Abe Levitow
Personal Info
Known for
Visual Effects
Gender
Male
Birthday
1922-07-02
Day of Death
1975-05-08 (52 years old)
Place of Birth
Los Angeles, California, USA
Abe Levitow
Biography
Abraham Levitow (July 2, 1922 – May 8, 1975) was an American animator who worked at Warner Bros. Cartoons, UPA and MGM Animation/Visual Arts. He is best known for his work under Chuck Jones' direction.
Levitow began working as an in-betweener and assistant animator at Warner Bros. Cartoons in 1940 at the age of 17. He briefly left Warner Bros. when he was drafted during World War II working on training films. Levitow returned to the studio, working as an assistant animator for Ken Harris under the Chuck Jones unit, and he was later promoted to animator in 1950 and would receive his first animations credit in 1953 for the cartoon Wild Over You. He worked steadily for Jones over the remainder of the 1950s, and directed several cartoons for release in 1959, including the Pepé Le Pew cartoon "Really Scent". While working under Jones, he made characters' joints more angular than most other animators. Those characters with fur (Wile E. Coyote, for example) looked especially shaggy in Levitow's scenes.
Levitow joined UPA in 1958 to work on the Mr. Magoo feature 1001 Arabian Nights, staying behind even after the studio was sold to Henry G. Saperstein. In 1962, he directed the first feature-length animated television special, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. 1962 also saw the release of his theatrical feature Gay Purr-ee. By 1962, he was working with Jones at MGM as an animator and a director in the Tom and Jerry series. He co-directed the feature film The Phantom Tollbooth with Chuck Jones at MGM. In addition, he worked with UPA on more Mr. Magoo cartoons, including The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo, and also collaborated with Chuck again on the program Curiosity Shop through Format Films. He animated on the Chuck Jones-produced A Christmas Carol, directed by Richard Williams at Williams' London studio in 1971.
In 1972, he and producer Dave Hanson founded Levitow/Hanson Films. The studio produced several animated pieces for Sesame Street, the most notable being Willie Wimple. His last completed project was B.C.: The First Thanksgiving, which aired in November of 1973.
At the time of his death, Levitow was in line to direct the animated feature film Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure. The project was taken over by Richard Williams when Levitow died from a bone tumor during pre-production at the age of 52.
[biography (excerpted) from Wikipedia]
Known For
Crew
(2011)
(2010)
Bugs Bunny at the Symphony
Animation Director
(1991)
Bugs Bunny's Lunar Tunes
Director
(1980)
(1973)
B.C.: The First Thanksgiving
Executive Producer, Director
(1971)
The Wizard of Id
Director
(1971)
A Christmas Carol
Story Artist
(1970)
The Phantom Tollbooth
Director, Producer
(1970)
Uncle Sam Magoo
Director
(1970)
B.C. - The Shadow
Director
(1967)
Surf-Bored Cat
Director
(1967)
The Mouse from H.U.N.G.E.R.
Director
(1967)
Rock 'n' Rodent
Director
(1967)
Guided Mouse-Ille
Director
(1967)
O-Solar-Meow
Director
(1966)
Puss 'n' Boats
Director
(1966)
Catty-Cornered
Director
(1966)
Filet Meow
Director
(1966)
Jerry-Go-Round
Director
(1966)
The A-Tom-inable Snowman
Director
(1964)
Mr. Magoo, Man of Mystery
Director
(1962)
Gay Purr-ee
Director
(1962)
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol
Director
(1962)
Martian Through Georgia
Director
(1961)
Magoo Meets Frankenstein
Executive Producer
(1961)
Nelly's Folly
Co-Director
(1961)
Lickety-Splat
Co-Director
(1960)
Inside Magoo
Director
(1960)
Barbecue for Two
Animation
(1959)
A Witch's Tangled Hare
Director
(1959)
Baton Bunny
Director
(1959)
Really Scent
Director
(1959)
Unnatural History
Director
(1959)
(1959)
1001 Arabian Nights
Art Direction
(1959)
Wild About Hurry
Animation
(1958)
Hare-Way to the Stars
Animation
(1958)
Cat Feud
Animation
(1958)
Whoa, Be-Gone!
Animation
(1958)
Robin Hood Daffy
Animation
(1957)
What's Opera, Doc?
Animation
(1957)
Boyhood Daze
Animation
(1957)
Scrambled Aches
Animation
(1957)
Zoom and Bored
Animation
(1957)
Steal Wool
Animation
(1956)
90 Day Wondering
Animation
(1956)
Broom-Stick Bunny
Animation
(1956)
Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z
Animation
(1956)
There They Go-Go-Go!
Animation
(1956)
Deduce, You Say
Animation
(1956)
Rocket-bye Baby
Animation
(1955)
One Froggy Evening
Animation
(1955)
A Hitch in Time
Animation
(1955)
Ready.. Set.. Zoom!
Animation
(1955)
Guided Muscle
Animation
(1955)
Beanstalk Bunny
Animation
(1955)
Two Scent's Worth
Animation
(1955)
Double or Mutton
Animation
(1954)
Feline Frame-Up
Animation
(1954)
Baby Buggy Bunny
Animation
(1954)
Stop! Look! and Hasten!
Animation
(1954)
Claws for Alarm
Animation
(1954)
It's Everybody's Business
Animation
(1954)
Sheep Ahoy
Animation
(1953)
Forward March Hare
Animation
(1948)
Scaredy Cat
Animation