Robert Jarvis Bentley (11 March 1907 – 28 November 2000) was an American animator who worked for Warner Bros. Cartoons,

Fleischer Studios Fleischer Studios () is an American animation studio founded in 1929 by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, who ran the pioneering company from its inception until its acquisition by Paramount Pictures, the parent company and the distributor of i ...

, the

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio was an American animation studio operated by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) during the Golden Age of American animation. Active from 1937 until 1957, the studio was responsible for producing animated shorts to a ...

Tex Avery Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, animation director, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of American a ...

Walter Lantz Productions Walter Lantz Productions was an American animation studio. It was in operation from 1928 to 1972 and was the principal supplier of animation for Universal Studios. The studio was originally formed as Universal Cartoon Studios on the initiative o ...

, UPA,

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...

and

Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and pr ...

among others.

Early life

Bentley was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

on March 11, 1907, the eldest child of three to John Harrison Bentley, Jr. and Hannah Helen Jarvis Bentley. John Harrison Bentley passed away in 1918, and later Hannah Helen married pioneer animator Leslie Elton, although this marriage did not last.

Career

Bentley started his animation career in 1929 as an assistant animator at the Van Beuren cartoon studio in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, later working for Les Elton's independent studio on his 1931 cartoon "Simon the Monk". He moved to the West Coast in 1935 to work briefly at Walt Disney's studio, then spent the next few years as a full-fledged animator in

Frank Tashlin Frank Tashlin (born Francis Fredrick von Taschlein, February 19, 1913 – May 5, 1972), also known as Tish Tash and Frank Tash, was an American animator, cartoonist, children's writer, illustrator, screenwriter, and film director. He was best kn ...

's unit at

Leon Schlesinger Leon Schlesinger (May 20, 1884 – December 25, 1949) was an American film producer who founded Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the Golden Age of American animation. He was a distant r ...

cartoon studio A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...

for

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

In 1939, Bentley, along with other Tashlin animators like Joe D'Igalo and Nelson Demorest, moved to

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

to work for

, as they were hiring experienced West Coast animators to tool up for their first animated feature,

Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', or ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'' is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan ...

. In the early 40s, Bentley returned to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

to animate for the

Walter Lantz studio Walter Lantz Productions was an American animation studio. It was in operation from 1928 to 1972 and was the principal supplier of animation for Universal Studios. The studio was originally formed as Universal Cartoon Studios on the initiative o ...

Andy Panda Andy Panda is a cartoon character who starred in his own series of animated cartoon short subjects produced by Walter Lantz. These "cartunes" were released by Universal Pictures from 1939 to 1947, and United Artists from 1948 to 1949. The title ...

and Woody Woodpecker cartoons, and by the mid-40s was a top animator of both

's and Dick Lundy's animation units at MGM's cartoon studio. Bentley spent the majority of the 50s animating back at Lantz's studio, before being hired by

to work primarily on TV animation. From then on, he bounced between stints at numerous television animation studios like DePatie-Freleng and

, where he contributed to such animated productions as '' Star Trek: The Animated Series'' (1973–1974), ''

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...

'' (1967), and others.

Selected Filmography

Little Beau Porky ''Little Beau Porky'' is a 1936 Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes'' cartoon short directed by Frank Tashlin. The short was released on November 14, 1936, and stars Porky Pig. In the cartoon, Porky is in the French Foreign Legion as a camel scrubb ...

Porky's Romance ''Porky's Romance'' is a 1937 Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The short was released on April 3, 1937, and stars Porky Pig and Petunia Pig, in her debut appearance. Plot The cartoon opens with an introduction o ...

Porky's Railroad ''Porky's Railroad'' is a Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The short was released on August 7, 1937, and stars Porky Pig. Plot The short begins with many views of the #515 4-4-2 Atlantic type steam engine, Alfred ...

The Case of the Stuttering Pig ''The Case of the Stuttering Pig'' is a 1937 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' animated cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The short was released on October 30, 1937, and stars Porky Pig and Petunia Pig. The title is a parody of '' The Case of the S ...

The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos ''The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos'' is a 1937 '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The short was released on December 4, 1937. Plot The cartoon starts with an owl named "Owl Kott" (satirizing Alexander Woolcott's ''Town Crier' ...

Wholly Smoke ''Wholly Smoke'' is a 1938 Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The short was released on August 27, 1938, and stars Porky Pig. This episode teaches about the dangers of smoking. Plot The short starts with a man at c ...

* The Fresh Vegetable Mystery *

* Fightin Pals *

Under the Spreading Blacksmith Shop This is a list of Walter Lantz "Cartunes" featuring Andy Panda. All are entries in Lantz's ''Andy Panda'' series, except for ''$21 a Day (Once a Month)'' a ''Swing Symphony'' cartoon, ''Musical Moments from Chopin'', a ''Musical Miniatures'' ...

* Good-Bye Mr. Moth *

Nutty Pine Cabin This is a list of Walter Lantz "Cartunes" featuring Andy Panda. All are entries in Lantz's ''Andy Panda'' series, except for ''$21 a Day (Once a Month)'' a ''Swing Symphony'' cartoon, ''Musical Moments from Chopin'', a ''Musical Miniatures'' ...

Ration Bored This is a list of animated cartoons that star Woody Woodpecker, who appeared in 203 cartoons (196 Woody shorts and 7 miscellaneous shorts) during and after the Golden age of American animation. All the cartoons were produced by Walter Lantz Prod ...

Uncle Tom's Cabaña ''Uncle Tom's Cabaña'' is a 1947 American animated short film directed by Tex Avery. The short is a parody of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'', and is Avery's second parody of the novel, the first being ''Uncle Tom's Bunga ...

* Slap Happy Lion *

King-Size Canary ''King-Size Canary'' is an animated cartoon short that debuted in movie theaters in 1947. It was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Tex Avery. The canary in this short was a primary inspiration for the design of Maurice, a character ...

* Little 'Tinker *

Barney's Hungry Cousin ''Barney's Hungry Cousin'' is a 1953 MGM cartoon featuring Barney Bear. It is the 19th ''Barney Bear'' short. This cartoon is the first known mention of Jellystone National Park, which would go on to become the home of Hanna-Barbera's cartoon st ...

Maw and Paw Maw and Paw are Walter Lantz characters, who made their first appearance in the cartoon "Maw and Paw", in 1953. Their final appearance was in 1968, in "Feudin Fightin-N-Fussin". They are based on the Universal's popular live-action ''Ma and Pa Ke ...

Hot Noon (or 12 O'Clock for Sure) This is a list of animated cartoons that star Woody Woodpecker, who appeared in 203 cartoons (196 Woody shorts and 7 miscellaneous shorts) during and after the Golden age of American animation. All the cartoons were produced by Walter Lantz Produ ...

Chilly Willy Chilly Willy is a cartoon character, a diminutive penguin. He was created by director Paul Smith for the Walter Lantz studio in 1953, and developed further by Tex Avery in the two subsequent films following Smith's debut entry. The character ...

The Three Little Pups Droopy is an animated character from the golden age of American animation. He is an anthropomorphic white Basset Hound with a droopy face; hence his name. He was created in 1943 by Tex Avery for theatrical cartoon shorts produced by the Metro-G ...

* Sleepy-Time Squirrel * Homesteader Droopy * Bird-Brain Bird Dog * The Farm of Tomorrow *

Witch Crafty This is a list of animated cartoons that star Woody Woodpecker, who appeared in 203 cartoons (196 Woody shorts and 7 miscellaneous shorts) during and after the Golden age of American animation. All the cartoons were produced by Walter Lantz Produ ...

Private Eye Pooch This is a list of animated cartoons that star Woody Woodpecker, who appeared in 203 cartoons (196 Woody shorts and 7 miscellaneous shorts) during and after the Golden age of American animation. All the cartoons were produced by Walter Lantz Produ ...

* Bedtime Bedlam * After the Ball *

Chief Charlie Horse This is a list of animated cartoons that star Woody Woodpecker, who appeared in 203 cartoons (196 Woody shorts and 7 miscellaneous shorts) during and after the Golden age of American animation. All the cartoons were produced by Walter Lantz Prod ...

Woodpecker from Mars This is a list of animated cartoons that star Woody Woodpecker, who appeared in 203 cartoons (196 Woody shorts and 7 miscellaneous shorts) during and after the Golden age of American animation. All the cartoons were produced by Walter Lantz Produ ...

Niagara Fools This is a list of animated cartoons that star Woody Woodpecker, who appeared in 203 cartoons (196 Woody shorts and 7 miscellaneous shorts) during and after the Golden age of American animation. All the cartoons were produced by Walter Lantz Prod ...

Red Riding Hoodlum This is a list of animated cartoons that star Woody Woodpecker, who appeared in 203 cartoons (196 Woody shorts and 7 miscellaneous shorts) during and after the Golden age of American animation. All the cartoons were produced by Walter Lantz Produ ...

Round Trip to Mars This is a list of animated cartoons that star Woody Woodpecker, who appeared in 203 cartoons (196 Woody shorts and 7 miscellaneous shorts) during and after the Golden age of American animation. All the cartoons were produced by Walter Lantz Produ ...

Mister Magoo ''Mister Magoo'' is an American animated television series which was produced from November 7, 1960 to February 2, 1962. A single episode included five four-minute shorts and could either be aired together with bumpers as a single half-hour show, ...

(TV Series) * Pistol Packin' Woodpecker *

The Yogi Bear Show ''The Yogi Bear Show'' is an American comedy animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that centers on the misadventures of forest-dwelling bear Yogi in Jellystone Park. The show debuted in syndication on January 30, 1961 ...

(TV Series) *

Beetle Bailey ''Beetle Bailey'' is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Mort Walker, published since September 4, 1950. It is set on a fictional United States Army post. In the years just before Walker's death in 2018 (at age 94), it was among the old ...

(TV Series) *

Linus the Lionhearted ''Linus the Lionhearted'' is an American Saturday morning animated television series that aired on CBS from September 26, 1964 to December 11, 1965, originally airing in black and white. Colorized versions of the episodes started airing on ABC in ...

(TV Series) *

The Marvel Super Heroes ''The Marvel Super Heroes'' is an American animated television series starring five comic book superheroes from Marvel Comics. The first TV series based on Marvel characters, it debuted in broadcast syndication, syndication on United States, U.S. ...

(TV Series) *

The Archie Show ''The Archie Show'' (also known as ''The Archies)'' is an American musical animated sitcom television series produced by Filmation for CBS. Based on the Archie Comics, created by Bob Montana in 1941, ''The Archie Show'' aired Saturday mornings ...

(TV Series) *

The Batman/Superman Hour ''The Batman/Superman Hour'' is a Filmation animated series that was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1969. Premiering on September 14, 1968, this 60-minute program featured new adventures of the DC Comics superheroes Batman, Robin and Batgirl alon ...

(TV Series) *

Fantastic Voyage ''Fantastic Voyage'' is a 1966 American science fiction adventure film directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby. The film is about a submarine crew who are shrunk to microscop ...

(TV Series) *

Here Comes the Grump ''Here Comes the Grump'' is an animated cartoon series produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and aired on NBC from 1969 to 1970. It was later shown in reruns on Sci-Fi Channel's Cartoon Quest. Structured as a battle between good and evil, the ...

(TV Series) *

Doctor Dolittle Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in the ...

(TV Series) * Don't Hustle an Ant with Muscle *

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

Lassie's Rescue Rangers ''Lassie's Rescue Rangers'' is an animated TV show produced by Filmation and featuring Lassie, running from 1972 to 1973. The hour-long pilot, ''Lassie and the Spirit of Thunder Mountain'', was part of ''The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie''. Summar ...

(TV Series) * Mission: Magic! (TV Series) * My Favorite Martians (TV Series) * Star Trek: The Animated Series *

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bentley, Robert 1907 births 2000 deaths American animators Warner Bros. Discovery people Warner Bros. people Warner Bros. Cartoons people Hanna-Barbera people Fleischer Studios people Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio people Walter Lantz Productions people