The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia: 1934

"Chicken Reel" Release Date: 1/1/34 Direction: Walter Lantz and "Bill" Nolan Artists: Manuel Moreno, Lester Kline, Fred Kopietz, George Grandpre, and Ernest Smythe Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 594 This cartoon was only directed by Walter Lantz, despite the misleading credits

"The Candy House" Release Date: 1/15/34 Direction: Walter Lantz and "Bill" Nolan Artists: Manuel Moreno, Lester Kline, Fred Kopietz, George Grandpre, and Ernest Smythe Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 506 This cartoon was only directed by Walter Lantz, despite the misleading credits

"The County Fair" Release Date: 2/5/34 Direction: Walter Lantz and "Bill" Nolan Artists: Ray Abrams, Fred Avery, Cecil Surry, Jack Carr, Ernest Smythe, and Merle Gilson Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 505 First onscreen credit for George Merle Gilson Not to be confused with "Kounty Fair" (1930) Reissued as "The Country Fair" by Guild/Firelight This cartoon was only directed by Bill Nolan, despite the misleading credits

"The Toy Shoppe" Release Date: 2/19/34 Direction: Walter Lantz and "Bill" Nolan Artists: Manuel Moreno, Lester Kline, Fred Kopietz, George Grandpre, and Ernest Smythe Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 508 This cartoon was only directed by Walter Lantz, despite the misleading credits Fred Ladd and Entercolor Technologies Corp. used this cartoon as a colorization test for Universal, who rejected it and all future plans for colorization of black and white Lantz cartoons.

"Kings Up" Release Date: 3/12/34 Direction: Walter Lantz and "Bill" Nolan Artists: Ray Abrams, Fred Avery, Cecil Surry, Jack Carr, Ernest Smythe, and Merle Gilson Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 507 Thanks to Joe Busam for providing us with images from this cartoon. Most copies of this cartoon have the Jolson blackface gag omitted This cartoon was only directed by Bill Nolan, despite the misleading credits

"Wolf! Wolf!" Release Date: 4/12/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Manuel Moreno, George Grandpre, Lester Kline, Verne Harding, Fred Kopietz, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 510 First cartoon where both Lantz and Nolan are not credited as co-directors Lantz storyman and animator for several years to come, Victor McLeod gets his first onscreen credit First animation credit for female veteran Lantz animator, Laverne Harding, here credited as Verne This cartoon was only directed by Walter Lantz, despite the misleading credits

"The Ginger Bread Boy" Release Date: 4/16/34 Direction: Uncredited Artists: Fred Avery, Ray Abrams, Cecil Surry, Jack Carr, Merle Gilson, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 509 Thanks to Del Walker for providing us with images from this cartoon Incorrectly listed as "Gingerbread Boy" in Leonard Maltin's Of Mice and Magic No credit is given for the director of this cartoon. While judging from the animators listed, one would tend to think this is a Nolan effort. The big question, however is why would he leave his name off of the film? One might speculate that the director is infact Tex Avery, since Avery's name is now listed in front of Ray Abrams in the animation credits, while traditionally, Avery's name would follow Abrams.

"Goldielocks and the Three Bears" Release Date: 5/14/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Manuel Moreno, George Grandpre, Lester Kline, Verne Harding, Fred Kopietz, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 681 Incorrectly listed as "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" in Leonard Maltin's Of Mice and Magic

"Annie Moved Away" Release Date: 5/28/34 Direction: Bill Nolan Artists: Ray Abrams, Fred Avery, Cecil Surry, Jack Carr, Victor McLeod, and Merle Gilson Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 680 Last onscreen credit for George Merle Gilson until his return in 1938 Includes reused animation from "Five and Dime" (1933)

"Wax Works" Release Date: 6/25/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Manuel Moreno, George Grandpre, Lester Kline, Verne Harding, Fred Kopietz, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 683

"William Tell" Release Date: 7/9/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Story: Vic McLeod Artists: Manuel Moreno, George Grandpre, Lester Kline, Verne Harding, and Fred Kopietz Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 682 Our only copy of this cartoon is a Guild/Firelight reissue. If you have a print with original opening and closing titles, please contact us.

"Chris Columbus Jr." Release Date: 7/23/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Story: Vic McLeod Artists: Fred Avery, Jack Carr, Ray Abrams, Joe d'Igalo, Ernest Smythe, and Virgil Ross Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 685 This cartoon is notable for a gag that Tex Avery came up with and animated on the spot. It involves the villian getting his peg leg stuck in a lit cannon! Virgil Ross and Joe d'Igalo get their first onscreen credits Reissued as "Christopher Columbus Jr." by Guild/Firelight Incorrectly listed as "Chris Columbo Jr." in Leonard Maltin's Of Mice and Magic

"The Dizzy Dwarf" Release Date: 8/6/34 Direction: Bill Nolan Artists: Cecil Surry, Ed Benedict, Victor McLeod, and Ernest Smythe Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 686

"Ye Happy Pilgrims" Release Date: 9/3/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Manuel Moreno, George Grandpre, Lester Kline, Verne Harding, Fred Kopietz, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 684 Reissued as "The Happy Pilgrims" by Guild/Firelight

"Jolly Little Elves" Release Date: 10/1/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Lyrics: Walter Lantz and Victor McLeod Artists: Manuel Moreno, Lester Kline, Fred Kopietz, Bill Mason, and La Verne Harding Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 688 A Cartune Classic Academy Award nominee The first full-length Walter Lantz cartoon in color The first one-shot Walter Lantz cartoon "Jolly Little Elves" was made in two-color Technicolor, as were the subsequent Lantz Cartune Classics released during 1934 and 1935. Our only copy of this cartoon is a reissue print. If you have a copy with original opening and closing titles, please contact us.

"Sky Larks" Release Date: 10/22/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Fred Avery, Jack Carr, Ray Abrams, Joe d'Igalo, Ernest Smythe, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 687 Copyrighted as "The Sky Larks" The live-action clip from the Universal Newspaper Newsreel shows professor Auguste Piccard, a Swiss scientist who was able to go higher than anyone ever before in a diving bell-like vessel carried by a balloon.

"Spring in the Park" Release Date: 11/12/34 Direction: Bill Nolan Artists: Cecil Surry, Ed Benedict, Victor McLeod, and Ernest Smythe Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 690 Last onscreen credit for Bill Nolan at Lantz. Nolan would leave the studio in 1935 and briefly find work as head animator on a series of shorts based on the "Skippy" comic strip before going to work at the Charles Mintz studio and later Felischer studios in Miami.

"Toyland Premiere" Release Date: 12/10/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Lyrics: Walter Lantz and Victor McLeod Artists: Manuel Moreno, Lester Kline, Fred Kopietz, Bill Mason, and La Verne Harding Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 692 A Cartune Classic Caricatures include Laurel and Hardy, Bing Crosby, Eddie Cantor (in blackface), Frankenstein, among others! Includes reused animation from "Merry Dog" (1933) Most reissue prints omit the scene where the cake lands on Laurel and Hardy. Our only copy of this cartoon is a reissue print. If you have a copy with original opening and closing titles, please contact us.