Charles B. Mintz
Encyclopedia
Charles B. Mintz was an American
film producer
and distributor, who took control over Margaret J. Winkler
's Winkler Pictures after marrying her in 1924.
Mintz was unhappy with the production costs on Walt Disney
& Ub Iwerks's
Alice Comedies
and asked the two to develop a new character. The result was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
, which would be the first animated character for Universal Pictures
. In February, 1928, when the character proved more successful than expected, Mintz hired all of Disney's animators except Iwerks, who refused to leave Disney, and took over the production of Oswald cartoons from his new Winkler Studio with Margaret Winkler's brother George.
After losing the Oswald contract to Walter Lantz
, Mintz focused on the output of another Winkler-distributed short series, the Krazy Kat
series, the Winkler Studio became first the Mintz studio after he took over in 1929 and later Screen Gems
after Columbia Pictures
took over from him in 1939, a few months before he died later that year.
He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Short Subject. His first nomination was in 1935 for "Holiday Land," and he was nominated again in 1938 for "The Little Match Girl."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and distributor, who took control over Margaret J. Winkler
Margaret J. Winkler
Margaret J. Winkler was one of the key figures in silent animation history, having a crucial role to play in the histories of Max and Dave Fleischer, Pat Sullivan, Otto Messmer, and Walt Disney...
's Winkler Pictures after marrying her in 1924.
Mintz was unhappy with the production costs on 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...
& Ub Iwerks's
Ub Iwerks
Ub Iwerks, A.S.C. was a two-time Academy Award winning American animator, cartoonist, character designer, inventor, creator of Mickey Mouse, and special effects technician, who was famous for his work for Walt Disney....
Alice Comedies
Alice Comedies
The "Alice Comedies" are a series of animated cartoonscreated by Walt Disney in the 1920s, in which a live action little girl named Alice and an animated cat named Julius have adventures in an animated landscape....
and asked the two to develop a new character. The result was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is an anthropomorphic rabbit and animated cartoon character created by Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney for films distributed by Universal Pictures in the 1920s and 1930s...
, which would be the first animated character for Universal Pictures
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
. In February, 1928, when the character proved more successful than expected, Mintz hired all of Disney's animators except Iwerks, who refused to leave Disney, and took over the production of Oswald cartoons from his new Winkler Studio with Margaret Winkler's brother George.
After losing the Oswald contract to 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:...
, Mintz focused on the output of another Winkler-distributed short series, the Krazy Kat
Krazy Kat
Krazy Kat is an American comic strip created by cartoonist George Herriman, published daily in newspapers between 1913 and 1944. It first appeared in the New York Evening Journal, whose owner, William Randolph Hearst, was a major booster for the strip throughout its run...
series, the Winkler Studio became first the Mintz studio after he took over in 1929 and later Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
after Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
took over from him in 1939, a few months before he died later that year.
He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Short Subject. His first nomination was in 1935 for "Holiday Land," and he was nominated again in 1938 for "The Little Match Girl."
Trivia
- In the 2009 film UpUp (2009 film)Up is a 2009 American computer-animated comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and presented in Disney Digital 3-D. The film premiered on May 29, 2009 in North America and opened the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first animated and 3D film...
, the villain Charles Muntz is said by animation historians to have his name borrowed in part from Charles B. Mintz.