Ethan De Seife

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Ethan De Seife Ethan de Seife • Assistant Professor of Film Studies • RTVF Department ethandeseife.wordpress.com My recent book, Tashlinesque, investigates the career of Frank Tashlin, an important and overlooked director of very funny and visually inventive American film comedies. I have also written a book on the great film This Is Spinal Tashlin made Looney Tunes cartoons as well as live-action Tap. features with such performers as Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, and Jayne Mansfield. I like to think that this book goes to 11. All previous studies of Tashlin’s work operate under the assumption that, because he worked in both animation and live-action, Tashlin made cartoons that “anticipate” his live- action features, and that his live-action features are somehow “cartoony.” My book disputes this claim as too simplistic, taking a historical/aesthetic approach to understanding Tashlin’s films. I use several new contexts instead: • Vaudeville history and aesthetics • Economic and censorship policies of the film industry • Performative styles in mid-century Hollywood • Sexual comedy and social satire Within the last 18 months, I have also published articles and delivered talks on a wide range of subjects within film and media studies. The aesthetics of Methocel, the odd (and The peculiar narrative patterns in the The star persona of Neil Young’s The directorial chemically bizarre) ooze used to “play” slime martial-arts films of Hong Kong director rapper/actor Ice Cube. fascinating multi- style of famed in the Ghostbusters films and the oil in There Chang Cheh. media Greendale exploitation Will Be Blood. project. filmmaker William Castle. .
Recommended publications
  • The University of Chicago Looking at Cartoons
    THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LOOKING AT CARTOONS: THE ART, LABOR, AND TECHNOLOGY OF AMERICAN CEL ANIMATION A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE DIVISION OF THE HUMANITIES IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF CINEMA AND MEDIA STUDIES BY HANNAH MAITLAND FRANK CHICAGO, ILLINOIS AUGUST 2016 FOR MY FAMILY IN MEMORY OF MY FATHER Apparently he had examined them patiently picture by picture and imagined that they would be screened in the same way, failing at that time to grasp the principle of the cinematograph. —Flann O’Brien CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES...............................................................................................................................v ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................................................vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................................................................................................viii INTRODUCTION LOOKING AT LABOR......................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1 ANIMATION AND MONTAGE; or, Photographic Records of Documents...................................................22 CHAPTER 2 A VIEW OF THE WORLD Toward a Photographic Theory of Cel Animation ...................................72 CHAPTER 3 PARS PRO TOTO Character Animation and the Work of the Anonymous Artist................121 CHAPTER 4 THE MULTIPLICATION OF TRACES Xerographic Reproduction and One Hundred and One Dalmatians.......174
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  • METHOD to the MADNESS of JERRY LEWIS” – by Mansfield Avenue Productions –
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  • Press Release
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  • National Delta Kappa Alpha
    ,...., National Delta Kappa Alpha Honorary Cinema Fraternity. 31sT ANNIVERSARY HONORARY AWARDS BANQUET honoring GREER GARSON ROSS HUNTER STEVE MCQUEEN February 9, 1969 TOWN and GOWN University of Southern California PROGRAM I. Opening Dr. Norman Topping, President of USC II. Representing Cinema Dr. Bernard R. Kantor, Chairman, Cinema III. Representing DKA Susan Lang Presentation of Associate Awards IV. Special Introductions Mrs. Norman Taurog V. Master of Ceremonies Jerry Lewis VI. Tribute to Honorary l\llembers of DKA VII. Presentation of Honorary Awards to: Greer Garson, Ross Hunter, Steve McQueen VIII. In closing Dr. Norman Topping Banquet Committee of USC Friends and Alumni Mrs. Tichi Wilkerson Miles, chairman Mr. Stanley Musgrove Mr. Earl Bellamy Mrs. Lewis Rachmil Mrs. Harry Brand Mrs. William Schaefer Mr. George Cukor Mrs. Sheldon Schrager Mrs. Albert Dorskin Mr. Walter Scott Mrs. Beatrice Greenough Mrs. Norman Taurog Mrs. Bernard Kantor Mr. King Vidor Mr. Arthur Knight Mr. Jack L. Warner Mr. Jerry Lewis Mr. Robert Wise Mr. Norman Jewison is unable to be present this evening. He will re­ ceive his award next year. We are grateful to the assistance of 20th Century Fox, Universal studios, United Artists and Warner Seven Arts. DEPARTMENT OF CINEMA In 1929, the University of Southern California in cooperation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences offered a course described in the Liberal Arts Catalogue as : Introduction to Photoplay: A general introduction to a study of the motion picture art and industry; its mechanical founda­ tion and history; the silent photoplay and the photoplay with sound and voice; the scenario; the actor's art; pictorial effects; commercial requirements; principles of criticism; ethical and educational features; lectures; class discussions, assigned read­ ings and reports.
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  • Reviews Discs
    Compact Discs reviewed on this page supplied by Angel Compact Reviews Discs. Phone (02) 253-3690 good start. When you couple the porcine VIDEOS alien with a wisecracking cop, a half-Jew­ ish judge with a passion for vibrator bat­ teries and a few sideswipes at law and , order, drug reform and bad mercery, this film really has something to say. Best among the stars of this production is the cop (Ron Silver) modelled on the Dragnet model of Joe Friday. However, this gent has a penchant for saying his dia­ logue on screen, a habit which disturbs all and sundry. A genuine comedy with not the slightest hint of gore, something re­ freshing when you are dealing with an Italian eating alien. Recommended for a hearty laugh. Peter Brown Title: The Yearling Rating: G Standard: **** Tille: Gallipoli* Gregory Peck has never been better than in this paternal role of the eternally strug­ Rating: G gling sharecropper in the bayous of south­ Standard: ** ern America. Dour wife is played by Jane For the life of me, I could never see what Title: Prizzi's Honor Wyman, this being her second best role all the fuss was about when this was first Rating: M after the classic Johnny Belinda. The story released. The fact that war is hell has Standard: *** of a boy and his love for a deer is time­ been told and retold by the likes of Ku­ Put me before a movie starring Jack Ni­ lessly told and the superb photography al­ brick with Paths of War and Remarque's cholson and I'm already half sold.
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  • “The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis” the Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis #6
    “The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis” The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis #6. May-June 1952. National Comics Publications, Inc. Bridgeport, CONN. The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis #10. January 1954. National Comics Publications, Inc. Bridgeport, CONN. The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis #11. February 1954. National Comics Publications, Inc. Bridgeport, CONN. The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis #19. February 1955. National Comics Publications, Inc. Bridgeport, CONN. The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis #32. October 1956. National Comics Publications, Inc. Sparta, IL. “The Adventures of Jerry Lewis” The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #59. July-August 1960. National Comics Publications, Inc. Sparta, IL. The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #65. July-August 1961. National Comics Publications, Inc. Sparta, IL. (Cover Only) The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #67. November-December 1961. National Periodical Publications, Inc. Sparta, IL. The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #70. May-June 1962. National Periodical Publications, Inc. Sparta, IL. The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #76. May-June 1963. National Periodical Publications, Inc. Sparta, IL. The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #80. January-February 1964. National Periodical Publications, Inc. Sparta, IL. (Cover Only) The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #104. February 1968. National Periodical Publications, Inc. Sparta, IL. “Alan Ladd: Destination Danger” The Adventures of Alan Ladd #5. June-July 1950. National Comics Publications, Inc. New York, NY. “Alan Ladd: The Ojibwa Freeze” The Adventures of Alan Ladd #9. February-March 1951. National Comics Publications, Inc. New York, NY. “Bob Hope: The Adventures of Bob Hope” The Adventures of Bob Hope #2.
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  • 11/21/74 - Greeting 1974 Muscular Dystrophy Poster Child” of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R
    The original documents are located in Box 2, folder “11/21/74 - Greeting 1974 Muscular Dystrophy Poster Child” of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Copyright Notice The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald R. Ford donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Digitized from Box 2 of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library FACT FET ·Mrs. Ford's Office Greet 1974 National Muscular Poster Child Group Muscular Dvstroohy Associations of America, Inc. DATE/T1~1E Thursday, November 21, 1974 11:00 a.m. Contact Mr. John Sellman Phone 29E-1672 Number of guests: Total -· ___7____ Women______ Men ______ Children----- l Place Map Room Principals involved Mrs. ~--------------------~--------------- Part i c i patio n hy Principal Greet & Photo (Receiving I Remarks required ____N_To-----~-------------------------- B:ickground The national campaign on behalf the Muscular Dystrcohy Association is held in November & December; the DC area kick-off is Nov. 24th. Mrs. Ford is national Honorary Chairman & will greeREQfiitRn~~~al poster child. Social: Guest list Mr.
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  • Sinatra's Little Brown Book
    SINATRA’S LITTLE BROWN BOOK An address book said to have been Frank Sinatra’s reveals the extent of his influence and connections—and why his first attempted retirement was so short-lived. BY WILL FRIEDWALD PHOTOGRAPHY BY HENRY LEUTWYLER HINK OF THE MOST legendary, exclusive parties of the the doldrums.” Once he started performing again, he was primarily past century: Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball or a stage artist and, following a trend started by top rock acts, played Vanity Fair’s Oscar party. Imagine the guest list. Now sports stadiums and other huge venues with a combination of classic think of the man comedian Alan King once described songs and newer material. as an event unto himself. The only thing Frank Sinatra Sinatra’s little book, dating from several years into his comeback, had to do to set a room buzzing was walk into it. What illustrates how his return seems almost inevitable in hindsight. Tdid his guest list look like? We no longer have to wonder. Photographer Midway through, four incongruous names sum up the eclectic range of Henry Leutwyler has documented a personal phone book said to be his social circle: Tony Mottola, Sinatra’s preferred guitarist for most Sinatra’s—every entry from his personal assistant to two U.S. presi- of this period; Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show sidekick; dents—in a collection of still-life images to be published as Hi There!, a Wayne Newton, a Vegas mainstay; and, notably, “Nixon, Pres.” Sinatra monograph out in June from Steidl.
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  • Frame by Frame
    3 Pars Pro Toto Character Animation and the Work of the Anonymous Artist Everyone does his or her task on the conveyor belt, performing a partial function without grasping the totality. —Siegfried Kracauer1 The single frame is the basic unit of film just as bricks are the basic unit of brick houses. —Robert Breer2 DELIBERATE MISTAKES In late March 1937, in order to meet the booming demand for Popeye cartoons, the management at Fleischer Studios called for the production process to be sped up. In-betweeners, the animators tasked with drawing the stages of movement that come in between key poses, were expected to double their daily output, from twenty sketches per day to forty.3 But tensions between management and labor at the studio were running high, and the in-betweeners did not comply. Instead, they countered with a “slowdown” strike, which meant, effectively, continuing to produce drawings at the regular rate.4 In the month that followed, fifteen anima- tors were fired for participating in the slowdown, and on May 6 the Commercial Artists and Designers Union authorized a full walkout of the studio. The story of what happened next has already been told, as have the stories of other labor conflicts in the US animation industry—most notably, the 1941 strike at Walt Disney Studios.5 But I want to focus on what didn’t happen. By this I do not mean a counterfactual history, at least not in the traditional sense of the term. Rather, I wish to imagine what is left unsaid in these narratives, which tell us only what went on behind the scenes.
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  • Who, What, When, Where Instructions
    Who, What, When, Where Instructions ● Each slide will have clues about each topic: who, what, when, and where ● The answers will be different people, items, places, and “time periods” ● There will be clues on each slide ● Participants should use the clues to guess the answer ● There will be discussion questions for you to answer and talk about on each answer slide Who ● Hint: Famous actress ● Born February 27, 1932 in London, England, she was one of films most celebrated stars ● She accepted roles that not only showcased her beauty, but her ability to take on emotionally charged characters Who ● Hint: She was famous for her violet eyes and scandalous love life ● She was married 8 times and had 4 children ● She was also famous for her extensive jewelry collection: On the first night of the sale for the collection, the actress' jewelry sold for $115.9 million--a world record for a private jewelry collection sold at auction Who ● Hint: She starred in many films including “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “Butterfield 8” ● She won academy awards for “Butterfield 8” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” ● She started acting when she was a child; her breakout role was in “National Velvet” in 1944 when she was 12 ● She made her screen debut at the age of 10 in “There's One Born Every Minute”in 1942. She followed that up with a bigger role in “Lassie Come Home” in 1943 and later “The White Cliffs of Dover” in 1944 Who ● Answer: Elizabeth Taylor ● Discussion: -Who’s your favorite actress? -Did you like Elizabeth Taylor? -Have you seen any of her movies? -Which
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  • Jerry Lewis a Decade Before the first Cameras Rolled in Hollywood, Fort Lee Was the Birthplace of the Motion Picture Industry
    34 EDGE ore than one historian has observed that New Jersey has a legitimate inte rview Mclaim to being the golden cradle of American popular culture. Jerry Lewis A decade before the first cameras rolled in Hollywood, Fort Lee was the birthplace of the motion picture industry. A half-century before Las Vegas, Atlantic City was America’s first playground. Red Bank produced Count Basie, Hoboken Frank Sinatra. In 1926, the Patron Saint of Comedy, Jerry Lewis , entered the world in Newark and later announced his arrival with the immortal words Hey Laaaaady! This fall, the 90-year-old Lewis starred in the title role of Max Rose, portraying an octogenarian pianist dealing with the loss of his beloved wife. Filmmakers Luke Sacher and Carole Langer have known Lewis and his family for decades. They asked him to peel back the veneer on his 70-plus years in show business and talk about the Jerry that his fans rarely get to see. EDGE: When you and Dean Martin began working together at the 500 Club in Atlantic City, were you looking for a partner? k n i o c JL: No, it was an accident. I wasn't l a f / e looking for anything. The singer got n o t s r laryngitis, and [club owner] Skinny e p p o D’Amato said to me, “Do you know h VISIT US ON THE WEB www.edgemagonline.com INTERVIEW 35 s n o i t c u d o r p x o b p a anybody?” After the first night he was on the stage with If he didn’t have to put o s me, I knew we had lightning in a bottle.
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