Leon Schlesinger

Leon Schlesinger

Infobox Actor
bgcolour = silver
name = Leon Schlesinger


caption = Leon Schlesinger, playing himself in the 1940 "Looney Tunes" short "You Ought to Be in Pictures".
birthname =
birthdate = birth date|1884|5|20|mf=y
location = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
deathdate = death date and age|1949|12|25|1884|5|20|mf=y
deathplace = Los Angeles, California
spouse =

Leon Schlesinger (May 20, 1884December 25, 1949) was an American film producer, most noted for founding , which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the golden age of Hollywood animation.

Biography

Early life and career

Schlesinger was born in Philadelphia. After working at a theater as an usher, songbook agent, actor, and manager (including the Palace Theater in Buffalo, NY (source Buffalo News, April 15, 1944), he founded Pacific Title and Art in 1919, where most of his business was producing title cards for silent films. As talking pictures ("talkies") gained popularity in 1929 and 1930, Schlesinger looked for ways to capitalize on the new technology and stay in business. Legend claims that he helped finance the Warner brothers' first talkie, "The Jazz Singer". He then secured a contract with the studio to produce its brand-new "Looney Tunes" series, and he signed animators Hugh Harman and Rudy Ising to create these cartoons with their Bosko character as the star.

chlesinger as a shrewd businessman

Schlesinger was a shrewd businessman with a keen eye for talent. When Harman and Ising left Warner Bros. with Bosko in 1934, Schlesinger set up his own studio on the Warner Bros. Sunset Boulevard lot at the corner of Van Ness and Fernwood. He wooed animators away from other studios, including some of those who had departed with Harman and Ising. One of these was Friz Freleng, whom Schlesinger promoted to oversee production of "Looney Tunes" and to develop the sister series, "Merrie Melodies". Freleng's talent quickly shone through, and Schlesinger's hiring of Frederick "Tex" Avery, Carl Stalling, and Frank Tashlin further increased the quality of the studio's output. He later added Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, and Mel Blanc, and collectively these men created such famous characters as Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, and Bugs Bunny. Schlesinger largely took a "hands off" approach to the animation unit, allowing his directors freedom to create what they wished. The films only had to do well in the theaters. Schlesinger sold Pacific Title & Art in 1935 to concentrate on his animation studio.

chlesinger's hard-nosed business practices

Schlesinger's hard-nosed business practices cannot be overstated. His animators worked in a dilapidated studio (Avery's unit were briefly assigned to a bungalow they dubbed "Termite Terrace"), and Schlesinger briefly shut down the studio in 1941 and 1942 when unionized employees demanded a pay raise. On another occasion, he boycotted the Academy Awards for what he claimed was preferential treatment for Walt Disney Studios. He also farmed some of the "Looney Tunes" out to his brother-in-law, Ray Katz, for tax breaks. Schlesinger was also known (among his animators, at least) for his lisp. In fact, Mel Blanc patterned the voices of both Daffy Duck and Sylvester the cat on Schlesinger, something the producer never acknowledged noticing. Animators who worked with him also found him conceited and somewhat foppish, wearing too much cologne and dressing like a dandy.

Appearances in shorts

Leon Schlesinger appeared as himself in Freleng's 1940 short "You Ought to Be in Pictures", a short that combines live action with animation. In this short, Daffy Duck, angling to become the biggest star in the studio (Bugs Bunny had yet to make his debut), convinces Porky Pig that there is a bigger future in feature films than in cartoons. Porky takes his contention to "the boss" - Schlesinger himself.

Later life and career

Schlesinger remained head of the animation studio until 1944 when he sold his assets to Warner Bros. He continued to market the characters until his death from a viral infection on Christmas Day, 1949 at age 65. Schlesinger also produced a number of B-movie Westerns in the 1930s. After Warner Bros. bought Schlesinger's studio, Eddie Selzer assumed Schlesinger's position as producer.Schlesinger was an avid racehorse fan and was a director of the Western Harness Racing Association. A United Press dispatch dated January 10, 1950 reported a director had been found to fill the vacancy caused by his death.

External links

*imdb name|id=0772266
* [http://www.pactitle.com/history/ History of Pacific Title & Art]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Leon Schlesinger — (20 de mayo de 1884 – 25 de diciembre de 1949) fue un productor del estudio Warner Bros. durante la época dorada de la animación en Estados Unidos. Biografía Schlesinger nació en Filadelfia. Después de trabajar como acomodador en un teatro, actor …   Wikipedia Español

  • Leon Schlesinger — (* 20. Mai 1884 in Philadelphia; † 25. Dezember 1949 in Los Angeles) war ein US amerikanischer Filmproduzent. Bei Warner Brothers produzierte er in der goldenen Ära der amerikanischen Cartoons unter anderem die Reihen Looney Tunes und Merrie… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Léon Schlesinger — Leon Schlesinger Leon Schlesinger est un producteur américain, né le 20 mai 1884 à Philadelphie, en Pennsylvanie, et décédé le 25 décembre 1949 à Los Angeles, en Californie (États Unis). Il est connu pour avoir fondé la Leon Schlesinger… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Leon Schlesinger — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Schlesinger. Leon Schlesinger est un producteur américain, né le 20 mai 1884 à Philadelphie, en Pennsylvanie, et décédé le 25 décembre 1949 à Los Angeles, en Californie (États Unis). Il est connu pour avoir fondé …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Schlesinger — is a German surname meaning from Silesia (German: Schlesien ) and may refer to: * Adam Schlesinger (born 1967), American composer and musician * Adolf Martin Schlesinger (1769 1838), German founder of A.M. Schlesingers Musikhandlung * Alan… …   Wikipedia

  • Schlesinger — Schlesinger: Adam Schlesinger Adolf Martin Schlesinger Arthur Meier Schlesinger James Schlesinger John Schlesinger Leon Schlesinger Leon Schlesinger Productions Maurice Schlesinger E …   Wikipedia Español

  • Schlesinger — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Adam Schlesinger (* 1967), US amerikanischer Musikschaffender Adolf Martin Schlesinger (1769–1838), deutscher Musikverleger Alfred Cary Schlesinger (auch Alfredo Schlesinger; 1900–1993), US amerikanischer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Schlesinger —  Cette page d’homonymie répertorie des personnes (réelles ou fictives) partageant un même patronyme. Schlesinger est un nom de famille notamment porté par : Adam Schlesinger (né en 1967), musicien, auteur compositeur et producteur… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Leon Panetta — Portrait officiel de Leon Panetta, 2011 Mandats 23e …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Léon de Saint-Lubin — (* 5. Juli 1805 in Turin; † 13. Februar 1850 in Berlin) war ein Geiger und Komponist italienischer Herkunft. Leben Saint Lubin wurde als Sohn eines französischen Sprachlehrers in Turin geboren, kam aber schon in seinem vierten Lebensjahr nach… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”