Earl Duvall
Earl Duvall (April 2, 1898[1] – January 7, 1969) was an American artist and animator best known for his work on Walt Disney comic strips in the early 1930s and for a handful of animated cartoon short subjects he directed at Warner Bros. Cartoons.
Career
Disney Studio
Duvall started as a layout artist and later as a member of the story department at Walt Disney Productions. During this time, he also worked as a cartoonist on Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies newspaper strips.[2] Duvall was periodically an inker for Floyd Gottfredson on the newspaper version of the Mickey Mouse daily edition comic strip in 1930-1932.[3][4] He also drew and wrote the Silly Symphonies comic strip Bucky Bug for Walt Disney.[5]
According to Jack Kinney, a director who worked at Disney for many decades, Duvall was a "charming story man" who dressed well and was "the spitting image of the Prince of Wales", but often "lived beyond his means". Duvall left Disney's in rather unusual circumstances - pressed by Disney for several weeks to show his storyboards, Duvall simply gathered his belongings one day and left the company, "leaving Walt holding the bag".[6]
Warner Bros
He was invited to Warner Bros. in 1933 along with fellow Disney animator Tom Palmer to head up the studio in the wake of Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising's departure. He was responsible for the creation of Buddy. In the event, Duvall was delayed working on other projects at Disney, and by the time he got to Warner Bros. Palmer, who directed the first Buddy cartoon, had already been fired and replaced by Friz Freleng. During his time there, Duvall directed a number of cartoons based around surprisingly adult themes, and was allowed to direct the studio's first color cartoon, Honeymoon Hotel in 1934.
However, after a drunken argument with producer Leon Schlesinger, Duvall was replaced by Jack King as director.
Death
Duvall died in 1969, the same year as the last Looney Tunes cartoon was released.
Filmography
As Director/Supervisor.[7]
- Buddy's Garage 1934 (short)
- Honeymoon Hotel 1934 (short)
- Sittin' on a Backyard Fence 1933 (short)
- Buddy's Show Boat 1933 (short)
- Buddy's Beer Garden 1933 (short)
References
- ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V32F-P66 : accessed 23 Feb 2013), Earl Duvall, January 1969; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
- ↑ The Early Animation Wiki Retrieved March 2012
- ↑ COA I.N.D.U.C.K.S. World-wide database about Disney comics
- ↑ Earl Duval Retrieved March 2012
- ↑ Chronology of the Walt Disney Company Retrieved March 2012
- ↑ Kinney, p75
- ↑ imdb Filmography
Sources
- Kinney, Jack, Walt Disney and other assorted characters - An unauthorised account of the early years at Disney's, Harmony Books, New York, 1988
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