Keith Scott - The Moose That Roared: The Story of Jay Ward, Bill Scott, a Flying Squirrel, and a Talking Moose

Copyright 1960 by Ward Productions, Inc. Courtesy of Universal Studios Publishing Rights, a Division of Universal Studios Licensing, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Contents

1. WATCH ME PULL A RABBIT OUTTA MY HAT,
or Heres Lookin Up Your Ancestors

2. CRUSADER RABBIT: HIS RISE AND FALL,
or You Are Now Entering Frostbite Falls

3. TIME FOR THAT JOLLY JUGGLER, BULLWINKLE,
or Bill Scott, Moose of Letters

4. THE ROCKY ROAD TO TELEVISION,
or That Voice, Where Have I Heard That Voice?

5. SPONSORED SQUIRREL,
or How Green Was My Contract

6. HOW TO CUT CARTOON CORNERS,
or Mexico City Mishmash

7. GRINGOS, HEPATITIS, AND MUCHO LOMA,
or You Cant Make Fun of Pancho Villa

8. SQUIRREL ON THE TUBE,
or Watts Gnu with You?

9. STARRING THAT SUPERSONIC SPEEDSTER,
or Time for That Dancin Fool, Bullwinkle

10. AND A HOST OF OTHERS,
or Now Its Time for Another Special Feature

12. AD AGENCY, NETWORK, AND SPONSOR,
or You Think I Want Every Tom, Dick, and Gordon In On the Plot?

13. 1961: BULLWINKLE HITS THE BIG TIME,
or Dont Go Getting Swelled Antlers

14. BULLWINKLE MEETS THE PRESS,
or All the Moose Thats Fit to Print

15. 1962: ITS MY PARTY AND ILL LAUGH IF I WANT TO,
or Moosylvania Mania

16. 1963: A DAY AT THE NUT HOUSE,
or What Do They Do on a Rainy Night in Coney Island?

17. SILENTS IS GOLDEN,
or The Greatest Waste of TV Time Since: The Bullwinkle Show ( Fractured Flickers )

18. BULLWINKLES LAST STAND,
or Its a Frog-Eat-Frog World

19. THIS IS WHAT I REALLY CALL A MESSAGE!
or Twas on the Good Ship Guppy (The Quaker Commercials)

20. TV OR NOT TV,
or Watch Out for That Tree!

21. OUR FEARLESS LEADER,
or What Was Jay Ward Really Like?

22. WELL, BULLWINKLE, IT LOOKS AS IF OUR TIME HAS JUST ABOUT RUN OUT,
or But, Rock, I Need Retirement Like a Moose Needs a Hat Rack

Courtesy of Bill Scott

For Bill Scott (19201985)

YOU GOT THE CREDITS, BULLWINKLE?

or Here Are a Few of the People Who Made This Impossible! (Acknowledgments)

This book has been an eight-year labor of love. Its also been a difficult one to write simply by dint of geographical distance, and more than most authors I have needed the transoceanic help of others to bring the book to its final stages.

Its obviously somewhat presumptuous to attempt to chronicle twenty-five years in the life of a cartoon studio, particularly when one was not there at the time. Which is why those who were there will always do the best books on animation (the lively memoirs of Shamus Culhane, Chuck Jones, and Jack Kinney provide ample proof). The job itself becomes even more of a jigsaw puzzle with the death of several key participants. Until recently, in fact, those brave souls who wrote about any aspect of animation history had very little in the way of reference material or even basic starting points. The task involves much primary research, and, regrettably, various pioneers are now gone to the big storyboard conference on high. Fortunately, I got off to a great start in 1970 when I began my correspondence with the late Daws Butler, Bill Scott, and Paul Frees, and the still highly active June Foray.

The many interviews and meetings with these giants of the cartoon-voice field formed the basis of this book. June Foray has been a wonderful friend for twenty-five years. It was truly one of those magic moments that happen once in a lifetime when I finally worked with her in early 1992, on recording sessions for Universals Rocky and Bullwinkle theme-park shows.

In 1973 I met the supposedly elusive Jay Ward; he was a great help for the next twelve years, especially in fleshing out innumerable details that form the historical chapters within these pages.

Particular mention must be given to Skip Craig, a most loyal friend, who has been unfailingly helpful, meticulous, and patient, and happily blessed with an extraordinary memory. Skip, Jay Wards chief film editor from 1959 to 1984, is already well known to several entertainment researchers for his incredible help on books concerning Spike Jones and old-time radio; his enthusiasm is unflagging, and hes truly one of the gentlemen of this world.

Above all it was Bill Scott who proved truly invaluable, taking me under his wingor antlersby inviting me to Jay Ward recording sessions, writing newsy letters, and supplying research materials. Bill selflessly spent ten years loaningor simply giving mecopies of his files, correspondence, master tapes, and cels (long before animation art was known to be a hot item); not to mention the many hours I got to spend in his hilarious company. His patience with a decades worth of often arcane questions knew no bounds, and it is to him that this book is fondly dedicated.

Of tremendous help in verifying facts and fleshing out much needed background were the many other people who were there when Jay Ward Productions was happening. My heartfelt thanks to the following for giving of their time and memories: Alex Anderson, Roman Arambula, George Atkins, Gerard Baldwin, Bruce Burness, Allan Burns, Lucille Bliss, Howard Brandy, Myrtis Butler, Frank Comstock, the late William Conrad, Trilby Conried, Helen Craig, Jim Critchfield, the late Shamus Culhane, Sam Clay-berger, Dennis Farnon, Stan Freberg, Mr. and Mrs. David Frees, Fred Frees, Joy Terry Frees, Alan Foshko, Rose Frees Ginsberg, William Hanna, Helen Hanson, Chris Hayward, Linda Hayward, Jim Hiltz, Bill and Mary Hurtz, Chuck Jones, Francy Jones, Chris Jenkyns, the late Lew Keller, Leonard Key, Ted Key, Bob Kurtz, Bill Littlejohn, Bob Mills, Alice Morita, Charlotte Morris, Luther Nichols, Gary Owens, Peter Piech, Don Pitts, Erv Rosenfeld, Dorothy Scott, John Hamilton Scott, Al Shean, Shirley Silvey Berg, George Singer, Fred Steiner, Darlene Turner, the late Lloyd Turner, and Al Wilson. (If the elusive Bill Oberlin and Chris Allen are still alive, please contact the author!)

For reasons that go beyond this book, I owe enormous thanks to Ramona and Tiffany Ward, who now run Jay Ward Productions in its fortieth year.

Others who helped in generous fashion, beyond the call of duty, include the regular band of dedicated animation enthusiasts: Karl Cohen, Fred Patten (both of whom had already conducted splendid research on the Crusader Rabbit era), Charles Ulrich, editor of the newsletter The Frostbite Falls Far Flung Flyer, Robert L. Stone, David Mruz, Duane Dimock, Ronnie Wise, Mark Evanier, Jerry Beck, Leonard Maltin, Steve Worth, Peter Greenwood, Raymond Cox, Hames Ware, Graham Webb, Mike Barrier, and the indispensable Mark Kausler. Institutional help came from the Margaret Herrick Library at the Center for Motion Picture Study and the USC Cinema-Television Librarys energetic curator, Ned Comstock.

Supplying endless tapes and rare recordings were John and Larry Gassman, Ted Hering, Dick Mullins, Don Aston, and undoubtedly the worlds most painstaking recording perfectionist, my funny friend Ken Greenwald. Always there in the nick of time with much needed assistance on additional audio and video material were two of the best in the businessthe ineffable Brian Bogle and the gifted voice artist Corey Burton (whose taste and judgment concerning voice work and Jay Ward cartoons are second to none).