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A brief Autobiography....
In the mid-1950's Seymour wrote a short autobiography..."I graduated P.S. 10 in Manhattan where I won a gold art medal, the results of a contest for graduates. I attended the High School of Commerce...
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"How a Cartoon is Produced"
“How a Cartoon is Produced” on page 6 of "Paramount News" (Volume III No.11 March 12, 1951) showsthe basic steps in the process of creating a cartoon (click to enlarge image)… the accompanying text is...
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Article 22
Famous StudiosOn May 25, 1942, an agreement was signed transitioning the former Fleischer Studios into the new Famous Studios. Shown on the left is the original agreement between the three principals...
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Merry Christmas!
1932 Christmas CardDrawn by Seymour Kneitel in 1932 while he was working at Fleischer Studios, this Christmas card celebrates not only Christmas but the impending birth of Seymour and Ruth’s first...
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Start to Finish!
A Christmas CardStart to Finish!Since it’s interesting to see how a concept progresses from the first glimmer of an idea to the final printed piece… thought you’d enjoy this card Seymour did for...
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Bachelor Dinner for Seymour Kneitel...
December 1931This photo of Seymour Kneitel’s bachelor party was taken exactly eighty years ago, in New York City at the Blue Ribbon Restaurant, December, 1931. Seymour (front row center) met his future...
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A Love Story...
My parents were married on December 24, 1931. They met while both were working at Fleischer Studios. They remained completely devoted to each other through raising three children and dealing with the...
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MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM SEYMOUR!
Another original card from Seymour and Ruth, who are yet again facing the Christmas season waiting for the birth of a baby. At the time Seymour was working for Fleischer Studios.Christmas was a hugely...
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SEYMOUR, IZZY, and "THE BIBLE"
Cover of "The Standard Production Reference," missing front label. Collection of Virginia MahoneyCover label: Collection of J.J. Sedelmaier.THIS JUST IN! J.J. Sedelmaier noticed I was missing the label...
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SEYMOUR, IZZY, and 'THE BIBLE' ...post 2
Here’s the second posting with another selection of pages from ‘The Standard Production Reference,’ often referred to as ‘The Bible.’ The previous post on this site talks about the history behind this...
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HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
Here’s a Valentine that my dad, Seymour, made for my mom. Living with an animator meant we might receive a one of a kind hand-made card like this at special times. Don’t know the year for this card,...
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The Golden Age of 3D!
Could this be describing today? … No!…. What’s considered ‘The Golden Age of 3D’ was actually from 1952 to 1955!Film-makers have attempted to create the ‘illusion of depth’ since the earliest days of...
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SEYMOUR, IZZY, E.G. LUTZ, and "THE BIBLE"
This past January I posted several pages from the Standard Production Reference, the Fleischer Studios document developed by Seymour Kneitel and Izzy Sparber for in-house use. Often referred to as "The...
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POPEYE FOR PRESIDENT!
It’s politics as usual in this 1956 film Popeye for President! Popeye and Bluto are both running for President and need only one more vote to break the tie… and that vote belongs to Olive Oyl. Dirty...
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ABOUT INKERS AND OPAQUERS...
One of the great aspects of being part of an animator’s life was being on the receiving end of some very personalized artwork.(click to enlarge)The drawing above was given to me as I was leaving for my...
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THE FIRST WOMAN ANIMATOR!
In 1933 Lillian Friedman, while working at Fleischer Studios, became the first woman EVER to work as an animator at any studio.From the early days of animation—and up until 1933—women were generally...
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GETTING PERSONAL...
My dad was always in an animation state of mind. He didn’t turn it off when he came home at night. He would get hysterical over a good ‘gag’ or joke (before the days of e-mail good jokes were widely...
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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!
Collection: Virginia MahoneyHere’s another special occasion card made by a Famous Studios artist for my parents 25th wedding anniversary… which would date this from December 1956. My parents met while...
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YET MORE PERSONAL...
Seymour’s granddaughter, Karin Kneitel, has offered to share some of the personal family items that she owns. Her father, Tommy Kneitel, was Seymour and Ruth’s first child. Tommy was born Jan. 28,1933,...
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SERIOUS BUSINESS...
Shown left to right: 1947 "March of Dimes" Poster Girl Nancy Drury, Seymour Kneitel holding 4 1/2 year old son Kenny. Far right is Ken's grand-dad Max Fleischer. Taken in the Polio Ward of...
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CASPER…behind the scenes
Casper’s first film appearance was in The Friendly Ghost. Released in 1945 as part of the Paramount Famous Studios Noveltoon series Casper soon became so popular he earned a series of his own. He went...
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MORE CASPER...
Here’s some more story ideas that were submitted by Studio staff for Casper films. I thought these really good examples of how ideas could be submitted in any form--- they didn’t need to be anything...
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HALLOWEEN BOO'S
Halloween is almost here… a good reason to visit again with Casper!(click to enlarge images)Here’s a Christmas Card sent out by the Harvey brothers featuring Famous Studios characters. During the late...
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MEET MY MOM!
Collection: V. MahoneyThat’s my mom, Ruth (Fleischer) Kneitel--- born December 28, 1906 in Brooklyn, New York. It’s always amazed me that when she was growing up women in the United States did not have...
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A WILD AND CRAZY PLACE!
Craziness at an animation studio went beyond what the public would see!Small drawing from border of 1930-31 FS staff photoCollection: V. MahoneyOf course there were gags galore on screen. It’s said...
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