Walter Lantz in 1983, with painting of Woody Woodpecker

Walter Lantz (April 27, 1900 – March 22, 1994) was an American cartoonist and animator, best known for founding the Walter Lantz Studio and creating Woody Woodpecker. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (634x604, 278 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Walter Lantz ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (634x604, 278 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Walter Lantz ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in leap years). ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... A cartoonist at work. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Walter Lantz Studio was an American animation studio. ... Woody Woodpecker in the 1948 short Wacky-Bye Baby, directed by Dick Lundy. ...

Start in Animation

Walter Lantz was born Walter Benjamin Lanza on April 27, 1900 in New Rochelle, New York into a family of Italian immigrants, his parents being Francesco Paolo Lanza and Maria Gervasi (later Jarvis), the latter coming from Calitri, Italy. He was interested in art at an early, completing a mail order drawing class at age twelve. Lantz got his first taste of animation when he watched Winsor McCay’s cartoon short, Gertie the Dinosaur. This, perhaps, inspired him to become a cartoonist himself later on. April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... New Rochelle City Hall New Roc City New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County in the U.S. state of New York, 16 miles (26 km) from Grand Central Terminal in New York City and 2 miles north of the border with The Bronx. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... Calitri is a town (commune) in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy. ... Zenas Winsor McCay (September 26, 1871 to July 26, 1934) was a prolific artist and pioneer in the art of animation. ... Gertie the Dinosaur is a 1914 animated film short that inspired a generation of animators to bring their cartoons to life. ...

While working as an auto mechanic, Lantz got his first break in the art world. A well-to-do customer, Fred Kafka, liked his drawings on the garage's bulletin board. He bankrolled his studies at New York City's Art Students League. Kafka also helped him get a job in town, as a copy boy at the New York American, owned by William Randolph Hearst. When he had completed his day's work at the newspaper office, he attended art school. The New York Journal American was a newspaper published from 1895 – 1966. ... William Randolph Hearst (April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper magnate. ...

By the time he was sixteen, Lantz was working behind the camera in the animation department under the supervision of director Gregory La Cava. Lantz then began work at the John R. Bray Studios in New York on the Colonel Heeza Liar series. In 1924, Lantz began to rise to prominence at the studio and directed, animated, and even starred in his first cartoon series, Dinky Doodle. By 1927 he moved to Hollywood, California where he worked briefly for director Frank Capra and then was a gag writer for Mack Sennett comedies. Gregory La Cava (March 10, 1892 - March 1, 1952) was an American film director of the 1930s. ... Bray Productions was the dominant animation studio based in the United States in the years before World War I. // History The studio was founded in December of 1914 by J. R. Bray, perhaps the first studio entirely devoted to animation, and series animation at that (he was probably beaten a... NY redirects here. ... Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that extends from Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to south boundary east of La Brea Avenue... This article is about the film director. ... A joke is a short story or series of words spoken or communicated, ideally with the intent of being laughed at or found humorous by the listener or reader. ... Mack Sennett (1880 - 1960) Mack Sennett (January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was an innovator of slapstick comedy in film. ...

The Oswald Era

In 1928, Lantz was hired by Charles B. Mintz as a director on the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon series for Universal. Earlier that year, Mintz and his brother-in-law George Winkler had succeed in snatching Oswald from the character's original creator, Walt Disney. Universal president Carl Laemmle became dissatisfied with the Mintz-Winkler product and fired them, deciding instead to produce the Oswalds directly on the Universal lot. While schmoozing with Laemmle, Lantz wagered a bet that if he could beat the producer in a game of poker that the character would be his. As fate would have it, Lantz successfully won the bet and Oswald was now his character. Charles B. Mintz (1896 - January 4, 1940) was an American film producer and distributor, who took control over Margaret J. Winklers Winkler Pictures after marrying her in 1924. ... An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit trade advertisement from 1927. ... For the company founded by Disney, see The Walt Disney Company. ... Carl Laemmle Carl Laemmle (January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) born in Laupheim, Württemberg, Germany, was a pioneer in American film making and a founder of one of the original major Hollywood movie studios. ...

As Lantz began assembling a new studio, he decided to select a fellow New York animator, Bill Nolan, to help develop the series. Nolan's previous credentials included inventing the panorama background and developing a new, streamlined Felix the Cat. Nolan was (and still is) probably best known for perfecting the "rubber hose" style of animation. In September 1929, Lantz finally put out his first cartoon, Race Riot. The famous Felix pace as seen in Oceantics (1930) Felix the Cat is a cartoon character from the silent-film era. ... A race riot or racial riot is an outbreak of violent civil unrest in which race is a key factor. ...

By 1935, Lantz had managed to become an independent producer, supplying cartoons to Universal instead of merely overseeing the animation department. By 1940, he was negotiating ownership for the characters he had been working with. At Walter Lantz studios worked many famous animator, like Tex Avery. Frederick Bean Fred/Tex Avery (Wednesday, February 26, 1908 – Tuesday, August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during the Golden Age of Hollywood. ...

The Woody Woodpecker Era

When Oswald had worn out his welcome, Lantz decided that he needed a new character. Meany, Miny, and Moe, Baby-Face Mouse, and Snuffy Skunk were only a few of the personalities Lantz and his staff had come up with. However, one character, Andy Panda, stood out from the rest and soon became Lantz's headline star for the 1939-1940 production season. Andy Panda was a series of animated cartoon short subjects produced by Walter Lantz and released by Universal Pictures from 1939 to 1949. ...

In 1940 Lantz had married a woman named Grace Stafford. During their honeymoon, the couple kept hearing a woodpecker incessantly pecking on their roof. Gracie suggested that Walter use the bird for inspiration and make him into a cartoon character. Taking her advice, though a bit skeptical about its success, Lantz debuted Woody Woodpecker as a side star in an animation short called “Knock Knock” featuring Andy Panda. Grace Stafford (November 7, 1903 – March 17, 1992), was an American actress, the wife of animation producer Walter Lantz. ... Woody Woodpecker in the 1948 short Wacky-Bye Baby, directed by Dick Lundy. ... Andy Panda was a series of animated cartoon short subjects produced by Walter Lantz and released by Universal Pictures from 1939 to 1949. ...

Mel Blanc supplied Woody's voice for his first three cartoons. When Blanc accepted a full-time contract with Leon Schlesinger Productions/Warner Bros. and left the Lantz studio, gagman Ben Hardaway, who was the main force responsible for Knock Knock, became the bird's voice. Despite this, however, Blanc's distinctive laugh was still used throughout the cartoons. Melvin Jerome Blanc (May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989) was a prolific American voice actor, performing on radio, in television commercials, and most famously, in hundreds of cartoon shorts for Warner Bros. ... Leon Schlesinger (1884 - December 25, 1949) was a Jewish producer at the Warner Bros. ... The WB Shield, used from 2001 to late 2003. ... Ben Bugs Hardaway (1897 - 1957) was a storyboard artist, gagman, and film director for several American animation studios during the The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. ...

During 1948, the Lantz studio had a hit Academy Award-nominated tune in “The Woody Woodpecker Song”, featuring Blanc’s laugh. Mel Blanc sued Lantz for half a million dollars, claiming that Lantz had used his voice in various later cartoons without his permission. The judge, however, ruled against Blanc, saying that he had failed to copyright his voice or contributions. Even though Lantz had won the case, he paid Blanc the money in an out-of-court settlement when Blanc filed an appeal, and went off to search for a new voice for Woody Woodpecker. The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ...

In 1950, Lantz held anonymous auditions. Gracie, Lantz's wife, had offered to do Woody's voice; however, Lantz turned her down because Woody was a male character. Not discouraged in the least, Gracie went about secretly making her own anonymous audition tape, and submitted it with the others for the studio to listen to. Not knowing whose voice was being heard, Lantz picked Gracie’s voice to do Woody Woodpecker. Gracie supplied Woody’s voice until Lantz finally stopped making new cartoons for Woody Woodpecker. At first Gracie had chosen to voice Woody with no screen credit because she thought that it would disappoint the children to know Woody Woodpecker was voiced by a woman. However, she soon came to enjoy being known as the voice of Woody Woodpecker, and allowed her name to be put on the credit screen. Woody Woodpecker in the 1948 short Wacky-Bye Baby, directed by Dick Lundy. ...

The baby boomer generation came to know and love Lantz as the creator of the Woody Woodpecker cartoons. He used his TV appearances to show how the animation was actually done. For many of those young viewers, it was the first time they had seen an explanation of the process. That same generation later knew him for entertaining the troops during the Vietnam War and visiting hospitalized veterans. A Baby boomer is someone who was born during the period of increased birth rates when economic prosperity rose in many countries following World War II. In the United States, the term is iconic and more properly capitalized as Baby Boomers and commonly applied to people with birth years after... Woody Woodpecker in the 1948 short Wacky-Bye Baby, directed by Dick Lundy. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... A veteran refers to a person who is experienced in a particular area, particularly referring to people in the armed forces. ...

Retirement

Walter Lantz's studio closed in 1972. It had been the last remaining classical cartoon studio. In his retirement, Lantz continued to manage his studio’s properties by offering re-releases of cartoons and sales to new venues. He also continued to draw and paint, selling his paintings of Woody Woodpecker rapidly. On top of that, he worked with Little League and other youth groups around his area. In 1982, Lantz donated seventeen artifacts to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, among them a wooden model of Woody Woodpecker from the cartoon character’s debut in 1941. Woody Woodpecker in the 1948 short Wacky-Bye Baby, directed by Dick Lundy. ... Little League is the name of a non-profit organization in the United States which organizes local childrens leagues of baseball and softball throughout the USA and the rest of the world. ... Pre-Colonial America For details, see the main Pre-Colonial America article. ...

In 1993, Lantz established a ten thousand dollar scholarship and prize for animators in his name at California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. Walter Lantz died at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California of heart failure on March 22, 1994, aged 93. Entrance to CalArts on McBean Parkway The California Institute of the Arts is commonly referred to as CalArts. ... A typical stretch of Valencia Boulevard. ... Founded May 1, 1887 Incorporated July 8, 1911 General Information County Los Angeles County, California Latitude Longitude 34°1049 N 118°1942 W Area  - Total  - Water 45 km² (17. ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in leap years). ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ...

Characters

Some of the characters in the Lantz universe (both cartoons and comics) are Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Space Mouse, Woody Woodpecker, Homer Pigeon, Chilly Willy, Andy Panda and Charlie Chicken and many more.

Walter Lantz "Cartunes"

• Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (1929–1938)
• Cartune Classics (1934–1942, 1953–1957)
• Andy Panda (1939–1949)
• Woody Woodpecker (1941–1949, 1951–1972)
• Swing Symphonies (1941–1945)
• Musical Miniatures (1946–1948)
• Chilly Willy (1953–1972)
• The Beary Family (1962–1972)

An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit trade advertisement from 1927. ... Andy Panda was a series of animated cartoon short subjects produced by Walter Lantz and released by Universal Pictures from 1939 to 1949. ... Woody Woodpecker in the 1948 short Wacky-Bye Baby, directed by Dick Lundy. ... Chilly Willy is a fictional cartoon character, a diminutive anthropomorphic penguin, created by Tex Avery and Paul J. Smith for the Walter Lantz studio in 1953. ...

Awards

• 1959 Lantz was honored by the Los Angeles City Council as "one of America's most outstanding animated film cartoonists".
• 1973 the international animation society, ASIFA/Hollywood, presented him with its Annie Award.
• 1979 he was given a special Academy Award, "for bringing joy and laughter to every part of the world through his unique animated motion pictures."
• 1986 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... ... The Annie Awards are given to an animation award show created by the International Animated Film Society ASIFA-Hollywood, and are animations highest honor[1]. Originally designed to celebrate lifetime or career contributions to animation in the fields of producing, directing, animation, design, writing, voice acting, sound and sound... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... A band plays on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ...

External links

• The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia
• Los Angeles Times
• Walter Lantz at Don Markstein's Toodpedia
• The Walter Lantz Studio at Don Markstein's Toodpedia
• Walter Lantz at Internet Movie Database

Trivia

• Walter Lantz was good friends with movie innovator George Pál. Because of this, Woody Woodpecker makes a cameo appearance in every work in which Pál was involved.

George Pál in 1979 George Pal (February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) (birth name: Györgi Pál Marczincsák) was a Hungarian-born animator and film producer, principally associated with the science fiction genre. ...

See also

• The Golden Age of American animation
• Cartoon Studios