We continue our close look at Leon Schlesinger Productions, circa mid-March/early April 1939, with the fifth and sixth issue of their in-house newsletter, The Exposure Sheet.
In this edition, Friz Freleng returns, Treg Brown gets a new cutting room, and bios of John Burton, animator Bobe Cannon, painter Betty Brenon and inker Marjorie Dakin.
Click thumbnails below to enlarge – and enjoy!
This image represents a Looney Tune cartoon released at the time of these newsletters.
“Chicken Jitters” (4/1/39) lobby card courtesy of Steven Grossfield/Gremlin Fine Arts
The Schlesinger Studio in-house newsletter was always a little “looney” – but this one (#6, below) is the silliest of the bunch. Printed to coincide with April Fools Day, the whole thing is filled with gags and in-jokes that would only be funny to the rest of the staffers – and crazy animation historians like us, decades later.
I’m committed to posting all the issues I have, but even I have to admit this one has the least historical value. But I think if you love the classic Warner cartoons as much as I do, you’ll get a kick out of it. Enjoy…
Click to enlarge the thumbnails below…
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 Cal Arts in Valencia, UCLA in Westwood and Woodbury University in Burbank – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [
Oh, I LOVE that Fleischer story! 😀 Completely understandable that you highlighted that page. This is utterly up the alley for readers of a site like Cartoon Research… no need to worry about the historical value. 😉
The story must be based on someone who had a brief fling with Fleischer and then returned. Pierce, Howard and Colvig all returned but they were at Fleischer’s for a while. I wonder who it was.
It’s interesting seeing Bill Oberlin’s name, considering his later connection with “A Time For Beany.”
These posts are little gems. I love gaining behind-the-scenes insight on my favorite Hollywood cartoon studio. Thank you for all the hard work you and everybody else on this site have done Jerry, fantastic job!