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Moreno (Manuel Mario) Papers
M0946
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Manuel Mario Moreno Papers
Identifier/Call Number: M0946
Physical Description:
3.5 Linear Feet
(5 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1909-1992
Language of Material:
English
.
Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use.
Manuel M. Moreno was a Mexican American who worked in the animation industry while it was just starting up. He began working
in Winkler's Animation Studio in 1928. He was an in-betweener (below the rank of assistant animator). Winkler's Studio had
a contract with Universal pictures, and while he was working for them he learned more about the business and worked himself
up to the rank of assistant animator. He was hired by Winkler at age 18 on the strength of a few samples of Moreno's cartoon
work. Moreno had learned a little about cartooning from a correspondence course. Through the 1930s until the early 1940s Moreno
worked as an animator and even a director for cartoons done at different studios, such as Walter Lantz's production company
and MGM studios. In 1941 he left the US animation industry to take over his brother, George's, photo-processing store when
he was drafted. Because of WWII, supplies to run the shop were impossible to come by, so Manuel ended up liquidating the store.
Manuel had an idea to set up an animation studio in Mexico. He brought 3 animators with him and hired Mexican comic strip
artists to be assistant animators. The process was difficult, as the comic strip artists knew nothing about animation and
had to be taught. Moreno had learned a great deal about the process of animation and the technical aspects while working in
the US. He even intended to write a book in Spanish entitled "El Arte de las Caricaturas Animadas" (The are of animated caricatures).
His extensive notes and drawing for this book are included in the collection. He was heavily involved in training the new
employees and in all aspects of production. The process was very slow because many artists were still learning how to animate
and Moreno's financial backers were expecting unreasonable levels of production from the fledgling studio. Only one film was
finished, "Me Voy De Cacería". Another was animated and a third had a story developed. There were additional difficulties
because of the war.
When the project eventually fell apart Moreno was not interested in going back to animation in the US. He decided to open
a photo-processing store in California, called Professional Color Service. The store was very successful and remained in business
for 25 years. Manuel had been married to María Teresa since 1931 and lived with her and raised a family with her in Southern
California.
Even as he ran his photo shop, Moreno still showed a strong interest in art. Many of the ads and greeting cards associated
with the store are his own original creations. In addition, while he had the store and after, Moreno used his knowledge of
the animation process and interest in art to create films and announcements for numerous family occasions and holidays. He
was a very useful resource for authors researching the birth of the animation industry as we know it today, and an interview
with one such researcher is in the collection.
Manuel Mario Moreno Papers. M0946. Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
The collection at Stanford contains artifacts from the beginning of Moreno's career at the animation studios in 1928 through
his family work in the early 1990s. The collection contains photographs of the staff members at the early animation studios,
lists of the shorts made by different studios, drawings from some of the work produced by them, as well as the screenplay
for one of the shorts. There are letters of recommendation for Moreno from different studios in the 1920s and 1940s. There
is a documentation of the work Moreno did in Mexico with his Caricolor Studio, including a poster for "Me Voy de Cacería".
There are also newspaper clippings from both the US and Mexico. The collection has a record of Moreno's correspondence with
family and business partners from 1942 until 1947. These are arranged chronologically rather than by subject because many
of Moreno's business and personal letters are related. Moreno's extensive notes and drawings for a book he planned to publish
in Spanish on animation are included in their entirety in the collection. Cells, drawings, plans and ideas for amateur movies
Moreno created for his family are also a part of the collection. Artwork associated with Moreno's promotion of his business,
Professional Color Service is also contained in the collection. In addition, an interview Moreno gave to researchers about
the beginning of the animation industry is included.
The collection is arranged loosely chronologically, beginning with work done for Caricolor and Moreno's book and going on
to work done for his family and work done for his photoshop. Box 4 contains videos of some of Moreno's family work. The print
box, Box 5, predates the Caricolor project and has information that begins in the late 1920s, and spans to the 1960s.
While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not
an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission
or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Motion pictures -- Hollywood (Calif.)
Motion picture industry -- Mexico.
Animation (Cinematography)
Animated films -- Mexico.
Mexican American studies
Professional Color Service.
Animators.