Biography
Cal Dalton was an American animator who devoted his entire animation career to Leon Schlesinger Productions and Warner Bros. Cartoons.
Dalton was first introduced to the field of animation at Romer Grey’s studio and Ted Eshbaugh’s studio, where he worked on Goofy Goat Antics (1931) and an animated short version of The Wizard of Oz (1933). After this project was completed, Dalton found employment at Leon Schlesinger Productions where he stayed for the next fifteen years.
Dalton started at Leon Schlesinger Productions as an opaquer, and after the departure of Friz Freleng from the studio in 1937, Dalton was promoted to the position of a director. It is interesting that Dalton was never credited as a sole director and had always a second director working and being credited with him. As a director he was always paired with Cal Howard or Ben Hardaway. In 1938 the short lived Dalton-Hardaway unit was created, which was closed a year later after Friz Freleng’s return from MGM Cartoon Studios. During this time, Dalton co-directed 1938’s Hare Hunt and 1939’s Hare-um Scare-um, the two animated short films featuring the early prototypes of Warner’s most popular animated character, Bugs Bunny. After the disbandment of his unit, Dalton returned to the position of an animator in Frank Tashin’s unit and later in Robert McKimson’s unit. As an animator, he worked on Merrie Melodies, Porky Pig, Duffy Duck and Elmer Fudd animations, among others.
After leaving Warner Bros. Cartoons in 1947, Dalton briefly worked at Walt Disney Animation Studios in the early 1950s, Paramount Cartoon Studios in the early 1960s, and Walter Lantz Productions in the 1960s.
References:
- Lenburg, Jeff. Who’s Who in Animated Cartoons. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2006.
- Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980.
- Sandler, Kevin S. Reading the Rabbit: Explorations in Warner Bros. Animation. Rutgers, The State University, 1998.