This year, marking the golden anniversary of the US Bicentennial and the patriotic pop culture of 1976, we must shine a spotlight on an overlooked DePatie-Freleng theatrical.
The last African American on-screen credit on a Golden Age theatrical cartoon short went to upright bassist Ray Brown.
The closing of the Terrytoons studio in New Rochelle was big news.
In 1973 Scatman Crothers made a leap from Saturday morning kidvid to Ralph Bakshi’s R-rated features.
In a sense, Gene Deitch’s “Carmen Get It” contains Tom and Jerry’s last nod to African American culture.
This cartoon series served as “product-placement” for some of the network’s other offerings between 1972 and 1974.
I’ve always wanted to write about the annual top ten lists that Motion Picture Herald used to have for short subjects – and now I have.
In 1973 the dearth of new offerings and the innovations in repackaging old ones for theaters set the tone for the remainder of the Bronze Age.
I had interviewed animator Doug Crane in March 2005. His recollections on the last days of the Paramount studio were funny, touching, and poignant.
I interviewed the late David DePatie 25 years ago and I asked him about his theatrical cartoons – and especially about the ethnic humor in much of it.
