 1939. By this time Dick was divorced from Juanita and he and his second wife, Anne, were living at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1553+Western+Avenue,+los+angeles,+ca&sll=34.153735,-118.358814&sspn=0.003303,0.005021&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&ll=34.153739,-118.359028&spn=0.006606,0.010042&z=17&om=1">4615 Strohm Avenue</a> in North Hollywood where they would stay until the late 1940s.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">He remained a director at Disney's until fall,1943 when he departed to work for Walter Lantz.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Dick started as an animator, but quickly moved back to directing on shorts starring Andy Panda and Woody Woodpecker as well as the musical Swing Symphonies. When the Lantz studio closed down in 1948, Lundy moved into making commercials at Wolff Productions.<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;">In the spring of 1950, an offer for more money and directing work landed him at MGM where he briefly took over Tex Avery's unit and directed Caballero Droopy and several Barney Bear shorts.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Throughout most of the1950s and 1960s, Lundy lived in Glendale, tucked up against the hills near the Brand Library at 1553 Western Avenue.<br /><br />He returned to animating when he arrived at Hanna-Barbera in early 1959 where he worked on The Flintstones, Yogi Bear and Scooby Doo shows among many others. Aside from a period when he animated on Ralph Bakshi's Fritz the Cat, Lundy remained at H-B until his retirement in late 1973. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">He continued to stay busy with freelance work for several years following that 'official' retirement.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Dick Lundy later moved south to beautiful San Diego County. He passed away there on April 7, 1990 at the age of 82.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >**Note: Lundy's boss, Walt Disney, had lived next door to this house (at 4639 Melbourne) six years earlier, a short fifty yard walk from his studio at the time on Kingswell Avenue.</span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-77273654812818089912007-08-08T11:14:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:31.641-08:00Century Birthday - Virgil Ross<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RroQAgQF50I/AAAAAAAAAOo/Q2b8MZx0QLo/s1600-h/100years.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RroQAgQF50I/AAAAAAAAAOo/Q2b8MZx0QLo/s200/100years.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096403529166612290" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >BORN 100 YEARS AGO TODAY</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Virgil Walter Ross was born a century ago today in Watertown, New York. His parents, Bertha Mary (Hart) and Ellwood Burdsoll Ross, both </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RroRjQQF51I/AAAAAAAAAOw/ZKQpjCR5WGs/s1600-h/Ross_Virgil.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 162px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RroRjQQF51I/AAAAAAAAAOw/ZKQpjCR5WGs/s400/Ross_Virgil.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096405225678694226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">natives of New York state, married in 1901 and made their home at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&amp;amp;geocode=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043734f2a83862d7c40&ll=43.975337,-75.910785&spn=0.0105,0.019269&z=16&om=1">142 Washington Street</a>. Their first son, Ellwood Hart Ross, (known by his middle name as a child) arrived in late April in 1906 and Virgil followed about 15 months later.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />By the time Virgil was ten, the family had moved to <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043734f2a83862d7c40&ll=42.404874,-83.237936&spn=0.005387,0.009956&z=17&om=1">41 Auburn Street</a></span><span style="font-family:arial;"> in the Detroit suburb of</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> Highland Park, Michigan where the his father worked as a tool-making foreman at the Ford Motor Company. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />By 1920 the family had relocated to <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043734f2a83862d7c40&ll=33.775357,-118.15871&spn=0.006064,0.009956&z=17&om=1">2857 E. Theresa Street in Long Beach, California</a> and Ellwood continued his trade, but was now working in the nearby shipyards. They had settled further north in the late 1920s at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043734f2a83862d7c40&ll=33.918542,-118.277982&spn=0.006054,0.009956&z=17&om=1">211 W. 126th Street in Compton</a> a home currently in the shadow of the 110/105 freeway interchange.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">While in high school he picked up a pencil and signed up for a class in cartooning.<br /><br /></span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RroS-wQF52I/AAAAAAAAAO4/1IAk08kYJ3w/s1600-h/ross%2Bbatchelder.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 168px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RroS-wQF52I/AAAAAAAAAO4/1IAk08kYJ3w/s400/ross%2Bbatchelder.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096406797636724578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Shortly after he graduated Virgil began working as a commercial illustrator</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> with an office on</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> Figueora in downtown Los Angeles. Having been turned down when he brought his portfolio to the Disney Studio, he did find work at the Mintz Studio.<br /><br />His stay at Mintz did not last long and he soon found himself inbetweening at Ub Iwerks' Studio. A short time later he had moved on to Walter Lantz where he eventually became an animator. There he worked with many rising stars of the industry including a young (six months younger than himself) man known by the nickname of Tex.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">When Tex Avery was hired in 1936 by Leon Schlesinger to direct cartoons at his studio, he brought along a few of his Lantz </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RroS_QQF53I/AAAAAAAAAPA/9sXOGZ1-eug/s1600-h/ross%2Bfreleng.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 175px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RroS_QQF53I/AAAAAAAAAPA/9sXOGZ1-eug/s400/ross%2Bfreleng.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096406806226659186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">co-workers including Sid Sutherland and Ross. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">He animated in Avery's unit until Tex departed the studio in 1941. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Then after a short stint with director Bob Clampett he settled in with Friz Freleng beginning an association that would last nearly three decades!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">While at Schlesinger's he met an inker at the studio, miss Frances J. Ewing. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">They were later married and made their home at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043734f2a83862d7c40&ll=34.100203,-118.320007&spn=0.006041,0.009956&z=17&om=1">5933 Carlton Way</a>. By 1945 they had moved to <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00043734f2a83862d7c40&ll=34.127446,-118.349866&spn=0.006039,0.009956&z=17&om=1">3337 Bennett Drive</a> in the hills above the Cahuenga Pass.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">They would live on Bennett Drive for more than fifty years!</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Following the closing of Warner Bros. cartoon studio in the early 1960s, Ross worked at Filmation, Hanna-Barbera, DePatie-Freleng and Marvel, among others.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Virgil Ross passed away at his home on May 15, 1996 at the age of 88. He had lived long enough to receive the recognition of his peers in the industry and cartoon fans around the world.</span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-79741222373963617162007-07-30T11:03:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:31.737-08:00Century Birthdays - Al Coe and Roy Williams<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rq4pmwQF5zI/AAAAAAAAAOg/JVidUuPfzAQ/s1600-h/100years.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rq4pmwQF5zI/AAAAAAAAAOg/JVidUuPfzAQ/s200/100years.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093053974366775090" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BORN 100 YEARS AGO TODAY</span></span><br /><br />Al Coe, and animator known for his work on shorts at Disney and Lantz and Roy Williams, long time story man at Disney were both born a century ago today!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Sorry everyone, but I lost the articles I wrote on these two (and for Dick Bickenbach which should have been up on August 9th) with the crash of my computer. This was made worse by the fact that my internet connection was down for several days and even now is sometimes on, sometimes off (thank you Verizon!) To add to the confusion, I have family in town for the next week or so. <br /><br />I apologize for missing these posts, but they WILL be up as soon as I can get them finished and posted.</span><br /></span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-5328360167775462332007-07-19T14:26:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:31.974-08:00Neighbors - chapter I<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RqAvJsusdOI/AAAAAAAAAOY/JOLJaRoekTQ/s1600-h/neighbors.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RqAvJsusdOI/AAAAAAAAAOY/JOLJaRoekTQ/s200/neighbors.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089119422601000162" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Santa Barbara</span></span><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />Like many seaside communities, Santa Barbara has been home to quite a number of artists. A handful of them would move to Los Angeles and ply their profession in the field of animation. Others from the industry would </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >eventually </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >retire in this picturesque community.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >In the late 1920s and early 1930s,</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > two men who would later have significant careers in the field, were neighbors here on the same street!<br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >These two were <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0635128/">Erni Nordli</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0432213/">Paul Julian</a>. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >They were separated in age by just two years and likely attended the same schools, though history doesn't record if they actually knew each other while they were neighbors.<br /></span> <span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.google.com/jlcampana/Rp-mi9iNnWI/AAAAAAAAAGs/FMMdqSkWn1o/s144/nordli_ernest.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 126px;" src="http://lh4.google.com/jlcampana/Rp-mi9iNnWI/AAAAAAAAAGs/FMMdqSkWn1o/s144/nordli_ernest.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >By 1930, seventeen year old Ernest Nordli and his family had recently relocated here from</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > Salt Lake City, his birth place. His parents, Hans and Hattie moved the family into a modest home at <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.00000113457e3fc658423&ll=34.420452,-119.720807&spn=0.01232,0.01929&z=16&om=1">901 Valerio Street</a> just southwest of the town's business district.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.google.com/jlcampana/RnguBju3LaI/AAAAAAAAABI/ufiHET19NDc/s800/HOsm_nordli_ernest_1930.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 142px;" src="http://lh6.google.com/jlcampana/RnguBju3LaI/AAAAAAAAABI/ufiHET19NDc/s800/HOsm_nordli_ernest_1930.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span> <span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Ernest had five siblings; one older brother, Philip; two younger brothers, William and Douglas and two younger sisters, Ruth and Genevieve. The family of eight squeezed into this three bedroom home where they all shared one bathroom.<br /><br />A career in the arts was not an unlikely pursuit for Ernest. His father was a lino-typist at a nearby publishing house and his mother taught music at their home. Within the next few years, Ernest would be among the artists working at the Disney Studio on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Later he would </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >be an art director on Dumbo and Fantasia then moved into layout at both Warner Bros. and Disney's.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />A few houses up the street, beyond a dog-leg in the road, was the Julian family who had moved west from South Bend, Indiana a decade earlier.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.google.com/jlcampana/Rp-mjNiNnXI/AAAAAAAAAG0/Tfj-BCTcvRI/s144/julian_paul.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 124px;" src="http://lh5.google.com/jlcampana/Rp-mjNiNnXI/AAAAAAAAAG0/Tfj-BCTcvRI/s144/julian_paul.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Paul Julian was born </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Paul Hull Husted on June 25, 1914 </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >in Illinois. His brother Harry was born two years later in Indiana. By 1920 their mother, Esther, had married a second time to a gentleman by the name of Frank Julian.<br /><br />While it is not clear what became of their father, (He may have been killed while serving in WWI) it is known that within the next few years the boys would take the name of their stepfather.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.google.com/jlcampana/RnguCju3LbI/AAAAAAAAABQ/udzFWzd_Kpc/s800/HOsm_julian_paul_1930.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 142px;" src="http://lh6.google.com/jlcampana/RnguCju3LbI/AAAAAAAAABQ/udzFWzd_Kpc/s800/HOsm_julian_paul_1930.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span></div></div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >The Julian family would grow to six with the arrival of two more boys, Frank Jr. and Daniel, born after they arrived in Santa Barbara. Their three bedroom home, similar to many in the area, can be found at <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.00000113457e3fc658423&ll=34.420452,-119.720807&spn=0.01232,0.01929&z=16&om=1">814 W. Valerio Street</a>.<br /><br />Between Frank, a barber and Esther, an art school instructor, the family was well-off enough to have a live-in servant, Margaret Johnson, who was from Scotland.<br /><br />Paul Julian would go on to become a prolific watercolorist and a well respected background artist at several studios including Warner Bros. and UPA, where his paintings were the essence of the Oscar-nominated short, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Tell-Tale Heart.</span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">(click on the addresses listed above for a map to the homes)</span></span><br /></div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note: </span>This is the first of what will certainly be many posts on this subject. Over the past fifteen years I have done a tremendous amount of research on where the luminaries of the industry lived and worked. Along the way I discovered that quite a few lived near one another and in some cases were even roommates. Some of the names you'd expect (Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, for example,) while others are quite surprising! If you liked this post, there is a lot to look forward to in the coming months!<br /></span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-42248930331156197432007-06-27T14:22:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:33.015-08:00Ghosts of the Charles Mintz Studio<span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoLUMhIQ-BI/AAAAAAAAAOA/QA4adcajNlk/s1600-h/discoveries.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 113px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoLUMhIQ-BI/AAAAAAAAAOA/QA4adcajNlk/s320/discoveries.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080856641143896082" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />A BIT MORE OF THE <span style="font-style: italic;">WHERE</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >...</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >On a nondescript street just a short walk from the busy intersection of Western Avenue and Santa Monica Blvd. stands a building that's been there for more </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >than eighty years. In those years it's been painted and painted over again. Its large arched windows, once complete with a decorative wrought iron fence have been sealed over.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:85%;" ><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">(click on the images below for larger versions)</span></span></div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoGN0DSvUFI/AAAAAAAAANo/275LQLGzljM/s1600-h/mintz0x.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoGN0DSvUFI/AAAAAAAAANo/275LQLGzljM/s400/mintz0x.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080497780027248722" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >This building, not at all different from many others scattered across this city, sits in a state of quiet decay. Weeds, chewing gum, spray paint and goodness-knows-what-else are evident on the walls and sidewa</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >lk. One might wonder what things this building has witnessed in its eight decades....</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoF25TSvT9I/AAAAAAAAAMo/YCC4qlxt5ks/s1600-h/mintz1.jpg"><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoF25TSvT9I/AAAAAAAAAMo/YCC4qlxt5ks/s400/mintz1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080472581454122962" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Upon closer inspection it becomes clear....<br /><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoGAVDSvUAI/AAAAAAAAANA/ztxnsnVbjEU/s1600-h/mintzghosts11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 182px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoGAVDSvUAI/AAAAAAAAANA/ztxnsnVbjEU/s400/mintzghosts11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080482953800142850" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >In 1930 the staff of the nearby Charles Mintz Studio gathered there for a few group photographs.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoF26DSvT_I/AAAAAAAAAM4/nKWwnHVxnSU/s1600-h/mintzghost2.jpg"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoGHgzSvUBI/AAAAAAAAANI/GvnaeBM3LFo/s1600-h/mintzghost4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 180px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoGHgzSvUBI/AAAAAAAAANI/GvnaeBM3LFo/s400/mintzghost4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080490852245000210" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Here are composer Joe DeNat, Manny Gould, Harry Love, Charles Mintz, George Winkler, Al Rose, Ben Harrison and Jack Carr</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoGHgzSvUBI/AAAAAAAAANI/GvnaeBM3LFo/s1600-h/mintzghost4.jpg"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoF26DSvT_I/AAAAAAAAAM4/nKWwnHVxnSU/s1600-h/mintzghost2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoF26DSvT_I/AAAAAAAAAM4/nKWwnHVxnSU/s400/mintzghost2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080472594339024882" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >In this photo are DeNat, Art Davis, Charles Mintz, Sid Marcus and Dick Huemer.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >The building is located at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?om=1&ie=UTF8&amp;amp;amp;lr=lang_en&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.000001136a36eabd94367&amp;amp;amp;t=h&ll=34.092213,-118.308525&spn=0.00159,0.002419&z=19">5454 Virginia Avenue</a> just around the corner from the Mintz Studio at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?om=1&amp;amp;amp;ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.000001136a36eabd94367&t=h&ll=34.092213,-118.308525&spn=0.00159,0.002419&z=19">1154 N. Western Avenue.</a><br /><br />Much of the 1920s era stucco work on the building is intact as shown in the photos below. It's a miracle these details exist, considering the amount of renovation (and layers of paint) this place has been subject to!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoLXvhIQ-CI/AAAAAAAAAOI/akWGvYr_tuM/s1600-h/details.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 137px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoLXvhIQ-CI/AAAAAAAAAOI/akWGvYr_tuM/s400/details.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080860540974200866" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >(click for larger image)</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >I experienced a mildly chilling moment when it confirmed without question that this is the exact location where these legends of the industry stood to be photographed over 75 years ago.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >A few steps away at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?om=1&ie=UTF8&amp;amp;amp;lr=lang_en&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.000001136a36eabd94367&amp;amp;amp;t=h&ll=34.092213,-118.308525&spn=0.00159,0.002419&z=19">5437 Virginia</a> is the apartment building where George Winkler, Manny Gould, Joe DeNat and </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >production manager James Bronis were living at the time. It is apparent that this building too has seen better days.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoGNzzSvUEI/AAAAAAAAANg/1unYIvxIs7o/s1600-h/5437_Virginia.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 173px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoGNzzSvUEI/AAAAAAAAANg/1unYIvxIs7o/s400/5437_Virginia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080497775732281410" border="0" /><br /></a>I'd like to thank Harry McCracken at <a href="http://www.scrappyland.com/">Scrappyland.com</a> for having posted the original photos of the Mintz Staff. If you haven't visited Scrappyland yet, I suggest you take a look -- it's a terrific retrospective on an often forgotten cartoon series and the people that created it! The middle group photo is from Leonard Maltin's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mice-Magic-American-Animated-Cartoons/dp/0452259932/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-9981068-7965560?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182899825&sr=8-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Of Mice and Magic.<br /></span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RoGNzzSvUEI/AAAAAAAAANg/1unYIvxIs7o/s1600-h/5437_Virginia.jpg"><br /></a></span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-91124641431308528002007-06-06T09:17:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:33.384-08:00Century Birthday - Edward Plumb<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RmTJRTSvT6I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/HEDQGG3sLw4/s1600-h/100years.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RmTJRTSvT6I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/HEDQGG3sLw4/s400/100years.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072400379399851938" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br />BORN 100 YEARS AGO TODAY</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Disney composer and orchestrator Edward Holcomb Plumb was born and raised in <a href="http://www.streator.org/">Streator, Illinois</a>, a town on the Vermilion River 100 miles southwest of Chicago. His parents Samuel and Anna already had two sons by the time Edward was born. Along with his older brothers Samuel Walter, Jr. and Gordon, his grandmother, Levancia Plumb lived with them at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&q=206+Wilson+Street,+streator,+il&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&msa=0&om=1&msid=112258537879603591575.00000112f9de3c35d70e4&ll=41.118369,-88.836844&spn=0.013837,0.020084&z=16">206 Wilson Street</a>.<br /><br />Plumb arrived in California in the early 1930s and </span><span style="font-family:arial;">found work as a composer and orchestrator in the movies. His first work for Disney was for the memorable short, Mother Goose Goes Hollywood.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />He married Louise Mason and they welcomed a daughter, Susan in May of 1938. They made their <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lr=lang_en&hl=en&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00000112f9de3c35d70e4&ll=34.09983,-118.274603&spn=0.012633,0.019312&z=16&om=1">home on a winding street</a> in the hills near Silver Lake. With the addition of two more daughters Anne and Elisabeth in the early 1940s, the family was complete. </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">While Frank Churchill wrote the songs for Bambi, the poetic score for the film was executed by Ed Plumb. His work on Bambi would earn him the first of his four Academy Award nominations.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RmTJaDSvT7I/AAAAAAAAAMY/4CTCv7LzVL0/s1600-h/plumb_ed.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 204px; height: 277px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RmTJaDSvT7I/AAAAAAAAAMY/4CTCv7LzVL0/s400/plumb_ed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072400529723707314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Although Disney seemed like home base for Ed, he frequently worked on projects beyond Walt's Studio during the 1940s and early 1950s. He worked on titles for Republic, Paramount and Twentieth Century Fox. At one point he even lent his talents to MGM for the Tom & Jerry short, The Missing Mouse (1953.) It is unclear where Scott Bradley may have been for this one!<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">By the early 1940s Plumb had moved his family to <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;amp;amp;lr=lang_en&hl=en&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00000112f9de3c35d70e4&ll=34.140021,-118.398628&spn=0.006314,0.009656&z=17&om=1">12203 Laurel Terrace in the hills of Studio City</a>. Here he was a neighbor of other Disney composers Charles Wolcott, whose home was at 12185 and Joe Dubin who was later at 12373 Laurel Terrace.<br /><br />Edward worked as orchestrator at the nearby new location of the Disney Studio on the animated features The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Song of the South, So Dear to My Heart, Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">When Disney entered the field of television, Edward was tapped to work on The Disneyland TV show, notably Ward Kimball's "Man in Space" show. He orchestrated on the Davy Crockett films and on Westward Ho The Wagons, that also starred Fess Parker.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> His final film project, also for Disney, was Johnny Tremain in 1957.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Edward Plumb passed away on Friday April 18, 1958.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">(If you haven't already clicked on the location links above, check out the </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&hl=en&msa=0&msid=112258537879603591575.00000112f9de3c35d70e4&z=5&om=1">Google Maps Locations for Ed Plumb</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">.)</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-42677935150683836842007-05-28T17:19:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:34.044-08:00Memorial Day Tribute - Willard Bowsky<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rlt3qC_l53I/AAAAAAAAALo/XWvoVHUlN-Q/s1600-h/lorraine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rlt3qC_l53I/AAAAAAAAALo/XWvoVHUlN-Q/s400/lorraine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069777369777432434" border="0" /></a> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />After the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place> entered World War II in December 1941 the service from the animation community was considerable.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Most people continued to work at the studios, albeit on far different projects than </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">what they were used to. A good number joined the military where many of them would work producing training films as members of the Signal Corps and o</span><span style="font-size:100%;">thers would serve in various capacities at locations throughout the country.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">There was a small handful however, who enlisted in the military and saw combat.<br /></span><br />Willard Bowsky was one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Willard G. Bowsky was born in 1907, the second son to parents </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Herman and Emma Bowsky. The Bowskys were <a href="http://www.oddvision.com/bowsky/MARR_bowsky_willard_parents.jpg">married in the spring of 1898</a> and welcomed their first </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rlt45y_l54I/AAAAAAAAALw/hSWqcVGDx6E/s1600-h/bowsky_1931.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 222px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rlt45y_l54I/AAAAAAAAALw/hSWqcVGDx6E/s400/bowsky_1931.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069778739871999874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">son, Merle on Christmas Day 1904.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p>During Willard's childhood the family lived on both sides of the Hudson River, jumping between homes in <st1:state st="on">New Jersey</st1:state> and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Manhattan</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Shortly after Willard was born </span><span style="font-size:100%;">the Bowsky's moved in with his recent</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ly widowed grandfather, Gustav </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Cimiotti at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.00000112d4a7a639c832e&ll=40.799598,-73.96951&spn=0.011452,0.018969&z=16"><st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">881 West End Avenue</st1:address></st1:street> in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Manhattan</st1:place></st1:city></a>. At the time the home was filled with several of Willard's aunts and uncles as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p>By the time of Willard's tenth birthday they were living at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.00000112d4a7a639c832e&ll=40.863566,-73.930027&spn=0.011441,0.018969&z=16"><st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">132 Sherman Avenue</st1:address></st1:street></a> and his father was</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> working as a lawyer with the American Railway Express Company. In the early 1920s the Bowskys had moved to <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.00000112d4a7a639c832e&ll=40.854462,-73.929963&spn=0.011442,0.018969&z=16"><st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">559 W 188th Street</st1:address></st1:street></a> near northern tip of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Manhattan</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p> It is from this home that Willard would commute as he started work in the field of animation.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Bowsky began his work at the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.00000112d4a7a639c832e&ll=40.760943,-73.983221&spn=0.011458,0.018969&z=16">Fleischer Studios</a> in the late 1920s and by 1930 had elevated to the level of a credited animator. His animation work can be seen in the Talkartoon, Color Classics and Screen Song (Bouncing Ball) films, but he is well known for animation on dozens of Betty Boop and Popeye cartoon shorts.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rlt46C_l55I/AAAAAAAAAL4/HFeF3FUWwHA/s1600-h/letsyouandhim.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rlt46C_l55I/AAAAAAAAAL4/HFeF3FUWwHA/s400/letsyouandhim.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069778744166967186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">In later work on the Popeye films his work has been described as that of director, a credit generally reserved for Dave Fleischer. In any case, Bowsky was at least a supervising or directing animator, though he never received a credit beyond that of animator.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">In the fall of 1938 Bowsky had relocated to Florida</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> to the beautiful new home of the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.00000112d4a7a639c832e&ll=25.790309,-80.243347&spn=0.013621,0.018969&z=16">Fleischer Studios in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Miami</st1:city><st1:state st="on"></st1:state></st1:place></a>. There he would continue to be a lead animator on the Popeye shorts and also on the animated feature films, Gulliver's Travels and Mr. Bug Goes to Town.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" face="arial" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p>Early in 1942 Max and Dave Fleischer were gone and the studio was under control of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Paramount</st1:place></st1:city> and was renamed Famous Studios.<span style=""> </span>The last films that Bowsky was involved with were the Superman cartoon shorts.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p>Motivated by a personal sense of duty (coupled with a possible disenchantment with the direction of the studio,) Willard Bowsky, unmarried at the time, enlisted in the Army on October 14, 1942. His older brother Merle had enlisted some time earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rlt46C_l57I/AAAAAAAAAMI/X2Jv-hfLVyY/s1600-h/94th_reconn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 105px; height: 137px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rlt46C_l57I/AAAAAAAAAMI/X2Jv-hfLVyY/s400/94th_reconn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069778744166967218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">Following training, Willard was assigned to the 14th Armored Division. He was a platoon leader with 50 men under his command in the 94th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">He also made an artistic contribution to his squadron by designing the unit’s insignia (at left.)<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rlt46C_l56I/AAAAAAAAAMA/1ZfDQOrKD9c/s1600-h/14thArmored.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rlt46C_l56I/AAAAAAAAAMA/1ZfDQOrKD9c/s400/14thArmored.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069778744166967202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">The 14th Armored Division arrived at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.00000112d4a7a639c832e&ll=43.296699,5.363925&spn=0.01101,0.018969&z=16"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Marseille</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">France</st1:country-region></st1:place> on October 30, 1944</a>. Within a couple weeks Bowsky's unit was among those mobilized to join the Seventh Army in the Southern Vosges Mountains (due east of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city>, near the German border.) <o:p></o:p><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Willard’s was among the squadrons that comprised The Division’s Combat </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Command A (CCA). They were soon ordered to advance into an area </span><span style="font-size:100%;">southwest </span><span style="font-size:100%;">of <st1:city st="on">Strasbourg</st1:city>, just west of the <st1:place st="on">Rhine</st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>CCA’s mission was to clear German forces from the area and fight its way south to the town of <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Selestat</st1:city></st1:place>. Cavalry </span><span style="font-size:100%;">squadrons </span><span style="font-size:100%;">were used for reconnaissance and were deployed in front of and along the flanks of advancing armored columns. Bowsky's unit encountered a German column withdrawing eastward to cross the Rhine. A night time</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> fire-fight erupted and Second Lieutenant Willard Bowsky was killed in action on <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.00000112d4a7a639c832e&ll=48.389774,7.617474&spn=0.080365,0.151749&z=13">November 27, 1944</a>. Willard and the men of his platoon were good soldiers who fought bravely. In the end the fight was won. Willard was a genuine war hero.<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p>He was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart and is interred at the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&lr=lang_en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=103320585704935499158.00000112d4a7a639c832e&ll=49.122759,6.711617&spn=0.0099,0.018969&z=16"><st1:placename st="on">Lorraine</st1:placename><st1:placename st="on"> American</st1:placename><st1:placetype st="on"> Cemeter</st1:placetype>y in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">St. Avold</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">France</st1:country-region></st1:place></a> .<br /><br /><br /><span>We remember Willard Bowsky today and honor his service to his county, his contributions to the field of animation and celebrate the centennial of his birth.</span></span> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" face="arial" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://oddvision.com/bowsky/contributions.html"><br /><br /><br />REFERENCES and CONTRIBUTIONS</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-89188912099666685822007-05-17T23:29:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:34.497-08:00The Short Life of Godfrey Bjork<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rk1KjC_l52I/AAAAAAAAALg/8dlbLkhJsks/s1600-h/discoveries.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 112px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rk1KjC_l52I/AAAAAAAAALg/8dlbLkhJsks/s320/discoveries.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065787121821149026" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="font-family: arial;">If the name of animator Godfrey Bjork comes up in conversation, it is most often accompanied by the name of Emile Offeman. The story, as told by Shamus Culhane in his autobiography, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Talking-Autobiography-Animations-Legendary-Figures/dp/0312784732/sr=8-2/qid=1158815019/ref=sr_1_2/002-3502983-7659264?ie=UTF8&s=books">Talking Animals and Other People</a>, describes how Offeman, the production manager at the Ub Iwerks Studio, badgered Bjork incessantly for his footage -- this in spite of the fact that Godfrey had a declining heart condition. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rk1JHi_l50I/AAAAAAAAALQ/OjV8-Xd-1Ms/s1600-h/bjork_at_iwerks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 173px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rk1JHi_l50I/AAAAAAAAALQ/OjV8-Xd-1Ms/s400/bjork_at_iwerks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065785549863118658" border="0" /></a>Even when Bjork's condition kept him bed-ridden, Offeman (a would-be stand-in for Bela Lugosi) sent work to his home. He also made a point of calling several times a day to make sure Godfrey hadn't run off to the beach and pushed for him to get the work done. This soon lead to Bjork suffering a fatal heart attack. The saddest fact (apparently lost in the fog of the past 74 years) is that Godfrey Bjork was a mere 25 years old!</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">Godfrey Waldemar Bjork was born in New York, December 12, 1907, the second of four sons to Alfred and Hilda Bjork who had emmigrated from Finland in 1896. Throughout his youth he showed quite a talent for drawing, which enabled him to begin a career in animation before he reached the age of 19. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;">By 1930 he was listed as an artist in motion pictures and lived with his parents at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=924+Summit+Ave,+Bronx,+NY">924 Summit Avenue</a> in the Bronx -- just a half mile from home plate at Yankee <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rk1J1C_l51I/AAAAAAAAALY/zBbQ6rlNlq4/s1600-h/HSsm_bjork_godfrey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 163px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rk1J1C_l51I/AAAAAAAAALY/zBbQ6rlNlq4/s400/HSsm_bjork_godfrey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065786331547166546" border="0" /></a>Stadium. When he relocated to California shortly thereafter he work at the Ub Iwerks Studio and made his home at <a href="http://www.google.com/maps?q=740+N+Stanley+Ave,+Los+Angeles,+CA+90046,+USA&sa=X&amp;amp;amp;amp;oi=map&ct=title">740 North Stanley Avenue</a>, up the street from what is now trendy Melrose Avenue.<br /><br />Godfrey Bjork is interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.<br /></p>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-66805683144537710742007-05-03T08:00:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:34.849-08:00Disney Bulletin - May 3, 1940<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RjnSJaHWD8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/ndw6DN_CWHk/s1600-h/artifacts_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 70px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RjnSJaHWD8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/ndw6DN_CWHk/s200/artifacts_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060306715398246338" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Flashback to 1940</span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RjlTEKHWD5I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/AiCIbp77GAk/s1600-h/19400503p1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left; cursor: pointer; width: 85px; height: 140px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RjlTEKHWD5I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/AiCIbp77GAk/s320/19400503p1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060166987227205522" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RjlTEaHWD6I/AAAAAAAAAKA/IG04glqc_28/s1600-h/19400503p2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 85px; height: 140px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RjlTEaHWD6I/AAAAAAAAAKA/IG04glqc_28/s320/19400503p2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060166991522172834" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RjlTEqHWD7I/AAAAAAAAAKI/hyVLpd8s9BQ/s1600-h/19400503p3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: right; cursor: pointer; width: 85px; height: 140px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RjlTEqHWD7I/AAAAAAAAAKI/hyVLpd8s9BQ/s320/19400503p3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060166995817140146" border="0" /><br /></a><div style="text-align: left;">Along with stories about birthdays and weddings being celebrated, an insight on a studio in transition; a note about the Ink & Paint Department moving from Hyperion to Burbank -- with a good humored shot aimed at Woolie Reitherman. There's also a funny note about editor Norman Palmer and his previously unknown contribution to Fantasia (somebody should update <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0658397/">his IMDB listing</a>!)<br /><br />Page two contains the classic caricature of Dick Huemer by T. Hee. The last page is full of classifieds -- almost idyllic from a perspective of 67 years later!<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RjlTEqHWD7I/AAAAAAAAAKI/hyVLpd8s9BQ/s1600-h/19400503p3.jpg"><br /></a></div>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-67451439534996119492007-04-21T14:41:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:35.196-08:00Finding Jay Ward<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RiqX4LKDajI/AAAAAAAAAJw/A4M47TlKAmk/s1600-h/discoveries.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 130px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RiqX4LKDajI/AAAAAAAAAJw/A4M47TlKAmk/s320/discoveries.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056020523000228402" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Jay Ward, the joyfully irreverent pioneer of TV animation, has a personal background that is very elusive. Even to long-time friends, co-workers and biographers some aspects of his life have been very tough to nail down. His birth date, September 20, 1920, seems to be well known, but I have found that his accepted birth name is in question. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RiqLWbKDaiI/AAAAAAAAAJo/JWl6nTga2Z8/s1600-h/jward.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 202px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RiqLWbKDaiI/AAAAAAAAAJo/JWl6nTga2Z8/s320/jward.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056006749040110114" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Having searched through state birth records, I found that there was no Jay Troplong Ward born in California on that date -- or any other date for that matter! There was however, a birth recorded on that date, in the County of San Francisco; the birth of a Joseph W. Cohen, Jr. Interesting, but not necessarily confirmed until it was revealed that the mother's maiden name is Troplong! I think that nails it. His mother was Juanita M. Troplong and he was named for his father, Joseph W. (presumably Ward) Cohen. And apparently there is at least one occurrence of Ward being credited on a show as Joseph W. Cohen.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">For those of you keeping track, I also found that at the time of the 1920 census (January 1920) his parents were living in San Francisco at 440 Post Street around the corner from the famous St. Francis Hotel.</span><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-family:arial;"></span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-85596936456309530652007-04-19T08:15:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:35.442-08:00Century Birthday - Cecil Surry<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RieKGLKDafI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/hBFPxPZ22K4/s1600-h/100years.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RieKGLKDafI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/hBFPxPZ22K4/s320/100years.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055160945425476082" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >BORN 100 YEARS AGO TODAY</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Cecil Hays Surry was born in the state of Washington and raised on a fruit farm in Chelan County in the center of the state. His parents, Bert and Eliza (who went by Lydia) were from Ohio and Kentucky respectively.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> Following the death of Lydia in the mid 1920s, Bert moved Cecil and younger brother Paul south to San Diego, California. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RieLzrKDagI/AAAAAAAAAJY/w5Idlgi7GJ8/s1600-h/surry_cecil2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 206px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/RieLzrKDagI/AAAAAAAAAJY/w5Idlgi7GJ8/s320/surry_cecil2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055162826621151746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Cecil moved to Hollywood in 1929 when he went to work for Walt Disney </span><span style="font-family:arial;">where he worked on the Silly Symphonies</span><span style="font-family:arial;">. After a short time with Disney, he migrated to Walter Lantz where he animated beside Sid Sutherland and Tex Avery. In 1936 Avery was offered an opportunity to direct at Leon Schlesinger's Studio. Surry and Sutherland joined him as animators in his unit a couple of months later. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In the mid 1930s Cecil met and married Constance Berry and they had three children, Kathleen, Sheila and John.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In the mid 1940s Cecil began doing comic book work for Western Publishing. By 1950s Cecil had a home on Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Woodland Hills and was animating at United Pictures of America, know better as UPA. At UPA he primarily worked on Mr. Magoo cartoons including the Oscar-winning shorts "When Magoo Flew" and "Magoo's Puddle Jumper." </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Cecil Surry died suddenly on September 19, 1956 at the age of 49, the result of a heart condition.</span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080676949631936973.post-30598478375775231822007-04-12T09:24:00.000-07:002008-11-18T20:09:35.770-08:00Century Birthday - Hardie Gramatky<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rh5gqQuanNI/AAAAAAAAAJA/ZawCv-pFVms/s1600-h/100years.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rh5gqQuanNI/AAAAAAAAAJA/ZawCv-pFVms/s320/100years.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052582111116696786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br />BORN 100 YEARS AGO TODAY</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Hardie Gramatky, perhaps best known for his classic childrens book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Toot-Hardie-Gramatky/dp/039922419X/ref=cm_lmf_img_2/104-9981068-7965560">Little Toot</a>, was born 100 years ago today in Dallas, Texas. He was also a prolific illustrator, watercolorist and, in the early 1930s, an animator at the Disney Studio.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rh5e3QuanLI/AAAAAAAAAIw/b-onysZqQJc/s1600-h/gramatky.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rh5e3QuanLI/AAAAAAAAAIw/b-onysZqQJc/s400/gramatky.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052580135431740594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Named for his father, Bernhard August Gramatky, Jr. was the middle of three sons born to Bernhard and Blanche Gramatky. The family's early home</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">on San Jacinto Street in downtown Dallas</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> was at a site now occupied by the J.P. Morgan-Chase Tower. Following the death of his father from tuberculosis, Blanche moved the family in with her sister, Minnie Ott, in Southern California.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> They lived around the corner from the Paramount Studio at 5433 Romaine Street for a short time before settling in the nearby suburb of San Gabriel.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Hardie gained early recognition for his art in the Junior Times, an insert in Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times. Among the many other young artists who had their work published in the Junior Times were future Disney co-workers, Fred Moore and Ed Benedict.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Gramatky moved north to attended Stanford University in the mid 1920s and later enrolled at the Chouinard Art Institute back in Los Angeles. At Chouinard he would meet and fall in love with another artist, Dorothea Cooke. They dated while at school and were married in 1932. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">He was hired at the Disney Studio in 1929 to work on the Mickey Mouse comics and in short order moved into animation. The smiling and energetic Gramatky can be seen in action throughout the softball game footage released on the DVD set <a href="http://disneyvideos.disney.go.com/moviefinder/products/5036003.html">More Silly Symphonies</a> and detailed here in <a href="http://animationwhoandwhere.blogspot.com/2007/04/softball-game-part-2.html">recent posts</a>. He spent six years at Disney and in mid-1936 he and Dorothea moved to New York where he found work with various magazines including Fortune.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rh6G9AuanOI/AAAAAAAAAJI/BL2DuaJez_Y/s1600-h/littletoot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QJSOsEBhVPM/Rh6G9AuanOI/AAAAAAAAAJI/BL2DuaJez_Y/s400/littletoot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052624214681099490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Inspired by the tugboats he saw from the window of his studio, he painted and penned the story of Little Toot, published in 1939 by Putnam. A restored classic edition of Little Toot is slated to be published this spring by Penguin Putnam.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Nine years after it was first published, the story of Little Toot was animated by the Disney Studio and included as one of the seven musical segments in the feature Melody Time.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">For a couple of years during World War II, Hardie was back in Los Angeles supervising the production of training films for the Army Air Corps. Shortly after their return to the east coast, he and his family settled in Westport, Connecticut. Their home was at 60 Roseville Road, just a short walk from the Boston Post Road, the colonial-era route between New York City and Boston.<br /><br />Hardie remained a resident of Westport for the remainder of his life. He and Dorothea continued their work for many magazines and Hardie also had several more books published. Beyond what grew to become a series of Little Toot books, he also wrote and illustrated a list of charming childrens literature including Loopy, Sparky, Creeper's Jeep and Hercules.<br /><br />Hardie Gramatky passed away from cancer at the age of 72 in late April 1979 and although he died too soon, his work continues to be enjoyed by the world.<br /><br />I encourage you to visit <a href="http://www.gramatky.com/">gramatky.com</a>, a website maintained by his daughter, Linda Gramatky Smith. Here you can read many more stories and see dozens of examples of his wonderful artwork. This is a prime example of what so many other artists should have and unfortunately don't!<br /></span>Joe Campanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484683987851774449noreply@blogger.com0