Abe Levitow | |
|---|---|
| Born | Abraham Levitow (1922-07-02)July 2, 1922 |
| Died | May 8, 1975(1975-05-08) (aged 52) |
| Alma mater | Chouinard Art Institute[2] |
| Occupation | Animator |
| Years active | 1940–1975 |
| Employer(s) | Leon Schlesinger Productions (1940-1944) Warner Bros. Cartoons (1944-1962) United Productions of America (1958-1970)[1] MGM Animation/Visual Arts (1962-1970)[1] Richard Williams Studios (1970-1975)[1] |
| Spouse | Charlotte Winniferd Lewis[3] |
| Children | Roberta Levitow, Judy Levitow[4] and Jon Levitow |
| Website | www.abelevitow.com |
Abraham Levitow (July 2, 1922 – May 8, 1975) was an Americananimator who worked atWarner Bros. Cartoons,UPA andMGM Animation/Visual Arts. He is best known for his work underChuck Jones' direction.
Levitow was born inLos Angeles,California to William Levitow and Sarah Schlafmitz.[3] He began working as an in-betweener and assistant animator atWarner Bros. Cartoons in 1940 at the age of 17.[1][3] Levitow briefly left Warner Brothers when he was drafted duringWorld War II working on training films, in which during that time he metStan Lee and became close friends with him.[3] Levitow returned to Warners, working as an assistant animator forKen Harris in theChuck Jones uni. he was later promoted to animator in 1950 and would receive his first animations credit in 1953 for the cartoonWild Over You.[3] He worked steadily for Jones over the remainder of the 1950s, and directed several cartoons for release in 1959, including thePepé Le Pew cartoon "Really Scent". While working under Jones, he made characters' joints more angular than most other animators. Those characters with fur (Wile E. Coyote andClaude Cat, for example) looked especially shaggy in Levitow's scenes.[5] Some of Levitow's most distinctive work came within a few years of his promotion to director -- he animated the first minute ofWhat's Opera, Doc? and a laughingPorky Pig inRobin Hood Daffy.[6]
Levitow joined UPA in 1958 to work on theMr. Magoo feature1001 Arabian Nights, staying behind even after the studio was sold to Henry G. Saperstein. In 1962, he directed the first feature-length animated television special,Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. 1962 also saw the release of his theatrical featureGay Purr-ee, with the voices ofRobert Goulet,Judy Garland, and others. By 1962, he was working with Jones at MGM as an animator and a director in theTom and Jerry series. He co-directed the feature filmThe Phantom Tollbooth with Chuck Jones at MGM.[3][7][8] In addition, he worked with UPA on more Mr. Magoo cartoons, includingThe Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo, and also collaborated with Chuck again on the programCuriosity Shop throughFormat Films.[3] He animated on the Chuck Jones-producedA Christmas Carol, directed byRichard Williams at Williams' London studio in 1971.
In 1972, he and producer Dave Hanson founded Levitow/Hanson Films. The studio produced several animated pieces forSesame Street, the most notable being Willie Wimple. His last completed project wasB.C.: The First Thanksgiving, which aired in November of 1973.[3]
At the time of his death on May 8, 1975, Levitow was in line to direct the animated feature filmRaggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure. The project was taken over byRichard Williams when Levitow died from abone tumor during pre-production at the age of 52.[3]
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