George Pál
Encyclopedia
George Pal born György Pál Marczincsak, was a Hungarian-born American
animator
and film producer, principally associated with the science fiction
genre. He became an American citizen after emigrating from Europe.
He was nominated for Academy Awards (in the category Best short subjects, Cartoon) no less than seven consecutive years (1942–1948) and received an honorary award in 1944. This makes him the second most nominated Hungarian exile (together with William S. Darling
and Ernest Laszlo
) after Miklós Rózsa
.
, Austria–Hungary, the son of György Pál Marczincsak Sr. and his wife Maria. He graduated from the Budapest Academy of Arts in 1928. From 1928 to 1931, he made films for Hunnia Films of Budapest, Hungary.
In 1931 he married Elisabeth "Zsoka" Grandjean, and moving to Berlin, founded Trickfilm-Studio Gmbh Pal und Wittke, with UFA Studios
as its main customer from 1931 to 1933. During this time, he patented Pal-Doll (known as Puppetoons
in the USA).
In 1933 he worked in Prague; in 1934, he made a film advertisement in his hotel room in Paris, and was invited by Philips
to make two more ad shorts. He started to use Pal-Doll techniques in Eindhoven, in a former butchery, then at villa-studio Suny Home.
He made five films before 1939 for the British company Horlicks Malted Milk
. He left Germany as the Nazis came to power. In 1940, he emigrated from Europe, and began work for Paramount Pictures
. At this time, his friend Walter Lantz
helped him obtain American citizenship.
As an animator, he made the Puppetoons
series in the 1940s, then switched to live action film making with The Great Rupert
in 1950. He was awarded an honorary Oscar
in 1944 for "the development of novel methods and techniques in the production of short subjects known as Puppetoons".
He is best remembered as the producer of landmark science fiction and fantasy films in the 1950s and 1960s, four of which were collaborations with director Byron Haskin
. His background with the whimsical Puppetoons set the foundation for the imaginative production designs for his films during this period.
He died in Beverly Hills, California
of a heart attack
at the age of 73, and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
, California. The Voyage of the Berg, on which he was working at the time, was never completed.
He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 1722 Vine St. In 1980 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
founded the "George Pal Lecture on Fantasy in Film" series in his memory. George Pal (along with the film When Worlds Collide) is among the many references to classic science fiction
and horror films in the opening theme ("Science Fiction/Double Feature
") of both the stage musical The Rocky Horror Show
and its cinematic counterpart, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
and film producer, principally associated with the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
genre. He became an American citizen after emigrating from Europe.
He was nominated for Academy Awards (in the category Best short subjects, Cartoon) no less than seven consecutive years (1942–1948) and received an honorary award in 1944. This makes him the second most nominated Hungarian exile (together with William S. Darling
William S. Darling
William S. Darling was a Hungarian-born art director. He was born as Wilhelm Sándorházi. He won three Academy Awards and was nominated for a further four in the category Best Art Direction...
and Ernest Laszlo
Ernest Laszlo
Ernest Laszlo, A.S.C. was a Hungarian-American cinematographer for over 60 films, and was known for his frequent collaborations with directors Robert Aldrich and Stanley Kramer...
) after Miklós Rózsa
Miklós Rózsa
Miklós Rózsa was a Hungarian-born composer trained in Germany , and active in France , England , and the United States , with extensive sojourns in Italy from 1953...
.
Life and career
He was born in CeglédCegléd
Cegléd is a city in Pest county, Hungary, approximately southeast of the Hungarian capital, Budapest.-Name:There are discussions going on about the origin of the name of the town...
, Austria–Hungary, the son of György Pál Marczincsak Sr. and his wife Maria. He graduated from the Budapest Academy of Arts in 1928. From 1928 to 1931, he made films for Hunnia Films of Budapest, Hungary.
In 1931 he married Elisabeth "Zsoka" Grandjean, and moving to Berlin, founded Trickfilm-Studio Gmbh Pal und Wittke, with UFA Studios
Universum Film AG
Universum Film AG, better known as UFA or Ufa, is a film company that was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic and through World War II, and a major force in world cinema from 1917 to 1945...
as its main customer from 1931 to 1933. During this time, he patented Pal-Doll (known as Puppetoons
Puppetoons
George Pal's Puppetoons were a series of animated puppet films made in Europe in the 1930s and in the U.S. in the 1940s. They are memorable for their use of "replacement" animation: using a series of different hand-carved wooden puppets for each frame in which the puppet moves or changes...
in the USA).
In 1933 he worked in Prague; in 1934, he made a film advertisement in his hotel room in Paris, and was invited by Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
to make two more ad shorts. He started to use Pal-Doll techniques in Eindhoven, in a former butchery, then at villa-studio Suny Home.
He made five films before 1939 for the British company Horlicks Malted Milk
Horlicks
Horlicks is the name of a company and of a malted milk hot drink. It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Jamaica, and under licence in the Philippines and Malaysia....
. He left Germany as the Nazis came to power. In 1940, he emigrated from Europe, and began work for Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. At this time, his friend Walter Lantz
Walter Lantz
Walter Benjamin Lantz was an American cartoonist, animator, film producer, and director, best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker.-Early years and start in animation:...
helped him obtain American citizenship.
As an animator, he made the Puppetoons
Puppetoons
George Pal's Puppetoons were a series of animated puppet films made in Europe in the 1930s and in the U.S. in the 1940s. They are memorable for their use of "replacement" animation: using a series of different hand-carved wooden puppets for each frame in which the puppet moves or changes...
series in the 1940s, then switched to live action film making with The Great Rupert
The Great Rupert
The Great Rupert, is a 1950 comedy family film, produced by George Pal, directed by Irving Pichel and starring Jimmy Durante, Tom Drake and Terry Moore...
in 1950. He was awarded an honorary Oscar
Academy Honorary Award
The Academy Honorary Award, instituted in 1948 for the 21st Academy Awards , is given by the discretion of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to celebrate motion picture achievements that are not covered by existing Academy Awards, although prior winners of...
in 1944 for "the development of novel methods and techniques in the production of short subjects known as Puppetoons".
He is best remembered as the producer of landmark science fiction and fantasy films in the 1950s and 1960s, four of which were collaborations with director Byron Haskin
Byron Haskin
Byron Conrad Haskin was an American film and television director. He was born in Portland, Oregon.He is remembered today for directing 1953's The War of the Worlds, one of many films where he teamed with producer George Pal. In his early career, he was a special effects artist, with a number of...
. His background with the whimsical Puppetoons set the foundation for the imaginative production designs for his films during this period.
He died in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the age of 73, and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Holy Cross Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery at 5835 West Slauson Avenue in Culver City, California, operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles....
, California. The Voyage of the Berg, on which he was working at the time, was never completed.
He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 1722 Vine St. In 1980 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
founded the "George Pal Lecture on Fantasy in Film" series in his memory. George Pal (along with the film When Worlds Collide) is among the many references to classic science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and horror films in the opening theme ("Science Fiction/Double Feature
Science Fiction/Double Feature
"Science Fiction/Double Feature" is the opening song to the original 1973 musical stage production, The Rocky Horror Show as well as its 1975 film counterpart The Rocky Horror Picture Show, book, music and lyrics by Richard O'Brien, musical arrangements by Richard Hartley...
") of both the stage musical The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...
and its cinematic counterpart, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
.
Live action feature films
- The Great RupertThe Great RupertThe Great Rupert, is a 1950 comedy family film, produced by George Pal, directed by Irving Pichel and starring Jimmy Durante, Tom Drake and Terry Moore...
(1950) (producer) - Destination MoonDestination Moon (film)Destination Moon is an American science fiction feature film produced by George Pal, who later produced When Worlds Collide, The War of the Worlds, and The Time Machine. Pal commissioned the script by James O'Hanlon and Rip Van Ronkel...
(1950) (producer) (Oscar: Special Effects 1950) - When Worlds CollideWhen Worlds Collide (film)When Worlds Collide is a 1951 science fiction film based on the 1933 novel co-written by Philip Gordon Wylie and Edwin Balmer. The film was shot in Technicolor, directed by Rudolph Maté and was the winner of the 1951 Academy Award for special effects....
(1951) (producer) (Oscar: Special Effects 1951) - The War of the WorldsThe War of the Worlds (1953 film)The War of the Worlds is a 1953 science fiction film starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. It was the first on-screen loose adaptation of the H. G. Wells classic novel of the same name...
(1953) (producer; directed by Haskin) (Oscar: Best Special Effects 1953) - HoudiniHoudini (film)Houdini is a 1953 biographical film about the life of the magician and escapologist Harry Houdini. It was made by Paramount Pictures, directed by George Marshall and produced by George Pal from a screenplay by Philip Yordan, based on the book Houdini by Harold Kellock. The music score was by Roy...
(Tony Curtis version) (1953) (producer) - The Naked JungleThe Naked JungleThe Naked Jungle is a 1954 film directed by Byron Haskin, and starring Charlton Heston and Eleanor Parker. Telling the story of an attack of army ants on a Peruvian cocoa plantation, it was based on the short story "Leiningen Versus the Ants" by Carl Stephenson.-Plot:As the film opens, Joanna , a...
(with Charlton Heston) (1954) (producer; directed by Haskin) - Conquest of SpaceConquest of SpaceConquest of Space is a 1955 science fiction movie produced by George Pal which depicts a voyage to Mars. The science and technology were intended to be as realistic as possible...
(1955) (producer; directed by Haskin) - tom thumbTom thumb (film)Deliberately uncapitalised, tom thumb is a 1958 fantasy-musical film directed by George Pal and released by MGM. It was based on the fairy tale of the same name...
(1958) (producer–director) (Oscar: Best Special Effects 1958) - The Time MachineThe Time Machine (1960 film)The Time Machine is a 1960 American science fiction film based on the 1895 novel of the same name by H. G. Wells in which a man in Victorian England constructs a time-travelling machine which he uses to travel to the future...
(1960) (producer–director & "Morlock" designer) (Oscar: Best Special Effects 1960) - Atlantis, the Lost ContinentAtlantis, the Lost ContinentAtlantis, the Lost Continent is a 1961 science fiction film, directed by George Pal and starring Anthony Hall aka: Sal Ponti, about the destruction of Atlantis during the time of Ancient Greece.-Plot:...
(1961) (producer–director) - The Wonderful World of the Brothers GrimmThe Wonderful World of the Brothers GrimmThe Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm is a 1962 American film directed by Henry Levin and George Pal. The latter was the producer and also in charge of the stop motion animation. The film was one of the highest grossing films of 1962. It won one Oscar and was nominated for three additional...
(1962) (producer–director)(Cinerama Production) (Oscar: Best Costume Design 1962) - 7 Faces of Dr. Lao7 Faces of Dr. Lao7 Faces of Dr. Lao is a Metrocolor 1964 film adaptation of the 1935 fantasy novel The Circus of Dr. Lao by Charles G. Finney. It details the visit of a magical circus to a small town in the southwest United States, and the effects that visit has on the people of the town...
(1964) (producer–director) (Oscar: Makeup Honorary Award 1964 - first film to receive this award) - The PowerThe Power (film)The Power is a 1968 film based on the science fiction novel The Power by Frank M. Robinson. It stars George Hamilton and Suzanne Pleshette.-Plot:...
(with Michael Rennie) (1968) (producer; directed by Haskin) - Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975) (producer).
Unreleased, unfinished, or projected films
- The Puppetoon Revue of 1933 (1933) /MGMs' tenth color talkie /
- After Worlds CollideAfter Worlds CollideAfter Worlds Collide was a sequel to the 1933 science fiction novel, When Worlds Collide, both of which were co-written by Philip Gordon Wylie and Edwin Balmer. After Worlds Collide first appeared as a six-part monthly serial in Blue Book magazine...
(1955) - Odd JohnOdd JohnOdd John: A Story Between Jest and Earnest is a 1935 science fiction novel by the British author Olaf Stapledon. The novel explores the theme of the Übermensch in the character of John Wainwright, whose supernormal human mentality inevitably leads to conflict with normal human society and to the...
(1967) (rights acquired only) - Logan's RunLogan's RunLogan's Run is a novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, it depicts a dystopic ageist future society in which both population and the consumption of resources are maintained in equilibrium by requiring the death of everyone reaching a particular age...
(1968) - When the Sleeper Wakes (1972)
- War of the WorldsWar of the Worlds (TV series)War of the Worlds is a television program that ran for two seasons, from 1988 to 1990. The series is an extension of the original 1953 film The War of the Worlds, using the same War Machine, often incorporating aspects from the film, radio adaptation, and original novel into its mythology.Though...
(~1974-75) Unfinished TV pilot - Doc Savage: The Arch Enemy of Evil (1976)
- The Time Traveller (1977–78) aka Time Machine II. A novelization with Joe Morhaim was published in 1981.
- The Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
(1979) - The Disappearance (1980) (only in preproduction)
- Voyage of the Berg (1980) (only in preproduction)
- The King of Kings (1989) (began 1939, resumed 1987)
External links
- The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal Sci-Fi Station film tribute and related documentary directed by Arnold Leibovit
- NNDB entry
- George Pal Lecture on Fantasy in Film
- A Cinema of Miracles: Remembering George Pal
- George Pal: A Career in Perspective
- George Pal
- War Of The Worlds review plus info on proposed WOTW TV series