Another madcap edition of The Exposure Sheet, the official in-house newsletter of Termaite Terrace circa 1939. To view the other installments in this series click here.
This issue talks of the studio’s victory over the Screen Gems players in a softball game, bios of background painter Art Loomer and painter Ruth Pierce… and yeah, Martha Goldman listed under the Birthdays is the late, great Martha Sigall, a friend of this website.
And since it is mentioned in the crossword puzzle, below is Tex Avery’s A Day At The Zoo (1939), a film they were working on at the time. (Click thumbnails below to enlarge.)
Issue #8 talks about “The Sketch Pad” which was a studio activity that presented little skits and playlets performed by the staff. More importantly are the mini-biographies – this time of animator Bob McKimson and of cel washer John Marks.
NEXT WEEK: Issues #9 and 10 with bios of Paul Smith, Tubby Millar and Phil Monroe – amongst much else…
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 [
Ruth Pierce is noted as working for “the studio that made ‘Goofy Gus'” – no doubt a reference to THIS, on which Gil Turner and Carl Stalling (as Arch B. Fritz) also toiled…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hayHLASm-A
Steve Bosustow also worked on it; he recalled that the producer raised money from a policeman and set up shop across the street from a brothel. He also stated that the animators worked for free and were provided lunch by the studio.
Here’s an article from this very website about it: https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/goofy-gus-and-his-omnibus-1934/
“A Day At The Zoo” introduced me to all types of comedy and references, like the running gag (Egghead/Elmer messing with the lion). Sadly it was distorted by the juvenile humor of Famous Studios, even though those cartoons still give me a soft spot in my heart.
A young, pre-MGM Tex knew how to make adults laugh.
Surprising to see Johhnny Burton in that list of birthdays. Had no idea he was part of WB that long.
Unless it’s a different Johnny Burton.
These are fantastic… really unique insight into the day-to-day at Termite Terrace. I particularly liked “Life” by Kay Vallejo.