Frank Tashlin
Encyclopedia
Frank Tashlin, born Francis Fredrick von Taschlein, also known as Tish Tash or Frank Tash (February 19, 1913 – May 5, 1972) was an American animator
, screenwriter
, and film director
.
at age 13. In 1930, he started working for Paul Terry
as a cartoonist on the Aesop's Film Fables
cartoon series, then worked briefly for Amadee J. Van Beuren
, but he was just as much a drifter in his animation career as he had been as a teenager. Tashlin joined Leon Schlesinger
's cartoon studio at Warner Bros.
as an animator in 1932, where he was noted as a fast animator. He used his free time to start his own comic strip
in 1934 called Van Boring, inspired by former boss Van Beuren, which ran for three years. He signed his comic strip "Tish Tash," and used the same name for his cartoon credits (at the time it was considered extremely unprofessional to use anything except one's birth name among animators, but Tashlin was able to get away with this due to the anti-Germanic feelings of that era). Tashlin was fired from the studio when he refused to give Schlesinger a cut of his comic strip revenues. He joined the Ub Iwerks
studio in 1934. He moved to Hal Roach
's studio in 1935 as a writer. He returned to Schlesinger in 1936 as an animation director where his diverse interest and knowledge of the industry brought a new understanding of camerawork to the Warners directors.
In 1938, he worked for Disney in the story department. Afterward, he served as production manager at Columbia Pictures
' Screen Gems
animation studio in 1941. Tashlin rejoined the Warner directors of "Termite Terrace" in 1943. He stayed with the studio during World War II
and worked on numerous wartime shorts, including the Private Snafu
educational films.
, Lucille Ball
, and others, and as a screenwriter for stars such as Bob Hope
and Red Skelton
. His live-action films still echo elements of his animation background; Tashlin peppers them with unlikely sight gags, breakneck pacing, and unexpected plot twists.
Tashlin began his career directing feature films when he was asked to finish directing the 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid
starring Bob Hope.
Beginning with the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It
, with its satirical look at early rock and roll, Tashlin had a streak of commercial successes with the Martin and Lewis
film Hollywood or Bust
in 1956, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
in 1957, and six of Jerry Lewis
' early solo films (Rock-A-Bye Baby, The Geisha Boy
, Cinderfella
, It's Only Money
, Who's Minding the Store?
, and The Disorderly Orderly
). Many of these have attained cult status.
Moreover, in the 1950s Tashlin came to the approving attention of French film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma
, in reviews that the director dismissed as "all this philosophical double-talk." Also, Rock Hunter's broad, colorful satire of Madison Avenue advertising earned it a spot on the National Film Registry
in 2000.
In the 1960s, Tashlin's films lost some of their spark, and his career ended in the latter part of that decade, along with those of most of the stars with whom he had worked. His final film was The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell
starring Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller
in 1968. He briefly returned at MGM in the 1960s to produce the animated film The Bear that Wasn't
, based on his own book, directed by fellow Termite Terrace alum Chuck Jones
.
(1946), The Possum That Didn't (1950), and The World That Isn't (1951). These are often referred to as "children's books," although all contained satirical elements that could only be fully understood by adult readers. (The Bear That Wasn't would be adapted as an animated cartoon by Tashlin's former Warner Bros. colleague, Chuck Jones
, in 1967.) Another children's story which Tashlin wrote in 1949 was recorded by Spike Jones
, How the Circus Learned to Smile. Tashlin also wrote and self-published an instructional booklet entitled How to Create Cartoons (about cartoon drawing, not animation) in 1952.
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...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
Animator
Tashlin drifted from job to job after dropping out of high school in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
at age 13. In 1930, he started working for Paul Terry
Paul Terry (cartoonist)
Paul Houlton Terry was an American cartoonist, screenwriter, film director and one of the most prolific film producers in history...
as a cartoonist on the Aesop's Film Fables
Aesop's Film Fables
Aesop's Film Fables was a series of animated short subjects, created by American cartoonist Paul Terry. Terry came upon the inspiration for the series by young actor-turned-writer Howard Estabrook, who suggested making a series of cartoons based on Aesop's Fables. Although Terry later claimed he...
cartoon series, then worked briefly for Amadee J. Van Beuren
Van Beuren Studios
Van Beuren Studios was an American animation studio that produced theatrical cartoons from 1928 to 1936.Producer Amedee J. van Beuren first became involved in the animation industry in 1920, when he formed a partnership with Paul Terry and formed the "Aesop's Fables Studio" for the production of...
, but he was just as much a drifter in his animation career as he had been as a teenager. Tashlin joined 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 cartoon studio at Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
as an animator in 1932, where he was noted as a fast animator. He used his free time to start his own comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
in 1934 called Van Boring, inspired by former boss Van Beuren, which ran for three years. He signed his comic strip "Tish Tash," and used the same name for his cartoon credits (at the time it was considered extremely unprofessional to use anything except one's birth name among animators, but Tashlin was able to get away with this due to the anti-Germanic feelings of that era). Tashlin was fired from the studio when he refused to give Schlesinger a cut of his comic strip revenues. He joined the Ub Iwerks
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....
studio in 1934. He moved to Hal Roach
Hal Roach
Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
's studio in 1935 as a writer. He returned to Schlesinger in 1936 as an animation director where his diverse interest and knowledge of the industry brought a new understanding of camerawork to the Warners directors.
In 1938, he worked for Disney in the story department. Afterward, he served as production manager at 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...
' 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....
animation studio in 1941. Tashlin rejoined the Warner directors of "Termite Terrace" in 1943. He stayed with the studio 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...
and worked on numerous wartime shorts, including the Private Snafu
Private Snafu
Private Snafu is the title character of a series of black-and-white American instructional cartoon shorts produced between 1943 and 1945 during World War II. The character was created by director Frank Capra, chairman of the U.S. Army Air Force First Motion Picture Unit, and most were written by...
educational films.
Film director
Tashlin moved on from animation in 1946 to become a gag writer for the Marx BrothersMarx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
, Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
, and others, and as a screenwriter for stars such as Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
and Red Skelton
Red Skelton
Richard Bernard "Red" Skelton was an American comedian who is best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, all while pursuing...
. His live-action films still echo elements of his animation background; Tashlin peppers them with unlikely sight gags, breakneck pacing, and unexpected plot twists.
Tashlin began his career directing feature films when he was asked to finish directing the 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid
The Lemon Drop Kid
The Lemon Drop Kid is a 1951 comedy film based on the short story of the same name by Damon Runyon, starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell, and directed by Sidney Lanfield.The song "Silver Bells," sung by Hope and Maxwell, was introduced in the film...
starring Bob Hope.
Beginning with the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It
The Girl Can't Help It
The Girl Can't Help It is a 1956 comedy musical film starring Jayne Mansfield, Tom Ewell, and Edmond O'Brien. It was produced and directed by Frank Tashlin, with a screenplay adapted by Tashlin and Herbert Baker from an uncredited novel Do Re Me by Garson Kanin...
, with its satirical look at early rock and roll, Tashlin had a streak of commercial successes with the Martin and Lewis
Martin and Lewis
Martin and Lewis were an American comedy team, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis as the comedic "foil". The pair first met in 1945; their debut as a duo occurred at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 24/25, 1946....
film Hollywood or Bust
Hollywood Or Bust
Hollywood or Bust is a 1956 film comedy starring the team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The picture was filmed from April 16 to June 19, 1956 and released on December 6, 1956 by Paramount Pictures, almost five months after the Martin and Lewis partnership split up.-Plot:Malcolm Smith wins a...
in 1956, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? is a 1957 American satiric comedy film starring Jayne Mansfield and Tony Randall, with Betsy Drake, Joan Blondell, John Williams, Henry Jones, Lili Gentle, Mickey Hargitay, and a cameo by Groucho Marx...
in 1957, and six of Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
' early solo films (Rock-A-Bye Baby, The Geisha Boy
The Geisha Boy
The Geisha Boy is a 1958 American comedy film starring Jerry Lewis. Filmed from June 16 to August 7, 1958, it was released on December 23, 1958 by Paramount Pictures. This film marked the film debut of Suzanne Pleshette.-Plot:...
, Cinderfella
Cinderfella
Cinderfella is a comedy film version of the classic Cinderella story, with several of the roles reversed. It was released December 16, 1960 by Paramount Pictures and stars Jerry Lewis as Fella.-Plot:...
, It's Only Money
It's Only Money
It's Only Money is a comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Jerry Lewis. It was filmed from October 9 to December 17, 1961 and was released on November 21, 1962 by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:...
, Who's Minding the Store?
Who's Minding the Store?
Who's Minding the Store? is a comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Jerry Lewis. It was released on November 28, 1963 by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:The rich Mrs. Tuttle is upset that her daughter Barbara Who's Minding the Store? is a comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring...
, and The Disorderly Orderly
The Disorderly Orderly
The Disorderly Orderly is a 1964 American comedy film released by Paramount Pictures, and starring Jerry Lewis. The film was produced by Paul Jones with a screenplay by director Frank Tashlin, based on a story by Norm Liebermann and Ed Haas.-Plot:...
). Many of these have attained cult status.
Moreover, in the 1950s Tashlin came to the approving attention of French film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma
Cahiers du cinéma
Cahiers du Cinéma is an influential French film magazine founded in 1951 by André Bazin, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca. It developed from the earlier magazine Revue du Cinéma involving members of two Paris film clubs — Objectif 49 and...
, in reviews that the director dismissed as "all this philosophical double-talk." Also, Rock Hunter's broad, colorful satire of Madison Avenue advertising earned it a spot on the National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
in 2000.
In the 1960s, Tashlin's films lost some of their spark, and his career ended in the latter part of that decade, along with those of most of the stars with whom he had worked. His final film was The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell
The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell
The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell is a 1968 film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller. It was filmed in Puerto Rico in 1967...
starring Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller is an American actress and comedian. She created a stage persona of a wild-haired, eccentrically dressed housewife who makes jokes about a husband named "Fang" while pretending to smoke from a long cigarette holder...
in 1968. He briefly returned at MGM in the 1960s to produce the animated film The Bear that Wasn't
The Bear that Wasn't
The Bear That Wasn't is a 1946 children's book by film director and Looney Tunes alumnus Frank Tashlin. In 1967, Tashlin's former Termite Terrace colleague Chuck Jones directed an animated short film based upon the book for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
, based on his own book, directed by fellow Termite Terrace alum Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
.
Author
Tashlin wrote and illustrated three books, The Bear That Wasn'tThe Bear that Wasn't
The Bear That Wasn't is a 1946 children's book by film director and Looney Tunes alumnus Frank Tashlin. In 1967, Tashlin's former Termite Terrace colleague Chuck Jones directed an animated short film based upon the book for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
(1946), The Possum That Didn't (1950), and The World That Isn't (1951). These are often referred to as "children's books," although all contained satirical elements that could only be fully understood by adult readers. (The Bear That Wasn't would be adapted as an animated cartoon by Tashlin's former Warner Bros. colleague, Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
, in 1967.) Another children's story which Tashlin wrote in 1949 was recorded by Spike Jones
Spike Jones
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"...
, How the Circus Learned to Smile. Tashlin also wrote and self-published an instructional booklet entitled How to Create Cartoons (about cartoon drawing, not animation) in 1952.