Biography: Chuck Jones

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Birth/Death

Birth: 1912, Spokane, WA
Death: 2002

Occupation/Title

Animator, Director

Bio Summary

Early Life/Family

Jones moved to Hollywood with his family, finding work there as a child ?extra in Mac Sennett comedies.

Education/Training

Chuck graduated ?from Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles (now California Institute of the Arts). In ?1932, he got his first job in the animation industry as a cel washer for the former Disney ?animator Ubbe Iwerks.

Career Outline

In 1936, he was an animator for Leon Schlesinger Studio (later sold to ?Warner Bros). There, he animated with Tex Avery. He headed his own unit at WB. He ?remained at Warner Bros. Animation until it closed in 1962. The first Road Runner ?cartoon was conceived as a parody of the mindless chase cartoons popular at the time, but ?audiences around the world embraced the series. Had a brief stint at Disney in ?1955 during a hiatus at WB. Went on to MGM to create new episodes of Tom and Jerry.?While there, he produced, co-directed, and co-wrote the screenplay for the critically ?acclaimed full-length feature THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH, and directed the ?Academy Award-winning film THE DOT AND THE LINE. For a year in 1972, he ?worked as vice president of the American Broadcasting Company to improve children’s ?programming. There, he made many animated specials for television.

Comments On Style

Jones is considered by many to be a master of characterization and ?timing

Influences

Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Mark Twain, Tex Avery ,Friz Ferleng, His cat Johnson.

Personality

Anecdotes

“While at the breakfast table, Chuck would eat silently while reading a ?novel, and expected everyone at the table to do the same” (Linda Jones)

Miscellaneous

Filmography

Honors

Oscar: The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics 1966
Cannes Film Festival: Golden Palm 1966

Oscar for lifetime achievement: 2002