Question about Rod Scribner

[Nick]

As everyone knows. Rod Scribner was an animator for both Robert Clampett and Robert McKimson.

But was Rod Scribner always an animator for Robert McKimson during 1947-1949? I've never seen him credited in any cartoon around that time. Was he even there at the studio? Or why was he not credited? I think he animated the scene in "Hot Cross Bunny" (1948) where Bugs does the scat dance. Or did he? I'm not very good at indentifying animators, even though I find it easier in Clampett, McKimson and Davis cartoons (they had very cartoony animation ).

 

[Sogturtle]

As everyone knows. Rod Scribner was an animator for both Robert Clampett and Robert McKimson.

But was Rod Scribner always an animator for Robert McKimson during 1947-1949? I've never seen him credited in any cartoon around that time. Was he even there at the studio? Or why was he not credited? I think he animated the scene in "Hot Cross Bunny" (1948) where Bugs does the scat dance. Or did he? I'm not very good at indentifying animators, even though I find it easier in Clampett, McKimson and Davis cartoons (they had very cartoony animation ).

Nick~

Rod Scribner was also an animator for Ben Hardaway & Cal Dalton, then when Friz returned Rod was transferred into Tex Avery's unit. Clampett inherited him from Tex. Then when Art Davis took over the unit Scribner was transferred to McKimson's. And yes Rod was and wasn't at the studio for a long spell in the mid to later Forties. There was a major outbreak of Tuberculosis at the close of WWII and he was unlucky enough to become infected with it in 1945. I found his name mentioned in an article from back then as one of the infected. He was off work for close to THREE years due to the illness... Scribner was blessed to get to keep on living. (One of my mom's cousins was infected with TB about the same time and died from it.)

 

[Nick]

Rod Scribner was also an animator for Ben Hardaway & Cal Dalton, then when Friz returned Rod was transferred into Tex Avery's unit. Clampett inherited him from Tex. Then when Art Davis took over the unit Scribner was transferred to McKimson's. And yes Rod was and wasn't at the studio for a long spell in the mid to later Forties. There was a major outbreak of Tuberculosis at the close of WWII and he was unlucky enough to become infected with it in 1945. I found his name mentioned in an article from back then as one of the infected. He was off work for close to THREE years due to the illness... Scribner was blessed to get to keep on living. (One of my mom's cousins was infected with TB about the same time and died from it.)

Interesting. If I remember correctly, the first cartoon that marked the return of Scribner, in terms of crediting, was "Boobs In The Woods" (1950) but he may of worked on "A Ham In A Role" (1949).

 

[Daffysleftfoot]

I thought his triumphant return was in Strife With Father. Oh well, here's a pic of the man leaning against a porsche.

 

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Scribner did animate briefly for McKimson before he came down with TB, on ONE MEAT BRAWL and HOBO BOBO (both cartoons were released in 1947). In ONE MEAT BRAWL, one scene of Porky berating his dog because he thinks he ate the groundhog is by Scribner, but another animator takes over for the completion of the sequence. In HOBO BOBO, the scene of the cop arresting Bobo and the little elephants day in court were (I believe) animated by Scribner.

 

[The Spectre]

Not that I have the episodes on hand and can check or anything, but are you sure these scenes weren't by Manny Gould, who transferred out of the Davis unit around that time?

After Davis took over from Clampett, Rod Scribner disappears entirely from the credits, while people like I. Ellis, Cal Dalton and Don Williams shuffle around.

I wonder - did the TB epidemic have anything to do with Irv Spence's departure from MGM in `46?

 

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Not that I have the episodes on hand and can check or anything, but are you sure these scenes weren't by Manny Gould, who transferred out of the Davis unit around that time?

It's only one short scene that Scribner may have animated for ONE MEAT BRAWL before he was hospitalized with TB. When Porky scolds his hunting dog for eating the groundhog, he is leaning on a sign and the quite alive groundhog is whipering in his ear. The first scene is animated by someone else. Porky is on model and quite solid looking. He states, "Snitch..." Then the next scene is a wider shot. Porky has more wrinkles on his brow, and is slightly off model. He continues his dialog with, "...Stoolpigeon" up until "...no polo ponies." I believe that scene is by Scribner. Then another animator takes over for the rest of Porky's dialog starting with "Had to roll his own cigarettes."

In HOBO BOBO, the scenes where Bobo tries to get his trunk inspected, where the cop in the park overreacts, and Bobo crying in court look like the work of Scribner to me, although I could be wrong on this. I always have more difficulty spotting Scribner's work in McKimson's cartoons than I do with Clampett's.

According to Mike Barrier's book Hollywood Cartoons, "As soon as Clampett left the studio, Rod Scribner joined McKimson's unit; in fact he took Art Davis's place, picking up where Davis had left off animating in the middle of a scene for One Meat Brawl (1947). He was almost immediately hospitalized with tuberculosis, though, and did not return for work for nearly three years, until the end of March 1948." Barrier makes no mention of HOBO BOBO, though.

 

[Sogturtle]

Thy Rod on the staff cartoons me... ;o)

Not that I have the episodes on hand and can check or anything, but are you sure these scenes weren't by Manny Gould, who transferred out of the Davis unit around that time?

After Davis took over from Clampett, Rod Scribner disappears entirely from the credits, while people like I. Ellis, Cal Dalton and Don Williams shuffle around.

I wonder - did the TB epidemic have anything to do with Irv Spence's departure from MGM in `46?

Wellllll I probably shouldn't touch this, but as far as "shuffling around" goes... For whatever reason(s) Scribner seems to have had some antipathy towards Art Davis (evidenced in a recollection by Lloyd Turner), I don't know if anybody knows if that antipathy led to Rod's transfer to McKimson's or resulted from it... (dealing with memories of long-ago events again.) It would appear quite strongly that Manny Gould asked to be switched out of Artie's unit, it MAY have been that it was very awkward for Manny to be under his former Mintz colleague (Davis). Confirmation of this was and is impossible as Manny died a couple days before he was due to be interviewed so a lot of things went to the grave with him. Former director Cal Dalton quit Warners in Feb. 1946, after some 12 years of faithful service there.

Annnnnnd no, TB played no role in Irv Spence's leaving Metro. He and some of the other guys just quit and went across town and got jobs! For a while there was a joke that there should just be a trolley running from MGM over to the other one or two studios...!!!