Here’s an interesting curio from my files, accumulated years ago from somewhere. It’s an in-house list of addresses for the staff of the MGM Cartoon Department, circa 1956 (click thumbnails below to enlarge). I can date it because Tex Avery isn’t on the list – and Jack Nicholson is.
If you know (or live in) L.A. it’s especially fascinating to read where some of our favorite names lived, what streets they trod. Scott Bradley lived in Chatsworth! Ben Shenkman lived in Van Nuys! Edith Vernick lived in Culver City – I don’t even recall if I knew Vernick worked at MGM – how about that? Fred Quimby, of course lived on a tony street in Beverly Hills (map above, Google street view below).
Below is the famed caricature of (most of) the MGM staff in 1956 (click to enlarge). For more information on where the Golden Age animators lived, see the blog by my friend Joe Campana.
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 [
Cool stuff! I see that the address list lists Irv Spence’s name as “Irvin”. Isn’t “Irven” the correct spelling?
By the way, what cartoon is that frame grab of the MGM Cartoon lion logo from that you used as the thumbnail for this post on the home page? Just curious, as it looks like it may be from a nitrate print.
Amazing how many uncredited staff members there were in the old days.
Jerry, the time frame can be narrowed a bit.
Ed Barge, who’s not depicted, was hired by Animation, Inc. by early May (Billboard, May 5, 1956).
Irv Spence, who is depicted, was hired by Animation, Inc. by late August (Variety, Aug. 30, 1956).
It’s a fair guess Shenkman drew it between those dates.
I suspect Lozzi means “Ken Southworth” instead of “Ken Sutherland.”