Leon Schlesinger (May 20, 1884 – December 25, 1949) was an American film producer who founded

Leon Schlesinger Productions Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was ...

, which later became the

Warner Bros. Cartoons Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was ...

studio, during the

Golden Age of American animation The golden age of American animation was a period in the history of U.S. animation that began with the popularization of sound cartoons in 1928 and gradually ended in the late 1960s, where theatrical animated shorts began losing popularity to the ...

. He was a distant relative of the Warner Brothers. As head of his own studio, Schlesinger served as the producer of Warner's ''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series '' Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. ...

'' and ''

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 1970s to the ...

'' cartoons from 1930, when Schlesinger assumed production from his subcontractors, Harman and Ising, to 1944, when Warner acquired the studio.

Early life and career

Schlesinger was born to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family 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. Since ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, on May 20, 1884. In 1909, Schlesinger married Bernice K. Schlesinger (''nee'' Leona Katz) (September 15, 1882 – May 8, 1966). After Schlesinger worked at a theater as an usher, songbook agent, actor, and manager (including the Palace Theater in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

), he founded Pacific Title & Art Studio in 1919, where most of his business was producing title cards for

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

s. As talking pictures ("

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

s") replaced them in 1929 and 1930, Schlesinger looked for ways to capitalize on the new technology and stay in business. Some

film historian The history of film chronicles the development of a visual art form created using film technologies that began in the late 19th century. The advent of film as an artistic medium is not clearly defined. However, the commercial, public scree ...

s, like Tom Sito, claim that he helped finance the Warner Brothers' first talkie, ''

The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolate ...

'' (1927). He then secured a contract with the studio to produce its brand-new ''

'' series, and he signed

animator An animator is an artist who creates multiple images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games ...

Hugh Harman Hugh Harman (August 31, 1903 – November 25, 1982) was an American animator. He was known for creating the Warner Bros. Cartoons and MGM Cartoons and his collaboration with Rudolf Ising during the golden age of American animation. Career He b ...

and

Rudy Ising Rudolf Carl Ising (August 7, 1903 – July 18, 1992) was an American animator best known for collaborating with Hugh Harman to establish the Warner Bros. and MGM Cartoon studios during the early years of the golden age of American animation. In ...

to create these cartoons with their

Bosko Bosko is an animated cartoon character created by animators Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising. Bosko was the first recurring character in Leon Schlesinger's cartoon series and was the star of 39 ''Looney Tunes'' shorts released by Warner Bros. He ...

character as the star.

Warner's Westerns

Schlesinger produced six

B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feat ...

Westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

in the 1930s for Warners starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

. * ''

Haunted Gold ''Haunted Gold'' is a 1932 Pre-Production Code, American Western film directed by Mack V. Wright and starring John Wayne. It is a remake of the 1928 film ''The Phantom City'', starring Ken Maynard and his horse Tarzan. Filmed in 1932, two year ...

'' (1932) * ''

Ride Him Cowboy ''Ride Him, Cowboy'' is a 1932 pre-Code Western film directed by Fred Allen for Warner Brothers, starring a 25-year-old John Wayne. Based on the 1923 novel of the same name by Kenneth Perkins, the film is a remake of '' The Unknown Cavalier'', ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Big Stampede ''The Big Stampede'' is a 1932 pre-Code American Western film starring John Wayne (with his horse named "Duke") and Noah Beery. It is a remake of the 1927 film '' The Land Beyond the Law''. Plot Deputy Sheriff Steele is commissioned by Governor ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Telegraph Trail ''The Telegraph Trail'' is a 1933 American pre-Code Western (genre), Western film directed by Tenny Wright and starring John Wayne and Frank McHugh. The film also starred stuntman Yakima Canutt as Indian Chief High Wolf, Marceline Day as the he ...

'' (1933) * ''

Somewhere in Sonora ''Somewhere in Sonora'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code Western film directed by Mack V. Wright and starring John Wayne. It is a remake of the 1927 silent film of the same name. The story was based on a 1925 novel named "Somewhere South" by ...

'' (1933) * ''

The Man from Monterey ''The Man from Monterey'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code Western (genre), Western directed by Mack V. Wright and starring John Wayne. The picture was released by Warner Bros. Pictures. This film was the last of six films John W ...

'' (1933)

Schlesinger as businessman

Schlesinger was a shrewd businessman with a keen eye for talent. When Harman and Ising left Warner Bros. with Bosko in 1933, Schlesinger set up his own studio on the Warner Bros.

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in ...

lot at the corner of Van Ness and Fernwood. He wooed animators away from other studios, including some of those who had departed with Harman and Ising including

Bob Clampett Robert Emerson Clampett Sr. (May 8, 1913 – May 2, 1984) was an American animator, director, producer and puppeteer. He was best known for his work on the '' Looney Tunes'' animated series from Warner Bros. as well as the television shows '' ...

. One of these was

Friz Freleng Isadore "Friz" Freleng (August 21, 1905May 26, 1995), credited as I. Freleng early in his career, was an American animator, cartoonist, director, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ...

, whom Schlesinger promoted to oversee production of ''

'' and to develop the sister series, ''

''. Freleng's talent quickly shone through, and Schlesinger's hiring of

Robert McKimson Robert Porter McKimson Sr. (October 13, 1910 – September 29, 1977) was an American animator and illustrator, best known for his work on the ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons from Warner Bros. Cartoons and later DeP ...

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

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, pro ...

and

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 k ...

further increased the quality of the studio's output. He later added

Carl Stalling Carl William Stalling (November 10, 1891 – November 29, 1972) was an American composer, voice actor and arranger for music in animated films. He is most closely associated with the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' shorts produced by War ...

and

Mel Blanc Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy r ...

, and collectively these men created such famous characters as

Porky Pig Porky Pig is an animated character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his star power, and the animators created many criti ...

Daffy Duck Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character created for Leon Schlesinger Productions by animators Tex Avery and Bob Clampett. Styled as an anthropomorphic black duck, he has appeared in cartoon series such as ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Mel ...

and

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merr ...

. Schlesinger largely took a "hands off" approach to the animation unit, allowing his directors freedom to create what they wished, provided that the resulting films were successful. Schlesinger sold Pacific Title & Art Studio in 1935 to concentrate on his animation studio.

Business practices

Schlesinger was known for his hard-nosed business practices. His animators worked in a dilapidated studio (Avery's unit were briefly assigned to a bungalow they dubbed "

Termite Terrace Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was ...

"), and Schlesinger briefly shut down the studio in mid-1941 when unionized employees demanded a pay raise. On another occasion, he boycotted the

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for what he claimed was preferential treatment for the Walt Disney Cartoon Studio. He also farmed some of the ''

'' out to brother-in-law Ray Katz for tax breaks. Schlesinger was also known among his animators for his

lisp A lisp is a speech impairment in which a person misarticulates sibilants (, , , , , , , ). These misarticulations often result in unclear speech. Types * A frontal lisp occurs when the tongue is placed anterior to the target. Interdental lispin ...

. One oft-repeated story states that

patterned the voices of both Daffy Duck and Sylvester the Cat on Schlesinger. However, in Mel Blanc's autobiography, ''That's Not All Folks!'', he contradicts that conventional belief, writing "It seemed to me that such an extended mandible would hinder his speech, particularly on words containing an ''s'' sound. Thus 'despicable' became 'des''th''picable'." Daffy's slobbery, exaggerated lisp was developed over time.

Appearances in shorts

Leon Schlesinger appeared as himself in Freleng's short ''

You Ought to Be in Pictures ''You Ought to Be in Pictures'' is a 1940 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' short film directed by Friz Freleng. The cartoon was released on May 18, 1940, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. The film combined live-action and animation, and featu ...

'' (1940), one that combines live action with animation. In this short,

voices Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and all other characters, except Schlesinger, who dubbed his voice because the studio did not have a sound camera. In the film the stuttering Porky is unable to pronounce "Mr. Schlesinger," eventually giving up and addressing him as "Leon". As with other Warner cartoon staffers, Schlesinger appeared in caricature form in such cartoons as ''

Hollywood Steps Out ''Hollywood Steps Out'' is a 1941 short ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon by Warner Bros., directed by Tex Avery. The short was released on May 24, 1941. The cartoon features caricatures of over 40 Hollywood celebrities. Plot A bird's-eye view of Los A ...

'', '' Russian Rhapsody'' and ''

Nutty News ''Nutty News'' is a 1942 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on May 23, 1942. Elmer Fudd's voice can be heard as the unseen narrator. Cast *Arthur Q. Bryan as Elmer Fudd (voiceover) *Mel Blanc ...

''.

Later life and career

Schlesinger remained head of the animation studio until 1944 when he sold his assets to Warner Bros.

Eddie Selzer Edward Selzer (January 12, 1893 – February 22, 1970) was an American film producer and publicist who served as head of Warner Bros. Cartoons from 1944 to 1958. He served in the US Navy and fought as a Golden Gloves boxer. He won a boxing exhibi ...

assumed Schlesinger's position as producer. He continued to market the characters and headed Warners's Theater Services unit. Schlesinger was an avid racehorse fan and was a director of the Western Harness Racing Association. Schlesinger died from a viral infection on

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

, 1949. He is interred in the Beth Olam Mausoleum inside the

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angel ...

in Hollywood, California.''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries''
/ref>

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schlesinger, Leon 1884 births 1949 deaths 19th-century American people 20th-century American businesspeople American animated film producers American film production company founders American film studio executives American people of German-Jewish descent Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Businesspeople from Buffalo, New York Businesspeople from Los Angeles Businesspeople from Pennsylvania Businesspeople from Philadelphia Film producers from California Film producers from Pennsylvania Television producers from California Television producers from New York (state) Warner Bros. Cartoons people Film producers from New York (state) American Jews