Wednesday, 7 September 2022

A Squirrel is the Only Thing Screwy About This Book

The finest piece of news about the Golden Age of Animation this year is out.

Keith Scott’s long-promised book on cartoon voice actors is at the printer, and you can buy it starting September 20th.

When I was a kid in the ‘60s, you had to rely on credits on (mainly TV) cartoons and listening to similar voices to figure out who was in your favourite animated efforts. But even then, no one knew there was an Arthur Q. Bryan, unless they listened to certain old radio shows and heard him do his Elmer Fudd voice there. Then in the 1980s came books by animation historians, fanzines, chatter amongst experts on Usenet and finally a full-blown internet. They discovered there was a Danny Webb and a Sara Berner.

Into this mix came Keith Scott, an impressionist with a massive collection of old radio shows and a huge interest in cartoons. Besides having the chance to interview fellow cartoon voice actors when making trips to Los Angeles (such as Daws Butler, to the right), his ear was able to match radio actors to cartoon voices of the era because they used the same voices in radio and cartoons. Pretty soon, we started hearing about Kent Rogers and Jack Lescoulie and Frank Graham and a pile of people no one knew about. (Hands up if you had known before Keith Scott told you that Lloyd Perryman was in a cartoon). And he confirmed information with legitimate studio records resting in archives, as well as newspaper clippings from when the cartoons were actually made.

Keith has been talking about writing a book on the subject for, well, I don’t know how long. But a bit of a layoff during COVID gave him time to work on it. There are still some mysteries he hasn’t solved (one, I think, is the title character in the 1935 Merrie Melodies short The Country Mouse) but anything accurate, even if incomplete, is better than nothing.

One of the identities Keith discovered (if he isn’t responsible, he’ll let me know) is that of Screwy Squirrel. It’s an actor who used the same voice on a comedy show called Tommy Riggs and Betty Lou. His name was Wally Maher. In honour of Keith’s book (and Screwy, I guess), here’s a little information about him. This story from the Cincinnati Enquirer of January 31, 1943 doesn’t mention cartoons because Screwy didn’t come along for another year.

BUDDING STAR
Is From Cincinnati.
Wally Maher Credits His Success To Ambition
To Be Actor Despite Lean Times—First Job Follows Prayer In New York.

The "Queen City of the West" lays claim to a devotion to the cultural arts and quite frequently some of her native sons go forth to prove that contention. Almost everyone knows the success scored by Tyrone Power, but not many realize that radio has a budding star, who stems from this neighborhood and who first was heard from nationally, over station WLW.
No one who hears Wally Maher in the part of Wilbur, the goon-child pal of Betty Lou on the "Tommy Riggs and Betty Lou" show, would suspect that he is a tall, nice-looking chap, intelligent and devoted to his family. But Wally does have all of those characteristics.
Claiming Cincinnati as his native city, he credits his current success in radio to his constant ambition to be an actor.
Born on August 4, 1908, Wally hadn't completed his high school training when he abandoned further education in favor of a career. First as an amateur, then later as a stock company "regular," he started climbing from the bottom in show business.
He made his radio debut in 1930 as Paul Baumer in "All Quiet on the Western Front." However, roles were scarce for youthful actors at that time, and some lean years followed. At one time he was particularly depressed financially, with no job on hand or in sight. He passed a precious half-hour in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, asking for divine guidance through and out of that troublesome time.
That same day a friend told him of a radio audition at one of the large studios. Before dark Wally was cast in the first of many successful roles.
Since his first utterances over the airlanes here, radio audiences have heard him on Jack Benny's program, on the Radio Theater, with Burns and Allen, Rudy Vallee, "One Man's Family," "I Love a Mystery," and Shirley Temple in her "Junior Miss series." He appeared five different times, thereby setting a record for guest artists, on the "Hollywood Showcase" program with Mary Astor.
He first appeared on the "Tommy Riggs and Betty Lou" as a temporary stooge, but his portrayal of Wilbur was so successful that he was signed as a permanent member of the cast.
Wally is married to the former Carmella Bruno of Hamilton, Ohio. They have two children, Wally Maher, Jr., 4 1/2, and Patricia Ann, 1 1/2. Maher enjoys boating and boxing, but for real sport he prefers to play with a good "nine" on a baseball field.


The same paper on January 24, 1946 had this cute tale.

A Career of Crime
Wally Maher, Ex-WLW Actor, on "Suspense;"
Young Man From Madisonville Makes Good

Wally Maher, who either is murdered or murders someone himself every Thursday night on “Suspense,” began making crime pay, at AFRA rates, on WLW in 1934. Wally says he was hired by Ed Byron, currently producing “Mr. D. A.,” to play the leading corpse on “Famous Jury Trials.” “Later I worked up to the position of leading murderer,” he says.
Wally has been doing network dramatics on the West Coast for 10 years, but his former radio colleagues around town remember him chiefly because of Frank Komarac, a delicatessen owner near the Arlington street studios. In this food shop the acting staff was wont to gather for a snack between shows— mostly on the cuff.
After Wally left town for the coast, Frank went to a movie. The feature went off without a hitch, but suddenly, as a “Crime Does Not Pay” short was flashed on the screen, the audience was startled by a cry of pain from one in their midst. It was Mr. Komarac, pointing wildly at the screen. “That's Wally Maher,” he hollered, “And he still owes me for his last sandwich.”


The radio column in the December 9, 1945 edition of the Pittsburgh Press pointed out that Maher “murders only the nicest people. In three years he has killed 31 persons, stole five million bucks and—we almost forgot to mention this—he was slain by the police 18 times...He strangled Agnes Moorehead to death, shot and stabbed Lucille Ball, shot Myrna Loy, poisoned Joan Lorring, drown George Couloris and beat Ronald Colman to death.”

What did Maher say about his animation career? If he said anything publicly, it’s hiding in some hitherto undiscovered newspaper. Earle Ferris’ syndicated column of January 28, 1943 only revealed:

The voice of ‘Wilbur,’ created by Wally Maher for the Tommy Riggs and Betty Lou show, is heard as that of a squirrel in the new Metro movie cartoon, “Nuts in May.”

Daily Variety was still using the Nuts in May title in October. It was the working title for what became Screwball Squirrel. Screwy’s first cartoon took some time to hit theatres. A model sheet for it is dated December 12, 1942 and the short was finally released April 1, 1944. Maher made five cartoons as Screwy. Some fans insist director Tex Avery killed off the character in his final cartoon, based on the fact Avery publicly said he disliked his creation and in the finale of the squirrel’s last short, co-star Lennie pulled out what appeared to be a dead Screwy. If Screwy’s dead, how can he hold up a sign and open his eye? I say Screwy is playing yet another trick and faking his demise.

Any long career in animation for Maher was cut short by an early death. The Los Angeles Daily News informed readers on December 27, 1951:

Wally Maher, radio actor, taken by death
Radio actor Wally Maher, 43, one of the top local artists for many years, died today in St. Vincent's hospital after a long illness.
Maher, who for many years was radio's detective, Michael Shane, was admitted to the hospital only last night. Recently he had undergone major chest and heart surgery.
He started in radio 22 years ago and worked in Cincinnati, New York and in recent years, here. Lately he was acting in CBS' “Lineup,” a mystery show.
He leaves his widow, Molly, three children, Patricia, Wally Jr. and Judy; his parents, Daniel and Mary Maher, and a brother. The family home is at 1017 Fairmount road, Burbank. Funeral arrangements are pending.


Keith has discovered other MGM cartoons where Maher can be heard. No doubt there are real revelations—perhaps some for the first time—in his book (actually, it is in two volumes). Anyone interested in the identities of actors you hear on those great old animated theatrical shorts should get it. Now, if he can only tell me who played the title role in John Sutherland’s propaganda cartoon Meet King Joe.

Tuesday, 6 September 2022

Floating in Mid-Air

There’s not one, but two gags about things floating on their own in mid-air in the Tex Avery opus Thugs With Dirty Mugs (1939).

First, the police chief (played by John Deering) walks back and forth, promising himself he’ll get “Killer” the bank robber (voiced by Danny Webb). At one point, his cigar remains behind while he continues to pace.



Later, Killer points his guns at a bank teller. The guns helpfully remain in the air as he stuffs his pockets with cash.



Jack Miller helped with gags in this wonderful Warners gangster picture send-up, while Sid Sutherland got the animation credit.

Monday, 5 September 2022

Today's Lesson: Bashing the Cat

You know the old “I’ll chase him and you clobber him with this” gag. Usually, it means the guy doing the chasing gets clobbered instead.

Joe Barbera (or his unacknowledged gagman) switches it in Professor Tom (1948). The gag here is the kitten Tom is instructing just stands there as the chase goes round and round.



Tom stops and gives the kitten a disgusted look. Jerry stops, too. Tom gives instructions to the kitten.



The twist to the gag: the kitten thinks for a moment, and then gives the vase to Jerry.



The whole blackboard/classroom idea that starts the cartoon was used again by Barbera and writer Charlie Shows in 1958 in the Pixie and Dixie cartoon Jinks, Junior. The lineage of the kitten in this short is unclear.

The cartoon features Bill Hanna shouting “Noooooo!” and a nice little piece at the end animated by Ken Muse where Jerry and the kitten stroll off together toward one of Bob Gentle’s watercolour backgrounds as Scott Bradley conducts the MGM orchestra in “We’re Off to See the Wizard.”

Ray Patterson, Ed Barge and Irv Spence are also on the animation credits.

Sunday, 4 September 2022

Photographer, Actor and Fake German Grocer

Everyone annoyed Jack Benny on the Jack Benny radio show in the 1940s.

Everyone except one person.

Jack had to put up with insults and gag-toppers from his main cast—Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, Rochester, even Don Wilson on occasion. Dennis Day annoyed him with ridiculousness.

Even the secondary cast got on his case: floorwalker Frank Nelson, tout Sheldon Leonard, phone operators Bea Benaderet and Sara Berner (did they ever put through one of Jack’s calls?), the recalcitrant Maxwell of Mel Blanc.

Through all this, a knock at the door or a stroll somewhere would bring a pleasant conversation with Mr. Kitzel, played by Artie Auerbach.

Kitzel first appeared in 1946 as a hot dog vendor at the Rose Bowl. He eventually morphed into kind of an acquaintance of Jack’s who felt he could stop in unannounced at the Benny mansion to say hello (in reality, fans in those days came right up to the Benny door to get an autographed photo). Mr. Kitzel was the Benny version of Mrs. Nussbaum, in a way. He would give names and words a mangled Hebrew pronunciation or Jewish connotation, fit in one of his catchphrases, and bid farewell. (His most famous catchphrase wasn’t heard on the Benny show. “Hmmmm...could be!” has been immortalised in old Warners and MGM cartoons but was from a pre-Benny time).

The Kitzel appearances were actually an inspired bit of business by Benny and his writers. It gave the show a bit of a break from all the insult humour. And Jack was allowed to shuck all the famous foibles of his character for a segment and be a friendly, ordinary guy having a conversation. In the 1950s, the writers employed the same device with Sam Hearn’s Calabasas farmer character.

Unlike Hearn, who was a veteran vaudevillian, Auerbach didn’t start out in show business, let alone a comedian. The Detroit Free Press profiled him in its edition of June 12, 1948.

Switch: ‘Mr. Kitzel’ Dropped Pictures for Pickles
BY JACK SCHERMERHORN
Free Press Staff Writer
NEWSPAPER PHOTOGRAPHERS can do anything. If you won't take our word for it, consider the life of Artie Auerbach, who is "Mr. Kitzel" on the Jack Benny show.
You know “pickle in de middle with the mustard on top . . .”
Artie, a former New York Daily News photographer, is in Detroit with the Benny troupe for a seven-day engagement.
AN EXPERT in dialect, Artie says that everyone has hidden talent. All you have to do is bring it out.
And he should know.
His career as a successful comedian began back in 1934 when he was with the New York paper. At that time he was covering blistering three-alarm fires, murders and worked the usual crime stories that go with being a photographer.
He spent idle hours in New York's eating spots picking up all the dialect he could and imitating it.
ARTIE GOT so good that one day he used his talent on a hot assignment. A New York dowager had locked herself in a room of a swank hotel and Artie was assigned to the story along with a dozen other photographers from competing papers.
In notes thrown out a window, the dowager said that she was being held captive. But when police responded they couldn't get in.
So Artie got an idea; the woman had to eat!
HE DRESSED in a white apron, got a bag of groceries and sounded off like a German grocer.
All of a sudden the dowager became hungry, and to show her appreciation for the food, let Artie take her picture with a camera he had hidden in the grocery bag.
His first radio show was with a cafe owner named George Frame Brown. Brown played the guitar while the hash was being slung.
Artie wrote a show around him and they went on the air for two and a half years together. But things turned a little rough for Artie and he decided to call it quits and go back to his job as photographer.
It was security, and his aged mother and two kid sisters had to eat.
THEN THE show bug bit again and he wrote a series of sketches for a Broadway show, "Calling All Stars." Included in the cast were Lou Holtz, Phil Baker, Judy Canova and Martha Raye.
That did it. He could pack away his flash bulbs after that one.
He did shows with Phil Baker, Eddie Cantor, Jack Haley, Al Pearce and Abbott and Costello.
Jack Benny heard Artie on the radio and hired him. He's been with Benny ever since.
THOUGH HE'S making more than five times as much money as he made as a photographer, Artie gets the urge for an assignment when he is in New York.
And they pay him for his work, too. Recently he earned $23 on one job.
"I miss the newspaper game,' Artie said, "but on the other hand the show business has been darn good to me. I've never had to hock my camera yet."
The 45-year-old comedian lives in a modest Hollywood apartment with his wife.
As for Jack Benny, well, all city editors should be like Mr. Benny, Artie remarked.


Mr. Kitzel followed the Benny show from radio to television. A heart attack claimed his life at the age of 54 in 1957.

Death didn’t end Mr. Kitzel. He appeared in some episodes put in the can for later in the season. Ben Gross of the Daily News wrote on April 21, 1958: "It was odd, amusing and yet tragic to see a filmed segment showing the late Artie Auerbach (Mr. Kitzel) during Jack Benny’s show (CBS-TV, 7:30) last night. It reminded us of what a talented performer Artie really was."

Saturday, 3 September 2022

Cartoon Commies

The McCarthy era destroyed people’s lives and drove some to suicide. All because of 1950s paranoia that, somehow, Communism would enslave America. It was an era where anyone could accuse anyone of anything, and if you said “Where’s your proof?” then you must be a Commie, too.

The ridiculous hunt for Communists touched the animation business.

Most readers here, I suspect, know of “Disney’s Revenge,” when less-than-affable Uncle Walt testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947 and claimed certain union leaders and others involved in the strike at his studio six years earlier were under the influence of “Reds.” His testimony can easily be found on the web. Hell hath no fury than corporate leaders scorned by unions.

The FBI spent the 1940s hunting for Communists in the cartoon business, accepting the say-so of informants playing judge and jury. Bill Higgins—who worked in the 1950s for the most right-wing animation corporation, John Sutherland Productions—was supposedly “pro-Russian,” whatever that was supposed to mean. Art Babbitt was accused of influencing Disney “employees to become interested in Communist matters,” which is a pretty slanted way of saying he tried to sign up people for a union and got fired for it. Long-time Disney animator Bob Carlson “received Communist literature at the YMCA” on a trip to El Paso.

Nine pages of FBI documentation about the situation can be found on archive.org. I don’t know what the hand-written notations mean. Ronald Reagan’s name is on each page, presumably because he was the head of SAG.

I’d invite you to laugh as you read how one accuser knew someone’s wife was a Communist but didn’t know her name, except this was not a funny time in American history. Ask actor Philip Loeb. Oh, yeah, you can’t. He killed himself after being blacklisted thanks to gossip mongers who smeared people in Red Channels.

The names you likely will recognise are those who lead the Screen Cartoonists Guild as of mid-1947. However, the implication is they were elected because they were not under Communist influence (Volus Jones’ name is misspelled). Cecil Beard was an ex-Disneyite and writer for George Pal Productions (he co-wrote the anti-Nazi short Tulips Will Grow) who was involved in television cartoons in the ‘50s and ‘60s. He was also active in trade unionism. He died in 1987. The Writers Guild of America was still trying to find him in 1991.

Each page can be enlarged. If you’re interest in the entire documentation, you can find it on this site.

Friday, 2 September 2022

"S" is For Selling With Animation

Clever animated morphing and a bouncy mixed chorus jingle. What better way to sell cereal?

You’ll find it in an ad for Post-Tens, with one-serving boxes of different Post cereals. The jingle goes:

Ready for breakfast
Father, mother, sister Susie
And her brother


Okay, it doesn’t rhyme, but it accompanies visuals where the word “Ready” turns into a breakfast table.



An “F” appears and turns into the father. Then an “M” becomes the mother, an “S” the sister and a “B” the brother.



When was the spot made? It gives us a hint.



See the newspaper? The magic of an internet search of old newspapers reveals the copy is from a syndicated story by U.S. Open champ Jack Fleck published June 28, 1955.

Who made the cartoon? Business Screen magazine of the same year tells us Jack Zander’s Pelican Films in New York was animating spots for Post, so that studio is likely responsible for this one.

You can download it here.

Thursday, 1 September 2022

Want Some Candy, Little Fish?

A worm (or “woim” as the tin can it came from says) tries to entice a little fish with a stick of peppermint in Jolly Fish (1932).



The kid's father swims into the scene, turns his fins into hands with fingers, and grabs the worm. The fish-ling can now swim away with the candy.



Despite the subject, this is not a social guidance film from Sid Davis Productions. It’s a lesser effort in the Van Beuren studio’s Tom and Jerry series. There are some likeable bits but the gags aren’t all that strong.

The vocal over the opening titles is “By the Beautiful Sea,” a 1914 tune by Harry Carroll and Harold R. Atteridge. Musical director Gene Rodemich employs only two songs as mood music in the short: Bernice Petkere’s “By a Rippling Stream (Waiting For You)” and “There’s Oceans of Love By the Beautiful Sea” by Little Jack Little and J. Fred “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” Coots, both released the same year as this cartoon.