Film Short: FAMOUS CARTOONISTS (1950)

From the SCREEN SNAPSHOTS series of films, here is FAMOUS CARTOONISTS, a six-minute short subject all about our "funny papers habit." Narrated by Jack Benny's own Don Wilson, and with the cooperation of the National Cartoonists Society and the U.S. Savings Bonds Division of the Treasury Department, we get to see, in order of appearance, these 44 cartoonists:

Gus Edson
Rick Yeager
Clifford McBride
Milton Caniff
Walt Disney
Ham Fisher
Tony DiPreta
Jimmy Swinnerton
J.P. McEvoy
Al Vermeer
Jay Irving
George McManus
Elmer Mesner
Roy Justice
Cecil Jensen
Elmer Woggon
Lank Leonard
Fred Neher
Scott Fisher (editorial cartoonist Minneapolis Tribune)
Joe Long (editorial cartoonist Chicago Sun-Times)
Frank Willard
Raymond Van Buren
Alfred Andriola
Mel Casson
Merrill Blosser
Bruce Russell
George Baker
William de la Torre
Chic Young
Allen Saunders
Reg Manning
Milt Gross
Gus Arriola
John Pierotti
Ray McGill
Henry F----- (not a dirty word - I just didn't catch it; created "Joe Jinx" comic strip)
Ving Fuller
Charles Biro
Meyer Mayo (unsure of name; a Hollywood Citizen News editorial cartoonist)
Don Trachte
Bill Holman
Howard Sparber
Al Posen
Ferd Johnson

The clip runs about four minutes shy of its reported 10 minute length. Regardless, this is a terrific chance to see all these fellows, all in suit and tie, eating and drinking while Mr. Wilson reels off their cartoon stats.

Who's missing? NCS President Rube Goldberg. This was shot in California, so maybe Mr. Goldberg stayed home in New York.

What's different now? Obviously, what's changed is that cartooning is no longer an exclusive white boys club. The cartooning field is no longer so formally attired, either.




Hat tip to Jay Lynch and Mark Newgarden!