Birthday: (52) 1922-07-02 - Deathday: 1975-05-08
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USAAlso known as: Abraham Levitow,
Abraham Levitow (July 2, 1922 – May 8, 1975) was an American animator who worked at Warner Bros. Cartoons, UPA and MGM Animation/Visual Arts. He is best known for his work under Chuck Jones' direction. Levitow began working as an in-betweener and assistant animator at Warner Bros. Cartoons in 1940 at the age of 17. He briefly left Warner Bros. when he was drafted during World War II working on training films. Levitow returned to the studio, working as an assistant animator for Ken Harris under the Chuck Jones unit, and he was later promoted to animator in 1950 and would receive his first animations credit in 1953 for the cartoon Wild Over You. He worked steadily for Jones over the remainder of the 1950s, and directed several cartoons for release in 1959, including the Pepé Le Pew cartoon "Really Scent". While working under Jones, he made characters' joints more angular than most other animators. Those characters with fur (Wile E. Coyote, for example) looked especially shaggy in Levitow's scenes. Levitow joined UPA in 1958 to work on the Mr. Magoo feature 1001 Arabian Nights, staying behind even after the studio was sold to Henry G. Saperstein. In 1962, he directed the first feature-length animated television special, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. 1962 also saw the release of his theatrical feature Gay Purr-ee. By 1962, he was working with Jones at MGM as an animator and a director in the Tom and Jerry series. He co-directed the feature film The Phantom Tollbooth with Chuck Jones at MGM. In addition, he worked with UPA on more Mr. Magoo cartoons, including The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo, and also collaborated with Chuck again on the program Curiosity Shop through Format Films. He animated on the Chuck Jones-produced A Christmas Carol, directed by Richard Williams at Williams' London studio in 1971. In 1972, he and producer Dave Hanson founded Levitow/Hanson Films. The studio produced several animated pieces for Sesame Street, the most notable being Willie Wimple. His last completed project was B.C.: The First Thanksgiving, which aired in November of 1973. At the time of his death, Levitow was in line to direct the animated feature film Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure. The project was taken over by Richard Williams when Levitow died from a bone tumor during pre-production at the age of 52. [biography (excerpted) from Wikipedia]
Looney Tunes P...
8.9
Director
One Froggy Eve...
7.701
Animation
Scaredy Cat
7.6
Animation
What's Opera, ...
7.562
Animation
Claws for Alarm
7.2
Animation
A Christmas Ca...
7.115
Story Artist
Whoa, Be-Gone!
7.1
Animation
Popeye the Sai...
7.1
Animation
Sheep Ahoy
7.083
Animation
Ready.. Set.. ...
7
Animation
Guided Muscle
7
Animation
Scrambled Aches
7
Animation
Double or Mutt...
7
Animation
Wild About Hur...
7
Animation
Steal Wool
6.981
Animation
Hare-Way to th...
6.9
Animation
Deduce, You Say
6.9
Animation
The Dick Tracy...
6.9
Director
Really Scent
6.885
Director
Robin Hood Daf...
6.856
Animation
The Phantom To...
6.8
Director
Broom-Stick Bu...
6.8
Animation
Stop! Look! an...
6.8
Animation
The Phantom To...
6.8
Producer
Beanstalk Bunny
6.8
Animation
The Famous Adv...
6.8
Director
Feline Frame-Up
6.725
Animation
Baton Bunny
6.7
Director
Zoom and Bored
6.7
Animation
Rocket-bye Baby
6.7
Animation
Gee Whiz-z-z-z...
6.681
Animation
Baby Buggy Bun...
6.662
Animation
Gay Purr-ee
6.6
Director
There They Go-...
6.6
Animation
O-Solar-Meow
6.6
Director
Bugs Bunny's L...
6.6
Director
Two Scent's Wo...
6.5
Animation
Forward March ...
6.5
Animation
Mister Magoo's...
6.3
Director
Guided Mouse-I...
6.3
Director
Lickety-Splat
6.3
Co-Director
The Mouse from...
6.278
Director
Nelly's Folly
6.2
Co-Director
Cat Feud
6.143
Animation
Daffy Duck's T...
6.1
Animation
A Witch's Tang...
6
Director
Unnatural Hist...
6
Director
It's Everybody...
6
Animation
Jerry-Go-Round
5.9
Director
Boyhood Daze
5.8
Animation
Catty-Cornered
5.8
Director
Martian Throug...
5.8
Director
Rock 'n' Rodent
5.7
Director
B.C.: The Firs...
5.7
Executive Prod...
B.C.: The Firs...
5.7
Director
1001 Arabian N...
5.7
Art Direction
Puss 'n' Boats
5.6
Director
Filet Meow
5.6
Director
Surf-Bored Cat
5.6
Director
The A-Tom-inab...
5.3
Director
90 Day Wonderi...
5.132
Animation
A Hitch in Time
5.1
Animation
Barbecue for T...
3
Animation
Inside Magoo
0
Director
Magoo Meets Fr...
0
Executive Prod...
Magoo Meets Bo...
0
Director
Bugs Bunny at ...
0
Animation Dire...
The Wizard of ...
0
Director
Mr. Magoo, Man...
0
Director
Uncle Sam Magoo
0
Director