Heck Allen
Birth : 1912-09-12, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Death : 1991-10-26
History
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henry Wilson "Heck" Allen (September 12, 1912 – October 26, 1991) was an American author and screenwriter. He used several different pseudonyms for his works. His 50+ novels of the American West were published under the pen names Will Henry and Clay Fisher. Allen's screenplays and scripts for animated shorts were credited to Heck Allen and Henry Allen.
In 1937 Allen began working as a contract screenwriter for MGM animation division. While his early work was for Harman and Ising's Barney Bear series, his longest collaboration was with director Tex Avery. Allen was credited as story artist on many classic Avery shorts, included Swing Shift Cinderella, King-Size Canary, and The First Bad Man, among many others. Allen downplayed his contributions to the shorts, claiming that Avery merely used him as a sounding board for his own ideas.
Allen's career as a novelist began in 1952, with the publication of his first Western No Survivors. Allen, afraid that the studio would disapprove of his moonlighting, used a pen name to avoid trouble. He would go on to publish over 50 novels, eight of which were adapted for the screen. Most of these were published under one or the other of the pseudonyms Will Henry and Clay Fisher.
Allen was a five-time winner of the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America and a recipient of the Levi Strauss Award for lifetime achievement.
Writer
The third ring offers a whimsical glimpse into the future - or at least a future from the POV of the mid-20th century - with a plethora of zany postwar inventions. While none of the cartoons "of tomorrow" foresaw smartphones or DVD players, these far-fetched contraptions, gadgets, houses and farms, televisions, and various modes of transportation could only come from the madcap mind of Avery and his M-G-M crew. Uncut, restored and remastered in High Definition for the first time, Tex Avery Screwball Classics Collection Volume 3 is another must-own collection from the master of hand-drawn mayhem.
Writer
The third ring offers a whimsical glimpse into the future - or at least a future from the POV of the mid-20th century - with a plethora of zany postwar inventions. While none of the cartoons "of tomorrow" foresaw smartphones or DVD players, these far-fetched contraptions, gadgets, houses and farms, televisions, and various modes of transportation could only come from the madcap mind of Avery and his M-G-M crew. Uncut, restored and remastered in High Definition for the first time, Tex Avery Screwball Classics Collection Volume 2 is another must-own collection from the master of hand-drawn mayhem.
Writer
At long last a beautifully restored and mastered selection of a number of cartoon king Tex Avery’s brilliant, innovative and (most of all) hilarious MGM shorts comes to Blu-ray via the Warner Archive, with the implied promise of more volumes to come. Some of his greatest cartoons are included, and many of these shorts have likely not looked and sounded so good since their original theatrical release. This is a virtual godsend for the director’s legion of fans, and a worthwhile introduction for those yet unfamiliar with Avery’s uniquely zany oeuvre.
Short Story
A bounty hunter searches the west for a wanted outlaw named Red Roundtree.
Himself
A documentary about the life and career of legendary cartoon director Fred "Tex" Avery.
Novel
A peace-loving man named Ben Kane takes a job as deputy marshal of Lords, in the old West. Kane is no lawman, but he accepts the badge because he has an old score to settle with the town's chief trouble-maker. Once on the job, Kane must also deal with a young sharpshooter named Billy Young and a sharp and sassy saloon dancer, Lily.
Novel
A bandit kidnaps a Marshal who has seen a map showing a gold vein on Indian lands, but other groups are looking for it too, while the Apache try to keep the secret location undisturbed.
Novel
At the beginning of the Civil War, seven friends embark on a cross-country journey in order to join the Confederate army.
Book
A fur-trapper named Kelly, who once saved the life of a Sioux chief, is allowed to set his traps in Sioux territory during the late 1870s. Reluctantly he takes on a tenderfoot assistant named Anse and together they give shelter to a runaway Arapaho woman. Tensions develop when Anse falls in love with this woman and when the Sioux chief arrives with his warriors to re-claim her.
Novel
First Sergeant Emmett Bell faces off with Apache chieftain Kamiakin in this nuanced portrayal of racial tensions between Native Americans and white settlers in 1860s Oregon Country.
The Leader
A European village lies close to a river, which is a boundary between two countries. A severe storm changes the course of the river, and the village is now in the boundary of the neighboring totalitarian country.
Story
Spike has just finished the 20 year process of digging a tunnel from his prison cell but he picks the wrong place to hide.
Story
Two outlaws are trying to steal a shipment of gold being guarded by Deputy Droopy, and have to keep quiet to avoid alerting the sheriff.
Story
The first Texas bad man come running into town a million years B.C.
Novel
Two brothers discharged from the Confederate Army join a businessman for a cattle drive from Texas to Montana where they run into raiding Jayhawkers, angry Sioux, rough terrain and bad weather.
Story
A disgraced Indian scout and his partner are hired to escort a wagonload of guns through Indian territory.
Story
A collection of very brief cartoons, mostly revolving around sight gags and puns, on the subject of hunting and fishing, and the men who are addicted to them.
Story
John Pettibone (Droopy), a dog whose love of Dixieland music is not appreciated by those around him, has a lucky meeting with Pee-Wee Runt and his All-Flea Dixieland band at the circus.
Story
In this animated comedic short, the entire entourage of a flea circus runs away to join a dog.
Story
A series of gags showing how much more productive farms would be if farmers started crossbreeding their animals to create weird (but very useful) hybrids.
Story
A farmer is initially delighted to get a baby goat, but this soon turns to apprehension when he discovers that it eats literally anything (including, at one point, the animation artwork).
Story
An "absolutely authentic account of the grazing land battles of the sheep and cattle wars of the early west," pitting sheep rancher Droopy against a cattle ranching wolf.
Story
In this variation on "The Three Little Pigs", Droopy and his brothers, Snoopy and Loopy, repeatedly outwit the big bad wolf, a dogcatcher who tries to find a way to get the pooches out of their house of bricks.
Story
Barney Bear sets out to capture the world's smallest horse.
Story
Barney, outraged by his neighbor William Wildcat spanking his son, borrows the lad to try applying child psychology. But the boy's grasp of psychology (and explosives) is much better than Barney's.
Story
A variety of fanciful innovations in "future" T.V. sets, including a model with a built-in stove, and a number of highly interactive models. And of course, even with dozens of channels, there's nothing on...or more accurately, there's nothing but the same Western.
Story
Barney inherited a map to treasure buried in his backyard, but his digging doesn't square with the plans of the gopher sleeping on the treasure.
Story
A veteran B-29 propeller plane, struggling to find work after the war, is upset after his wife gives birth to a little jet. When he tries to compete with modern planes in an around-the-world race, Junior comes to his aid. This short is virtually identical in plot terms and other items to One Cab's Family (1952), but this time around, it concerns a family of aeroplanes, and the problems Mom and Pop have with Junior, whose obsession with speed leads him to acquire a jet engine.
Story
In this Barney Bear animated short, Barney is plagued by crows.
Story
Barney Bear heads to a national park for a vacation while another bear, native to the park, notices Barney's picnic lunch and makes various attempts to steal the food.
Story
Barney gets involved in Good Neighbor Week by helping out the local beaver - help the beaver could do without.
Story
Droopy is on his way to woo his lovely señorita when he is waylayed by Slick the Wolf intent on winning the fair lass. But Slick wasn't counting on Droopy's uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time.
Story
Spike gets a job running the house for a hibernating bear. Only problem is that same bear is VERY noise-sensitive, and Spike's got a rival that wants his job.
Writer
For her birthday, Andy presents his sweetheart, Miranda, with her usual present, candy and flowers. Miranda complains she wants something decent for her birthday like a fur coat...which Andy can't afford. A con man tells him he doesn't need money. He sells him a tracking hound and tells him he can hunt for the fox himself. Unfortunately, the fox Andy and his hound find has no intentions of being caught. Eventually, Andy does capture an animal to make a fur stole with. It's not the fox but, rather, something that's more of a surprise.
Story
Woody Woodpecker gallops into a wild western town, which can't keep a sheriff very long due to the notorious outlaw (and sheriff-killer) Buzz Buzzard. Woody volunteers for the position but barely has time to shine up his badge before Buzz rides in with intent to do harm to Sheriff Woody. But Woody has no intentions of allowing Buzz to follow through on his intents.
Various Townspeople (voice)
Woody Woodpecker gallops into a wild western town, which can't keep a sheriff very long due to the notorious outlaw (and sheriff-killer) Buzz Buzzard. Woody volunteers for the position but barely has time to shine up his badge before Buzz rides in with intent to do harm to Sheriff Woody. But Woody has no intentions of allowing Buzz to follow through on his intents.
Story
A much-abused cat really hates living with people, so decides to go to the moon for some peace and quiet.
Story
Woody Woodpecker buys life insurance with the benifactor being Buzz Buzzard who wants to collect early.
Story
George and Junior hunt for the world's smallest pygmy.
Story
A hungry cat has the idea of giving "Jumbo Gro" fertilizer to a scrawny canary to make him a bigger meal, which leads to a race between the cat, the canary, a dog, and a mouse to see who can grow the biggest.
Story
The king of the jungle, after a well-spent day terrorising the rest of the animals, is petrified by a mouse.
Writer
Uncle Tom tells the blood curdling story of how the evil Simon Legree tried to foreclose on Tom's simple log cabin. (Uncle Tom's Cabaña is a 1947 American animated short film directed by Tex Avery. The short is a parody of Uncle Tom's Cabin, and is Avery's second parody of the novel, the first being Uncle Tom's Bungalow in 1937 while at Warner Bros. Cartoons)
Writer
Forest rangers George and Junior try to snuff out a frisky flame with a sparky personality that threatens to set the forest alight.
Writer
George and Junior get a job as dog catchers and spend the picture trying to catch one measly little dog.
Writer
George and Junior are two hungry bears who try to make a meal out of a not too bright barnyard chicken.
Story
The wolf escapes from Alka-Fizz prison, but the persistent Sergeant McPoodle (Droopy) of the Canadian Mounties follows his trail wherever he goes.
Writer
In this triangle drama a country chicken chooses between a country rooster and a city rooster.
Story
Screwy Squirrel becomes the playmate of a lonesome, dopey, but strong, dog, Lenny, in a broad parody of John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men".
Story
Droopy chases the wolf, a dangerous outlaw, after he kidnaps Lou, a sexy female singer, from the saloon.
Story
The big bad wolf starts out chasing Little Red Riding Hood but switches to Cinderella after seeing the film's title, and ends up being chased in turn by her fairy godmother.
Writer
Dangerous Dan McGoo (Droopy) faces the wolf, a dangerous outlaw who is trying to steal his girl Lou, during the Alaska gold rush. Loosely based on "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" by Robert W. Service.
Story
A dopey Pilgrim goes hunting a turkey who speaks in a Jimmy Durante impersonation and runs the local black market. War and rationing gags abound (Pilgrims line up behind a sign reading "Ye Cigarettes Today"), as well as a running gag featuring a bear wearing an "Eat at Joe's" sandwich sign. The turkey harnesses the power of gags to save himself.
Story
The truant officer is after Screwy Squirrel for not going to school, and doesn't find out the reason until he goes through a load of crazy gags while trying to catch him.
Writer
To prove he's a true Indian Brave, Big Heel-Watha decides to catch a squirrel - but wouldn't you know it; Screwy Squirrel is the first one he sees...
Story
A crazy squirrel provokes a dog into trying to catch him throughout the picture.
Story
A murder has occurred at Gruesome Gables, and the dog detective trying to find the killer has to deal with some suspicious suspects and a haunted house.
Writer
Barney's settling in for the winter. But water leaks, a loose shutter, a noisy fire, a teakettle left on, and some stray embers all get in the way, and Barney also locks himself out. And that's just the beginning.
Story
Mama has everyone working on spring cleaning, or so she thinks; in fact, everyone's slacking off in various ways. The Captain is the only one to get caught and face her wrath, though. To escape, he fakes illness, but the boys catch him at it. Mama calls the doctor; the boys intercept him and impersonate him. They get revealed, but so does the Captain, and Mama puts him to work doing everyone's job.
