Cal Howard .... the Rodney Daingerfield of WB directors

[J Lee]

First, Cal doesn't get credit for co-directing "Katnip Kollege" with Cal Dalton pretty much everywhere -- all the way up to the liner notes on this year's "That's All, Folks!" Warner's CD compliation -- Ben Hardaway gets the credit instead.

And then tonight on the Toonheads episode on the evolution of Elmer Fudd, even though the title card on the opening cartoon clearly gives his name, who gets credit for co-directing "A Lad In Baghdad?" Of course, Hardaway again.

No respect. Just no respect...

[Sogturtle]

Originally posted by J Lee
First, Cal doesn't get credit for co-directing "Katnip Kollege" with Cal Dalton pretty much everywhere -- all the way up to the liner notes on this year's "That's All, Folks!" Warner's CD compliation -- Ben Hardaway gets the credit instead.

And then tonight on the Toonheads episode on the evolution of Elmer Fudd, even though the title card on the opening cartoon clearly gives his name, who gets credit for co-directing "A Lad In Baghdad?" Of course, Hardaway again.

No respect. Just no respect...

John, you're quite right... Buuuuuut that's the price poor ol' Cal paid for quitting Schlesinger's to trek off to Fleischer's. Hardaway came much earlier and stayed longer. Buuuuut both were quite important as early writers (and directors).

[J Lee]

Cal did make the mistake (along with Tedd Pierce and George Manuell) of going where the grass seemed to be greener and the bugs definitely were bigger in swapping Sunset Blvd. for Miami, Fla., and I can understand how the "Katnip Kollege" error got in there, since it was one of them durned old Blue Ribbon releases. But on Sunday night's show, jeez -- just read the names off the title card on the cartoon, then write the narration. AFAIK, no one has ever credited "A Lad in Baghdad" to Hardaway until last night.

At least Cal did make it back to Warners twice more -- the first time around 1950 (ironically at the same time J.B. Hardaway returned to do story work for Friz) and one last time when J.L. reopened the studio in late 1966 with Alex Lovy directing.

[Sogturtle]

Originally posted by J Lee
Cal did make the mistake (along with Tedd Pierce and George Manuell) of going where the grass seemed to be greener and the bugs definitely were bigger in swapping Sunset Blvd. for Miami, Fla., and I can understand how the "Katnip Kollege" error got in there, since it was one of them durned old Blue Ribbon releases. But on Sunday night's show, jeez -- just read the names off the title card on the cartoon, then write the narration. AFAIK, no one has ever credited "A Lad in Baghdad" to Hardaway until last night.

At least Cal did make it back to Warners twice more -- the first time around 1950 (ironically at the same time J.B. Hardaway returned to do story work for Friz) and one last time when J.L. reopened the studio in late 1966 with Alex Lovy directing.

Yeah John, Cal did return to Warner's proper twice. But he was of course also at the Columbia Screen Gems studio in what amounted to a near-clone of Warners... With Katz and Binder subbing for Leon, Bob Clampett ghosting as supervising writer, and storymen Cal and Dave Monahan. The directors were Sid Marcus and Alex Lovy (and briefly Howard Swift).

Annnnd he was an early TV writer for a decade before returning to cartoons at Lantz under former Warner (and Columbia) associates Art Davis and Sid Marcus...