Hal Seeger
Encyclopedia
Harold "Hal" Seeger was an animated cartoon
producer and director who owned his own studio the Hal Seeger Studio (Hal Seeger Productions).
Born in Brooklyn
, New York, Seeger began working as an animator for Fleischer Studios
in the early 1940s. His credits included "A Kick in Time" for the Color Classics
series and a sequence for the feature film "Mr. Bug Goes to Town".
During the later part of the 1940s, he worked as a screenwriter for a series of movies featuring well known Black performers, including the 1947 Cab Calloway
musical Hi-De-Ho and two films featuring featuring Dusty Fletcher
and Moms Mabley
, "Killer Diller" and "Boarding House Blues". In 1950 he wrote and directed a Warner Bros.
short subject
Hands Tell the Story featuring a story told with only human hands.
In 1962, his studio produced and syndicated 100 new Out Of the Inkwell
cartoons, based on the Koko the Clown
character, originally created by Fleischer Studios
.
He is best known for having produced the animated programs Milton the Monster
(1965–66) and Batfink
(1966–67). Another popular credit was Fearless Fly (1965), the adventures of a bumpkin fly who is physically helpless and practically blind without his trademark oversize rectangular glasses, but on putting them on he is invincible. This cartoon was a feature of the Milton the Monster Show.
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
producer and director who owned his own studio the Hal Seeger Studio (Hal Seeger Productions).
Born in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, Seeger began working as an animator for Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
in the early 1940s. His credits included "A Kick in Time" for the Color Classics
Color Classics
Color Classics were a series of animated short subjects produced by Fleischer Studios for Paramount Pictures from 1934 to 1941 as a competitor to Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies. As the name implies, all of the shorts were made in color, with the first entry in the series, Poor Cinderella, being the...
series and a sequence for the feature film "Mr. Bug Goes to Town".
During the later part of the 1940s, he worked as a screenwriter for a series of movies featuring well known Black performers, including the 1947 Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
musical Hi-De-Ho and two films featuring featuring Dusty Fletcher
Dusty Fletcher
Clinton "Dusty" Fletcher was an African-American vaudeville performer who was best known for the comedy routine which became a hit record in 1947, "Open the Door, Richard".-Life:...
and Moms Mabley
Moms Mabley
Jackie "Moms" Mabley, born Loretta Mary Aiken , was an American standup comedian and a pioneer of the so-called "Chitlin' Circuit" of African-American vaudeville.-Early years:...
, "Killer Diller" and "Boarding House Blues". In 1950 he wrote and directed a 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,...
short subject
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
Hands Tell the Story featuring a story told with only human hands.
In 1962, his studio produced and syndicated 100 new Out Of the Inkwell
Out of the Inkwell
Out of the Inkwell was a major animated series of the silent era produced by Max Fleischer from 1918 to 1929.The series was the result of three short experimental films that Max Fleischer independently produced in the period of 1914-1916 to demonstrate his invention, the Rotoscope, which was a...
cartoons, based on the Koko the Clown
Koko the Clown
Koko the Clown was an animated character created by animation pioneer Max Fleischer. The character originated when Max Fleischer invented the rotoscope, a device that allowed for animation to be more lifelike by tracing motion picture footage of human movement. To test out his new invention...
character, originally created by Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
.
He is best known for having produced the animated programs Milton the Monster
Milton the Monster
Milton the Monster, also called The Milton the Monster Show was an American animated cartoon TV series that ran on ABC from October 9, 1965, to September 7, 1968...
(1965–66) and Batfink
Batfink
Batfink is an animated television series, consisting of five-minute shorts, that first aired in September 1967. The 100-episode series was quickly created by Hal Seeger, starting in 1966, to parody the popular Batman and The Green Hornet television series which had premiered the same...
(1966–67). Another popular credit was Fearless Fly (1965), the adventures of a bumpkin fly who is physically helpless and practically blind without his trademark oversize rectangular glasses, but on putting them on he is invincible. This cartoon was a feature of the Milton the Monster Show.
Production list
- Out Of the InkwellOut of the InkwellOut of the Inkwell was a major animated series of the silent era produced by Max Fleischer from 1918 to 1929.The series was the result of three short experimental films that Max Fleischer independently produced in the period of 1914-1916 to demonstrate his invention, the Rotoscope, which was a...
- BatfinkBatfinkBatfink is an animated television series, consisting of five-minute shorts, that first aired in September 1967. The 100-episode series was quickly created by Hal Seeger, starting in 1966, to parody the popular Batman and The Green Hornet television series which had premiered the same...
- Milton the Monster showMilton the MonsterMilton the Monster, also called The Milton the Monster Show was an American animated cartoon TV series that ran on ABC from October 9, 1965, to September 7, 1968...
(1965–66)