Bob Kuwahara
Birth : 1901-08-12, Tokyo, Japan
Death : 1964-12-10
History
From Wikipedia: Japanese-born American animator best known for his work with Walt Disney and Terrytoons between the 1930s and 1960s. Kuwahara was born in Tokyo on August 12, 1901, and his family moved to the United States in 1910, where he graduated from Los Angeles Polytechnic High School in 1921. After high school he attended the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles until 1928. In 1929 Kuwahara moved to New York City to work as a commercial artist, but the stock market crash later that year forced him to return to Los Angeles. In 1932 Kuwahara began working as an animator and writer for Walt Disney, where he had a hand in shorts like Thru the Mirror and the Academy Award-nominated Who Killed Cock Robin?, as well as the feature-length film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In 1937 Kuwahara went to work for MGM, but later spent three years in the Heart Mountain internment camp during World War II. In 1945 Kuwahara and his family moved to Larchmont, New York where he wrote and drew a comic strip called Miki for five years before low circulation forced him to drop the strip. In 1950 Kuwahara returned to animation, signing on with Paul Terry's Terrytoons studio, and stayed with the studio following CBS' purchase of the studio in 1955. In 1959 Kuwahara wrote and directed the first of 14 Hashimoto-san theatrical shorts, for which he is probably best remembered today. Production of these shorts continued until 1963, after which time they were incorporated into CBS' The Hector Heathcote Show. During the same period Kuwahara was also a director for the popular Deputy Dawg series. Kuwahara's final TV series was 1965's syndicated The Astronut Show.
Director
Astronut was a kind, zany guy from outer space who always seemed to get into trouble. Oscar was his human friend.
Director
a Terrytoons Cartoon
Director
A Terrytoons cartoon released in 1964.
Director
A canine sheriff's deputy in a backwoods Southern town always manages to catch the bad guy.
Director
Deputy Dawg tries to prevent a troublemaking Native American chief from stealing from the Henhouse, the Watermelon Patch and the Priceless Persimmon Tree. Big Chief No Treaty also catches fish without a license. When he captures Big Chief No Treaty, the sheriff orders the chief set free so that a peace treaty can be signed between the chief and the town council. Muskie and Vince decide to steal more eggs from the henhouse disguised as Big Chief No Treaty.
Director
Hashimoto and his family are overcome by the influence of American products and lifestyles.
Director
The boys wake Deputy Dawg up: the tool shed's on fire. It burns before they can put it out. Then the city hall burns, too. The Sheriff warns Deputy: Form a new fire department made up of volunteers, or you will be out of a job.
Writer
In this Cinemascope Terrytoon, Spoofy is a zany little fox that comes to life on the animator's drawing board and subdues a western gunslinger with trick props and gadgets.
Writer
Heckle & Jeckle become part of a televised fox hunt when the fox and his pursuer, Dimwit, burst through their TV screen.
Layout
Count Screwloose and J.R. the Wonder Dog are promoting a $10,000 swing contest. They plan to skip town with the entry fees, but a menacing thug from the "Citizens for Fair Play" convinces them otherwise. The contestants: A singing hippo, "Mother Goose" who starts out as an old woman, then sheds her disguise to reveal a pretty girl, and a fan-dancing ostrich. Throughout, a couple of penguins are heckling. The ostrich proves wildly popular, and Screwloose fears he'll have to give the prize to her, when he gets an idea. He dresses J.R. up as the ostrich and sends him out, but the penguins use a box of sausages to expose the dog. The crowd runs Screwloose and J.R. out, and they grab a ride on a train where the penguins are waiting for them.
Background Designer
Count Screwloose and J.R. the Wonder Dog are promoting a $10,000 swing contest. They plan to skip town with the entry fees, but a menacing thug from the "Citizens for Fair Play" convinces them otherwise. The contestants: A singing hippo, "Mother Goose" who starts out as an old woman, then sheds her disguise to reveal a pretty girl, and a fan-dancing ostrich. Throughout, a couple of penguins are heckling. The ostrich proves wildly popular, and Screwloose fears he'll have to give the prize to her, when he gets an idea. He dresses J.R. up as the ostrich and sends him out, but the penguins use a box of sausages to expose the dog. The crowd runs Screwloose and J.R. out, and they grab a ride on a train where the penguins are waiting for them.
Story
Thrown out of the house into the backyard, the three kittens are sheltered by a giant Saint Bernard and are tormented by a turtle and a bluebird.
Storyboard
Toby Tortoise is back, and this time he and Max Hare box instead of racing.
Story
Mickey has been reading Alice in Wonderland, and falls asleep. He finds himself on the other side of the mirror, where the furniture is alive. He eats a walnut, which makes him briefly larger, then small. He dances around a lot, ultimately doing a major number with a deck of cards. He dances with the queen, making the king jealous. He comes after Mickey with swords, and Mickey defends himself with a sewing needle. Mickey gets the upper hand, and the king calls for reinforcements. Mickey finds himself chased by several decks, which throw their spots at him. He turns on a fan and blows them away, back through the mirror, where his alarm is ringing.
Screenplay
Two little pigs cry wolf on their brother and then an actual wolf comes.
Storyboard
Two little pigs cry wolf on their brother and then an actual wolf comes.
Animation
While streetworker Mickey romances Minnie, Mickey's nephews Morty and Ferdie take control of his steamroller and it's full speed ahead on a very destructive ride.
Animation
A group of confectionary soldiers go to war against a neighboring cookie castle.
Animation
A baby is transported to Lullaby Land, where pacifiers grow on trees, diapers, bottles, and potty chairs march on parade, and the gingham dog comes to life. He wanders into the "keep out" cave, full of things like scissors, knives, and fountain pens that are not for baby and begins smashing watches with hammers and playing with giant matches. The matches chase after him; baby escapes by riding a bar of soap across a pond, but the smoke from the matches turns into boogey-men. The benevolent sandman, dressed as a wizard, spots baby hiding and works his magic, bringing us back to the real nursery.
Animation
Noah, his family (wife, 3 sons, their wives), and various animals all help build the ark. The rains come, and the skunks barely miss the boat (not that anyone was particularly looking for them), but they manage to swim to it. After the rain and many lamentations by the humans, the sun returns, to the great joy of all. The ground appears, and the animals (and many new babies) disembark.
