“Tom Schuler – Cobbler Statesman” doesn’t have any credits (the ending features the Screen Cartoonists Guild bug) but Graham Webb’s The Animated Film Encyclopedia came up with some and a pretty good mix of people worked on this. The cartoon was made by Sketchbook Film Productions; perhaps some information about the company will come to light.
The cartoon was directed by Dick Lundy, the ex-Disney animator who went on to direct at Lantz and MGM in the ‘40s. The story was by Bill Scott, best known for Rocky and Bullwinkle, but a somewhat unwilling spinmeister at Sutherland for several years. The animators were Ray Patterson, Grant Simmons, Mike Lah, Osmond Evans and Stan Walsh. The first three were at MGM; Patterson and Simmons left for Walter Lantz and then worked out a deal with Robert Lawrence in mid-1954 to open their own studio. Lah and Walsh were principals in Quartet Films, a commercial outfit, while Evans had been at UPA with Scott. Curt Perkins was responsible for backgrounds while Michel Perrier wrote the score.
The narration is by one of the greats of radio, Marvin Miller, who also freelanced for Sutherland and UPA.
Variety of April 28, 1955 reveals:
U.S. State Dept. is dubbing the 30 minute documentary, "Tom Schuler—Cobbler Statesman," in 16 languages for distribution abroad, Sketchbook Film Productions, which made film for U.S.I.A. release in Germany, disclosed yesterday. Pic copped a certificate of merit at 1954 Edinburgh Film Festival, and a similar citation by 1955 Golden Reel Film Festival of Film Council of America earlier this month in NY.It’s a half hour long, so you may not want to sit through the whole thing. Unfortunately, this isn’t a restored version.
Subject deals with an immigrant cobbler during drafting of the American Constitution.
Webb's book as good source as the book's the setup in the book's very confusing. It would probably take ages for anyone who would like make full usse of Webb's book sort through the book whether its the first edition or the second edition.
ReplyDeleteAnd considering the Rarity article I seriously wonder what prompt Webb to include it in his book.
Seems it was only distributed on 16mm according to the book War on Film: Military History Education, Video Tapes, Motion Pictures, and Related Audiovisual ades. https://books.google.is/books?id=M7z0-YF5K6sC&pg=PA87&dq=Tom+Schuler,+Cobbler+Statesmen&hl=is&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiEtKqPi93kAhXCbFAKHXZ6AKIQ6AEIMjAB#v=onepage&q=Tom%20Schuler%2C%20Cobbler%20Statesmen&f=false
according to the book Schooling in Modernity: The Politics of Sponsored Films in Postwar Italy it seems to have also got same treatment in Italy as in Germany https://books.google.is/books?id=i1qTAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA225&dq=Tom+Schuler,+Cobbler+Statesmen&hl=is&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiDwffIjd3kAhUEKFAKHbleCSoQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=Tom%20Schuler%2C%20Cobbler%20Statesmen&f=false