Bill Littlejohn
Encyclopedia
William Charles Littlejohn (January 27, 1914 – September 17, 2010) was an American animator
and union organizer. Littlejohn worked on both animated shorts and features from the 1930s through to the 1990s. His notable works include the Tom and Jerry
shorts, the Peanuts television specials, the Oscar-winning short, "The Hole
" (1962), and the Oscar-nominated "A Doonesbury Special" (1977). He has been inducted into the Cartoon Hall of Fame and received the Winsor McCay Award
and lifetime achievement awards from the Annie Awards and the UCLA Film and Television Archive
. Director Michael Sporn
has called Littlejohn "an animation 'God'."
Littlejohn was also co-founded and served as the first president of the Screen Cartoonists Guild Local #852 in 1938. He led the effort to gain recognition for the union at the major Hollywood animation studios. When Walt Disney
refused to negotiate with the union and fired 16 pro-union artists, Littlejohn led the union in the 1941 Disney animators strike. The strike lasted nine weeks and resulted in Disney's recognition of the union, substantial salary increases, a 40-hour work week and screen credits. The Disney strike has been recognized as a watershed moment in the movement to unionize the animation industry.
Littlejohn was also an active advocate for the art of animation. He was a co-founder of ASIFA-Hollywood
in 1957 and of the International Tournée of Animation
in the mid-1960s. He also served on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Board of Governors representing short films and animation from 1988 to 2001.
in 1914. His father was an engineer for Pitney Bowes
who worked an early combination of the adding machine and typewriter. In either 1931 or 1934 (sources differ on the date), he began working in animation at the Van Beuren Studio in New York. His aunt was a cameraperson there, and he was hired as a cel washer on the original "Tom and Jerry
" series (not the Hanna
/Barbera
series). He recalled: "One of my first jobs was to hand out cels to the inkers. They were so slippery in their tissue separators that when I first was handed a stack, I immediately let them drop all over the floor!" Littlejohn worked his way up within the Van Beuren Studio to inking, assisting and then animating. In a 1985 interview, he recalled: "Fear of starving led me to animation — those were Depression days. I had no art training, but learned animation from a do-it-yourself kit." While at Van Beuren, he worked on "Toonerville Trolley" (1936), "Parrotville" (1934) and two animated Amos and Andy shorts, "The Rasslin' Match
" (1934) and "The Lion Tamer
" (1934).
. He recalled, "I began work at Lockheed, but the people there were so boring! They would talk all night about the qualities of a rivet."
In 1937, Littlejohn returned to animation, working for Harman and Ising
and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
. While at MGM, he worked on the "Happy Harmonies
" shorts and the new "Tom and Jerry
" series. Littlejohn was one of the few people who worked on the "Tom and Jerry" series both at Van Beuren and at MGM. In 1938, Littlejohn worked on Milt Gross
's "Jitterbug Follies" and was responsible for animating the two dancing penguins. He also worked in 1938 on "The Captain and the Kids
," an MGM animated series based on The Katzenjammer Kids comic strip.
He left animation work during World War II
to work as a test pilot and flight instructor. He also continued to do freelance animation for MGM and Walter Lantz
.
In the late 1930s, Littlejohn met union organizer Herb Sorrell
, and together they formed the Screen Cartoonists Guild Local #852 in 1938 with Littlejohn as the president. Littlejohn later explained his decision to become involved in the union movement: "I just saw too many people getting away with a lot, and too few with nothing, and I had to get involved. So we formed a union."
Sorrell and Littlejohn began organizing animation workers, and MGM, Walter Lantz and George Pal
quickly recognized the union. Leon Schlesinger
's Looney Tunes
Studio followed after a six-day lockout, but Disney refused to sign a union contract. After collecting enough representation card, Sorrell, Littlejohn and Disney animator Art Babbitt met Walt Disney
and his attorneys. Disney angrily refused to negotiate and insisted his animators were represented by the Federation of Screen Cartoonists, a sham union set up by Disney that was declared illegal by the National Labor Relations Board
. After the meeting, Disney fired Babbitt and 16 other pro-union artists. The 1941 Disney animators strike began the next day. As animators marched in front of the Disney studio in Burbank, Littlejohn, who was a pilot, flew overhead and, in his words, "wiggled my wings" at the picketers, who "wiggled their signs back at me." The strike lasted for nine weeks and ended following pressure on Disney from federal mediators, nationwide boycotts, the Bank of America and Roy Disney
. On September 21, 1941, the strike ended and the union was recognized by Disney.
Walt Disney later testified before the U.S. House Committee on Un-American Activities that he believed that Sorrell was a Communist, but his testimony was based on hearsay, "I believed at that time that Mr. Sorrell was a Communist because of all the things that I had heard ..." Littlejohn recalled Sorrell as follows: "Herb was an ex-fighter and a great champion for the little guy. For that he was called a Communist, which he never was. In fact, the Communist Party/USA
disliked him too, because he was his own man and couldn't be controlled." Despite his involvement in the union movement, Littlejohn was not himself a target of McCarthyism
or the Hollywood blacklist
. He later recalled, "I regularly went over in my mind what I would say when the FBI
came a-calling, but they never did, strangely enough."
The Disney strike has been recognized as a watershed moment in the efforts to unionize the animation industry. According to one account of the strike, the strike resulted in substantial salary increases, a 40-hour work week and screen credit
s for animators. Tom Sito
, president emeritus of the Hollywood Animation Guild Local No.839, said, "Bill Littlejohn was the last of the dynamic Hollywood union organizers of the 1930s and '40s. His activism did much to build the standard of living studio animators have today."
, Animation Inc., Fine Arts Films
, The Ink Tank, and Bill Melendez Productions. His animated commercial for Uniroyal's "Tiger Paws" tires remains a popular and often-played piece.
While associated with Melendez, he worked as one of the principal animators on the "Peanuts" televisions specials. His most popular scenes from the "Peanuts" specials include a scene in "A Charlie Brown Christmas
" (1965) in which Snoopy
dances on the piano while Schroeder
plays a jazz riff, the Snoopy-Lucy
prizefight in "Snoopy Come Home" (1972) and the Snoopy-Red Baron section in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
" (1967). Littlejohn recalled that the scene of Snoopy dancing on Schroeder's piano met resistance from Charles Schulz: "At first Charles Schulz didn't care for all the Snoopy pantomime
. He felt it was deviating too much from his style. He wanted the whole film to be talking heads, doing his dialogue." One of Littlejohn's personal favorites was a scene in the 1972 special, "Snoopy, Come Home
," in which a little girl ties up Snoopy, changes his name to "Rex" and gives him a bath.
and Faith Hubley
. In 1962, Littlejohn was the principal animator on the Hubleys' Oscar-winning short, "The Hole
." In "The Hole," two New York construction workers, one voiced by jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie
, use improvised dialogue to debate the possibility of nuclear war. In one scene, Littlejohn animated Gillespie's character performing dance steps. At the after-party, Gillespie told Littlejohn, "Man, I'm glad you did that section yourself, because I can't dance!"
Littlejohn also worked with the Hubleys in 1977 on "A Doonesbury Special," which won a Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival
and was nominated for an Oscar. Littlejohn did initial test animation of Zonker Harris
putting flowers in the muzzles of National Guardsmen's rifles. Garry Trudeau
was amazed at Littlejohn's work, having never seen his characters moving before. Littlejohn animated about 12 minutes of the special. John Hubley died during open-heart surgery while the Doonesbury Special was in production.
Littlejohn also worked with the Hubleys on "The Hat" (1963), "Of Stars and Men
" (1964), "Zuckerkandl" (1969), "Voyage to Next" (1974), "People, People, People" (1975), "Everybody Rides the Carousel
" (1976), "Sky Dance," "Enter Life
" (1982) and "Amazonia" (1990).
Director Michael Sporn has called Littlejohn "an animation 'God'" and cited his work as among the best in American animation. Of his work on the 1964 film "Of Stars and Men
," Sporn said, "Bill's work on Of Stars and Men has completely entered my vocabulary of great animation. The walk cycles for the many animals are just so majestic and regal that I watch them over and over."
In his later years, Littlejohn also worked on several animated features, including "The Phantom Tollbooth
" (1970), "Watership Down
" (1978), "Heavy Metal
" (1981), R.O. Blechman's "The Soldier's Tale" (1984), and "Mrs. Doubtfire
" (1993).
In 1957, he joined with Ward Kimball
and Les Goldman in founding ASIFA-Hollywood
, a non-profit organization formed to promote and preserve the art of film animation. Since 1972, the organization has presented the annual Annie Awards for outstanding work in animation.
In 1965, Littlejohn and other ASIFA-Hollywood
members organized the International Tournée of Animation
, a program to show quality animation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
. Prior to this, it had been almost impossible to see quality animation in the United States. The Tournee became affiliated with the American Film Institute
in 1969 and conducted a multi-city tour for many years.
In 1984, Littlejohn and his wife, Fini, helped organize the Olympiad of Animation for the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival.
From 1988 to 2001, Littlejohn was also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Board of Governors representing short films and animation.
and Disney. The two married in 1943. They lived together in their home in Malibu, California, until Fini died in 2004. Littlejohn died in September 2010 at age 96. He was survived by two children, Steve and Toni, and three grandchildren.
in 1987 and has been inducted into the Cartoon Hall of Fame. In May 1999, the UCLA Film and Television Archive
and UCLA Animation Workshop hosted "An Evening With Animator Bill Littlejohn" and presented him with a lifetime achievement award.
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
and union organizer. Littlejohn worked on both animated shorts and features from the 1930s through to the 1990s. His notable works include the Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
shorts, the Peanuts television specials, the Oscar-winning short, "The Hole
The Hole (1962 film)
The Hole is a 15-minute animated film by John Hubley and Faith Hubley that won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1962.The film uses improvised dialogue from Dizzy Gillespie and George Mathews as two construction workers at work in the bottom of a hole on a construction site...
" (1962), and the Oscar-nominated "A Doonesbury Special" (1977). He has been inducted into the Cartoon Hall of Fame and received the Winsor McCay Award
Winsor McCay Award
The Winsor McCay Award is given to individuals in recognition of lifetime or career contributions in animation. The award is presented at the annual Annie Awards, presented by the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood...
and lifetime achievement awards from the Annie Awards and the UCLA Film and Television Archive
UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film and Television Archive is an internationally renowned visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles. It holds more than 220,000 film and television titles and 27 million feet of...
. Director Michael Sporn
Michael Sporn
Michael Sporn is an American animator who founded his New York-based company, Michael Sporn Animation in 1980, and has produced and directed numerous animated TV specials and short spots.-Career:...
has called Littlejohn "an animation 'God'."
Littlejohn was also co-founded and served as the first president of the Screen Cartoonists Guild Local #852 in 1938. He led the effort to gain recognition for the union at the major Hollywood animation studios. When Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
refused to negotiate with the union and fired 16 pro-union artists, Littlejohn led the union in the 1941 Disney animators strike. The strike lasted nine weeks and resulted in Disney's recognition of the union, substantial salary increases, a 40-hour work week and screen credits. The Disney strike has been recognized as a watershed moment in the movement to unionize the animation industry.
Littlejohn was also an active advocate for the art of animation. He was a co-founder of ASIFA-Hollywood
ASIFA-Hollywood
ASIFA-Hollywood, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles, California, USA, which is a branch member of the "Association Internationale du Film d'Animation" or "ASIFA"...
in 1957 and of the International Tournée of Animation
International Tournée of Animation
The International Tournée of Animation was an annual touring program of animated films selected and assembled from films from many countries around the world and which existed from about 1970 to the late 1980s...
in the mid-1960s. He also served on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
Board of Governors representing short films and animation from 1988 to 2001.
Early years
Littlejohn was born in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
in 1914. His father was an engineer for Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes Inc. is a Stamford, Connecticut-based manufacturer of software and hardware and a provider of services related to documents, packaging, mailing, and shipping, collectively referred to as mailstream. The company has approximately 36,000 employees worldwide. It is one of 87 existing...
who worked an early combination of the adding machine and typewriter. In either 1931 or 1934 (sources differ on the date), he began working in animation at the Van Beuren Studio in New York. His aunt was a cameraperson there, and he was hired as a cel washer on the original "Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren)
Tom and Jerry are fictional characters that starred in a series of early sound cartoons produced by the Van Beuren Studios, and distributed by RKO Pictures. The series lasted from 1931 to 1933...
" series (not the Hanna
William Hanna
William Denby Hanna was an American animator, director, producer, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of people for much of the 20th century. When he was a young child, Hanna's family moved frequently, but they settled in Compton, California, by...
/Barbera
Joseph Barbera
Joseph Roland Barbera was an influential American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the twentieth century....
series). He recalled: "One of my first jobs was to hand out cels to the inkers. They were so slippery in their tissue separators that when I first was handed a stack, I immediately let them drop all over the floor!" Littlejohn worked his way up within the Van Beuren Studio to inking, assisting and then animating. In a 1985 interview, he recalled: "Fear of starving led me to animation — those were Depression days. I had no art training, but learned animation from a do-it-yourself kit." While at Van Beuren, he worked on "Toonerville Trolley" (1936), "Parrotville" (1934) and two animated Amos and Andy shorts, "The Rasslin' Match
The Rasslin' Match
The Rasslin' Match is a 1934 animated short film produced by the Van Beuren Studios and directed by Vernon Stallings and starring Charles J. Correll and Freeman F. Gosden as the voices of their popular radio characters, Amos 'n' Andy.-Story:...
" (1934) and "The Lion Tamer
The Lion Tamer
The Lion Tamer is a 1934 animated short film produced by the Van Beuren Studios and directed by Vernon Stallings and starring Charles J. Correll and Freeman F. Gosden as the voices of their popular radio characters, Amos 'n' Andy. It was one of two such films made that year, the other being The...
" (1934).
Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s
When Van Beuren closed its doors in 1935 or 1936, Littlejohn moved to Los Angeles, completed a degree in aeronautical engineering, and worked for a time at LockheedLockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
. He recalled, "I began work at Lockheed, but the people there were so boring! They would talk all night about the qualities of a rivet."
In 1937, Littlejohn returned to animation, working for Harman and Ising
Harman and Ising
Hugh Harman and Rudolf "Rudy" Ising were an American animation team best known for founding the Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation studios...
and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
. While at MGM, he worked on the "Happy Harmonies
Happy Harmonies
Happy Harmonies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and produced by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising between 1934 and 1938....
" shorts and the new "Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
" series. Littlejohn was one of the few people who worked on the "Tom and Jerry" series both at Van Beuren and at MGM. In 1938, Littlejohn worked on Milt Gross
Milt Gross
Milt Gross , was an American comic strip and comic book writer, illustrator and animator. He wrote his comics in a Yiddish-inflected English. He originated the non-sequitur "Banana Oil!" as a phrase deflating pomposity and posing. His character Count Screwloose's admonition, "Iggy, keep an eye on...
's "Jitterbug Follies" and was responsible for animating the two dancing penguins. He also worked in 1938 on "The Captain and the Kids
The Captain and the Kids (MGM animated series)
In 1938, The Katzenjammer Kids were adapted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, becoming the studio's first self-produced series of theatrical cartoon short subjects, directed by William Hanna, Bob Allen and Friz Freleng. The series was unsuccessful, ending after one year and a total of 15 cartoons...
," an MGM animated series based on The Katzenjammer Kids comic strip.
He left animation work during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to work as a test pilot and flight instructor. He also continued to do freelance animation for MGM and Walter Lantz
Walter Lantz
Walter Benjamin Lantz was an American cartoonist, animator, film producer, and director, best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker.-Early years and start in animation:...
.
Union organizer and the Disney animators strike
While working at Van Beuren in 1935, Littlejohn saw the origins of the efforts to unionize the animation industry. At that time, he recalled, "I kept my nose clean because many guys were getting in trouble and getting blacklisted."In the late 1930s, Littlejohn met union organizer Herb Sorrell
Herb Sorrell
Herbert Knott Sorrell, known as Herb Sorrell, was a union organizer and leader. He headed the Conference of Studio Unions in the late 1940s, and was the business manager of the Motion Picture Painters union, Local 644 until the 1950s....
, and together they formed the Screen Cartoonists Guild Local #852 in 1938 with Littlejohn as the president. Littlejohn later explained his decision to become involved in the union movement: "I just saw too many people getting away with a lot, and too few with nothing, and I had to get involved. So we formed a union."
Sorrell and Littlejohn began organizing animation workers, and MGM, Walter Lantz and George Pal
George Pál
George Pal , born György Pál Marczincsak, was a Hungarian-born American animator and film producer, principally associated with the science fiction genre...
quickly recognized the union. Leon Schlesinger
Leon Schlesinger
Leon Schlesinger was an American film producer, most noted for founding Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the golden age of Hollywood animation.-Early life and career:...
's Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
Studio followed after a six-day lockout, but Disney refused to sign a union contract. After collecting enough representation card, Sorrell, Littlejohn and Disney animator Art Babbitt met Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
and his attorneys. Disney angrily refused to negotiate and insisted his animators were represented by the Federation of Screen Cartoonists, a sham union set up by Disney that was declared illegal by the National Labor Relations Board
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
. After the meeting, Disney fired Babbitt and 16 other pro-union artists. The 1941 Disney animators strike began the next day. As animators marched in front of the Disney studio in Burbank, Littlejohn, who was a pilot, flew overhead and, in his words, "wiggled my wings" at the picketers, who "wiggled their signs back at me." The strike lasted for nine weeks and ended following pressure on Disney from federal mediators, nationwide boycotts, the Bank of America and Roy Disney
Roy Disney
Roy Disney may refer to:* Roy O. Disney , Walt Disney's elder brother and the financier of his efforts* Roy E. Disney , his son, director emeritus of The Walt Disney Company...
. On September 21, 1941, the strike ended and the union was recognized by Disney.
Walt Disney later testified before the U.S. House Committee on Un-American Activities that he believed that Sorrell was a Communist, but his testimony was based on hearsay, "I believed at that time that Mr. Sorrell was a Communist because of all the things that I had heard ..." Littlejohn recalled Sorrell as follows: "Herb was an ex-fighter and a great champion for the little guy. For that he was called a Communist, which he never was. In fact, the Communist Party/USA
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
disliked him too, because he was his own man and couldn't be controlled." Despite his involvement in the union movement, Littlejohn was not himself a target of McCarthyism
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
or the Hollywood blacklist
Hollywood blacklist
The Hollywood blacklist—as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known—was the mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field because of their political beliefs or...
. He later recalled, "I regularly went over in my mind what I would say when the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
came a-calling, but they never did, strangely enough."
The Disney strike has been recognized as a watershed moment in the efforts to unionize the animation industry. According to one account of the strike, the strike resulted in substantial salary increases, a 40-hour work week and screen credit
Motion picture credits
-Opening credits:Opening credits, in a television program, motion picture, or video game, are shown at the beginning of a show and list the most important members of the production. They are usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in...
s for animators. Tom Sito
Tom Sito
Tom Sito is a well-known American animator, animation historian and teacher. He has been called a "key figure in the Disney Renaissance", and one of the One Hundred Most Important People in Animation.-Education:...
, president emeritus of the Hollywood Animation Guild Local No.839, said, "Bill Littlejohn was the last of the dynamic Hollywood union organizers of the 1930s and '40s. His activism did much to build the standard of living studio animators have today."
Peanuts specials and the 1950s and 1960s
In the 1950s, Littlejohn worked at several commercial studios, including Playhouse Pictures, Jay Ward ProductionsJay Ward Productions
Jay Ward Productions was an Amercian animated television cartoon series production company, founded in 1949 by American animator Jay Ward. It made extensive use of limited animation techniques....
, Animation Inc., Fine Arts Films
Fine Arts Films
Fine Arts Films is a production studio based in Northern England and Hollywood. It was founded in 1955 by animator John David Wilson as a means to preserve the notion of animation as an art form.-History:...
, The Ink Tank, and Bill Melendez Productions. His animated commercial for Uniroyal's "Tiger Paws" tires remains a popular and often-played piece.
While associated with Melendez, he worked as one of the principal animators on the "Peanuts" televisions specials. His most popular scenes from the "Peanuts" specials include a scene in "A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas is the first prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was produced and directed by former Warner Bros. and UPA animator Bill Melendez, who also supplied the voice for the character of Snoopy...
" (1965) in which Snoopy
Snoopy
Snoopy is an fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly conventional dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character—and among the most recognizable...
dances on the piano while Schroeder
Schroeder (Peanuts)
Schroeder is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. He is distinguished by his precocious skill at playing the toy piano, as well as by his love of classical music and the composer Ludwig van Beethoven in particular...
plays a jazz riff, the Snoopy-Lucy
Lucy van Pelt
Lucille "Lucy" van Pelt is a fictional character in the syndicated comic strip :Peanuts, written and drawn by Charles Schulz. She is the main bully and the older sister of Linus and Rerun. Lucy is a crabby and cynical eight-year old girl, and often bullies the other characters in the strip,...
prizefight in "Snoopy Come Home" (1972) and the Snoopy-Red Baron section in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a 1966 American prime time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz....
" (1967). Littlejohn recalled that the scene of Snoopy dancing on Schroeder's piano met resistance from Charles Schulz: "At first Charles Schulz didn't care for all the Snoopy pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
. He felt it was deviating too much from his style. He wanted the whole film to be talking heads, doing his dialogue." One of Littlejohn's personal favorites was a scene in the 1972 special, "Snoopy, Come Home
Snoopy, Come Home
Snoopy, Come Home! is a 1972 animated musical film, produced by Cinema Center Films, National General Pictures and Lee Mendelson Films, directed by Bill Meléndez, and based on the Peanuts comic strip. The songs are by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman...
," in which a little girl ties up Snoopy, changes his name to "Rex" and gives him a bath.
Association with the Hubleys and later years
Littlejohn also worked for more than 30 years JohnJohn Hubley
John Hubley was an American animation director, art director, producer and writer of traditional animation films known for both his formal experimentation and for his emotional realism which stemmed from his tendency to cast his own children as voice actors in his films.- Biography :Hubley was...
and Faith Hubley
Faith Hubley
Faith Hubley was an animator, known for her experimental work both in collaboration with her husband John Hubley, and on her own following her husband's death.-Biography:...
. In 1962, Littlejohn was the principal animator on the Hubleys' Oscar-winning short, "The Hole
The Hole (1962 film)
The Hole is a 15-minute animated film by John Hubley and Faith Hubley that won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1962.The film uses improvised dialogue from Dizzy Gillespie and George Mathews as two construction workers at work in the bottom of a hole on a construction site...
." In "The Hole," two New York construction workers, one voiced by jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
, use improvised dialogue to debate the possibility of nuclear war. In one scene, Littlejohn animated Gillespie's character performing dance steps. At the after-party, Gillespie told Littlejohn, "Man, I'm glad you did that section yourself, because I can't dance!"
Littlejohn also worked with the Hubleys in 1977 on "A Doonesbury Special," which won a Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
and was nominated for an Oscar. Littlejohn did initial test animation of Zonker Harris
Zonker Harris
Zonker Harris is the stereotypical hippie character in Garry Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury. He made his first appearance as a perennial pot-smoking pest plaguing B.D.'s football team in 1971...
putting flowers in the muzzles of National Guardsmen's rifles. Garry Trudeau
Garry Trudeau
Garretson Beekman "Garry" Trudeau is an American cartoonist, best known for the Doonesbury comic strip.-Background and education:...
was amazed at Littlejohn's work, having never seen his characters moving before. Littlejohn animated about 12 minutes of the special. John Hubley died during open-heart surgery while the Doonesbury Special was in production.
Littlejohn also worked with the Hubleys on "The Hat" (1963), "Of Stars and Men
Of Stars and Men
Of Stars and Men is a 1964 animated film from the Hubley family of animators, based on the 1959 book of the same name by astronomer Harlow Shapley, who also narrates...
" (1964), "Zuckerkandl" (1969), "Voyage to Next" (1974), "People, People, People" (1975), "Everybody Rides the Carousel
Everybody Rides the Carousel
Everybody Rides the Carousel is a 1975 independent animated film about the stages of life. It was directed by John Hubley and written and produced by Hubley and his wife Faith...
" (1976), "Sky Dance," "Enter Life
Enter Life
Enter Life is an 8-minute animated film from 1982 about the earliest origin of life, or abiogensis on earth. Directed by Faith Hubley of Hubley Studios, the film traces a possible course of development, according to contemporary theory, of organic compounds, amino acids and early cellular...
" (1982) and "Amazonia" (1990).
Director Michael Sporn has called Littlejohn "an animation 'God'" and cited his work as among the best in American animation. Of his work on the 1964 film "Of Stars and Men
Of Stars and Men
Of Stars and Men is a 1964 animated film from the Hubley family of animators, based on the 1959 book of the same name by astronomer Harlow Shapley, who also narrates...
," Sporn said, "Bill's work on Of Stars and Men has completely entered my vocabulary of great animation. The walk cycles for the many animals are just so majestic and regal that I watch them over and over."
In his later years, Littlejohn also worked on several animated features, including "The Phantom Tollbooth
The Phantom Tollbooth (film)
The Phantom Tollbooth is a 1970 American live-action/animated film based on Norton Juster's 1961 children's book The Phantom Tollbooth. This film was produced by Chuck Jones at MGM Animation/Visual Arts. Jones also directed the film, save for the live action bookends directed by fellow Warner Bros....
" (1970), "Watership Down
Watership Down (film)
Watership Down is a 1978 English adventure drama animated film written, produced and directed by Martin Rosen and based on the book by Richard Adams. It was financed by a consortium of British financial institutions...
" (1978), "Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (film)
Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
" (1981), R.O. Blechman's "The Soldier's Tale" (1984), and "Mrs. Doubtfire
Mrs. Doubtfire
Mrs. Doubtfire is a 1993 American comedy film starring Robin Williams and Sally Field and based on the novel Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. It was directed by Chris Columbus and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It won the Academy Award for Best Makeup...
" (1993).
Advocacy for the art of animation
Littlejohn was also an advocate and participant in activities designed to preserve and promote animation as an important art form.In 1957, he joined with Ward Kimball
Ward Kimball
Ward Walrath Kimball was an animator for the Walt Disney Studios. He was one of Walt Disney's team of animators known as Disney's Nine Old Men.-Career:...
and Les Goldman in founding ASIFA-Hollywood
ASIFA-Hollywood
ASIFA-Hollywood, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles, California, USA, which is a branch member of the "Association Internationale du Film d'Animation" or "ASIFA"...
, a non-profit organization formed to promote and preserve the art of film animation. Since 1972, the organization has presented the annual Annie Awards for outstanding work in animation.
In 1965, Littlejohn and other ASIFA-Hollywood
ASIFA-Hollywood
ASIFA-Hollywood, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles, California, USA, which is a branch member of the "Association Internationale du Film d'Animation" or "ASIFA"...
members organized the International Tournée of Animation
International Tournée of Animation
The International Tournée of Animation was an annual touring program of animated films selected and assembled from films from many countries around the world and which existed from about 1970 to the late 1980s...
, a program to show quality animation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
. Prior to this, it had been almost impossible to see quality animation in the United States. The Tournee became affiliated with the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
in 1969 and conducted a multi-city tour for many years.
In 1984, Littlejohn and his wife, Fini, helped organize the Olympiad of Animation for the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival.
From 1988 to 2001, Littlejohn was also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
Board of Governors representing short films and animation.
Family
Littlejohn was married for 61 years to Fini Rudiger Littlejohn. Fini was an actress and artist from Vienna, Austria. She moved to Hollywood and was doing art design for American AirlinesAmerican Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
and Disney. The two married in 1943. They lived together in their home in Malibu, California, until Fini died in 2004. Littlejohn died in September 2010 at age 96. He was survived by two children, Steve and Toni, and three grandchildren.
Awards and tributes
In October 1981, ASIFA presented Littlejohn with a special Annie Award to Littlejohn, "honoring his 50 years as an animator." He also received the Winsor McCay AwardWinsor McCay Award
The Winsor McCay Award is given to individuals in recognition of lifetime or career contributions in animation. The award is presented at the annual Annie Awards, presented by the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood...
in 1987 and has been inducted into the Cartoon Hall of Fame. In May 1999, the UCLA Film and Television Archive
UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film and Television Archive is an internationally renowned visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles. It holds more than 220,000 film and television titles and 27 million feet of...
and UCLA Animation Workshop hosted "An Evening With Animator Bill Littlejohn" and presented him with a lifetime achievement award.
Partial filmography
- Parrotville (1934)
- The Rasslin' MatchThe Rasslin' MatchThe Rasslin' Match is a 1934 animated short film produced by the Van Beuren Studios and directed by Vernon Stallings and starring Charles J. Correll and Freeman F. Gosden as the voices of their popular radio characters, Amos 'n' Andy.-Story:...
(1934) - The Lion TamerThe Lion TamerThe Lion Tamer is a 1934 animated short film produced by the Van Beuren Studios and directed by Vernon Stallings and starring Charles J. Correll and Freeman F. Gosden as the voices of their popular radio characters, Amos 'n' Andy. It was one of two such films made that year, the other being The...
(1934) - Toonerville Trolley (1936)
- The Captain and the KidsThe Captain and the Kids (MGM animated series)In 1938, The Katzenjammer Kids were adapted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, becoming the studio's first self-produced series of theatrical cartoon short subjects, directed by William Hanna, Bob Allen and Friz Freleng. The series was unsuccessful, ending after one year and a total of 15 cartoons...
(1938) - Jitterbug Follies (1939)
- Tom and JerryTom and JerryTom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
(1940) - A Rainy Day with the Bear Family (1940)
- The HoleThe Hole (1962 film)The Hole is a 15-minute animated film by John Hubley and Faith Hubley that won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1962.The film uses improvised dialogue from Dizzy Gillespie and George Mathews as two construction workers at work in the bottom of a hole on a construction site...
(1962) - Of Stars and MenOf Stars and MenOf Stars and Men is a 1964 animated film from the Hubley family of animators, based on the 1959 book of the same name by astronomer Harlow Shapley, who also narrates...
(1964) - The Hat (1964)
- A Charlie Brown ChristmasA Charlie Brown ChristmasA Charlie Brown Christmas is the first prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was produced and directed by former Warner Bros. and UPA animator Bill Melendez, who also supplied the voice for the character of Snoopy...
(1965) - It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie BrownIt's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie BrownIt's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a 1966 American prime time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz....
(1966) - Zuckerkandl (1968)
- He's Your Dog, Charlie BrownHe's Your Dog, Charlie BrownHe's Your Dog, Charlie Brown is the fifth prime-time animated TV special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on February 14, 1968...
(1968) - A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969)
- It Was a Short Summer, Charlie BrownIt Was a Short Summer, Charlie BrownIt Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown is the sixth prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. It was directed by Bill Meléndez and originally aired on CBS on September 27, 1969...
(1969) - The Phantom TollboothThe Phantom Tollbooth (film)The Phantom Tollbooth is a 1970 American live-action/animated film based on Norton Juster's 1961 children's book The Phantom Tollbooth. This film was produced by Chuck Jones at MGM Animation/Visual Arts. Jones also directed the film, save for the live action bookends directed by fellow Warner Bros....
(1970) - Play It Again, Charlie BrownPlay It Again, Charlie BrownPlay It Again, Charlie Brown is the seventh prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on March 28, 1971. It was the first Peanuts TV special of the 1970s...
(1971) - Snoopy Come Home (1972)
- You're Not Elected, Charlie BrownYou're Not Elected, Charlie BrownYou're Not Elected, Charlie Brown is the ninth prime-time animated TV special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz and the eighth one to air. It originally aired on CBS on October 29, 1972, right before the 1972 election....
(1972) - There's No Time for Love, Charlie BrownThere's No Time for Love, Charlie BrownThere's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown is the eighth prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on March 11, 1973 and released to DVD as a bonus feature on January 2, 2004...
(1973) - It's a Mystery, Charlie BrownIt's a Mystery, Charlie BrownIt's a Mystery, Charlie Brown is the 11th prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on February 1, 1974...
(1974) - Voyage to Next (1974)
- Everybody Rides the Carousel (1975)
- WOW Women of the World (1975)
- You're a Good Sport, Charlie BrownYou're a Good Sport, Charlie BrownYou're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown is the 14th prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on October 28, 1975...
(1975) - People, People, People (1976)
- Simple GiftsSimple Gifts"Simple Gifts" is a Shaker song written and composed in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett.It has endured many inaccurate descriptions. Though often classified as an anonymous Shaker hymn or as a work song, it is better classified as a dance song.-Lyrics:...
(1977) - Whither Weather (1977)
- Race for Your Life, Charlie BrownRace for Your Life, Charlie BrownRace For Your Life, Charlie Brown is a 1977 animated film produced by United Feature Syndicate for Paramount Pictures, directed by Bill Meléndez, and the third in a series of movies based on the Peanuts comic strip...
(1977) - It's Your First Kiss, Charlie BrownIt's Your First Kiss, Charlie BrownIt's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown is the 16th prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz...
(1977) - A Doonesbury Special (1977)
- Step by Step (1978)
- Watership DownWatership Down (film)Watership Down is a 1978 English adventure drama animated film written, produced and directed by Martin Rosen and based on the book by Richard Adams. It was financed by a consortium of British financial institutions...
(1978) - You're the Greatest, Charlie BrownYou're the Greatest, Charlie BrownYou're the Greatest, Charlie Brown is the 18th prime-time animated TV special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network in March 1979, making it the last Peanuts TV special of the 1970s. It has been released to DVD by Warner Home...
(1979) - She's a Good Skate, Charlie BrownShe's a Good Skate, Charlie BrownShe's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown is the 19th prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz...
(1980) - Sky Dance (1980)
- Life Is a Circus, Charlie BrownLife Is a Circus, Charlie BrownLife is a Circus, Charlie Brown is the 20th prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on October 24, 1980.-Synopsis:...
(1980) - The Big Bang and Other Creation Myths (1981)
- Enter LifeEnter LifeEnter Life is an 8-minute animated film from 1982 about the earliest origin of life, or abiogensis on earth. Directed by Faith Hubley of Hubley Studios, the film traces a possible course of development, according to contemporary theory, of organic compounds, amino acids and early cellular...
(1981) - It's Magic, Charlie BrownIt's Magic, Charlie BrownIt's Magic, Charlie Brown is the 21st prime-time animated TV special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on April 28, 1981...
(1981) - Heavy MetalHeavy Metal (film)Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
(1981) (segment "B-17") - Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie BrownSomeday You'll Find Her, Charlie BrownSomeday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown is the 22nd prime-time animated TV special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on October 30, 1981...
(1981) - Here Comes GarfieldHere Comes GarfieldHere Comes Garfield is a half-hour animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The special was first broadcast October 25, 1982 on CBS. It has been released on both VHS and DVD home video.-Plot:Garfield and Odie are outside...
(1982) - The Charlie Brown and Snoopy ShowThe Charlie Brown and Snoopy ShowThe Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show is an animated television series featuring characters and storylines from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. It aired Saturday mornings on the CBS network from 1983 to 1985. It re-aired on The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon in the 1990s...
(1983) - Garfield on the TownGarfield on the TownGarfield on the Town is a half-hour animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It once again featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The special was first broadcast October 28, 1983 on CBS. It has been released on both VHS and DVD home video.- Plot :Jon becomes very...
(1983) - The Soldier's Tale (1984)
- Hello (1984)
- It's Flashbeagle, Charlie BrownIt's Flashbeagle, Charlie BrownIt's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown is the 27th prime-time animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. The show is presented as an original musical which features parodies of the early 1980s breakdancing craze, the movies Saturday Night Fever and Flashdance,...
(1984) - Garfield in the RoughGarfield in the RoughGarfield in the Rough is a half-hour animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It once again featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The special was first broadcast October 26, 1984 on CBS...
(1984) - Garfield in Disguise (1985)
- You're a Good Man, Charlie BrownYou're a Good Man, Charlie BrownYou're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a 1967 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts...
(1985) - Garfield in ParadiseGarfield in ParadiseGarfield in Paradise is a half-hour animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It once again featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield . Wolfman Jack guest starred as the voice of the tribal chief and Frank Nelson guest starred as the voice of the motel manager and rental...
(1986) - The Cosmic Eye (1986)
- Time of the Angels (1987)
- Garfield: His 9 LivesGarfield: His 9 LivesGarfield: His 9 Lives is a 1984 book of illustrated short stories showing the "nine lives" of comic strip character Garfield...
(1988) - This Is America, Charlie BrownThis Is America, Charlie BrownThis is America, Charlie Brown was an eight-part animated TV mini-series, depicting events in American history with characters from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. It aired from 1988 to 1989 on CBS. These eight episodes, originally released singly on videocassette, were released in a...
(1988) - The NASA Space Station (1988)
- Yes We Can (1989)
- Amazonia (1990)
- Upside Down (1991)
- Snoopy's ReunionSnoopy's ReunionSnoopy's Reunion is the 34th prime-time animated TV special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on the CBS network on May 1, 1991 as part of the animated anthology series Toon Nite.-Plot:...
(1991) - Tall Time Tales (1992)
- It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown! (1992)
- Frosty ReturnsFrosty ReturnsFrosty Returns is an animated Christmas television special featuring the character Frosty the Snowman. It first aired on December 1, 1992. The special is not a direct sequel to the original 1969 special, and the two were produced by different companies Frosty Returns is an animated Christmas...
(1992) - Mrs. DoubtfireMrs. DoubtfireMrs. Doubtfire is a 1993 American comedy film starring Robin Williams and Sally Field and based on the novel Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. It was directed by Chris Columbus and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It won the Academy Award for Best Makeup...
(1993) - Seers & Clowns (1994)
- My Universe Inside Out (1996)
- Cloudland (1998)
- Rainbows of Hawai'i (1998)
- Our Spirited Earth (2000)