Animation Anecdotes #210
Fairy Voices. One of the things that made the early Disney animated features so memorable was the careful selection of voices for the characters. The voices for the three fairies,…
Hugh Harman’s “Easy Does It” (1946)
Today’s cartoon is an animated extravaganza by Hugh Harman Productions. Easy Does It (1946-released in ’48?) is a half hour film made to show to small grocery store owners. It’s…
Bob Clampett’s “A Tale Of Two Kitties” (1942)
This week, we revisit Bob Clampett now five years ahead in his career, introducing a certain tiny little bird! From his mid-’38 releases –starting with Porky’s Naughty Nephew – Clampett’s…
Gary Owens’ “Roger Ramjet” (1966) on Record
Today we belatedly salute another giant of the American speaking voice — the late Gary Owens — on a soundtrack LP with one of his funniest characters. ROGER RAMJET AND…
Paramount Sales News #48: “Popeye Makes Room For Lulu”
July-September 1943 The transition continues as the Paramount animation staff continue to move back to New York. The Superman series comes to a lackluster end with Secret Agent (released July…
Streamline Pictures – Part 2
When I started my employment at Streamline Pictures, I found myself working mostly with Carl on the translations for dubbing than with Jerry and his distribution duties (which, for the…
The Lost Astro Boy Episode
Before I begin, I need to clarify that there are actually several episodes of the original 1960s Astro Boy that were considered missing. Of the 193 episodes made, episodes 34,…
Animation Anecdotes #209
Technicolor Peculiarities. Many animation fans don’t quite understand Technicolor, other than the fact that it provided a spectacular color effect. However, the system could be unpredictable which is why Disney…
“Private Snafu” on Blu-ray
Back from the ‘Cultural Wasteland’ of last week and into the world of Classic Animation again! From a Thunderbean Office perspective, last week was a Van Beuren week here, with…
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and Blu-ray compilations and has lent his expertise to dozens of bonus documentaries and audio commentaries on such. Beck is currently on the faculty of CalArts in Valencia, UCLA in Westwood and Woodbury University in Burbank – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [Click Here]
