Edward Selzer
| Edward Selzer | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Edward Selzer January 12, 1893 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 22, 1970 (aged 77) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1914–1958 |
| Spouse(s) | Laura Selzer (m. 1927–1970; his death) |
| Children | Phyllis and Robert Selzer |
Edward "Eddie" Selzer (January 12, 1893 – February 22, 1970) was an American cartoon producer and head of Warner Bros. Cartoons from 1944 to 1958. He served in the US Navy and fought as a Golden Gloves boxer. He won a boxing exhibition for the Navy and was awarded with a weekend pass. While out on leave he met a New York chorus girl named Laura Cohn; he later married Laura and relocated to Los Angeles where they had two children; Phyllis and Robert.
After the studio was purchased from Leon Schlesinger in 1944, Selzer was assigned studio head by Jack L. Warner. His first cartoon was Goldilocks and the Jivin' Bears.
Unlike his predecessor, Selzer did not want any on-screen credit as producer for Warner Bros. Much of what is publicly known about Selzer's personality and business acumen is from Chuck Jones' autobiography, Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist. In it, Jones paints Selzer as an interfering bore with no appreciation of animated cartoons. They later developed a mutual respect and understanding of one another, remaining friendly until Selzer's passing.
Friz Freleng nearly resigned after butting heads with Selzer, who did not think that pairing Sylvester the cat and Tweety was a viable decision. The argument reached its crux when Freleng reportedly placed his drawing pencil on Selzer's desk, furiously telling Selzer that if he knew so much about animation, he should do the work instead. Selzer backed off the issue and apologized to Freleng that evening. Tweetie Pie, the very cartoon that first paired Sylvester and Tweety together, went on to win Warner Brothers' first Academy Award for Animated Short Film, in 1947, with Tweety and Sylvester proving to be among the most endearing duos in Warner Bros. cartoons. Accepting the Short Subject (Cartoon) award for Tweetie Pie from Shirley Temple at the 20th Academy Awards ceremony on 20 March 1948, Selzer said:
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