July 1957
Very interesting information here on sound reader Eric George, who apparently had a thriving career in pre-war Germany. And speaking of Germans, there is also an intriguing story about Hans (George) Helm that you should read… Makes you wonder if these guys ever saw Russian Rhapsody or Herr Meets Hare – and what they thought of those?
August 1957
Chuck Burton… or young Tom Hanks?
Septembery 1957
October 1957
No – that isn’t a record breaking “Shark-nosed Tralfaz” or Treg Brown, but perhaps this photo of Marvin Moss inspired the gag in 1962’s Fish and Slips. Mention is made here of all the commercials being produced through the studio. Let’s see if we can find that Blatz Beer commercial! Also – Tom O’Laughlin and Jerry Eisenberg join the staff!
November 1957
December 1957
Phil DeGuard has a grandchild; and John Burton attends a Sam Warner party with Gene Kelly and the late Clint Walker.
NEXT WEEK: 1958 – part 1
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 [
Something the Warners Club News didn’t reveal is departures. Warren Foster left in mid-November 1957 to work for John Sutherland Productions.
In relation to the ad in the December column, did the studio ever considered to do a cartoon in Cinemascope or did they think it wasn’t worth the cost or effort?
The ad was for Pacific Title – formerly owned by their old boss Leon Schlesinger.
It would have been cool if Warners did a ‘Scope cartoon – Disney, MGm, even Terrytoons had them.
So many of these entries make me wish I could read the clippings as images…and I, too, wish that Warner Brothers bothered with cinemascope, even if WB wasn’t the kind of studio that spent money on animation spectacle.
I thought both Warren Foster, and Mike Maltese left in the late 50’s for Hanna Barbera