They Made Tunes Looney

Obscure lists are really geeky, but they’re also good if someone needs them for reference. So that’s why this has been put together.

The Los Angeles City Directory for 1942 is on-line. It has names, addresses and occasionally, tells where people worked. This is the first directory I’ve found where it specifically mentions cartoon studios (see footnote). With delight, I see that one is Leon Schlesinger Productions. There are 134 names I could find with the job listing “artist, LSP”. That generic title is given to everyone, including Ray Katz, who was no artist. Because it includes people who didn’t live in Los Angeles, I suspect the studio supplied the list to the compilers of the directory.

It may not be complete. Some names may have been missed because the search engine for the on-line version doesn’t always recognise the ‘LSP’ characters; I had to find Rod Scribner and Warren Foster by typing in their names. Not all employees may have been reported; I’ll mention some after the list.

There are assistant animators and in-betweeners listed here (Hudson, Farren, Zingler, etc.), but there are a number of men’s names I’ve never seen before. The impression I’m left with is the ink and paint departments was the exclusive province of women so I have no idea what some of these men did.

Ann Almond r2042 N Highland av	Paul H Julian (Consuela C) h4957 Melrose Hill
Jane Anderson r1918 Taft av	Raymond Katz r Beverly Hills
Mabel Andes rBrentwood Hts	John Kennedy r2062 Argyle av
Louise Appet r925 Irolo	Leonard Kester r9009 Wonderland av
Marion Bagby r1610 N Nmdie av	Florence Kinkelhor r Beverly Hills
Mrs Vannie F Baker r5643½ Fernwood av	Anatole Kirsanoff r1777 N Vmont av
Harry Barton r1553 N Hudson av	Mary T Lane r1726 Nichols Canyon rd
Warren Batchelder r Sta Monica	Jacqueline Langdon r2314½ Beachwood dr
Raynelle Bell r1835 Wilcox ave	Rudolph Larriva h5746½ Fountain av
Richard Bickenbach r Glendale	Leslie H Larson (Blanche A) h808½ El Centro
Henry Binder r5424 Franklin	Roy Laufenberger r1364 N Van Ness av
Raymond Bloss r6112 Winans dr	Constantine Lebedeff r4674½ La Mirada av
Betty Brenon r2042 N Highland av	Lee LeBlanc r725½ N Alfred
Geraldine Brimhall r5806 Carleton way	Monroe Leung r1619 1619 W Pico ave
David W Brown r1505 N McCadden pl	Abraham Levitow r5447 Monroe
Tregoweth E Brown (Mary) h5805 La Mirada	Harold Lorimer r982 Stone Canyon rd
John W Burton r No Hwood	John MacLachlan r3630 Effie
Robert Cannon r Burbank	Michael Maltese r1401 N Hobart blvd
John Carey r2722 Gleneden	John Marks (Sadie) h5436 Ascot av
Nellie Cary r1009 N Sierra Bonita av	Paul Marron r Burbank
Kenneth Champin r Glendale	Robert H Matz r7512 Norton av
Revelle Chaney G h5179 Fountain av	Godfrey Mayerhofer r4743 Bev blvd
Germain A Chiniquy (Olive) h611 N Bronson	Norman McCabe r Burbank
Robert Clampett r Glendale	Thomas J McDonald (Aliceruth) h5760 Fernwood av
Helen Cope t1719 Taft av	John McGrew (Elfreda) h2440 Gower
Jos M Corral r6112 Winona dr	Robert P McKimson (Viola) h439 N Kilkea dr
Robert Cota r3737 Woodland av	Melvin Millar r Burbank
Helen Currie r6141 Afton Pl	Arthur Milman r4631 Kingswell av
Fern Crawford h4854 Lemon Grove av	David Mitchell r5712 Fountain av
Roger Daley r1324½ N Alexandria av	Philip Monroe r5744 Fountain av
Calvin Dalton r Pasadena	Kenneth Moore r Burbank
Keith Darling r1750 N Wilton pl	Samuel Nicholson r1216 Tamarind av
Philip DeLara r6195 Oak Crest way	Robert North r4038 Marathon
Mary Dement r Burbank	Albert Pabian h1417 N Bronson av
Robert Doerfer r5712 Fountain av	Joan Pabian r1417 N Bronson av
Edith Edgar r5612 Fountain av	Manuel Perez r9012 Graham av
Isadore Ellis (Frieda) h1423 S Odgen dr	Lela V Perry r1366 N Beachwood av
Sidney Farren r Alhambra	Dorothy E Pettit r935 N Stanley
Evelyn Feilen r Bell	Jack Phillips r5712 La Mirada av
Eugene Fleury r1022 Laguna av	Ruth V Pierce r6722 Sunset blvd
Warren Foster r1410 Murray dr	Frank Powers r5740½ Fountain av
Isadore Freleng (Lilly) h1058 S Alfred	Hazel Preston r1306 N Beachwood av
Lucille Fuller h5643½ Fernwood av	Elizabeth E Rehbeck r Burbank
Peter Gaenger h1519½ S Ardmore	Vive W Risto r Studio City
Arthur C Gamer r2438 N Creston way	Myrta Robinson r6027 Barton
Frances Garcia r1241 N June	Joseph Rose r507 N Kings rd
Leslie Garcia r1526 N Mariposa	Virgil Ross r3337 Bennett dr
Henry Garner r5849 Sunset blvd	Ada B Ruinello r606 Westbourne dr
Mrs Sue G Gee h2401 S Highland av	Michael Sasanoff r851¼ Formosa av
Martha Goldman r5617 Fernwood av	Edwin Schmidt r6134 Cahuenga blvd
Gladys Hallberg r Burbank	Roderick Scribner r2925 Hill dr
Florence Hammontre T r1149 N Vmont	Benjamin Shenkman, r539 N Manhattan
Donald Harris	Helen I Silbert r8248 Mannix dr
Lucille Hazell r4411½ Avodaco	Seymour Slosberg r1219 Point View
Mildred Helfman r1933 N Bronson av	Dawn I Smith r815 N June
Fred Hofacker r Costa Mesa	Evelyn Smith r1423 N Wilton pl
Richard Hogan r3700 Arbolada rd	Emily B Stafford h5718 Fernwood av
Esther Honig r4353 San Rafael av	Sidney Sutherland r N Hwood
LeRoy C Hooper r4615 Ambrose av	Evans Taliaferro r1157 Tamarind av
W Murray Hudson (Louise) h6011 Lexington av	Mary Tebb r3374 Bennett dr
Alex Ignatiev r1123½ N Ardmore av	Auril Thompson r1021 N Mariposa
John D Johnsen (Turena) h5139½ De Longpre av	Richard Thompson h1021 N Mariposa
Charles E Jones r609 E 52d	Gilbert H Turner (Angelyn) h1536 Marmont av
Charles M Jones r6764 Milner rd	Lloyd L Vaughan r Venice
John R Jones r Manhattan Beach	Alex Walker r351 N Westn av
Richard K Jones r1026¼ Laguna av	Benjamin Washam r Glendale
Virginia Jones r Burbank	Rudolph A Zingler r Burbank

Where’s Leon? His listing is: “Schlesinger Leon pres Leon Schlesinger Productions and film labty 1123 N Bronson av r Beverly Hills.” And one of the greatest composers in cartoon history doesn’t have a studio listed. It simply says “Stalling Carl W artist r2644 Hollyridge dr”.

Now comes a pile of trivia, thanks in part to Martha Sigall’s wonderful reminiscence of her time in the animation industry, including almost ten years with Leon and Co.

• Ann Almond was a painter. She was Betty Brenon’s sister.
• “Louise” Appet should be “Louis.” Karl Cohen’s book ‘Forbidden Animation’ reveals he was an in-betweener at Fleischer’s who couldn’t find work, likely for union activity. Chuck Jones got him a job at Warner’s in 1941 and Appet later became a cartoonists union head in Los Angeles. It appears he was living with relatives.
• Raynelle Bell was hired as an inker in August 1936. She went to work at Fleischer’s in Florida, came back and was later Bob Clampett’s ink and paint supervisor at Snowball.
• Betty Brenon was the assistant head of ink and paint department.
• Dave Brown was an assistant animator in the Freleng unit. He shot down and killed overseas in World War Two.
• Corral is Manny Corral, a cameraman who later went to MGM.
• Cal Dalton and Sue Gee were married but are listed as living at different addresses. Hmm.
• Phil DeLara was living at home with his widowed mother Susan L.
• Robert Doerfer is actually Robert Doerfler, an assistant animator. He died in 1982.
• Peter Gaenger was a fairly prominent interior designer and worked in Leon’s background department.
• Yes, that’s Martha Sigall listed under her maiden name, Martha Goldman.
• Gladys Hallberg was hired the same day as Martha, July 13, 1936.
• “Donald” Harris has me puzzled. There’s no address for him. Ken Harris’ real first name was Karyl and there’s a “Karol Harris r980 Passmore Dr” with no occupation. It could be Ken; he was listed as “Karol” in earlier directories when he was an auto mechanic. His wife Alta is listed at living at a different address.
• Murray Hudson, according to Martha, used to raffle his pay cheque and thus collect more than he was being paid. His wife Lee worked at the studio.
• Try to keep up with the Jones’s here. Charles M. Jones is Chuck Jones. Charles E. Jones is not. They’re not related. Richard Kent Jones is Chuck’s brother. Virginia Jones was married to Fred Jones, who also worked at the studio but isn’t listed in the directory. I don’t know who John R. Jones is.
• Florence Finkelhor (her name is misspelled) was an inker who was sent with Chuck Jones and Bob Clampett to make cartoons at the Ub Iwerks studio in Beverly Hills before Leon basically took it over.
• Alex Ignatiev was possibly named for Alex D. Ignatiev, a painter who lived down the street. He lived with parents Tihon and Pauline Ignatiev, who came to the U.S from Russia.
• Mary Lane was hired the same day as Martha, July 13, 1936.
• Conny Lebedeff was living at home with his parents Charles and Ella.
• Monroe Leung’s dad Howard was a waiter. His mom was named Rose. Even more interesting is his life story is outlined in the book ‘Sweet Bamboo’ by Louise Leung Larson. Examples of his cartoon work can be found searching on-line.
• Abe Levitow lived at home with his parents (William and Sarah) and older sister Frances. Levitow’s father is listed as “studio worker” and you can learn more about the family on the finely-researched Mr. Magoo’s Christmas blog.
• It seems Mike Maltese and his family were moving about this time. There’s a separate listing for Mike and Florrie Maltese, 5832¾ La Mirada Avenue, with no occupation.
• Bob Matz lived with his widowed mother Mary H. He had a brother, John M., who was an accountant.
• Godfrey Mayerhofer lived with a Morris Mayerhofer, who is listed as “studiowkr.”
• My guess is Tom McDonald is the same Tom McDonald who later worked at UPA.
• You see Bob McKimson, but what about the rest of the family? Were they at Warners at this time? Tom McKimson is listed as “Thos J (Ernestine) artist h108 S Harper av”. There’s no listing for Chuck McKimson. I don’t know when the two spent their time at the studio.
• Art Millman turned 60 in 1942.
• Ken Moore was a cameraman.
• Al and Joan Pabian were married and are not to be confused with James Anthony Pabian, who seems to have gone by both Jim and Tony.
• Frank Powers ran the ink and paint department and had replaced Art Goble, who toddled off to MGM.
• Ada Ruinello’s parents were Henry A and Arabella Ruinello. Her father was an engineer.
• Mike Sasanoff’s brother Robert, at the same address, is listed as “artist.”
• There’s also an address for Rodney and Jane Scribner “cartoonist h5211 Argus dr”. That’s our Rod, though how the directory got “Rodney”, I’ll never know.
• Ben Shenkman lived with his mother Annie, as did sister Florence and brothers Harry (salesman) and John (clothing cutter). He was an assistant animator known for caricatures.
• Seymour Slosburg lived with Max and Hattye in a beautiful Spanish-style home. Another set of Slosburgs was in the same block.
• Dick and Auril Thompson were married. She was a painter formerly known as Auril Blunt who later worked under Ace Gamer in effects.
• I suspect Alex Walker is “Sandy Walker”, who had worked at the studio into 1935.

Names which don’t appear: Don Christensen, Herman Cohen, Bob Givens, Owen Fitzgerald, Milt Franklyn, Hawley Pratt (unless he was a salesman and married to a woman named Cora), Dave Monahan, Tedd Pierce or Dick Thomas (there’s a Richard H. Thomas listed as a “patternmaker”). Some names who had been, or were later, connected with the studio might be of interest.

• Vance D Colvig (Margt) writer h2177 Moreno dr. Pinto did a bit of freelance voice work for Leon about this time after his career at Fleischer fizzled. His son Vance D Jr. lived at home and later became a TV kids host, then the voice of Chopper on the ‘Yakky Doodle’ cartoons.
• Pernell D[ewey] Eller (Lula) gifts 4426 S Hoover. Unless something creepy was going on, Eller’s mother is listed as his wife.
• Ernest G Gee formn LAEH&E r1122½ Menlo av. Bob Clampett’s ex-writer worked at the Los Angeles Evening Herald and Examiner.
• Robert C Gribbroek artist h1335½ N Edgemont. His mother, Ada C, was living with him.
• Roland C Hamilton (Rmeda) cartoonist r1006½ N Hobart blvd. Yes, I know, his name is “Rollin”.
• Robert L Holdeman (Patricia C) artist h1606 N Alvarado.
• George F Manuell (Olga J) cartoonist h3051 Lanfranco av. George was born in Washington State (his father John was from Canada) but settled in San Joaquin County in 1910 before his first birthday. George was only 49 when he died on Oct. 19, 1958.
• Donald H Williams (Avis J) artist h1935 Carmona av.
• Albert L Tarter (Sylvia) artist h2412½ N Beachwood dr. Tarter had been in the Freleng unit in 1940.

There’s no Mel Blanc or Billy Bletcher, but there is:

Kent Rogers actor h1552 N Martel av

And some poor woman who married record store owner Roger Benaderet was likely constantly mistaken for a Warners cartoon actress. Both were named Bea, though the voice artist was born with the last name; she didn’t marry into it.

It’s unfortunate only one other studio lists employees in the directory—Screen Gems (Columbia). No Disney, no Lantz (though La Verne Harding and Alex Lovy are in the directory as “cartoonist”) and no MGM (nary a listing for Bill, Joe or Tex).

A directory isn’t exactly exciting to read, but I hope this has provided a bit of insight into some of the names you don’t normally see connected with the Schlesinger studio.

Note: After posting this, I discovered at least 75 names in the 1938 L.A. Directory listed as “artist Harman-Ising Productions”. I’ll have to go through them as well.