This blog is in memory of Seymour Kneitel, an exceptional animator and director from the Golden Age of Animation.
His career in animation began at the age of 16, attending high school during the day while working after school and Saturdays for Bray Studios, an early pioneering animation studio. The major portion of his later animation career was spent with Fleischer Studios and its' two successor studios... Famous Studios and Paramount Cartoon Studios.
Here’s some more story ideas that were submitted by Studio staff for Casper films. I thought these really good examples of how ideas could be submitted in any form--- they didn’t need to be anything fancy… like typed! Also, they're fun to read since you can really hear the voice of the writer. This first proposal is by George Germanetti, long time Fleisher and Famous Studios animator. Click on any image to enlarge for reading
Here’s a story idea below by Myron Waldman, another long time Fleischer and Famous Studios animator. Myron likely held the record for having worked on the most Betty Boop cartoons and was responsible for animating many Casper films as well.
The story idea below was submitted by Jack Mercer—who though he submitted many story ideas and was also an assistant animator, is best remembered as the voice of Popeye.
If you think the story idea below looks a bit more ‘professional’- it’s because the writer, Larz Bourne, was actually a member of the story department!
I love these story ideas because they show how staffers in the 30’s and 40’s could choose to be involved in many aspects of a film... from start to finish!
All story idea scripts: Collection of Virginia Mahoney
Casper’s first film appearance was in The Friendly Ghost. Released in 1945 as part of the Paramount Famous Studios Noveltoon series Casper soon became so popular he earned a series of his own. He went on to star in 55 theatrical films for Famous Studios before that series ended in 1959.
Casper, as his fans know, was a gentle ghost with no interest in scaring people. Real ghosts mocked him for his mild manner, and humans were frightened by his translucent appearance. But little children and animals quickly recognized that Casper only wanted to play and make friends.
Casper was unique among Famous Studios characters since he was an original creation and not based on another character (e.g Little Audrey was based on Little Lulu, and Herman and Katnip were similar to Tom and Jerry, etc.).
In fact, there’s an interesting story about Casper’s origins (although a few details are a bit murky). Credit for Casper’s creation goes to both Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo. In 1939 Casper was featured in a children’s book they created together. Apparently Reit wrote the story and Oriolo illustrated the character. The story generated no interest, so while Reit was away serving in the military, Oriolo- who at the time was working for Famous Studios-- sold the character and story to Famous Studios... for two hundred dollars!!! Who could have guessed that this character would eventually inspire a whole supporting cast of ghostly characters, that it would generate over 55 theatrical cartoons, it’s own TV show, that the character would be sold to Harvey Brothers who then put Casper in comic books—and in 1995 Universal Studios would produce a highly successful computer generated Casper film! Neither Reit or Oriolo benefited beyond the initial $200 payment. In fact disagreement developed between the two over their respective roles in Casper’s development.
Click to enlarge image
Christmas Card from Harvey's. Date unknown. Collection: Virginia Mahoney
St. John’s publishing began producing Casper comics in 1949- and in 1952 the license for Casper comics was assumed by Harvey Comics. Harvey purchased Casper (as well as other Famous characters) outright in 1959 and all these characters soon appeared on the TV show Matty’s Funday Funnies. Some of the Casper films had previously been purchased in 1956 by TV distributor U.M.&M.T.V. Corp. When these films were packaged for television the original credits were often removed and replaced with new credits that included a reference to U.M.&M.T.V. Included below is a link to one such film A Hunting We Will Go, since it’s interesting that in the screen credit where it should have read Featuring Casper the Friendly Ghost, the ‘replaced’ credits instead read Featuring Caspers Friendly Ghost.
Interesting controversies among Casper fans have to do with
whether Casper is actually a dead child! And if so…how did Casper die??At some point the ‘dead child’ concept
was replaced by the concept of Casper belonging to a particular class of
supernatural beings…ghosts! However when Casper appeared in Harvey Comics in
the ‘60’s and ‘70’s it appeared that Casper was a ghost because his parents
were already ghosts when they married. It wasn’t until the 1995 Casper feature film that the ‘dead child’ idea was revived along with an account of
how Casper had died…. of pneumonia at the age of twelve due to overindulging in
a day of sledding! The film even disclosed Casper’s full name… Casper McFadden.
I’m including a few typed and hand-written Casper ‘story
ideas.’ These are only a few of the over seventy five Casper story ideas I
found among my dads things. Story ideas could be submitted by people who worked
in the story department… or by anyone else in the Studio. If a story was used
one could earn a few extra dollars. I love that often the stories submitted
were totally hand-written— even the typed ones were pretty messy looking when
measured against today’s standards. It didn’t seem to matter---
Click on any image to enlarge The first 'story idea' below was written by one of Casper's creators, Seymour Reit. It's two pages long and was submitted together with three other stories. The note at the top indicates that all four were purchased for $100. and adds "additional sum if any used (to make up to $300)." Not dated. Collection: Virginia Mahoney
The story idea (and drawing) below were submitted by Dave Tendlar. Dave began working at Fleischer Studios in 1931, and worked there and at its successor, Famous Studios, until the mid 1950's. He worked as both an animator and Director. After Famous Studios he continued to work in animation for a number of other studios including Terrytoons and Hanna-Barbera. Note that both pages are on pegged animation paper, and that Casper is still looking chunky (later he became more sleek). Dated Sept. 12, 1949. Collection: Virginia Mahoney
This last story idea below is by my dad, Seymour Kneitel. As the boss he was always looking for ways to keep costs down-- he's titled this "Chisel angle for a Casper picture." It involves a clever re-use of old footage. Dated Nov. 12, 1956. (Thanks to the comments below from 'J. Lee' who points out this is likely the idea for the film Ghost Writers which was released in 1958- that films on-screen credit for direction is given to Seymour Kneitel, and for writing to Jack Mercer. I would guess that Mercer may have taken this brief premise and expanded it. Staff in those days were very versatile- in additional to writing stories, Jack Mercer was an assistant animator and the voice of Popeye!) Collection: Virginia Mahoney
PS: Seymour Kneitel directed many of the Casper films- next post will be more about some of the people behind the scenes who worked on Casper films.
Shown left to right: 1947 "March of Dimes" Poster Girl
Nancy Drury, Seymour Kneitel holding 4 1/2 year old son Kenny. Far right
is Ken's grand-dad Max Fleischer. Taken in the Polio Ward of Knickerbocher
Hospital, N.Y.C. Note the poster of Popeye on the back wall.
My dad loved his work… he loved to draw and he’d laugh
hysterically at a good ‘gag.’ So it would seem that every day he’d go off to
work wonderfully happy. Often he did. But like any other kind of show biz… the
show had to go on and the business of animation had to go forward no matter
what difficult times might be happening in your personal life.
Our family was greatly impacted—as so many others were—by
the terrible polio epidemic that peaked in the 1940’s and 50’s. Worse as the
summer months approached, polio struck down children as well as adults, both
paralyzing and killing. Polio was second only to the atomic bomb in surveys of
what Americans feared most.
My two brothers, Tommy and Kenny, contracted polio within
weeks of each other in June 1946. They were to remain in the polio ward of New
York’s Knickerbocker Hospital for fourteen months receiving the only effective
treatment that existed at the time, Sister Kenny hot packs.
The only time I saw them during those months was when they
were taken outside on the porch pictured in the photo above. It was several
stories above the ground. Periodically my parents would take me to a spot below
where I could look up and wave to them. Tommy is on the bed in the very front, Kenny is in the 3rd crib back from the front.
As a parent I’ve often looked back and wondered how my dad—a
devoted father—managed to every day go to the business of making cartoons with
this heavy weight in his heart.
Sources:
Wikipedia
Seavey,
Nina Gilden, Jane S. Smith, & Paul Wagner. A Paralyzing Fear: The
Triumph over Polio in America. New York, New York: TV Books. 1998.
Seymour’s granddaughter, Karin Kneitel, has offered to share some of the personal family items that she owns. Her father, Tommy Kneitel, was Seymour and Ruth’s first child. Tommy was born Jan. 28,1933, and is the infant/young child in these drawings.
Click on any item to enlarge
At the time of Tommy’s birth Seymour was an animator for Fleischer Studios in New York City.
Not sure why Seymour is staying at this Brooklyn Hotel (see below). I’m speculating that since Tommy was born in a Brooklyn hospital Seymour might have moved temporarily into the Hotel St. George to be closer. In the 1930’s women had longer maternity hospital stays then they do today.
Wow—stockings!!! These were probably made of silk or rayon (then called ‘artificial silk’) since Nylon had not yet been invented!
Stockings still seem to be the gift of choice. Tommy looks maybe 4 or 5 years old, so these stockings are likely still made of silk or rayon. It will be a couple more years--- 1940—before Dupont makes nylon stockings commercially available.
In 1933 Fleischer Studios signed a five year contract with King Features to make Popeye films. This pencil drawing that Seymour made for Tommy probably a few years later is curious in that Popeye wears a sailor tie (not used in the comic book or film drawings of Popeye) and he has a slightly different collar treatment.
Done in 1938 or ’39, this is a drawing by Tommy himself! Seymour writes: “I showed Tommy a pencil-test of Gulliver- where a derrick was trying to lift his foot- he didn’t say anything but drew this picture and showed me it- Good isn’t it—Seymour.” Note that this drawing is on Fleischer Studios animation paper that uses the Fleischers distinctive hole punch system at the top.
Since this letter mentions visiting the Worlds Fair it must date from either 1939 or 1940. As I’d mentioned in an earlier post- Seymour and family were often separated with one in New York and the other in Florida (or vice versa)—with Seymour often traveling between the two locations. At this time the Studio was in Florida and a number of filmmaking activities that were not supported in that Miami location had to be carried out in New York.
A cute drawing by Seymour showing Tommy thanking ‘Max’ for a check. ‘Max’ is Tommy’s grandfather, Max Fleischer.
Here’s a letter from Max Fleischer to grandson Tommy dated Jan. 1944. Max by this time was commuting between New York and Detroit while directing animation for the Jam Handy Organization. Here Max draws himself as a ghost carrying a corned beef sandwich!
Here’s another special occasion card made by a Famous Studios artist for my parents 25th wedding anniversary… which would date this from December 1956. My parents met while both were working at Fleischer Studios and they became one of the many studio romances that led to marriage.
The signatures on this card are a good survey of some well known people working for Famous Studios in the 1950’s...
Al Eugster, Dave Tendlar, Nick Tafuri, Tom Johnson, and William Henning were long time animators—all had worked for both Fleischer and Famous Studios—as well as other studios. Bob Little and Liesel Howson, also long time employees, painted the animation backgrounds. Leonard McCormick was responsible for camera work and Win Sharples scored music for the cartoons. Jack Mercer was best known as the gravelly voice of Popeye….. Ellsworth Barthen and Mike Myer were story writers……and Mina Morrisey was Head of cel painting. Just to mention a few……
My dad was always in an animation state of mind. He didn’t turn it off when he came home at night. He would get hysterical over a good ‘gag’ or joke (before the days of e-mail good jokes were widely shared in person with the re-telling of it a craft in itself). Sitting at the dinner table was an occasion for dad to gather input from the family for anything he might use at work. In fact, if we suggested a corny cartoon title that was used, we could earn five dollars! This generated a lot of hackneyed one-ups-manship between my two brothers, mother and myself. My brother Tommy swore he came up with the idea for the character ‘Goodie the Gremlin’ and he never got paid!! (Goodie starred in four Noveltoons, the first appeared in 1961.) In addition, all kinds of life events were acknowledged with one of a kind creations. Here’s a selection of some of these unique drawings made by my dad, Seymour Kneitel.
I especially like the one above made for my mother… it shows that humor at our house was neither high-class nor subtle.
A Valentine for my mother has a bit of a spelling problem, but love the sentiment. In 1937, while Seymour was working for Fleischer Studios, the studio relocated to Florida. During and after that re-location there were many times when one of my parents might be in New York and the other in Florida. Besides several separations during the complex New York to Florida move, there were a number of film production activities not supported in Florida that required Fleischer staff traveling to New York.
Envelopes and letters were great places for a drawing...
The P.S. in the letter “Give my regards to Bimbo” is a reference to a real life dog they had called Bimbo. These last three drawings are all on Fleischer Studios animation paper. When these drawings were done, animation studios each had their own preference as to the size of the paper, the type of paper, and the system of holes at the top that held the paper in place. Details such as these can be useful in identifying from which studio a drawing might have originated. The drawings below were made between 1931 and about 1938 during the time Fleischer Studios used this distinctive paper... 8.5” x 11” sheets punched with three holes at the top that fit their unique animation peg system. This paper was made specifically for them by Hammermill and is watermarked ‘Management Bond.’
This drawing on Fleischer animation paper looks like they’re temporarily separated again!
This must refer to changes around the house after the birth of first son, Tommy… which would date this and the drawing below about Feb. 1934.
Here's a sketch made about the same time.. interesting to speculate on where he was going with this...
I back-lit and enlarged one of the drawings (below) to show the ‘Management Bond’ watermark. The Fleischer’s continued to use this type of paper until about 1938 during the making of Gulliver’s Travels.
All items, letters, envelopes, drawing in this section: Collection of V. Mahoney
In 1933 Lillian Friedman, while working at Fleischer Studios, became the first woman EVER to work as an animator at any studio.
From the early days of animation—and up until 1933—women were generally hired only in the lowly role of inker or opaquer. If talented and lucky they might advance to the position of inbetweener. But they NEVER worked as animators.
It was accepted thinking in the industry that women were not capable of the creativity required to be an animator, plus there was resistance to women entering this male dominated field. The article below from a Paramount 1936 promotional booklet includes the statement “Nobody knows just why, but women generally are not successful as cartoon animators.”
There’s also a telling 1938 letter that can be found online, typed on beautiful Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs stationary. It’s a response to Miss Mary V. Ford who wrote Walt Disney Productions concerning a job… the reply states “Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that work is performed entirely by young men. For this reason girls are not considered for the training school....The only work open to women consists of tracing the characters on clear celluloid sheets with India ink and filling in the tracings on the reverse side with paint according to directions."
(click to enlarge for viewing) Article from Paramount promotional booklet for "Popeye The Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor" 1936 Collection: Virginia Mahoney Popeye copyright 2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc. TM Hearst Holdings, Inc.
In 1933 Lillian Friedman, an employee of Fleischer Studios, became the very first female to be hired as a commercial animator at any animation studio. She had joined Fleischer Studios as an inbetweener in 1931 at the age of nineteen. Animator Shamus Culhane recognized that she was highly talented and advocated for her advancement to animator. It was no easy job to convince the other animators to accept a woman working in that position. In addition, Shamus points out in his book Talking Animals and Other People, he had to devise tricks to make her accepted in the all male environment… and even though Lillian achieved animator status she was paid considerably less then her male counterparts.
The film below, Pudgy and the Lost Kitten, gives screen credit for animation to Myron Waldman and Lillian Friedman. This copy of the film has German sub-titles which I always thought reflected how popular these films were overseas- but 'The Crazy HR' has corrected me... "This was for many years a 'lost film,' meaning nobody knew about the existence of any copy of the cartoon. This has subtitles because it aired on the Channel ARTE during their show "Cartoon Factory." (ARTE is a German Channel)
Film: Pudgy and the Lost Kitten
Betty Boop and Pudgy copyright Fleischer Studios, Inc.
The Internet Movie Database (online) credits Lillian with animation work on 11 films made with Fleischer Studios between 1934 and 1938—and shows she received screen credit on seven of these films, and was uncredited for her work on the other four. However, IMDb did not include her animation on Sindbad the Sailor which the above article attests to—or a reference elsewhere to her animation on Betty Boop’s A Language All Her Own. So Lillian animated on a total of at least thirteen films, with six of them uncredited. The lack of screen credit is not unusual since generally, although several animators may work on a film, no more than two animators received on-screen credit. Lillian remained at Fleischer’s until 1939 when she resigned to be with her family full time.
For work purposes animators at the time were assigned to ‘units,’ each unit run by a head animator. While working as an animator at Fleischer Studios Lillian worked in three different units, each headed by a different animator… Shamus Culhane, Myron Waldman, and my dad… Seymour Kneitel.
(When giving credit to trailblazing women animators I should also mention Laverne Harding who in 1934 went to work for another famous studio, Walter Lantz, becoming only the second women animator in the industry.)
Sources:
Book: Talking Animals and Other People by Shamus Culhane Popeye Paramount Promotional brochure for Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor 1936 Ray Pointer online comments Disney rejection letter: http://www.flickr.com/photos/polaroid/632255233/ The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) Book: Who’s Who in Animated Cartoons by Jeff Lenburg
One of the great aspects of being part of an animator’s life was being on the receiving end of some very personalized artwork.
(click to enlarge)
The drawing above was given to me as I was leaving for my first year of college after having spent the summer of 1954 working at Famous Studios as an opaquer—coloring animation cells. My dad is the fellow helping me to the door. He never would have hired me … but when I went to an employment agency looking for a summer job they told me of an opening at Famous Studios. Without telling my dad I interviewed (though surely the person interviewing made the connection) and I got the job.
Before this I’d had little idea of what it took to make an animated film. For people who were on the bottom of the ladder—like inkers and opaquers-- it was hard work that involved a lot of sitting over a desk with a slanted back-lit light table for a surface--- lots of eye and back strain. Didn’t take long to notice that just about everyone wore glasses. And everyone punched in and out daily on a time clock. As an opaquer one would get assigned to a series of cells, maybe 15 or so, that had already been inked on the front. The image on the cell was often not even a whole figure—all 15 cells might be of just an arm! So one never got the drift of what the whole cartoon might be about. After receiving the allotment of cells one visited the paint department, which was right in the opaquing area. This is where you’d pick up the several colors that were specified on a sheet that came with the drawing—it was so important to use the exact color specified to insure color consistency throughout the film. Next, one sets to work painting on the reverse of the cell—and staying within the lines! As each cell is painted it’s moved to shelves above the desk to dry. Humid days were awful- nothing dried and there might be cells sitting around the room on every flat surface, high and low, with every available fan in service.
Having performed adequately—the following summer I was hired as an inker—sitting again at the same type desk—but this time laying a clean cell over an animator’s drawing and using pen and ink to draw a black line on the cell to define an animator’s drawing. Inking had a few additional challenges—one of which was making the ink adhere to the cell—since the tendency was for a cell to repel ink. This required putting a kind of talc on the cell—not too much—not too little. Plus one had to develop some skill at making a black line that was consistently the same.
The high points were learning more about the whole process of animation and meeting a fantastic group of people. They worked hard—but when party time came they were ready for a good time. And any time there was a special occasion, when someone left, or was sick, or got married… there would be these memorable one of a kind cards.
