Known for Directing
Culhane worked for a number of American animation studios, including Fleischer Studios, the Ub Iwerks studio, Walt Disney Productions, and theWalter Lantz studio. He began his animation career in 1925 working for J.R. Bray studios, and is known for promoting the animation talents of his inker/assistant at the Fleischer Studios in the early 1930s, Lillian Friedman Astor, making her the first female studio animator. While at the Disney studio, he discovered while working on Hawaiian Holiday's crab sequence an animation method that involved stewing for multiple days, before drawing the entire thing in rough sketches all at once, straight ahead, without invoking the left side of the brain. He was a lead animator on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, animating arguably the most well-known sequence in the film, the animation of the dwarves marching home singing "Heigh-Ho". The scene took Culhane and his assistants six months to complete. During this time he developed his 'High-speed' technique of using only the right side of the brain and animating with quick dashed-off sketches. In 1944, he collaborated on The Greatest Man in Siam with the layout artist Art Heinemann. In that animation, "the king of Siam bolts past doorways that are distinctly phallic in shape and peers at another that mimics a vagina."[3] Later in his career, Culhane worked briefly in Chuck Jones's unit at Warner Bros, before moving on to being a director for Lantz, where he helmed Woody Woodpecker's 1944 classic, The Barber of Seville, the cartoon famous for one of the first uses of fast cutting, after taking the idea from Sergei Eisenstein. At Lantz, he introduced Russian avant-garde influenced experimental art into the cartoons. In the late-1940s, he founded Shamus Culhane Productions (Culhane had gone by his birthname of James up until this point, before going by its Irish variant Shamus), one of the first companies to create animated television commercials. It also produced the animation for at least one of the Bell Telephone Science Series films. Shamus Culhane Productions folded in the 1960s, at which point Culhane became the head of the successor to Fleischer Studios, Paramount Cartoon Studios. He left the studio in 1967, and went into semi-retirement. Culhane wrote two highly regarded books on animation: the how-to/textbook Animation from Script to Screen, and his autobiography Talking Animals and Other People. Since Culhane worked for a number of major Hollywood animation studios, his autobiography gives a balanced general overview of the history of the Golden Age of American Animation. At his death on February 2, 1996, Culhane was survived by second wife, the former Juana Hegarty, and by two sons from his first marriage to Maxine Marx (the daughter of Chico Marx) which ended in divorce: Brian Culhane of Seattle and Kevin Marx Culhane of Portland, Ore. -From Wikiepedia
Born
November 12, 1908
Died
February 2, 1996 (age 87)
Birthplace
Wareham, Massachusetts, USA
Filmography
105 films, 2 shows


Last of the Red-Hot Dragons
1980 · 30m
country: Unknown
When the animals on their way to Noah's Ark find themselves stranded at the North Pole, an old dragon that has lost its ability to breathe fire sets out to help them.


King of the Beasts
1977 · 25m
country: Unknown
The second of three animated TV specials about the animals of Noah's Ark.


Noah's Animals
1976 · 25m
country: Unknown
The first of a trilogy of animated specials about the animals of Noah's Ark.


The Night the Animals Talked
1970 · 30m
country: Unknown
Common farm animals in the stable of Christ's birth begin to talk and communicate for the first time upon Mary and Joseph's arrival. They realize a miracle is about to take place, but lose their ability to speak following the birth of Christ as they rush to tell all about the Savior's birth.


The Opera Caper
1967 · 5m
country: United States
Two inept crooks have hilarious misadventures as they try to kidnap a opera singer.
From Orbit to Obit
From Orbit to Obit
1967 · 6m
country: United States
A Merry Makers short.
Robin Hoodwinked
Robin Hoodwinked
1967 · 6m
country: United States
Sir Blur, a nearsighted fellow who mistakes something or someone for something else.
Halt, Who Grows There?
Halt, Who Grows There?
1967 · 6m
country: Unknown
Hard Hat and Fall Guy try to stop a fast growing plant from taking over a construction site.
The Plumber
The Plumber
1967 · 6m
country: United States
Directed by Shamus Culhane, this was a fine animated short about the title character turning his pipes into a musical instrument with a performance that gets such a positive response from some passersby that he gets a contract offer.
The Squaw Path
The Squaw Path
1967 · 6m
country: United States
About Native Americans Geronimo and Son.


The Trip
1967 · 7m
country: United States
An office drudge goes on a cruise and winds up a castaway on a tropical island. He soon meets his man Friday in the form of a friendly ape.
My Daddy the Astronaut
My Daddy the Astronaut
1967 · 7m
country: United States
When dad becomes the astronaut, he gets to take his son to many places, including the carnival. In the end, dad gets sick by the carousel and taken into the hospital.
Think or Sink
Think or Sink
1967 · 6m
country: Unknown
From a story by legendary Terrytoons animator Jim Tyler, this cartoon by director Shamus Culhane concerns an elephant named Roscoe whose friend thinks he's crazy since Roscoe is able to walk, skate, and stand on water simply because the elephant thinks he can.


The Blacksheep Blacksmith
1967 · 6m
country: United States
The half-blind Sir Blur, who is both knight and mailman, torments a blacksmith with his bumbling.
The Space Squid
The Space Squid
1967
country: United States
An astronaut hunts for the unusual creature, the space squid. Currently lost.
Geronimo and Son
Geronimo and Son
1966 · 6m
country: United States
The story of Geronimo, an American indian, and his brother.


Potions and Notions
1966 · 8m
country: United States
Honey is baking a cake for Fraidy Bat's birthday. Misunderstanding what he meant when he said "the main ingredient in cake is love", she adds love potion to the cake. Cousin Maggie takes a bite of the cake and precedes to fall in love with Stanley the Wizard, who just showed up at the door. Maggie begins chasing Stanley around the forest while Honey and Fraidy prepare an antidote (which turns out to be Honey's tears). Maggie is turned back to normal; unfortunately Stanley eats a slice of Honey's cake while hiding inside the house and the first person he sees is Cousin Maggie...
A Wedding Knight
A Wedding Knight
1966 · 6m
country: United States
Sir Blur stumbles into a kingdom. A king is having trouble getting someone to marry his daughter because she's, to put it mildly, ugly. Guess who stumbles into the contest? Sir Blur was Famous Studios' answer to Mr. Magoo in that he was another nearsighted fellow who mistakes something or someone for something else.
Throne for a Loss
Throne for a Loss
1966 · 6m
country: United States
Stanley is tricked by a frog who claims to have been a king.


A Balmy Knight
1966 · 6m
country: United States
Sir Blur was Famous Studios' answer to Mr. Magoo in that he was another nearsighted fellow who mistakes something or someone for something else.


The Defiant Giant
1966 · 6m
country: United States
Honey Halfwitch meets a Giant.
I Want My Mummy
I Want My Mummy
1966 · 7m
country: United States
Jose goes to a restaurant and is told by the waiter that an all-you-can-eat buffet is $5. Jose only has a penny which he uses to get three peanuts from a candy machine. A bird comes by and eats them all.
The Big Fun Carnival
The Big Fun Carnival
1957 · 1h 30m
country: United States
The first of a series of 12 compilation features (number 1-12)made for theatres to use as a Saturday Matinee offering aimed strictly at children. Marian Stafford, folk-singer Jared Reed, and The Bunin Puppets appear before and after each cartoon short. All of the cartoon shorts were originally released by Paramount, and included "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (1943)" - Betty Boop's "Crazy Town (1932)" - "The Silly Goose/Dumme Ganslein, Der (1945)" - "The Busy Little Bears (1939)" - "Toys Will Be Toys (1949)", and other Paramount cartoons, shorts and a couple of the audience-participation Screen Song singalong shorts. Strictly sold on a "Park-the-kids-and-go-shopping" or "Cheap Baby-Sitting" basis, and, since it was geared toward the kids, there was also a bath-room break intermission about halfway through the film. New footage and some of the cartoons in Technicolor, but a few of the cartoons were black-and-white.


Showdown at Ulcer Gulch
1956 · 23m
country: United States
Short promotional film for a Saturday Evening Post sales convention.


Fair Weather Fiends
1946 · 6m
country: United States
After a storm strands them on a deserted island, Woody Woodpecker and his wolf friend end up battling themselves in a quest to find food.


The Reckless Driver
1946 · 6m
country: United States
Driving down a U.S. highway, Woody Woodpecker passes a billboard which reminds him that he should renew his driver's license. He heads to the Department of Motor Vehicles and asks Officer Wally Walrus, who takes an immediate dislike to Woody, to give him the test. He puts Woody through the eye test, the reflex test, and the fingerprint test...with Woody constantly making short work of the walrus' patience.


Who's Cookin Who?
1946 · 6m
country: United States
Woody Woodpecker is sleeping. He awakens, under a blanket of snow, to find that both Winter and a hungry wolf are knocking at his door. The wolf has intentions of eating Woody...but Woody has the same thoughts regarding the wolf.


Mousie Come Home
1946 · 6m
country: United States
Andy Panda and his dog, Milo, share their house with an obnoxious mouse who enjoys tormenting the two above anything else.


The Loose Nut
1945 · 7m
country: United States
Woody Woodpecker goes to the park for a game of golf, and quickly gets at odds with some workers who are laying a cement walk.


The Dippy Diplomat
1945 · 7m
country: United States
A newspaper announces that Ivan Awfulitch, the famous ambassador, is due to have a barbecue with local resident Wally Walrus. Unfortunately, while Wally is preparing the barbecue, the scent of the steaks he is cooking attracts an unwelcome guest in the form of Woody Woodpecker. He steals some of the food through a knothole in the fence then uses a bow and arrow to get the rest.


Woody Dines Out
1945 · 7m
country: United States
Woody Woodpecker goes out to dine and accidentally stumbles into a taxidermist's shop, thinking it is a restaurant. The taxidermist, wanting a woodpecker to stuff, doesn't inform Woody otherwise.


Chew-Chew Baby
1945 · 7m
country: United States
Boarding house proprietor Wally Walrus takes out an ad in the local paper looking for a sweetheart. Woody Woodpecker reads this and decides he might be able to trick Wally out of some cooking if he dresses up like a girl and answers the ad.


The Pied Piper of Basin Street
1945 · 7m
country: United States
In this swing version of the famous tale, a small town is overrun with rats. The mayor (caricature of Lou Costello) is in a quandary. His phones are busy with demands to do something. He hears a voice say: "what you need is a Pied Piper." Looking up, he sees a young man with a trombone (Jimmy Durante) who claims that he can run every rat out of town for a fee. The mayor makes a deal with him, and the trombone player goes to work leading the rats out of town with the playing of his trombone, and he locks them in a cage. Returning to the mayor's office, he's handed a bag of peanuts and thrown out. Unable to get the reward promised, the Pied Piper puts on his "Hank Swoonatra" (Frank Sinatra) suit croons to the girls. He leads them aboard a swinging showboat and opens the cage full of rats and they return to town, where only the mayor is left. The rats swarm the mayor's office and give him a bad time for his treatment of the pied piper. Production Number: D-10 A Swing Symphony cartoon.


The Painter and the Pointer
1944 · 7m
country: United States
Andy Panda is the painter and his dog, Butch, is the pointer, and Andy is trying to paint a portrait of Butch doing what a bird-dog is supposed to do...standing still and pointing to the game-bird. But Butch won't stand still. Andy's solution is to rig a gun to go off if Butch moves a muscle. Butch gamely resists all temptations to move but a couple of spiders carry him off in their web, with the gun going off repeatedly and peppering Butch's posterior.


Ski for Two
1944 · 7m
country: United States
Planning a vacation, Woody reads in the newspaper about Swiss Chard Lodge which promises lots of good food (which, as Woody says, is his "favorite dish"). He heads over to said lodge but, upon arriving, is told by owner Wally Walrus that he must make reservations ahead of time... which he has not. Wally throws the pest out but Woody is able to re-enter the premises disguised as none other than Santa Claus. He robs Wally of his food but, once alone with his sack, discovers quite a surprise inside.


The Beach Nut
1944 · 7m
country: United States
A crowd gathers at the beach to witness vacationer Wally Walrus thrashing Woody Woodpecker. Wally explains, in flashback, why he is trying to rid himself of Woody.


Fish Fry
1944 · 7m
country: United States
An alley cat attempts to steal the goldfish Andy Panda just bought from a pet shop, but the fish proves too clever for him.


Jungle Jive
1944 · 7m
country: United States
At the Sandwich Islands, which includes the "deviled egg" island, the "hot dog on a bun" island, and the "hamburger" island (with a sign, "Hold the Onions"), we see a man on the "tunaville" island surveying the area with a telescope. He notices a crate full of musical instruments wash ashore and alerts the others. The tribe finds these instruments strange and unusual at first but eventually really get the hang of them, particularly one member who plays a hot piano, his playing being somewhat interrupted by a pestiferous crab.


The Barber of Seville
1944 · 7m
country: United States
Woody is standing outside the Seville Barber Shop looking at the ads. Wanting a "victory haircut", he decides to enter the shop only to find the owner has stepped out for a physical. Woody decides to cut his own hair ("I cut my own teeth") but unfortunately is mistaken for the owner when two other customers enter, one an Indian who wants a quick shampoo and the other, a construction worker who wants "the whole works" and, unfortunately, gets it.
Meatless Tuesday
Meatless Tuesday
1943 · 7m
country: United States
Andy Panda wants roast chicken for his Meatless Tuesday dinner...but the farmyard rooster isn't being cooperative.


Boogie Woogie Man (Will Get You If You Don't Watch Out)
1943 · 7m
country: United States
The annual ghost convention introduces swing music to their tired out old scares.


Take Heed Mr. Tojo
1943 · 7m
country: Unknown
The cartoon starts ten years in the future, in 1953. Hook tells his son about the time that he was a sailor ten years prior.


The Merry Kittens
1935 · 7m
country: United States
[Animated] short of kittens taking unfair advantage of a well meaning dog, who actually is functioning as their protector.