Prod. CM-14 - The Delivery Boy
Directed by Burt Gillett, released 6/13/1931.
Animation by Johnny Cannon, Rudy Zamora, Jack Cutting, Harry Reeves, Norm Ferguson, Frenchy de Trémaudan, Dave Hand, Dick Lundy, George Lane, Tom Palmer, Chuck Couch, Jack King, Hardy Gramatky, Les Clark, Frank Tipper, Bill Mason and Charles Byrne(s). At this time, Burt Gillett's musician was Bert Lewis.
Since Tom McKimson was Fergy's assistant, I surmise that "Tom" and "Palmer" here are the same person. Lane is here misspelled as Lano.
Bill Mason, who seems to have been born in England and died in 1937, is identified by Alberto Becattini, though he doesn't seem to appear in studio records otherwise. Alberto has this info on him: "Animator: DISNEY c31-33 (Silly Symphony 31-32 [The Cat’s Out 31, The Spider and the Fly 31, Babes in the Woods 32]); SCHLESINGER/WARNER BROS. 33 (Buddy 33 [Buddy’s Day Out]); LANTZ 35-37 (Oswald the Rabbit 36-37, Meany Miny and Moe 36-37)"
This is a fun film, and it becomes apparently clear that Jack King ain't no Fergy, whose Pluto scenes are highlights!
It so happens that there are several images that can throw a light on the production of this film, because the new L-shaped building that was finished mid-1931 was taken in use during this time, and it clearly was thought to show off the beautiful new premises! First we have the "Music Room," the director's room:
We have seen the animators in their room already; here, Johnny Cannon is at a desk that has the layout for scene 27 on its pegs.
Now - this scene was, according to the draft, animated by Rudy Zamora (on the photo to the right of Cannon), so this may indicate that the animators aren't posing at their own desks...
So it seems that the question posed in this image, that I prepared some years ago, might have been the wrong one.
(Sitting L-to-R: Dave Hand, Johnny Cannon, Rudy Zamora, Les Clark; standing: Walt Disney, Tom Palmer, Ben Sharpsteen).
Note that Walt is wearing the same outfit in both images...
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Since Tom McKimson was Fergy's assistant, I surmise that "Tom" and "Palmer" here are the same person. Lane is here misspelled as Lano.
Bill Mason, who seems to have been born in England and died in 1937, is identified by Alberto Becattini, though he doesn't seem to appear in studio records otherwise. Alberto has this info on him: "Animator: DISNEY c31-33 (Silly Symphony 31-32 [The Cat’s Out 31, The Spider and the Fly 31, Babes in the Woods 32]); SCHLESINGER/WARNER BROS. 33 (Buddy 33 [Buddy’s Day Out]); LANTZ 35-37 (Oswald the Rabbit 36-37, Meany Miny and Moe 36-37)"
This is a fun film, and it becomes apparently clear that Jack King ain't no Fergy, whose Pluto scenes are highlights!
It so happens that there are several images that can throw a light on the production of this film, because the new L-shaped building that was finished mid-1931 was taken in use during this time, and it clearly was thought to show off the beautiful new premises! First we have the "Music Room," the director's room:
 |
Now - this scene was, according to the draft, animated by Rudy Zamora (on the photo to the right of Cannon), so this may indicate that the animators aren't posing at their own desks...
So it seems that the question posed in this image, that I prepared some years ago, might have been the wrong one.
 |
Note that Walt is wearing the same outfit in both images...
Labels: Draft, Shorts, Shorts_Columbia
posted by Hans Perk at 8:00 AM
2 Comments:
Hi Hans,
Here's some information on Bill Mason I posted a while ago, based on Joe Campana's research.
"Born as William Henry Mason in Manchester, England in 1910 to parents Herbert Mason and Isabella Ferber. Had two brothers, Arthur and Harold. Bill begun his animation career in 1931, working as a junior animator at the Hyperion Disney studios. Soon afterwards, Bill left to work for Ted Esbaugh on independent cartoons like The Snowman and The Wizard of Oz alongside ex-Disneyite, Frank Tipper - another native of England.
Once Leon Schlesinger opened up his own studio after the Harman-Ising fiasco, Mason landed a job there during Leon's major head-hunt. Despite his only WB animation credit on this cartoon, it's unknown how long he remained on the Schlesinger payroll. Once Bill left Schlesinger's, he found employment as an animator for Walter Lantz in 1934/1935. Bill married Miriam Ellen Lewis, daughter of Disney musician Bert Lewis, on November 25, 1936. Mason remained employed at Walter Lantz, until his tragic death on July 21, 1937 of a heart ailment. His younger brother, Hal, would follow his brother's footsteps - by working for Lantz in the early 1940s, and remaining active in the animation industry until his death in 1986."
Thanks, Steven!
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