Oral Histories

Interview of Tex Avery

Animator for Warner Bros. and MGM.
Subtitle:
Recollections of Tex Avery
Series:
Oral History of the Motion Picture in America
Topic:
Film and Television
Biographical Note:
Animator for Warner Bros. and MGM.
Interviewer:
Adamson, Joe
Interviewee:
Avery, Tex
Supporting Documents:
Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
Interviewer Background and Preparation:
The interview was conducted by Joe Adamson; B.A., Theater Arts, UCLA; M.A. Theater Arts, UCLA. Recipient of an American Film Institute Fellowship in 1969, and a University Film Foundation Fellowship in 1970. Author of Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Sometimes Zeppo, and Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo and Tex Avery, King of Cartoons. Head of the film study program at Pennsylvania State University.
Length:
1.5 hrs.
Language:
English
Copyright:
Interviewee Retained Copyright
Series Statement:
These interviews with prominent individuals in the motion picture industry were completed under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Film Institute to the UCLA Department of Theater Arts. The project was directed by Howard Suber, UCLA Department of Theater Arts. The UCLA Oral History Program provided technical advice but was not involved in respondent selection, research participation, research preparation, interviewing, editing, or transcript preparation.
Abstract:
Creation of Bugs Bunny; move from Walter Lantz to Warner Brothers as director; design of Porky Pig and Daffy Duck; live animals with double-exposed mouths; move to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), ca. 1942; return to Lantz; shift into making television commercials since 1951; commercials for Pepsodent; Frito Bandito; Frank Tashlin at Warners; takeoffs on Fitzpatrick travelogues; Detouring America; disbanding cartoon units at MGM; Hanna-Barbera and Tom and Jerry; black and white Porky Pigs at Warners; Unicolor; grading of cartoons by Boxoffice clipping service; censorship of Red Riding Hood cartoon; training films for military; Red Hot Riding Hood; Bertie the Bomber film on bomber-loading procedure; infusion of humor in training films.