Frank Tashlin

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Frank Tashlin , actually Francis Fredrick von Taschlein (born February 19, 1913 in Weehawken , New Jersey , † May 5, 1972 in Hollywood , California ) was an American animator , screenwriter and director . He began his career in various animation studios before a name for himself as a director of cartoons for Warner Bros. made. In the 1940s , Tashlin switched to real-life films, specializing in comedies .

Tashlin as an animator

Tashlin was born Francis Frederick von Taschlein (his father was German, his mother French) in New Jersey. After dropping out of school at the age of thirteen, Tashlin moved from job to job until he found a job as a delivery boy in Max Fleischer's animation studio in New York City . From there he moved to the Van Beuren Studio in 1930 , where he worked as a draftsman for the cartoon series Aesop's Fables and Tom and Jerry (a cartoon series with two human characters, not to be confused with the MGM cartoons with Tom the tomcat and the mouse Jerry). In 1933 he was brought to Hollywood by Leon Schlesinger to work as an animator on the Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies cartoons. Here he worked with Tex Avery , Chuck Jones and Robert Clampett . At the same time Tashlin published a successful comic series under the pseudonym Tish Tash . When Schlesinger requested a stake in Tashlin's profits from the comics, Tashlin resigned from Warner Brothers.

After a brief stint at MGM , where he worked for Ub Iwerks ' series Flip the Frog , he became a gag writer for Hal Roach . Tashlin wrote two-act scripts with Laurel and Hardy , the little thugs and Charley Chase .

Because Schlesinger wanted to expand the production of animated films, he offered Tashlin in 1936 to return to Warner Bros. as an animation director. There he had a great influence in the development of the first big star of the Looney Tunes, Schweinchen Dick (Porky Pig) . After only two years (in which he directed 21 films) Tashlin resigned. He went to Disney and worked there as a story developer (together with Carl Barks ) and storyboard drawer for various projects.

In 1941, Tashlin moved to Screen Gems , the newly formed animation division of Columbia Pictures . Although he only stayed there for a year, Tashlin was responsible for the studio's best cartoons. His short film The Fox and the Grapes was considered particularly innovative and anticipated the comedy of the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote films.

In 1942, Tashlin returned to Warner Bros. for a second time. His great role model Tex Avery had meanwhile switched to MGM and Chuck Jones had been promoted to director. Tashlin directed Bugs Bunny , Daffy Duck and Piggy Dick cartoons, as well as four Private Snafu films used as propaganda and educational films during World War II .

Tashlin as a director

In 1946, Tashlin finally said goodbye to the animation business. He worked again as a gag writer for the Marx Brothers , Lucille Ball and Bob Hope . His script for the Bob Hope comedy His Angel with Two Pistols (The Paleface) was particularly successful. During this time, Tashlin also began publishing several children's books . His first book, The Bear that Wasn't , was later made into a film by Chuck Jones.

In 1951, Tashlin got his chance to direct the re- shoot for the Bob Hope film The Lemon Drop Kid . Hope and the producer of The Lemon Drop Kid , Robert Welch, were impressed by Tashlin's work and offered to direct and screenwriter the sequel to The Paleface with them . Since Tashlin didn't want to be tied to a studio, he first made his official directorial debut A Baby Seldom Comes Alone (The First Time) before he turned Pale Face Junior (Son of Paleface) in 1952 .

After two films for RKO Pictures , Tashlin signed a contract with Paramount Pictures . His first film for the studio was the comedy Der Agentenschreck (Artists and Models) in 1955 , one of the best films by the comedian duo Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis . With this film began a very successful collaboration between Tashlin and Jerry Lewis. Tashlin made another film with Martin and Lewis, Alles über Anita (Hollywood or Bust) , which was to be the duo's last film together. Tashlin continued to work with Jerry Lewis and made six more films with him. Similar to Bob Hope in Pale Face Junior , Tashlin knew how to put Lewis' strange comedy into practice. Although the films with Lewis look like a real film version of his cartoons, Tashlin's films were far more complex. Jerry Lewis became Tashlins protégé , and after he intensively on the production of the film Cinderfella (Cinderfella) was involved, dared Lewis in 1960 itself, to direct (in the comedy Hello Page! ). Despite the great success of his own directing work, Lewis produced three more films with Tashlin as director and screenwriter until 1964.

Even if the Jerry Lewis films are among Tashlin's best-known works today, he also directed films with other stars during these years. The music comedy The Girl Can't Help It (also known as Schlagerpiraten ) from 1956 set standards, as black rock 'n' roll stars like Little Richard or Fats Domino were seen in a feature film for the first time. This film was also the first rock 'n' roll to be shot in Cinemascope and in color (both were proudly presented by actor Tom Ewell in the prologue of the film). Most impressive in this film, however, was the acting performance of Jayne Mansfield , which Tashlin used both as a sex bomb and a parody of it. With Mansfield, Tashlin realized Siren in blond a year later (Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?) , A biting satire that is considered Tashlin's best film.

In the 1960s Tashlin not only worked with Jerry Lewis, but also made films with comedians such as Terry-Thomas (Dinosaurs preferred) , Danny Kaye (The Man from Diners Club) and Tony Randall (The Murders of Hernn ABC, a crime parody with Randall as Hercule Poirot ). In 1966 and 1967 he made the films Spy in Lace Panties ( The Glass Bottom Boat , Day's last successful film) and Caprice with Doris Day .

Ironically, Tashlin's director career ended as it began - with a Bob Hope film. However, in 1968 Hope's humor was already out of date, and so Where is there beer at the front, please? (The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell) to failure. Tashlin withdrew from directing. He was still working on some script drafts, but none of them were implemented. Frank Tashlin died in Hollywood on May 5, 1972.

Tashlin was celebrated at the height of his career by the French film critics of " Cahiers du cinéma ". Although he was “only” a genre specialist, Jean-Luc Godard in particular saw him as a real author . In a review of Alles um Anita , he wrote that Tashlin not only revived Hollywood comedy, but recreated it. After his death, however, his work was rather underestimated. After being recognized at the Edinburgh Festival in autumn 1973, it took 21 years before he was honored with a retrospective at the Locarno International Film Festival .

Filmography (selection)

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personal data
SURNAME Tashlin, Frank
ALTERNATIVE NAMES from Taschlein, Francis Fredrick (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American animator and film director
DATE OF BIRTH February 19, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH Weehawken Township , New Jersey , United States
DATE OF DEATH May 5th 1972
Place of death Hollywood , California , United States