As Dreamers Do: American Magic Redux

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Animation Studio Power Rankings as of 1961-62
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    • OldNavy1988

    Walt Disney Productions
    Unable to acquire the film rights to Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, the studio proceeds full steam ahead on production of Chanticleer, The Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland. Release dates for these titles have yet to be announced.

    Hanna-Barbera
    The Flintstones continues to pay big dividends in primetime, but Top Cat would probably perform better on Saturday mornings. Hoping to capitalize on the Flintstone momentum, the studio will launch The Jetsons in primetime for the Fall 1962 season.

    Jay Ward
    Rocky and Bullwinkle are still a major hit on television. George of the Jungle is still about five years away at the most.

    Warner Bros. Cartoons
    WB is still cranking out theatrical shorts, but it appears that the halcyon days of the Looney Tunes appear to be over.

    Famous Studios
    At this point, Famous has pivoted full time towards television. Under the watchful eye of Al Brodax, Tintin and a new Popeye series are the moneymakers for Famous so far. Famous's newest character, Deputy Dawg, debuts in Fall '62.

    Bob Clampett Productions
    Beany and Cecil have finally spun off from Matty's Funday Funnies.

    Grantray-Lawrence
    Most of GL's output so far has consisted of commercials. The Planet Patrol pilot still went unsold.

    Rembrandt Films
    After being let go by Famous Studios, Gene Deitch moved to Prague to join this studio. MGM somehow managed to get the Tom and Jerry cartoons back up and running with Deitch, but the studio's head of production Joe Vogel has been on the hotseat after a few expensive live action flops.

    UPA
    Henry G. Saperstein, a notorious bean counter, is counting on Gay Purr-ee to be successful enough to keep UPA going. But so far, Mister Magoo is still the lone cash cow for this studio.

    Sib Tower 12 Productions
    Chuck Jones and his business partner Les Goldman have formed this little outfit after Chuck was laid off by Warner Bros. Just a year or so ago, Chuck was producing some Little Audrey, Baby Huey and Herman and Katnip shorts for Fox on a freelance basis.
     
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    • Goldwind2

    I don't mean to be rude but your blurb on Rembrant flims is not accurte. Gene Deitch didn't not find Rembrandt Flims. He found a studio called Gene Deitch that last form 58 to 59 and was only able to get funding for cartoon commercials. In 1959 he excepted an offer from the Prague based Rembrandt flims to produce the award winning short . Munro . He originally planned to stay in prague for ten days to make . Munro but he fell in love with a local woman and stayed in Prague. I like idea of butterflying deitch tiime in Prague. I got two ideas for how to do that. Option two Gene Dietch associates get the free lance work f with the lost of Walter Lantz Universal decided to fund . Munro . Deitch then skips the Little Audrey, Baby Huey and Herman and Katnip shorts for Fox and Sib Tower gets make the 1961 Tom and Jerry shorts Also Sib Tower 12 was found in 62. I still like the idea for them being found a few years Early.
     
    The First Corporate Takeover
  • Index

    • OldNavy1988

    George Lucas (From the 2004 documentary A Legacy of Filmmakers)
    "The old time entrepreneurs that built the studios were leaving. The corporations were taking them over. So there was a lot of chaos in the industry at that point."

    Martin Scorsese (From the 2004 documentary A Legacy of Filmmakers)
    "The old system was finally gone. It was finally gone."

    In 1962, the Music Corporation of America (MCA) completed its purchase of Universal Pictures, an acquisition that was almost a decade in the making. Years earlier, MCA had acquired the pre-1953 Walter Lantz cartoon library when Lantz decided to merge his cartoon studio with Fleischer-Terry to form Famous Studios.

    Speaking of Famous Studios, the Miami-based cartoon factory has also been sold to MCA. That purchase alone gives both parties more than a few perks. For starters, Famous will move onto the Universal backlot. Second, Walter Lantz, Al Brodax and Richard Fleischer will each become three of MCA's larger shareholders behind Wasserman. Third, Universal Pictures will finally have full custody of Woody Woodpecker and the rest of Walter Lantz's characters after only having the distribution rights just two decades earlier.

    375755973f379eff8625ecaa1b39d4ef.jpg


    At the center of MCA's aggressive expansion was Lew Wasserman (above), who succeeded Jules Stein as MCA's chairman at the end of World War II. Under Wasserman's watch, MCA is currently building a new headquarters building along Lankershim Boulevard, overlooking the Universal lot.

    And if you thought Wasserman was finished, he has more on his shopping list. Against his predecessor's wishes, Wasserman has his eyes on purchasing a 50% stake in the Los Angeles Rams football club from Dan Reeves as early as 1963.

    Lew%20Wasserman%20&%20Jules%20Stein%201964%20WM.jpg

    Wasserman watches his predecessor Jules Stein sign his name on a steel beam before the topping out ceremony for MCA Tower.

    595f02289716362f22a5b59099b9b1f4.jpg

    MCA Tower under construction on the right.

    Starting in the summer of 1964, Universal will offer tours of its vast backlot for the first time since the Silent Era.
    lla_306_fantasy_universal_smilingbeauties_fixed800p.jpg
     
  • Index
    • The Jetsons (1962 TV series)
  • Index

    • OldNavy1988

    The Jetsons
    1443279736761188935.jpg

    Launched on September 23, 1962 on ABC

    Sponsored by
    3M

    Production Company
    Hanna-Barbera

    Voices
    George O'Hanlon as George Jetson
    Daws Butler as Elroy Jetson and Spencer Cogswell
    Penny Singleton as Jane Jetson
    Janet Waldo as Judy Jetson
    Jean Vander Pyl as Rosie
    Mel Blanc as Mr. Spacely
    Don Messick as Astro and RUDI
    Howard Morris as Henry Orbit
    ​
     
  • Index

    • TheFaultsofAlts

    I have a few ideas for release dates for Disney's upcoming movies...

    1: Mary Poppins and The Sword in the Stone should keep their OTL release dates.

    2: Chanticleer should be released in 1967, thus still giving us something from Uncle Walt in that year without The Jungle Book.

    3: Disney's rendition of Alice in Wonderland ITTL should be released in 1970, thus butterflying The Aristocats. Of course, the fact that Gay Purr-ee still happens ITTL may have been a factor in the non-existence of the latter film. Or should it be called the former film?
     

    OldNavy1988

    TheFaultsofAlts said:
    I have a few ideas for release dates for Disney's upcoming movies...

    1: Mary Poppins and The Sword in the Stone should keep their OTL release dates.

    2: Chanticleer should be released in 1967, thus still giving us something from Uncle Walt in that year without The Jungle Book.

    3: Disney's rendition of Alice in Wonderland ITTL should be released in 1970, thus butterflying The Aristocats. Of course, the fact that Gay Purr-ee still happens ITTL may have been a factor in the non-existence of the latter film. Or should it be called the former film?
    Click to expand...

    I think you meant to say that Gay Purr-ee would butterfly the Aristocats because of similarities?
     

    Igeo654

    Wouldn't it be something if Universal bought national publications and brought Superman back into Famous' hands?
     

    Goldwind2

    Gay Purr-ee got great reviews but it was a box office bomb. I hope it dose better ATL financially. Perhaps a leading man other then Robber Goulet would help. Gay Purr-ee was Goulet first film. He did have one boradway under his belt but having a man with more Hollywood experience may help Gay Purr-ee
     

    Goldwind2

    Light_Star 1 said:
    Could the Jetsons last longer than one season in the 60’s? Is everything with Nara Dreamland still the same as OTL?
    Click to expand...

    I suggested to oldnavy that Kunizo Matsuo and Walt Disney work out a licensing deal and that Dreamland becomes Disneyland Nara. I forgot if old navy liked my suggestion.
     
    Nara Disneyland (1963 Theme Park)
  • Index

    • OldNavy1988

    Nara Disneyland
    tumblr_inline_ntayr9ZeJj1t35w55_1280.jpg


    Nara Disneyland opened its gates on February 14, 1963. Under the compromise that was reached a year earlier, the Matsuo Entertainment Company would actually own the theme park while Walt Disney Productions, through its WED subsidiary, maintained creative control.

    @Light_Star 1
    Most of the stuff at Nara is pretty much the same, but with Disney's involvement, they should be okay moneywise.​
     
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