BoxOffice, December 25, 1943

Yowp / Fibber Fox has provided the following:

BOXOFFICE DEC. 25 1943

Pg. 42

20th-Fox Release Dates On 13 Short Subjects

New York—Titles and release dates of 13 short subjects to be released in the first quarter of 1944 were announced by Tom J. Connors, 20th-Fox vice-president of worldwide distribution. Three March of Time releases, untitled as yet, are included.

The complete list follows: “The Butcher of Seville,” Terrytoon,. January 7; “Leathernecks

on Parade,” “Movietone Adventure,” January 14; “The Heliocopter,” [sic] Terrytoon,

January 21; untitled March of Time, January 28; “Realm of Royalty,” Magic Carpet,

February 4; “The Wreck of the Hesperus,” Terrytoon, February 11; “Silver Wings,” Movietone Adventure, February 18; an untitled March of Time, February 25; “A Day in June,” Terrytoon, March 3; “Steamboat on the River,” Magic Carpet, March 10; “The Champion of Justice,” Terrytoon, March 17; untitled March of Time, March 24, and “Sails Aloft,” Movietone Adventure, March 31.

Pg. 59

Disney Making Films In Seven Languages

The Tower of Babel had little on the Walt Disney Studio. Taking advantage of the present market situation and looking ahead to the planting of the Allied flags on enemy-occupied countries, Disney’s foreign language department is working on Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Italian and French versions of a select list of pictures.

Prior to the war, Disney produced as many as ten foreign language versions of his releases. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” which RKO will release after the first of the year, had ten different language versions. The field is one that has been thoroughly explored by the studio and because there is no time limitation on its productions, the distribution residue offers tremendous possibilities. More than half the Disney revenue formerly came from the foreign market.

As production progresses on “The Three Caballeros,” the new musical feature now in work, Spanish and Portuguese scripts are being prepared, with Italian and French versions to follow.

The Russian-dubbed version of “Der Fuehrer’s Face” has been completed and attention now is being devoted to “Bambi,” which has been scheduled next for release in the Soviet Republic.

“Saludos Amigos,” which has been issued in all the Latin-American republics, is to be dubbed in Swedish, Italian and French.

The Swedish language version of “Bambi” recently opened in Stockholm to the biggest business of any Disney feature since “Snow White.”

Two pictures in the “Goofy” series, “How to Play Football” and “Tiger Trouble,” are being readied for Spanish and Portuguese versions, as is “The Good Samaritan,” a special featuring Pluto, the Pup and Mammy.

Other productions will be added to the list as facilities permit.

Animated, Inc., to Produce Live-Action Film Inserts

Cartoon Producer Dave Fleischer and Walter Colmes, independent producer, have taken out articles of Incorporation for Animation, Inc., company which will produce animated inserts for live-action films. Fleischer is president, and Colmes vice-president of the new enterprise.

Pg. 60

STUDIO PERSONNELITIES

Briefies

GEORGE PAL has purchased an original story idea entitled “The Big Rock Candy Mountain,” from Jack Miller and assigned Miller to do the screenplay. Briefie, to be filmed in Technicolor, will star the Puppetoon character, “Rusty.”

Showmandiser, Pg. 5

Star-Giggle Revue Features Cartoons

Dallas—Theatres of the Interstate circuit, particularly neighborhood houses, have made sizeable records in the last two years by putting on advertised extra cartoon shows. In her regular bulletin, Shorts, Interstate’s shorts booker, Mrs. Besa Short, suggests copy for herald or lobby in playing up groups of cartoons instead of the feature picture.

Headed “Star and Giggle Revue Programme,” the cartoon titles and the performers, such as Red Hot Ridinghood, Donald Duck and Bugs Bunny, are listed in regular program form, underneath which are the words, “plus selected feature.”

Following this is copy, “It’s here at last. It’s the show you waited for. Original Hollywood studio cast, famous five stars, all in one big fun show. Blank Theatre, date.”

BoxOffice, December 18, 1943

Yowp / Fibber Fox has provided the following:

BOXOFFICE DEC. 18 1943

Pg. 18

Warner to Have 32 Shorts From January to May

New York—Thirty-two shorts will be released by Warner from January to mid-May, according to Norman H. Moray, short subjects .sales manager. Half of this number will be cartoons, and three-quarters of the total are in Technicolor.

Pg. 105

“Bambi” With Exhibit

Hartford— In connection with a celluloid exhibition of Walt Disney drawings at Avery Memorial December 15 to January 10, there will be a showing of the animated cartoon film, “Bambi,” at the Avery Auditorium December 28. Proceeds will be devoted to the Children’s Art Classes.

Showmandiser Pg. 14

SHORTS REVIEWS

No Mutton for Nuttin’

Paramount (Noyeltoons) 7 Mins.

So-So. A new character is introduced in this new series of Noveltoons. The newcomer, a tough black sheep, provides some furious competition for a hungry wolf. The latter spies some tasty lamb chops on the hoof but the black sheep has been reading a book on “How to Outsmart a Hungry Wolf,” and outwits the wolf. Aside from the color, there is little that is outstanding.

BoxOffice, December 11, 1943

Yowp / Fibber Fox has provided the following:

Boxoffice December 11, 1943

Pg. 12

Disney Sees Future For Educat’l Films

New York—There will be a great future for educational films, Walt Disney predicts, if educators and film producers get together and agree upon presentation forms with the idea of educating through entertainment. He foresees this is one of the film developments of 1944.

“Films will never replace textbooks entirely,” Disney says, “but will supplement the written word.”

He points out the success of army training films as examples. These began with a single-reeler on flush riveting. Now the educational films top all other production at the studio. Other films on health, sanitation, literacy and nutrition are being produced for the Co-Ordinator of Inter-American Affairs.

Disney does not expect any early developments on third dimensional film, but he feels that all pictures will be made in color if the experiments designed to make a single negative sensitive to all colors are successful.

Pg. 40

Adopted by Flyers—

The wolf from M-G-M’s “Red Hot Riding Hood” has been adopted by the 667^th Bombardment Squadron, training at Gainesville. Fla., as the squadron insignia. A letter from a squadron member to Fred Quimby, head of M-G-M’s cartoon production, says,
“The modernized wolf is so typical of many of our officers.”

Pg. 56

STUDIO PERSONNELITIES

Briefies

Universal

WALTER LANTZ has purchased the song “Water Lou, Drip! Drip! Drip!” from Del Porter and Carl Hoefle to use as basis of a Cartune by the same name. Ben Hardaway and Milt Schaeffer are working on the script. Lantz is also preparing two more briefies, both of which are untitled, for current season release.

Pg. 57

Disney Studio Faces Record 1944 Year

Having broken all footage records for any 12-month period by a ratio of ten to one in 1943, the Walt Disney Studio faces 1944 with more pictures in work than ever before. Including entertainment and training pictures, some 40 subjects are thus far scheduled for the new year.

All pictures for the armed forces come under the “restricted” and “confidential” heading. In the entertainment field, 13 shorts will be in actual production, with an additional ten in story preparation.

Also in production is the feature-length, “The Three Caballeros.” All the Disney entertainment subjects are slated for lensing in Technicolor for RKO release.

BoxOffice, December 4, 1943

""Drip" Song for Cartune Walter Lantz has purchased the song, •Water Lou, Drip! Drip! Drip!" from Del Porter and Carl Hoefle to use as the basis of a Cartune by the same name. Ben Hardaway and Milt Schaeffer are working on the script. Lantz is also preparing two more brlefles, both of which are untitled,

for current season release."

"WALTER LANTZ has added "(ungle live," with a South Seas locale, to his Cartunes lineup. Arthur Heinoman and James Culhane are preparing the"



"In order to see two features, the patrons of this theatre must be In the hou.se at 8:55. In this instance. If a 9:00 showing has been advertised consistently, it would be well to include a cartoon to add seven or eight minutes running time to the pro-"

"a Popeye cartoon and two fea-"

""Squander Bug" Creator Son of Springfield Man

Springfield Theodore Sue.ss Geisel. cartoonist, humorist, writer and illustrator of children's books, whose latest creation, the "squander bug." is being used by the treasui-y department in a campaign to divert more money into the war effort, is the son of Theodore Geisel. local superintendent of parks. Stationed on the west coast for more than a year. Geisel is attached to the Hollywood division of special service as a captain in the information branch. He had tlie job of "Americanizing" the bug. known to the British government for some time, as a part of his work."

"Before schools let out for the holidays arrange for your Kiddie shows, if you plan your Christmas Kiddie Party after Christmas rather than a Saturday before. When the cartoons are arranged with the booker,"
"up with a contest of some kind a coloring contest will do. If you have a Bugs Bunny show run the contest around Bugs Bunny, or for that matter, any of the cartoon characters in the show. You might give a dime store a display in the lobby in exchange for candy and some prizes for your Christmas party. A good stunt that has been tried and"

"Fuss and Feathers

20th-Fox (Dribble Puss Parade)

9 Mins.

Amusing.

in

this short,

Lew

Lehr handles the narration

on a single

bill.

Her Honor the Mare

Paramount 7 Mins, (Popeye) Good. Popeye appears in his first Technicolor release and all of his countless fans will hail the event. The gorgeous color adds immensely to its enjoyment. Popeye's four little nephews find an old mare. They decide to bring her home but the animal's size presents a problem. There is a bit of horseplay, and the mare finally wins a home when she becomes a mother. The new Popeye series should cut quite a swath in the cartoon field.

which features birds with gorgeous plumage. Coupled with Lehr's jocular narration and the unusual subjects, the footage emerges as a unique short suitable for

practically

any

spot.

^nt to sing.
Imagination

Columbia

Excellent.

Kingdom

20th-Fox

of the Treasure

9 Mins.

to

(Color Rhapsody)

6 Mins.

Very Good.

(Magic Carpet) A worthy successor

is

prein

delightful fantasy of childrod is here transferred to the screen in one the best cartoons ever turned out by Pro.:er Dave Fleischer. An original song by ;ul Worth bearing the same title as the film ids immeasurably to its entertainment val:r.
A

vious releases in this series

this short

which Lowell Thomas' resonant voice is heard as the narrator. The reel depicts the lush beauties of an Indian maharajah's domain. All of the pomp of a royal court is shown, making the reel of more than passing interest.

This is cartoon of unusual merit which he booked on virtually any program.

Phony Express

Columbia

(Throe Stooges)

17 Mins.

Unusual Occupations

Paramount

(L3-1)

10 Mins.

The Hopeful Donkey

20th-Fox

Fair.

(Terrytoon Cartoon)

into the discard

7 Mina.


because he has outlived his usefulness, the donkey leaves home. While trekking along a highway he is joined by a bevy of other animals who comfort him. Then his luck changes and all is well again. The second part of the short shows how the fable would be done today. It's replete with boogie woogie and jive."
"Duck Makes Good

(Terrytoon Cartoon)

7 Mins."
Good. Plenty of laughs in this footage, which should more than please the kids and many adults, too. The duck is an amusing fellow whose antics will undoubtedly create laughs galore.

use. That's wife starts.

when

the

trouble

with his


"Way Down

the

'

Yonder Corn

in"
(Fox & Crow)

71/2

Vory Good.

•1

, '

,v

when

lor

a acarocTow

The wily crow puis one over the latter, who is a farmer, Impersonating a
the crow gets the iob. But the fox the tables when he, himself, imjonnto.T a scarecrow. This is a color ear-
The Old Army

RKO

Very Good.

Game

7 Mins.

(Wall Disney Productions)

Donald Duck trios to outwit the tough array sergeant by filling the barracks beds with dummies and playing a phonograph racording of various kinds of
chasing Donald with a bayonet. Disney fans will revel in this latest release

Boxoffice, November 27, 1943

BoxOffice November 27, 1943

Unusually, they reviewed a Blue Ribbon reissue down below...


"Cartoon Screen Rights

New York— Republic has acquired from Stephen Slesinger the screen rights to the newspaper cartoon .series called "Red Ryder," starring Wild Bill Elliott, a cartoon character created by Fred Harmon. The strip is distributed through NEA to 700 papers. There is also a Red Ryder magazine, published by Hawley, which is said to have a two million circulation."

p62
"Pal to compose an original score lor color Puppetoon. And to Think That Mulberry Straat,"

MAURICE DE PACKH has been engoged by George"

p63
"The conference now has 6,000 members mcluding painters, machinists, film technicians, cartoonists, office workers, and set

designers."

"To Compose Original Score

Maurice n<- Piirkh has been engaged by George Piil Id compo.sp an original score for the Technicolor Puppetoon, "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.""

p103
"Manager Len Herbert ran a special Saturday morning show of cartoons and comedies for children, admission being at least three magazines. The result was more than 3.000 suitable magazines received"



Showmandiser p14
"Aladdin's Lamp

7 Mins.

(Terrytoon Cartoon)

doughboys learn to their amazement of the wonders of Aladdin's Lamp in this modern version of the beloved fable. Kids in particular should go for this footage.

Good.

Goodnight Rusty

Paramount (Madcap Models) 71/2 Mins. Very Good. George Pal works his customary magic in this tale ol a little boy who Strange secretly smokes his first cigar. things soon begin to happen as the cigars come to life and scare the daylights out of him. Chastened, the lad gets back into bed as his mother opens the door to bid him goodnight. In chorus, the living cigars whisper: "goodnight, mother!


The Lion and the Mouse

20th-Fox

(Terrytoon Cartoon)

7 Warn.

—

Entertaining. The younger element should figuratively toss their hats in the air over this streamlined treatment of the "Lion and the Mouse" fable. But instead of the lion falling into a trap made of rope, he falls into
a deep well. The mouse is converted into a Superman-mouse for the nonce. Then to repay the debt he owes the lion, he proceeds to rescue him from the we!!"

"Reissue (Blue Ribbon Cartoons) 7 Mins. Swell. Warner chose wisely in bringing back this cartoon, one of the funniest seen In sure to please all age recent years. It's groups. The western town of "Sleepy Valley" is continually being harassed by bank raids The latter esperpetuated by "The Terror. capes many traps set for him. Our hero, however,

dit.

trapping the elusive banThe footage furnishes countless hearty

suceeds

in

Good

for

plenty

ol

laughs

chuckles."


"took second prize of $50 among exhibitors west of the Mississippi for his campaign on Walt Lantz Cartimes. Joe Katz, manager of the Grand in Benld, 111., won the second prize of $100 for featurette exploitation in cities with less than 10.000 population and second prize of $50 among exhibitors east of the Mississippi for exploitation of Walt Lantz Cartunes."(plus more on this)


"for service, now is stationed in Tennessee Remember Carl D. Jensen, Hartford Courant reporter? He now is an army air force officer candidate at the Governor Hotel. Miami Beach, Fla. Prior to his work for the Courant Jensen was employed by the Walt Disney studios in California Joe DiLorenzo of the Daly"

BoxOffice, November 20, 1943

Yowp / Fibber Fox has provided the following:

Boxoffice November 20, 1943

Pg 40-C

Disney Museum Trustee

New York—Walt Disney has been named a trustee of the Museum of Modern Art. Other new trustees appointed are William A. M. Burden, Henry Allen Moe and Mrs. George Henry Warren jr.

Disney was one of the first sponsors of the museum and one of the first to donate his films to its collections.

Pg. 41

Contest to Name Lantz’s New Girl Character

Walter Lantz, producer of Universal’s Cartunes, has launched a contest among the country’s exhibitors to select a name for his new glamour girl character who debuts in the Technicolor briefie, “The Greatest Man in Siam.” A $100 war bond will be awarded the winner of the contest, which began November 11 and will run for a month. Judges are Bernie Kriesler, short subjects sales head; John Joseph, director of publicity and advertising for the company, and Lantz. The new character will be used regularly in Lantz’ “Swing Symphony” series.

Pg. 44

STUDIO PERSONNELITIES

Briefies

Universal

Walter Lantz has ticketed LEE SWEETLAND, radio and opera singer, for “Beach Nut.” Woody Woodpecker Cartune.

Showmandisder Pg. 14

SHORTS REVIEWS

The Cocky Bantam

Columbia (Phantasy Cartoon) 6½ Mins.

Good. Travesty at its best is contained in this Dave Fleischer-produced cartoon. It is timely, too, for it carries with it a moral, showing what happens when a Falcon buys a chicken on the black market. A Jap is the seller. The fowl turns out to be an FBI agent in disguise and both the Falcon and the Jap are tossed into the hoosegow. There are plenty of laughs in this footage for young and old.

Daffy the Commando

WB (Looney Tunes) 7 Mins.

Tops. Daffy Duck, the wackiest character ever dreamed up by the creative genius of the cartoonist’s art, gets himself mixed up with von Vulture, a German general, in No Man’s Land. Daffy does what any patriotic American would do if he got the chance. He gives the Nazi vulture and his fawning stooge what they deserve, then goes calling on the fuehrer. The cartoon is a wow. It has snappy pace, ample comedy situations and characters that are extremely funny.

Inki and the Minah Bird

WB (Merrie Melodies Cartoon) 7 Mins

Very Good. This subject is notable for the reappearance of the cartoon character, the Minah Bird, which appeared in several previous Merrie Melodies and has been absent much too long. This critter is a pantomimist who can cook up the screwiest schemes in alliance with Inki to cope with the lion. Film audiences certainly would like to see many more of this little fellow’s antics in this or any other series.

BoxOffice, November 13, 1943

Yowp / Fibber Fox has provided the following:

Boxoffice November 13, 1943

Pg 28

Musical Inspiration For Popeye Creators

New York—Those Cubans who introduced story tellers and musicians into the Havana cigar factories years ago had the right idea. Sam Buchwald, head of Famous Studios, where Popeye and Little Lulu cartoons are made, has adopted the music idea and he says it works.

The 200 artists, animators and other creative workers in the plant hear records at 15-minute intervals. During the early part of the day melodious classical pieces are played. Along about 4 o’clock, when the workers are getting weary, livelier selections are put on.

If Popeye grabs Olive Oyle [sic] in a forthcoming short with one hand while holding a can of spinach with the other and does a hot jitterbug number, it may prove the film was started alter 4 p. m.

Pg 33

Columbia’s Nine Shorts

New York—Columbia will release nine shorts during November. “You Dear Boy," with Vera Vague, heads the list.

The rest of the list includes the Three Stooges in “Phony Express”; “Way Down Yonder in the Corn,” a Fox and Crow color cartoon; “Imagination,” a Color Rhapsody; “The Cocky Bantam,” a Phantasy cartoon; the third in the Film-Vodvil series, featuring Zeb Carver and his Hillbilly Band; a new Screen Snapshot; a sport reel called “Ten Pin Aces,” and a new Community Sing with Lew White at the organ.

Pg 34

Arias Acquires Reissues

New York—Henry R. Arias has acquired from P. A. Powers, Celebrity Productions, Inc., exclusive world distribution for the 35mm cartoon reissues; 38 Flip the Frog, 12 Willie Whoppers black and white cartoons and 25 Comicolors.

Pg 38

STUDIO PERSONNELITIES

Briefies

Paramount

GEORGE PAL has purchased an original story from Jack Miller to be produced under the title “Jasper Goes Hunting.” Yarn concerns the adventures of a little boy while on a big game hunt in Africa.

Pg 39

‘Cartune’ Characters to Aid National Safety Campaign

Walter Lantz, Universal “Cartune” producer, has arranged a tie-up with the National

Safety Council for use of his cartoon characters, Andy Panda and Woody Woodpecker, in connection with the council’s safe driving campaign.

BoxOffice Magazine, November 6, 1943

BoxOffice November 6, 1943

ad for Terrytoons p44ish.





p74: Briefies
Universal
GRIM NATWICK and DON WILLIAMS have joined the Walter Lantz Cartoon organization as animators.

p76
"Type of Animation
A new type of animation, which uses transparent plastics instead of drawings,

has been developed by Walter Lantz, Universal's "Cartune producer. Lantz currently is using the new technique on a series of eight cartoons he is making for the navy. According to Lantz. the new process is 100 times quicker than the drawing method and requires only about 10 per cent of the personnel necessary for making conventional cartoon films."

Dr Seuss cartoon p73ish (70-C?)



Hiss and Make Up
(Memo Melodies) [ed: I like that OCR error]
7 Mins.
"Comical situations abound in this cartoon in which the dog and the cat In spite carry on their continual bickering of the warnings from the spinster owner that she will toss them out in the cold if they continue, they disregard her advice. The pet canary contributes to their downfall, however, and in the final scene is seen being swaIlowed by the cat."

BoxOffice, October 30, 1943

No text cache.

http://www.boxofficemagazine.com/the_vault/page_thumbnails?issue_id=1943-10-30

Yowp / Fibber Fox has provided the following:

Oct. 30, 1943

Pg 46

RKO Sets Deal to Reissue Disney’s “Snow White”

New York—RKO will reissue Walt Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” possibly during the Christmas holidays under the terms of a new five-year deal closed with Disney by Ned E. Depinet.

Distribution will be on a world-wide basis, with release in conquered territories as conditions permit. A new line of posters and advertising accessories is to be provided.

Pg 58

Animated Elects

The Animated Film Producers’ Ass’n has elected Leon Schlesinger as its permanent chairman, with George Pal to function as treasurer and Anthony O’Rourke as executive secretary.

Pg 60

Studio Personellities

Briefies

RKO Radio

WALT DISNEY has put How to Play Football, cartoon feature 22 Goofies, into production with Frank Bull, ace sports announcer, doing the narration. Studio hopes to complete the short in time for a first of the year release to coincide with New Year’s Day games.

Universal

Cartune Maker WALTER LANTZ has started production on “Barber of Seville,” a Woody Woodpecker Cartune based upon Rossini’s famed opera.

Pg 106

Signs Aurora Miranda

Walt Disney has signed Aurora Miranda for a featured spot in the “Bahia” sequence of “The Three Caballeros,” feature-length musical comedy currently in production, which will combine live-action and cartooning.

BoxOffice, October 23, 1943

No text cache.
Linky: http://www.boxofficemagazine.com/the_vault/page_thumbnails?issue_id=1943-10-23

Yowp/Fibber Fox pointed out the following Red Hot Riding Hood ad with a Tex Avery mention on page 8:


Yowp was also nice enough to provide the following text:

Pg 33

Studios Going All-Out On the Popular Shorts

Hollywood—It may have been coincidence, but the trend-seekers could easily pounce on the situation as being indicative that studios are concentrating increasing attention on short subjects—perhaps with a hopeful eye cast toward the return of single-feature programs. In any event, from two film foundries on one and the same day came reports of all-out activities on the shorts front.

With 20 subjects in various stages of production, Metro entered the most intensive schedule in the history of its cartoon studio. Included in the group, under the producer guidance of Fred Quimby, were 16 one-reelers comprising the entire output for 1943-44. The additional four films represent the remaining releases on the current program.

The Tom and Jerry characters, directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, will be starred in “Baby Puss,” “Zoot Cat,” “Million Dollar Cat,” “Bodyguard,” “Puttin’ on the Dog,” “Kitty Foiled,” “Mouse Comes to Dinner” and “Tee for Two.”

In a special slapstick series, directed by Tex Avery, are “Screwball Baseball,” “Nuts in May,” “Little Heel-watha,” “The Shooting of Dan McGoo,” “Screwy Truant,” “House of Tomorrow” and “Screwball Squirrel,” introducing the new pen-and-ink star, Squirrely Squirrel.

The balance of the product, now in animation or in the process of photographing, are “Strange Innertube,” “Worst Aid,” “Bear Raid Warden,” “Bedtime for Barney” and “Some Skunk.”

Pg 35

Technicolor Short Every Third Week From Disney

New York—As a result of a realignment of the studio’s production activities, Walt Disney will hereafter produce and release his Technicolor one-reel shorts on a basis of one every three weeks, it was announced by Harry Michalson, RKO Radio short subjects sales manager.

The new plan, which becomes effective on November 5 with the release of the Donald Duck subject, “The Old Army Game,” will enable RKO, said Michalson, to go back to a regular and orderly release schedule, and afford exhibitors ample advance time for the setting up of playdates.

In announcing the new schedule, Michalson said that he had been advised by Disney that “Commando Duck,” “Donald Duck and the Gorilla,” “Pelican and the Snipe,” and “Chicken Little” carried an extra production budget of 25 per cent and would be specials in quality. Latter two shorts, both Silly Symphonies, will introduce new characters and types of stories which Disney plans to continue in future productions.

Pg 49

Disney Schedule Complete For Remainder of Year

Six new stories have been placed in work at the Walt Disney studios, raising to 18 the number of briefies currently in animation or in story development, all of which are for RKO release. Rounding out the shorts production list for the balance of the year, the six films include three Goofys, “How to Feud,” “Tiger Hunt” and “Big Game Hunt”; two Plutos, “The Dog Watch” and “Ant Eater,” and one Donald Duck, “The Plastic Inventor.”

Pg 50

Studio Personalities

Briefies

WALTER LANTZ has announced a plans to make program of [unreadable]ns for the navy first of which will be a three reel subject, Practical Surgery.

Ben Hardaway has been assigned to write the script which will instruct doctors in accordance with navy requirements.

Pg 98

Exhibitors Report Shorts Great Help

Dallas— Here are additional comments from theatre managers on short subjects that have
“stolen the show” from the feature. Each week in the Interstate circuit house organ designed to promote interest in short subjects, but which also mentions features now and then are published comments from contributing managers. It all comes in the department supervised by Mrs. Besa Short, nationally known for her interest and success in the building up of the regular run of short subjects.

Here are the comments:

“Fifth Column Mouse” was a great help to our program and it held the pace of laughter .set by the feature.—Bill Chambers, Texas Grand. El Paso.

“Red Hot Riding Hood” got more comment than any other cartoon we have ever played.—E. G. Gordon, Rialto, Amarillo.

You can always depend on “Woody Woodpecker” to wow ‘em. Please send us more.—Shelton Young, State, Mercedes.

Applause greeted Woody Woodpecker in “Dizzy Acrobats” . . . this rascal’s name means something at our boxoffice.—Ray Hazlett, Sunshine, Albuquerque.

BoxOffice October 16, 1943

Herre's the thing. The issues are (largely) available on BoxOffice's site, but the one's that were on Issuu had text caches on Google. I only have three more textcaches for BoxOffice for the year. It is extremely time intesnive to check BoxOffice without searchable text. I will create posts to possibly fill in later, but the coverage is going to be bad for much of the rest of the year.

Here's the link to this issue:
http://www.boxofficemagazine.com/the_vault/page_thumbnails?issue_id=1943-10-16

Here's the page for the year:
http://www.boxofficemagazine.com/the_vault/issues_by_year?year=1943

BoxOffice October 9, 1943

BoxOffice October 9, 1943

p2?
"York A bit of short subject hisbeing made by a Metro Technicolor cartoon, "Red Hot Riding Hood," As a reward for Manager Joe Bocksay Iselin Theatre in Iselin, N, I„ of the booking all M-G-M shorts on his contract. Booker Connie Carpou gave him early availability on the subject. The evening show drew spontaneous applause and The audience kept shouting whistling. Backsay its demands to see it again. obliged, putting it in place of another

subject."

p.showmandiser
"children off the streets by assuring them that In the theatre they will be properly supervised. While such stunts as amateur shows, fashion shows, pet shows and cartoon shows are old, that does not mean they, win not get business. Contests, too, are always good, for there are few kids that"

p.showmandiser
"Room and Bored

Columbia (Fox and Crow) 7V2 Mins. Good. In this robust cartoon, produced by Dave Fleischer, the fox and crow carry on their feud. The crow, a wise-cracking jitterbug, rents an apartment from the lox. His constant practicing on various musical instruments, however, very nearly reduces Mr. Fox to a state of nervous prostration. This footage contains many amusing situations and enough comedy material to furnish plenty ol guffaws."

p20? p26? "Disney include a demonstration film titled "Fog.""


p
"Disney Group in Mexico On Educational Films

New York —Walt

Disney

has

sent

a

group of artists and writers to Mexico to start a series of films on literacy, health, sanitation and child welfare. Disney will leave later. The idea is to teach the beholders to want to learn to read, and the
the work is being done in cooperation with coordinator of inter-American affairs."

BoxOffice October 2, 1943

BoxOffice October 2, 1943

p42
Walt Lanz, Universal cartoon producer, who was in New York for several days for home office conferences, went to Washington late in the week to confer with navy officials on the production of a series of trainign films"

p
"Cartoon studio reopened alter two-wee' period, with 22 pictures in production.

Shorts"

p
"Disney shorts in all parts of the world and in every language. He has been in one feature, "Fantasia."

RKO

staged a Mickey Mouse screening

at

of

and birthday party Modern Art in honor"

BoxOffice September 25, 1943

BoxOffice September 25, 1943

p25 "Weshner. who has completed his assignment as publicity and exploitation consultant for Disney Productions on "Victoi-y Through Air Power," will announce his new connection on return from a short vacation. Weshner's contract originally called for 20 weeks of his exclusive services, but it was subsequently increased by ten weeks at Disney's request. He formerly was diE."


p78
"Tlie committee obtained from Hollywood an autographed blouse worn by Miss Durbin in the picture and put it up for auction along with a less glamorous but milkable goat. Various writers and cartoonists contributed manuscripts and original cartoons to be auctioned in the sale as well. The 712-seat house was jammed to the rafters."

pshowmandizer

go with what people already know:
"In another ad he identified "Seein' Red, White and Blue" as a Pop Eye Cartoon. One ad reads "Also the Truck That Flew" which does not mean anytliing, whereas Ed Rowley jr., in his ad said,

"A Color

Fantasy;

The

Truck

That

Flew."

Pet»

car-"
"Bugs Bunny, name bands and Disney mean something to the public. Let's"


p
Polio kept attendance down:
"Cartoon

Show Brings

Kids Back In Droves

—Neighborhoods
had lost considerable kid patronage during midsummer as a result of an upturn in infantile paralysis here. With school opening at hand and the disease scare over, Joe Jackson of the neighborhood Varsity and Knox, Interstate houses, decided to do something about it, and arranged simultaneous car-"
"Our aim in having the big cartoon show was to try and get some of the kids back into the theatre. We felt that the best way would be through a giant cartoon show. Our exploitation was simple, but well mapped out. We went to work with but one aim that aim was to let
every kid know about the show. I do beUeve that we informed them all. The advertising consisted of trailer on the screen,

HEY! KIDS!

ATTEXDING THE PERFORM

Ol'RlNr.

THE ENGAGE^

Here are the ads run on the cartoon shows staged by Interstate houses in Dallas to get the kids back in the shows following the close of a disease scare that extended through midsum-

mer

there.

house-to-house distribution or heralds, lobby set pieces, billing on the marquees, special banners, newspaper ads and stories." As a result of Jackson's success, Interstate staged a giant Bugs Bunny Jamboree at six other neighborhood houses with equal success. The jamboree was made up of three cartoons and an extra feature.

BoxOffice September 18, 1943

MGM caricatures with IDs above. Thanks MGM.
(see also http://tralfaz.blogspot.com/2011/12/more-caricatures-than-there-are-in.html for another version)

BoxOffice September 18, 1943

"Columnist Ed Sullivan has named the current

'RED


HOT

RIDING HOOD'


the best animated


short of the year and Los Angeles'


Jimmy

Starr


"the funniest cartoon in years." There'll


be more such hits from M-G-M's cartoon-makers

including the further adventures of the popular

cat


and mouse duo,

Tom

and

Jerry.

There's a

place

on every program

for these intriguing inter-

ludes of fantasy

and good humor!"

p39
"The theatre has an amateur show which goes Monday nights for on the air over an hour starting at 10 o'clock. Tliis is a sponsored program. Trailers with samples of the two cartoon voices are being i-un at both the Fox-Fabian and the Paramount, Brooklyn. Joe Lee. Fox-Fabian publicity director, is handling the campaign with the cooperation of Oscar Morgan, Paramount short subjects sales manager. Elimination winners on September 20 go into the finals. Three $50 war bonds will be awarded to the final winners judged by the theatre audience, and a $25 bond will go to each of the finals winners on the air."

p64
"land, created an innovation in opening days for that theatre by holding over "Best Foot Forward" and "Hitler's Madman" for a ten-day run, including a Saturday, and starting "Above Suspicion" with an "all cartoon revue" of Disney's on a Sunda"

p84
"Harvey Eisenberg, manager of Proven tripped to Boston and New Pictures, Manager Haven on business this week Schulnian of the Webster is running cartoons and western films for Saturday Manager McCarthy of morning trade the Strand reports theatre men in this area are planning to stage a Vic Mature show at the State September 23 in behalf of the Frank Morin of Third War Loan driiie"

p39
"'

papers listed are: "Post-War Planning and Requirements, Landsberg, television productioii. Paramount studios; "Walt Disney Studios a War Plant,""

p52
"Disney Doing a Sequence For Goldwyn's "Arms"

Samuel Goldwyn and Walt Disney have made arrangements for the Disney organization to do an animated sequence for "Up in Ai-ms," the Technicolor comedy with music in which Goldwyn will introduce Danny Kaye to the screen. Based on an idea by Don Hartman, coauthor and associate producer of "Up in Arms," the sequence is already in work and will be presented as part of the climax of the film."

p71
"joined Herman Stahl and Les Bowser in operating Harris theatres in Oil City James G. Balmer resigned as district manager for WaiTier's and rejoined the The Braddock at Harris organization Braddock was posted for sheriffs sale "Three Little Pigs" was Walt Disney's hailed as a classic and the catchy theme song. "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" was being sung and whistled by old and young alike. R. F. K."

BoxOffice September 11, 1943

BoxOffice September 11, 1943

p42
"A cartoon-fest, including 30 cartoons at both morning and midnight performances, is being presented weekends at Annie Rooney. "

p(1/4?)
"A recent Row visitor was Dave Biedermann of Cartoon Films. Ltd.. who was spotted chatting with his many exchange friends"

p
"One Ham's Family
(M-G-M Cartoon)
chuckles of the midriff variety in this cartoon. Chief comic is Junior Pig, sporting a voice which sounds very much like Red Skelton's. Baby pig is put to bed by his proud parents who soon fall asleep themselves. Curious to learn what Santa Claus look like. Junior Pig tumbles out of bed to encounter the wolf, who disguises himself as Kris Kringle. Junior gives the impertinent wolf a shellacking he'll not

soon

forget."


"The Rocky Road to Ruin

8 1/2 Mins. Columbia (Color Rhapsody) Good. The poor but honest newsboy succeeds in this Horatio Alger tale even though it takes him some 80 years. Produced by Dave Fleischer, this cartoon packs many chuckles."

BoxOffice, September 4, 1943

BoxOffice September 4, 1943

p(early)
"In New England and in the Midwest the singlefeature policy plus re-bookings of a brace of cartoons to substitute for the second feature is showing satisfactory results in first tests."

p62
"the cartoons appeals."

p72
"Puppetoon Dark 2 Weeks

For Employe Vacations

George Pal. Paramount cartoon maker, has shuttered his Puppetoon studio for two weeks during which all the employes will enjoy a vacation. For the last few months, heavy schedules have had many of the crew working on double shifts."

p118
"United Artists "Victory Through Air Power." composed by Walt Disney, was shown before members of the conference and a considerable number of press correspondents while the Canadian government took advantage of the occasion to screen a variety of semi-official and educational shorts for the representatives of the several countries."

The Elgin was the scene of a private screening Sunday afternoon and evening Walt Disney feature, "Victory of the Through Air Power," which was attended by many officers of the naval, army and air forces stationed here The National Film Board ivas put on the spot by Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the Quebec conference, it has been learned. Board officials took a number of short subjects to the ancient capital to be screened but Churchill let it be known that he did not want to see any war, educational or musical films lohich was what the Ottawa delegation had brought. The program was hastily replaced for a screening which took place in the Chateau Frontenac aroimd midnight one evening."



p(showmandiser)
"Cartoons similar to the above are being mailed by the Paramount publicity department, New York, to newspapers in cities where "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is to play. Al Finestone and Bob Gillham collaborated on the art promotion."

p showmandizer 14
"Down With Cats
7 Mins.
(Terrytoon)
the troublesome cats with the mice pleasantly engaged in ice-skating. Super Mouse comes to their rescue to the utter dismay of the afore-mentioned.
"


Somewhere
in

Egypt

7 Mins. in

this

(Terrytoon)
Paul Terry cartoon, and just the right kind of short to start the show off on the right foot. A delightful travesty on the Egypt of antiquity with the cartoon characters giving and receiving plenty of punishment ... all in fun
of course!

Amusing.
Plenty
laughs
Super Mouse Rides Again

20th-Fox

(Terrytoon)

7Mina.

Funny. The underdog, in this instance several liny mice, have a protector in Super Mouse who comes to their aid against the enemy, the cat.

BoxOffice August 28, 1943

BoxOffice August 28, 1943

Two shift Puppetoon production

p32?
"cartoons for local placement follow. These are by "Popeye" and "Snuffy Smith." They can be placed locally, as King Features Syndicate has given permission. Two full pages are devoted to accessories. National Screen will have four"

p33?
"At the Bridgeport house four Disney Technicolor shorts were labeled the "Walt Disney Laff Revue" and were put on instead of a second feature. Comment cards were issued to patrons. The Bridgeport Post carried a two-column story on it. Out of several thousand comments only 48 favored a return to a second feature. "Tlie idea of combining four Disney shorts this way undoubtedly caught on," said Hariy Michalson, RKO short subject sales manager. Since the Bridgeport test it has been tried at the Poll, Hartford; Palace, Meriden: Poll, New Haven; Poll, Waterbury; Poll, Worcester; Valentine, Toledo; Loew's, Indianapolis; Loew's, Louisville; Midland,"

p35?
"New York Jorge Delano Frederic, pubof and cartoonist for Topase, leading weekly at Santiago, Chile, also a pioneer motion picture producer, in this country as a guest of the coordinator of interAmerican affairs, feels that American producers can assure themselves a continuation of their Latin-American market by using more story themes from these countries and by having them handled by South

li.sluT

—

American

writers."

p39
"Puppetoon Studios Work

Two 8-Hour
Shifts

work, he has now found it possible to make a sextette of his short subjects in conjunction with his war work. Signing of the pact marks Nesbitt's seventh year with Metro.

rush of work has caused George Pal Puppetoon Studios to go on two eighthour shifts, with the studio open from 9 Most of the night work a. m. to 2 a. m.
being devoted

for

to finishing

a three-reel

Currently

is

training picture for the navy.

shooting

commercial consumption

"Package

for Jasper.""

p66
"learning to drive a car Bill Clark, former PRC salesman, decided he didii't ivant to boss the Theatre in Muskegon after all and bought the Richard, former Doc Eiseman house in Flint, from David Klein instead Seaman Peter Kavel, former Detroit manager, postcards from Norfolk, Va.. that he's recovering from an operation and soon hopes to be home on furlough Marguerite Chapman, star of "Destroyer," was in town for a personal appearance at the Fox Also Walt Disney, ivho's working out a soybean short at Dearborn in conjunction with Henry Ford."

p89?
"War Heads

VANCOUVER

rjHARLIE DOCTOR, manager

of

At Quebec Meeting

aging director of the United Amusement Corp., was host at his Empire Theatre here to the general staffs attending the Roosevelt-ChurchUl conference. There was a big turnout of important officials of the United Nations. Montreal distributors were called on by the National Film Board to send films here for the entertainment of President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, Premier Mackenzie King and their staffs. Among the films were "Stage Door Canteen," "Victory Through Air Power," two of Walt Disney's cartoons and the short, "Pala." story of the President's dog. While "Victory Through Air Power" was being screened for high staff officers a rumor spread that the officers were attending a .special meeting of urgent importance and that the theatre was being used because there was no room available Chateau Frontenac, conference at the A large crowd gathered headquarters. around City Hall Square and the Empire Theatre to await developments, and military police were called to control traffic."


p(show)
"Jasper Goes Fishing

Paramount (George Pal Puppetoons) 8I/2 Mins. Tops. One of the finer of the George Pal series is this latest in which Jasper meets temptation on the way to Sunday school when he confronts Scarecrow and his blackbird. The height of imaginative fantasy is reached when Jasper and the Scarecrow cast their lines

into the"

BoxOffice, August 21, 1943

BoxOffice, August 21, 1943

Extensive piece on Famous below


(click to enlarge)

p24

From Idea

to

Camera —

The sequence of events that creates an animated cartoon at the Famous Studios is shown in these panels. At the top left, the trio is getting the story started. On the board are hundreds of pencil drawings by ivhich the yarn is laid out. Examining them are Sam Buchwald (back to camera), general manager, and Tom Golden and Dave Tendlar. Before Popeye can appear on the screen in Technicolor, it is necessary to do some experimenting. At top right. Bob Little is painting a still of Popeye and Olive Oyl which will serve as a color chart for all the subsequent paintings needed in a picture. The paint department at jvork is the middle scene. Nicholas Irwin, paint chemist, with a magnifying glass around his neck and a color chart in front of him, goes through the complicated process of taking the right kind of water colors to reproduce on the tricky color negatives. These are so temperamental they have to be kept chilled all the way from the coast to the studio and kept in a refrigerator there until they are used. They then go to the coast laboratory by plane. One frame at a time is the speed of this camera, shown at lower right. After each shot, a sheet of celluloid ivill be taken otit and another photographed. This will happen 7,000 times before the job is finished."


"
7 Months' Work Back of FLash on Screen

Seven months' work for of screen entertainment seems like a lot of work. It is. Early in August Famous Studios, now making Paramount's cartoon subjects, began to put blue shirts on Popeye and the bloom of youth on Olive Oyl's cheeks to go with the new Technicolor background and it will be some months before the public gets a look at the change with even the spinach green. Popeye doesn't walk around in front of a camera after he has learned his lines the way live actors do. He has his picture drawn and painted as many as 20,000 times on 40 to 45 backgrounds in order to get him through seven minutes of antics. Exhibitors who have found the old sailor spinach for the boxoffice for so many years may be able to make lobby displays and build up a bit of a campaign on the new Technicolor process. "Little Lulu," the Saturday Evening Post cartoon character dear to kids and grownups, is also to be done in color by Paramount. "Popeye" and his makers have moved back to New York from Miami. Max Fleischer is out of the concern and it is now to called Famous New York was no Studios. Getting gack simple process in these days of priorities and gasoline shortages. It began early in the year and was completed about two weeks ago, with practically all the moving being done by truck. Sam Buchwald, who was with Agfa and Paramount for a number of years, before joining Fleischer 10 or 11 years ago, is general manager, and the plant is located in two buildings connected by a bridge at 25
(Continued on page 33)
p33:
"7 Months' Work Back Of Flash on Screen

(Continued from page 24)

and 35 West 45th St. Some of the staff came north from Miami, but many of them preferred to remain there and it was necessary to train many new artists.

There are two story men in the place.

They don't use typewriters, however. They dream up new gags for Popeye and Little Lulu and the other characters and start making pencil drawings. After they have about 150 of these they pin them up on the wall and discuss the gags. Then they make some more drawings and have them photo
graphed one by one. These are run through a Movieola and discussed again. Usually some of the ideas are tossed away because they don't work out rapidly. After a while the pencil-drawn continuity emerges.
Then the months of work begin.

About 40 or 45 backgrounds are made and painted on celluloid. The characters are drawn into position on other sheets of celluloid and every fraction of an inch of movement requires a new drawing. Hundreds of girls do this animation.
After the drawings are made, more long girls at rows of desks begin painting them on the reverse side.
The painting department is a show in itself. There are long rows of shelves with numbered cans which a beholder might think contained Popeye's spinach, but they don't. A man and three girls with magnifying glasses assemble colors and grind them and number them. Each celluloid sketch has a sheet indicating the numbers to be used, and it is from these that the do the long and tedious painting. When a subject is ready to be photographed there are stacks and stacks of this celluloid on a table near the camera about 7,000 sheets, each numbered. The backgrounds are inserted in the camera with the drawings superimposed over them. Each drawing is photographed separately."



"Lulu's Creator—

She calls herself Marge. She is a mother with two children, and lives on a farm west of Philadelphia. She shies away from publicity like a frightened rabbit. It ivas an event when Paramount induced her to come to New York to look over the first drawings
for the filming at Famous Studios of Oscar Morgan, Para"Little Lulu." mount short subjects sales manager, and Sam Buchwald, Famous Studios manager look on."

p (showmandiser)
"Land of the Open Range— Tim Holt, Ray Whitley. Double bill with "Bambi," Disney feature-length cartoon, which is good and just what the kids wanted on a day like July 4. The western pleased adult trade best out of the two. Had two walk-outs when "Bambi" started to appear on the screen but no complaints. Should have drawn better but weather rather v/arm. Played Sat., Sun."

BoxOffice, August 14, 1943

BoxOffice, August 14, 1943

p(early
"Specialty of the house continues to be the reliable, money-making westerns, with 92 of the outdoor actioners officially announced. Some of these, as in the case of Republic's Roy Rogers' specials, will border on the musical classification, but the greater portion will adhere to the tried-andtrue,

Radio's lineup, including product from Samuel Goldwyn, Walt Disney, Sol Lesser, Herbert Wilcox and Frank Ross, will be composed of about 46 films, 13 of which have been announced as comedies."



It was still being called Super Mouse here:
p33
"Twenty Terrytoons,

all of

which

will

be
Technicolor, which will include a "Super Mouse" series;"

p42
"During the six-month period Atlas added 3,872 of Walt Disney 6 per cent preferred stock to its portfolio. The corporation reported a net asset value of $19.39 on its common. The value was rated at $12.56 on Dec. 31. 1942, and $11.01 on Jime 30, 1942, according to Floyd B. Odium, president. A dividend of 25 cents a share on the common and the regular quarterly 75-cent dividend on the preferred have been voted. Dividends totaled $1,118,611 for the first six months of 1943. Of this, $602,239 was on the common and $516,372 on the preferred."


pshowmandiser before 14: "Bambi This cartoon feature by Walt Disney pleased young and old. So many adults commented on how much they enjoyed it and the children liked it so much. We played on a double bill on Frl., Sat., but really think the patrons came to see Bambi mostly. Weather: Fair. Miss Alice Simmons, Strand, Jefferson,"

p showmandiser 14
"demonstrate to the delight of the legion of Disney fans. This cartoon is up to the Disney standard, which means that it's jam-packed

with laughs."

"Dizzy Newsreel

Columbia (Phantasy Cartoon) 71/2 Mins. Amusing. Animals try their hand in making their own newsreel and the result is comical.

Various standbys of the newsreels are handled in a satirical vein. It all adds up to an entertaining novelty reel."

"Victory Vehicles

RKO

(Walt Disney Productions)

8

Swell. The master's hand is seen in this timely and ludicrous example of how to meet the gasoline and rubber shortage. Disney uses the "Goof" to demonstrate the impracticability of various "Rube Goldberg" contraptions to solve the problems of wartime travel. The "Goof," however, has an idea of
his
own, a pogo

stick,

which he proceeds

to

be popular."