Burbank Studio

Zack Schwartz is an audio-only interview conducted by Giannalberto Bendazzi around the year 2000, in Israel, where he was teaching animation.

To read about the beginnings of UPA with his painting partner, Dave Hilberman, read Dave’s listing. For the departure of Dave and Zack in the mid 1940’s there are several versions of their split with Steve Bosustow. The most common version seems to be that the business side of the young studio wanted Bosustow out, but when they attempted to fire him, the artist’s backed Bosustow, so with their support behind him, he offered to buy out Dave and Zack. They accepted and with those funds formed their own studio in NYC, Tempo Productions.

Zack Schwartz is part of two presently unreleased scenes.

We interviewed Millard and Lorraine Kaufman at their home in Bel Aire, California, in 2011.

Millard Kaufman is credited with the creation of Mr. Magoo, in terms of the character’s personality traits, and he worked with John Hubley to create the physical characteristics. Although, Kaufman wrote the first Magoo and many other UPA films, he was primarily a live action feature film writer.

Millard Kaufman is part of one of the presently unreleased scenes.

We interviewed Alan Zaslove in his Studio City home studio, in 2001, then a better one in 2003.
Camera: Patrick Dunavan

Alan Zaslove washed paint jars as a teenager in the early days of UPA, and worked his way up to director, by the early 60s. Plus, he was part of the panel discussion at the 2004. UPA Tribute at the AFI, as well as being an invaluable aid in finding UPA artists and materials. His last name put him at the end of our earlier alphabetical listings, even though he was among our very first interviews, and a continuously invaluable help.

Alan Zaslove is part of the Bottle Washer scene.

We interviewed Bob McIntosh in his Bel Aire home in 2004
Camera: Patrick Dunavan

Bob McIntosh was Pete Burness’ primary background artist on the Magoo series, although Bob did color on other UPA films as well. He spent most of his post-UPA days as a fine artist, whose paintings hang in many galleries, and he was a panelists at the UPA Tribute at the AFI in 2004. Btw, Patrick Dunavan also videotaped the UPA Tribute at the AFI.

Bob McIntosh is part of a presently unreleased scene.

We interviewed Willis Pyle i next to one of his paintings, in his home studio, in Seal Beach, California. in 2005
Camera: Patrick Dunavan / Audio: Andre Smith

Willie Pyle was an animator during the early days of the Columbia Pictures contract.  We first met him at a Smoke House restaurant reunion of UPA alumni, in Toluca Lake, California, across from the John Lautner designed UPA Studio.  Willie has spent most of this post-UPA years as an illustrator and painter in New York City.  After our interview he treated our crew to lunch at a local sea food restaurant, driving us there in his antique Rolls Royce.

Willis Pyle is part of a presently unreleased scene.

We interviewed Eddie Friedman in his home in Tarzana in 2006
Camera: Patrick Dunavan / Audio: Ken Gale

Eddie Friedman was one of the first animators to animate the new styles that UPA created. During the early years in the Otto K. Oelsen building he began by taking scenes home to do, but soon became a cherished staff animator, working on nearly all the classic UPA masterpieces. Eddie was also an Olympic athlete who taught fencing, and was the champion ping pong player in the Toluca Lake patio area of the UPA studio, during lunch and break times.

Eddie Friedman is part of a presently unreleased scene.

We interviewed Bob Dranko in the home of associate Tim Baskerville, in West Hills, California, in 2005
Camera: Patrick Dunavan / Audio: Ken Gale

Robert Dranko was one of the main designers during the heyday of UPA Pictures, often doing color and backgrounds as well. He came to the studio, after seeing some of UPAs work and realizing that this was the place to be for an innovative artist, when most of the world was still in the dark ages, when it came to creative work.

Dranko continued to create is own fine art during, and after leaving UPA.

We interviewed Erv Kaplan in his home studio in Tarzana in 2006.

Erv Kaplan had a long career at Filmation, but before that he worked on background at UPA, often under the tutelage of Bob McIntosh. He fact, he and Bob stayed friends for many years and spend long hours discussing fine art, which they both enjoyed in later years. Erv has been one of the last remaining artists from the glory years of UPA, and was among a handful of them who graced a panel discussion at a UPA Tribute in 2010, at an AniMazSpot festival that year at Woodbury University.

We interviewed Dave Weidman in his classic home studio in the hills above Hollywood, California, in 2006.

Dave Weidman was among the graphic sensations who arrived in the late 1950s, flourished during the CBS television series, and continued on at UPA into the 1960s. His later life was dedicated to independent graphic design projects, and his home was full of his brilliant designs. In fact, we spent almost as much time pouring over his creations as we did for our interview with him.

Dave Weidman is part of a presently unreleased scene.

We interviewed Jimmy Murakami during a break in his role as a jurist at the international animation festival at Zagreb in 2006.

Jimmy Murakami was able to give us a wonderful interview, albeit squashed, between competition screenings. Jimmy was one of the hot young talents on the CBS Boing television series, working much of the time with Fred Crippen, Ernie Pintoff. and Mel Leven. Later, he formed Murakami/Wolff with Fred Wolff, creating countless award winning shorts, and later moved to Dublin, Ireland, to live and continue his creative output.

Jimmy Murakami is part of a presently unreleased scene.