Since there's so many Lantz directors, thought I'd split it up between the pre-shut down of 1948 ones vs the 1950 reopening ones.
For the first year, Walter Lantz himself was the sole director when the studio started in 1929.
Bill Nolan would then get promoted in 1930 to becoming a directing duo with Lantz. This lasted until 1932 where Lantz and Nolan split off to direct in two different units.
Eventually, Nolan left Lantz in 1934 for Mayfair Productions, which left Walter Lantz himself as the sole director for the shorts until 1938 where he stepped down and had Alex Lovy take over his unit.
A second unit would also open in 1938 with Les Kline directing and a third unit that same year with various directors like Rudy Zamora, then Fred Kopietz, and finally Elmer Perkins.
In 1939, the third brief unit dissolved and Kline stepped down as director to return to animating. Burt Gillet took over the second unit that year until he retired from animation by 1940.
In 1940, Lantz returned to replace Burt Gillet for the second director's unit and stayed until 1942 when he stepped down again.
1943 marked a shift for the two directorial units with Alex Lovy leaving due to being drafted in the war, leading Shamus Culhane to take over Lovy's unit and Emery Hawkins briefly took over Lantz's unit before it dissolved shortly afterward, leaving them down to 1 director.
1945 would be when Shamus Culhane stepped down from directing to form his own studio, with Dick Lundy taking over as the sole director for the studio until it closed the first time in 1948 (though final ones weren't released until 1949).
With that, thoughts on each Lantz director from 1929-49 and favorite one?
For the first year, Walter Lantz himself was the sole director when the studio started in 1929.
Bill Nolan would then get promoted in 1930 to becoming a directing duo with Lantz. This lasted until 1932 where Lantz and Nolan split off to direct in two different units.
Eventually, Nolan left Lantz in 1934 for Mayfair Productions, which left Walter Lantz himself as the sole director for the shorts until 1938 where he stepped down and had Alex Lovy take over his unit.
A second unit would also open in 1938 with Les Kline directing and a third unit that same year with various directors like Rudy Zamora, then Fred Kopietz, and finally Elmer Perkins.
In 1939, the third brief unit dissolved and Kline stepped down as director to return to animating. Burt Gillet took over the second unit that year until he retired from animation by 1940.
In 1940, Lantz returned to replace Burt Gillet for the second director's unit and stayed until 1942 when he stepped down again.
1943 marked a shift for the two directorial units with Alex Lovy leaving due to being drafted in the war, leading Shamus Culhane to take over Lovy's unit and Emery Hawkins briefly took over Lantz's unit before it dissolved shortly afterward, leaving them down to 1 director.
1945 would be when Shamus Culhane stepped down from directing to form his own studio, with Dick Lundy taking over as the sole director for the studio until it closed the first time in 1948 (though final ones weren't released until 1949).
With that, thoughts on each Lantz director from 1929-49 and favorite one?
- Walter Lantz (1929-38, 40-42)
- Bill Nolan (1930-34)
- Alex Lovy (1938-43)
- Les Kline (1938-39)
- Rudy Zamora/Fred Kopietz/Elmer Perkins (1938-39)
- Burt Gillett (1939-40)
- Shamus Culhane (1943-46)
- Emery Hawkins (1943)
- Dick Lundy (1945-49)
I'd posted this back in 2016, over ten years ago!