Van Beuren Studios
Encyclopedia
Van Beuren Studios was an American animation
studio that produced theatrical cartoons from 1928 to 1936.
Producer Amedee J. van Beuren
first became involved in the animation industry in 1920, when he formed a partnership with Paul Terry
and formed the "Aesop's Fables Studio" for the production of the Aesop's Film Fables
cartoon series. Van Beuren released Terry's first sound cartoon Dinner Time
(1928) through Pathé Exchange
which later became part of RKO. Terry ran the animation studio while Van Beuren focused on other parts of the business. In 1929, Terry quit to start his own Terrytoons
studio and John Foster took over the animation department. It was at this time that the Fables Studio became the Van Beuren Studio.
Van Beuren released its films through RKO Radio Pictures. The early sound Van Beuren cartoons are almost identical to the late silent cartoons: highly visual, with little dialogue and occasional sound effects. Bandleaders Gene Rodemich
and Winston Sharples
supervised the music. The company's main cartoon characters were "Tom and Jerry
", a tall-and-short pair, usually vagrants who attempted various occupations (no relation to MGM's later Tom and Jerry
, a cat and mouse). They were renamed "Dick and Larry". Van Beuren was keenly aware that successful cartoons often featured animated "stars," and urged his staff to come up with new ideas for characters. Cubby, a mischievous little bear, resulted.
Van Beuren remained unsatisfied, and agreed to license the popular comic-strip character The Little King
and radio's hottest comedy act, Amos 'n' Andy
to adapt into animated form. Strangely, neither series was successful. Van Beuren then hired Walt Disney
staffer Tom Palmer
to create a new series of color cartoons. These handsome "Rainbow Parade" cartoons featured established characters: Felix the Cat
and the Toonerville Trolley gang.
These Van Beuren efforts were well received, and Van Beuren had finally succeeded in sponsoring a popular cartoon series. However, RKO ended its distribution of Van Beuren theatrical shorts in 1937 when it began distributing industry-leader Walt Disney's cartoons.
The Van Beuren Corporation also acquired and produced live-action features and shorts (including Frank Buck
's monster hit Bring 'Em Back Alive). In 1932, Van Beuren purchased 12 Charlie Chaplin
silent films (his 1916-'18 "Lone Star" comedies for Mutual Film Corporation) for $10,000 apiece, added music (by Rodemich or Sharples) and sound effects, and reissued them through RKO.
The Van Beuren library was sold to various television, reissue, and home-movie distributors in the 1940s and 1950s, including Commonwealth Pictures
and Official Films
.
Live-action:
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
studio that produced theatrical cartoons from 1928 to 1936.
Producer Amedee J. van Beuren
Amadee J. Van Beuren (producer)
Amedee J. Van Beuren was the producer of Frank Buck’s first three films, as well as many cartoons and short films.-Early years:...
first became involved in the animation industry in 1920, when he formed a partnership with Paul Terry
Paul Terry (cartoonist)
Paul Houlton Terry was an American cartoonist, screenwriter, film director and one of the most prolific film producers in history...
and formed the "Aesop's Fables Studio" for the production of the Aesop's Film Fables
Aesop's Film Fables
Aesop's Film Fables was a series of animated short subjects, created by American cartoonist Paul Terry. Terry came upon the inspiration for the series by young actor-turned-writer Howard Estabrook, who suggested making a series of cartoons based on Aesop's Fables. Although Terry later claimed he...
cartoon series. Van Beuren released Terry's first sound cartoon Dinner Time
Dinner Time
Dinner Time is an animated short subject produced and directed by Paul Terry, co-directed by John Foster, and produced at Van Beuren Studios...
(1928) through Pathé Exchange
Pathé
Pathé or Pathé Frères is the name of various French businesses founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France.-History:...
which later became part of RKO. Terry ran the animation studio while Van Beuren focused on other parts of the business. In 1929, Terry quit to start his own Terrytoons
Terrytoons
Terrytoons was an animation studio founded by Paul Terry. The studio, located in suburban New Rochelle, New York, operated from 1929 to 1968. Its most popular characters included Mighty Mouse, Gandy Goose, Sourpuss, Dinky Duck, Deputy Dawg, Luno and Heckle and Jeckle; these cartoons and all of its...
studio and John Foster took over the animation department. It was at this time that the Fables Studio became the Van Beuren Studio.
Van Beuren released its films through RKO Radio Pictures. The early sound Van Beuren cartoons are almost identical to the late silent cartoons: highly visual, with little dialogue and occasional sound effects. Bandleaders Gene Rodemich
Gene Rodemich
Eugene Frederick Rodemich was a pianist and orchestra leader, who composed the music for Frank Buck’s first movie, Bring 'Em Back Alive .-Early life:...
and Winston Sharples
Winston Sharples
Winston Singleton Sharples was a composer known for his work with animated short subjects, especially those created by the animation department at Paramount Pictures...
supervised the music. The company's main cartoon characters were "Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren)
Tom and Jerry are fictional characters that starred in a series of early sound cartoons produced by the Van Beuren Studios, and distributed by RKO Pictures. The series lasted from 1931 to 1933...
", a tall-and-short pair, usually vagrants who attempted various occupations (no relation to MGM's later Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
, a cat and mouse). They were renamed "Dick and Larry". Van Beuren was keenly aware that successful cartoons often featured animated "stars," and urged his staff to come up with new ideas for characters. Cubby, a mischievous little bear, resulted.
Van Beuren remained unsatisfied, and agreed to license the popular comic-strip character The Little King
The Little King
The Little King was a comic strip created by Otto Soglow, famously telling its stories in a style using images and very few words, as in pantomime.-Publication history:...
and radio's hottest comedy act, Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy is a situation comedy set in the African-American community. It was very popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s on both radio and television....
to adapt into animated form. Strangely, neither series was successful. Van Beuren then hired Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
staffer Tom Palmer
Tom Palmer (animator)
Anthony "Tony" Pipolo, known professionally as Tom Palmer was an Italian-American animator who was active in the 1930s and worked at several animation studios. He was born with the surname of "Pipolo" but changed his name to Palmer...
to create a new series of color cartoons. These handsome "Rainbow Parade" cartoons featured established characters: Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in the silent film era. His black body, white eyes, and giant grin, coupled with the surrealism of the situations in which his cartoons place him, combine to make Felix one of the most recognized cartoon characters in film history...
and the Toonerville Trolley gang.
These Van Beuren efforts were well received, and Van Beuren had finally succeeded in sponsoring a popular cartoon series. However, RKO ended its distribution of Van Beuren theatrical shorts in 1937 when it began distributing industry-leader Walt Disney's cartoons.
The Van Beuren Corporation also acquired and produced live-action features and shorts (including Frank Buck
Frank Buck (animal collector)
Frank Howard Buck was a hunter and "collector of wild animals," as well as a movie actor, director, writer and producer...
's monster hit Bring 'Em Back Alive). In 1932, Van Beuren purchased 12 Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
silent films (his 1916-'18 "Lone Star" comedies for Mutual Film Corporation) for $10,000 apiece, added music (by Rodemich or Sharples) and sound effects, and reissued them through RKO.
The Van Beuren library was sold to various television, reissue, and home-movie distributors in the 1940s and 1950s, including Commonwealth Pictures
Commonwealth Pictures
Commonwealth Pictures was a motion picture company that primarily dealt with reissues of old features and shorts. In 1941, they purchased shorts and features from the Van Beuren Corporation, which used to handle short subjects in the 1930s for RKO. Some of these films from Van Beuren were...
and Official Films
Official Films
Official Films was a home movie distributor founded by Leslie Winik in 1939 to produce educational shorts. Soon, after buying the Keystone Chaplin library, they found themselves in the home movie business. They obtained several Van Beuren cartoons, mostly Felix the Cat cartoons. Official retitled...
.
Productions
Animation:- Aesop's FablesAesop's Film FablesAesop's Film Fables was a series of animated short subjects, created by American cartoonist Paul Terry. Terry came upon the inspiration for the series by young actor-turned-writer Howard Estabrook, who suggested making a series of cartoons based on Aesop's Fables. Although Terry later claimed he...
(initially produced by Ferdynand Kiepski)- Cubby Bear
- Amos 'n' AndyAmos 'n' AndyAmos 'n' Andy is a situation comedy set in the African-American community. It was very popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s on both radio and television....
- The Little KingThe Little KingThe Little King was a comic strip created by Otto Soglow, famously telling its stories in a style using images and very few words, as in pantomime.-Publication history:...
- Rainbow ParadeRainbow ParadeRainbow Parade was a series of 27 animated shorts produced by Van Beuren Studios between 1934 and 1936. This was Van Beuren's all-color series....
(color series)- Felix the CatFelix the CatFelix the Cat is a cartoon character created in the silent film era. His black body, white eyes, and giant grin, coupled with the surrealism of the situations in which his cartoons place him, combine to make Felix one of the most recognized cartoon characters in film history...
- Molly Moo-CowMolly Moo-CowMolly Moo-Cow was the name of an animated character appearing in Rainbow Parade shorts produced by the Van Beuren Studios in the 1930s.This series was sold to Commonwealth Pictures in 1941 and was later syndicated for television...
- Felix the Cat
- Burt Gillett's Toddle Tales
- Toby the PupToby the PupToby the Pup is an animated cartoon character created by animators Sid Marcus, Dick Huemer, and Art Davis. He starred in a series of early sound shorts produced by Charles B. Mintz for RKO Radio Pictures. The series lasted from 1930 to 1931...
(initially produced by Charles Mintz studio) - Tom and JerryTom and Jerry (Van Beuren)Tom and Jerry are fictional characters that starred in a series of early sound cartoons produced by the Van Beuren Studios, and distributed by RKO Pictures. The series lasted from 1931 to 1933...
- Toonerville Trolley
Live-action:
- James the Cat
- Bring 'Em Back Alive (1932)
- Adventure Girl (1934)
- Wild Cargo (1934)
- Fang and Claw (1935)Fang and Claw (1935 film)Fang and Claw was a 1935 jungle adventure documentary starring Frank Buck. Buck continues his demonstration of the ingenious methods by which he traps wild birds, mammals and reptiles in Johore.-Scenes:Among the scenes in the film:...
External links
- Full list of Van Beuren cartoons from the Big Cartoon Database
- Cartoon Research, Van Beuren Studios page
- Biography of Amedee J. Van Beuren
- Swiss Trick on Archive.org