Leon Schlesinger

Leon Schlesinger ( born May 20, 1884 in Philadelphia, † December 25, 1949 in Los Angeles ) was an American film producer. For Warner Brothers, he produced in the golden era of American cartoons among others, the series Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes.

Before Schlesinger producer was, he worked as an usher, agents, actors and managers. His career in Hollywood, he began as head of the company Pacific Art and Title, which produced text panels for intertitles in silent films. About Pacific Art and Title Schlesinger made ​​the acquaintance of Jack L. Warner, which developed a friendship. With the advent of talkies late 1920s accounted for the division of the company. According to legend, helped Schlesinger Warner Brothers their first sound film - The Jazz Singer to finance (Eng. The Jazz Singer ). Following this, he should have concluded a contract for the production of the Looney Tunes. Schlesinger ordered the animators Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising, who created the successful character Bosko.

After Harman and Ising had left Warner Bros. in 1934, dedicated Schlesinger new employees, who also were known quantities in the field of animated films later. The Looney Tunes were continued by Friz Freleng, who also was responsible for the Merrie Melodies series sister. Further discoveries of Schlesinger were Tex Avery, Carl Stalling and Frank Tashlin, Bob Clampett later, Chuck Jones and Mel Blanc. His animation company focused Schlesinger on the Warner Brothers site on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. After he had in 1936 sold his interests in Pacific Art & Title, he focused solely on the cartoon production. From the actual production he stayed largely out, leaving the creation of the films its directors. His only claim was the commercial success at the box office.

Schlesinger often acted recklessly and was regarded as a tough businessman. His team worked in a rundown building called " Termite Terrace" and during a strike in 1941, he joined his company ado. He had a speech impediment, who stood for the Lispel voices of Daffy Duck and Sylvester Godfather. In a live action / animation mix by 1940 ( You Ought to Be in Pictures, Freleng ) Schlesinger had a cameo in which he represented himself.

His studio he sold in 1944 for $ 700,000 to Warner Bros. The figures that had been created in his leadership, he marketed until his death in 1949 itself

Weblink

• Leon Schlesinger at the Internet Movie Database (English)

• Film producer
• Looney Tunes
• Americans
• Born in 1884
• Died in 1949
• Man