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Van Beuren Studios
The Van Beuren Corporation was a New York City-based animation studio that produced theatrical cartoons as well as live-action short-subjects from the 1920s to 1936. History In 1920, the Keith-Albee organization formed Fables Pictures for the production of the Aesop's Film Fables cartoon series with Paul Terry, who himself owned 10 percent of the studio. Producer Amedee J. Van Beuren bought out the studio in 1928, retaining Terry and renaming the business after its new owner. Van Beuren released Terry's first sound cartoon '' Dinner Time'' (1928) (a month before Disney's ''Steamboat Willie'') through Pathé Exchange, which later became part of RKO Pictures. Terry ran the animation studio while Van Beuren focused on other parts of the business. In 1929, Terry quit to start his own Terrytoons studio and John Foster took over the animation department. Van Beuren released his films through RKO Radio Pictures. The early sound Van Beuren cartoons are almost identical to the late si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Little King
''The Little King'' is a 1930-1975 American gag-a-day comic strip created by Otto Soglow, telling its stories in a style using images and very few words, as in pantomime. Publication history Soglow's character first appeared on June 7, 1930, in ''The New Yorker'' and soon showed signs of becoming a successful strip. ''The Little King'' began publications in comic book issues from 1933, was licensed for a 1933–34 series of animated cartoons by Van Beuren Studios and featured in advertising campaigns for Standard Oil from ''The Comics Journal'' #286 and Royal Pudding (1955). It became evident early on that William Randolph Hearst was determined to add ''The Little King'' to his King Features Syndicate newspaper strips, but he was hindered by Soglow's contractual obligations with ''The New Yorker''. While seeing out the final period of the contract, Soglow produced a placeholder strip for King Features, '' The Ambassador'', quite similar to ''The Little King'' in characters, style ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aesop's Film Fables
''Aesop's Fables'' (later renamed ''Aesop's Sound Fables'') is a series of animated short subjects, created by American cartoonist Paul Terry. Produced from 1921 to 1933, the series includes '' Closer than a Brother'' (1925), ''The Window Washers'' (1925), '' Small Town Sheriff'' (1927), '' Dinner Time'' (1928), and ''Gypped in Egypt'' (1930). ''Dinner Time'' is the first cartoon with a synchronized soundtrack ever released to the public. The series provided inspiration to Walt Disney to found the Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City, Missouri, where he created Mickey Mouse. History Terry was inspired to make the series by young actor-turned-writer Howard Estabrook, who suggested making a series of cartoons based on ''Aesop's Fables''. Although Terry later claimed he had never heard of Aesop, he said that Estabrook's idea was worthwhile. Terry immediately began to set up a new studio called Fables Studios, Inc. and received backing from the Keith-Albee Theatre circuit. The s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amadee J
{{disambiguation, given name ...
Amadee may refer to: People *Amadee Wohlschlaeger (1911–2014), American cartoonist known professionally as just "Amadee" * Amadee J. Van Beuren (1880–1938), American film producer *Joseph Amadee Goguen (1941–2006), American computer scientist *F. Amadee Bregy, namesake of the F. Amadee Bregy School Other uses *AMADEE, several programs of the Austrian Space Forum#AMADEE Program See also *Amade (name) *Amadea (other) * Amadeo (other) * Amédée (other) * Amedeo (other) * Amadeus (other) Amadeus may refer to: *Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), prolific and influential composer of classical music *Amadeus (name), a given name and people with the name * ''Amadeus'' (play), 1979 stage play by Peter Shaffer * ''Amadeus'' (film), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Winston Sharples
Winston Singleton Sharples (March 1, 1909 – April 3, 1978) was an American composer known for his work with animated short subjects, especially those created by the animation department at Paramount Pictures. In his 35-year career, Sharples scored more than 700 cartoons for Paramount and Famous Studios, and composed music for two Frank Buck films, '' Wild Cargo'' (1934) and ''Fang and Claw'' (1935). Early years Sharples was born in Fall River, Massachusetts to William, a machinist, and Mary Sharples, and began singing in vaudeville shows at the Loew's Poli Theatre in Springfield, Massachusetts at the age of eight. He taught himself to play the piano, forming a band that played at Ivy League college dances throughout New England. He graduated from Classical High School in Springfield in 1925. Performer After high school, he formed the Burney Boys Orchestra, playing piano and orchestrating music for the group. The band played at locales around the country. Sharples appeared o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer, he holds the record for most Academy Awards earned and nominations by an individual, having won 22 Oscars from 59 nominations. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy Award, among other honors. Several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress and have also been named as some of the List of films considered the best, greatest films ever by the American Film Institute. Disney was the first person to be nominated for Academy Awards in six different categories. Born in Chicago in 1901, Disney developed an early interest in drawing. He took art classes as a boy and got a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18. He moved to California in the early ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amos 'n' Andy
''Amos 'n' Andy'' is an American radio sitcom about black characters, initially set in Chicago and later in the Harlem section of New York City. While the show had a brief life on 1950s television with black actors, the 1928 to 1960 radio show was created, written and voiced by two white actors, Freeman Gosden Freeman Fisher "Gozzie" Gosden (May 5, 1899 – December 10, 1982) was an American radio comedian, actor and pioneer in the development of the situation comedy form. He is best known for his work in the radio series ''Amos 'n' Andy''. Life and ... and Charles Correll, who played Amos Jones (Gosden) and Andrew Hogg Brown (Correll), as well as incidental characters. On television, 1951–1953, black actors took over the majority of the roles; white characters were infrequent. ''Amos 'n' Andy'' began as one of the first radio comedy series and originated from station WMAQ (AM), WMAQ in Chicago. After the first broadcast in 1928, the show became a hugely popular series, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shemp Howard
Samuel Horwitz (March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955), known professionally as Shemp Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Lithuanian Yiddish, Litvak accent. He is best known as the third Stooge in the Three Stooges, a role he played when the act began in the early 1920s (1923–1932), while it was still associated with Ted Healy and known as "Ted Healy and his Stooges"; and again from 1946 until his death in 1955. During the fourteen years between his times with the Stooges, he had a successful solo career as a film comedian, including series of shorts by himself and with partners. He reluctantly returned to the Stooges as a favor to his brother Moe Howard, Moe and friend Larry Fine to replace his brother Curly Howard, Curly as the third Stooge after Curly's illness. Early life Howard was born Samuel Horwitz in Bensonhurst in Brooklyn, NY on March 17, 1895, and raised in Brooklyn. He was the third- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bert Lahr
Irving Lahrheim (August 13, 1895 – December 4, 1967), known professionally as Bert Lahr, was an American actor. He was best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion, as well as his counterpart Kansas farmworker "Zeke", in the MGM adaptation of '' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939). He was well known for his quick-witted humor and his work in burlesque and vaudeville and on Broadway. Early life, family and education Lahr was born as Irving Lahrheim on August 13, 1895, at First Avenue and 81st Street, in the Yorkville section of Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. He was the son of Augusta (1871–1932) and Jacob Lahrheim (1870–1947), an upholsterer. His parents were German-Jewish immigrants. He attended P.S. 77 and Morris High School, although he left school at age 15. Lahr later served in the U.S. Navy during World War I as a seaman second class. Stage career Lahr began performing in minor parts on vaudeville stages at age 14. He quit school at age 15 to join a juvenile ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Goodman Ace
Goodman Ace (January 15, 1899 – March 25, 1982), born Goodman Aiskowitz, was an American humorist, radio writer and comedian, television writer, and magazine columnist. His low-key, literate drollery and softly tart way of tweaking trends and pretenses made him one of the most sought-after writers in radio and television from the 1930s through the 1960s. Early years Born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Latvian Jewish immigrants Harry Aiskowitz, who worked as a haberdasher, and Anna Katzen, Ace grew up wanting to write, and as the editor of his high school newspaper, he took on his first ''nom de plume'', Asa Goodman. Ace worked as a roller skating messenger for Montgomery Ward while he studied journalism at Kansas City Polytechnic Institute. He also wrote a weekly column called "The Dyspeptic" for the school's newspaper. After working at the post office and a local haberdashery to support his mother and sisters after his father's death, he became a reporter and column ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Easy Aces
''Easy Aces'' is an American serial radio comedy (1930–1945). It was trademarked by the low-keyed drollery of creator and writer Goodman Ace and his wife, Jane, as an urbane, put-upon realtor and his malaprop-prone wife. A 15-minute program, airing as often as five times a week, ''Easy Aces'' wasn't quite the ratings smash that such concurrent 15-minute serial comedies as ''Amos 'n' Andy'', '' The Goldbergs'', ''Lum and Abner'', or ''Vic and Sade'' were. But its unobtrusive, conversational, and clever style, and the cheerful absurdism of its storylines, built a loyal enough audience of listeners and critics alike to keep it on the air for 15 years. Accident of circumstance Goodman Ace (b. Goodman Aiskowitz, 1899–1982) was a film critic for the ''Journal Post'' in his native Kansas City. On radio station KMBC, he read comic strips to children on Sunday mornings and reviewed films on Friday evenings. One night in 1930, the cast of the 15-minute show that followed his slot faile ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adventure Girl
''Adventure Girl'' is a 1934 American adventure documentary directed by Herman C. Raymaker, based on dialogue written by Ferrin Frazier, starring and narrated by Joan Lowell. The screenplay is based on the autobiography of Lowell, ''The Cradle of the Deep'', which later turned out to be a work of fiction. Plot Joan Lowell travels by sea with her father, Nicholas Wagner, as the captain, and two additional crew, William Sawyer and Otto Siegler. During their voyage, their ship is damaged in a hurricane, her mast broken. Coming upon the wrecks of other ships, they find a mast that they can use to replace their broken one. As the two crewmembers begin salvaging the mast, Lowell and Wagner explore other wrecks, where Lowell comes upon an old map which supposedly leads to ruins in the jungle which contain a precious emerald. After replacing the mast, they continue their journey, but need to find a water supply to replenish their drinking water, which was also lost during the hurrican ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered one of the film industry's most important figures. His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both adulation and controversy. Chaplin's childhood in London was one of poverty and hardship. His father was absent and his mother struggled financially — he was sent to a workhouse twice before age nine. When he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental asylum. Chaplin began performing at an early age, touring music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian. At 19, he was signed to the Fred Karno company, which took him to the United States. He was scouted for the film industry and began appearing in 1914 for Keystone Studios. He soon de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
