Description
The bulk of the collection consists of materials related to the music production process
at the Lantz Studios from 1951-70. Includes the holographs of scores, parts, and detail
sheets for Woody Woodpecker cartoons and various commercials. Also includes music
sketches, recording routines, reports, and sorted printed classical and popular sheet
music used as source material for various productions. Production scores include the work
of Lantz music directors Darrell Calker, Frank Churchill, Walter Greene, James Dietrich,
Frank Marsales, Eugene Poddany, and Clarence Wheeler.
Background
Lantz was born in New Rochelle, NY, Apr. 27, 1900; at 12 years old he took his first
mail-order cartoon drawing course which affected his entire life and career; he began
working as a copyboy for the Hearst newspaper, New York American, where he was
recommended to Gregory LaCava; from that point he started his career as a cartoonist
drawing characters such as the Katzenjammer kids, Happy Hooligan, Krazy Kat, and Mutt and
Jeff; produced and directed his first cartoon series, Colonel Heeza Liar, at J.R. Bray
Studios in NY, 1922; moved to Hollywood, CA in 1926 and wrote for Max Sennet comedies;
started with Universal Studios in 1928 where he produced Oswald Rabbit for 10 years; in
1930, he produced The King of Jazz, the first technicolor cartoon and Bing Crosby's first
sound recording in a film; married Grace Stafford in 1941 who later became the voice of
Woody Woodpecker; Lantz started his own production company in 1935 and served as its
president into the 1970s; Lantz who is best remembered for Woody Woodpecker, Chilly Will,
and Andy Panda, received an honorary Academy award, 1978; died Mar. 22, 1994, in Burbank,
CA.
Restrictions
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the
creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright
owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Availability
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.