The Van Beuren Corporation
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, film production |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Founder | Amedee J. Van Beuren (purchased and renamed in 1928) |
| Defunct | 1936 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Theatrical cartoons, live-action shorts, feature films |
The Van Beuren Corporation was an animation studio located in New York City that produced theatrical cartoons and live-action shorts from the 1920s until ceasing operations in 1936.
History
Established in 1920 by the Keith-Albee organization, Fables Pictures was created to produce the Aesop's Film Fables series, with animator Paul Terry holding a 10% stake in the company. In 1928, producer Amedee J. Van Beuren purchased the studio, renamed it after himself, and retained Terry’s involvement. Van Beuren distributed Terry’s initial sound cartoon Dinner Time (1928) through Pathé Exchange, which later became part of RKO Pictures. While Terry directed animation efforts, Van Beuren managed other business aspects. In 1929, Terry departed to establish Terrytoons, and John Foster took over his role.
The studio’s films were distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. Early sound cartoons emphasized visual storytelling, featuring limited dialogue and sound effects. Musical direction was led by bandleaders Gene Rodemich and Winston Sharples. The studio’s flagship characters included "Tom and Jerry", a tall-and-short vagrant pair unrelated to MGM’s later cat-and-mouse duo; these characters were eventually renamed "Dick and Larry." To broaden their audience appeal, Van Beuren promoted the creation of new characters such as Cubby, a playful bear.
In 1932, Van Beuren produced a series of wild-animal shorts starring explorer Frank Buck. Impressed by their success, RKO compiled these into the feature film Bring 'Em Back Alive. To supplement their short-subject lineup, Van Beuren purchased twelve silent two-reel comedies by Charlie Chaplin, paying $10,000 each. His animation team enhanced these with newly added music and sound effects; these "Van Beuren Chaplins" were released between 1933 and 1934 despite Chaplin not holding ownership.
The company diversified into live-action productions such as Adventure Girl (1934), two additional Frank Buck safaris—Wild Cargo (1934) and Frank Buck's Fang and Claw (1935)—a travelogue series titled "Van Beuren Vagabond," novelty shorts narrated by radio personalities Easy Aces, and musical comedies featuring entertainers like Bert Lahr and Shemp Howard.
In pursuit of expanding its business, Van Beuren secured licenses for well-known properties including the comic strip The Little King and the radio program Amos 'n' Andy for animated adaptations; however, both failed to achieve commercial success. Subsequently, he recruited former Walt Disney director Burt Gillett alongside animator Tom Palmer to develop the "Rainbow Parade" color cartoon series showcasing established characters such as Felix the Cat, Parrotville Parrots, Molly Moo-Cow, and those from the Toonerville Folks.
Closure
Van Beuren's ventures into full-color animation, notably the acclaimed Rainbow Parade series, garnered positive attention. Nevertheless, after RKO secured a distribution agreement with the leading animation studio Walt Disney for new color cartoons, Van Beuren's productions were discontinued.
In the midst of this transition, company founder Amedee J. Van Beuren experienced a stroke in July 1938 and passed away later that November. During his convalescence, he opted to shut down the studio instead of yielding to unionization pressures that had previously sparked labor conflicts.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the Van Beuren catalog was transferred to several distributors including Unity Pictures and Commonwealth Pictures, ultimately becoming part of the public domain.
Productions
Animation:
- Aesop's Fables (1921–1934)
- Cubby Bear
- Sentinel Louey
- Lucky Leo and Lily Lion (unfinished)
- Tom and Jerry (1931–1933)
- The Little King (1933–1934)
- Amos 'n' Andy (1934)
- Burt Gillett's Toddle Tales (1934)
- Rainbow Parade (1934–1936) (color series)
Live-action:
- Bring 'Em Back Alive (1932)
- Adventure Girl (1934)
- Wild Cargo (1934)
- Fang and Claw (1935)
Live-action shorts:
- The Grantland Rice Sportland (1928–1932)
- Curiosities (1928–1929)
- Smitty and His Pals (1928–1929)
- Topics of the Day (1928–1930) (acquired from Timely Films)
- The Swan (1929) (Walter Futter Overtures series)
- Song Sketches (1930)
- Vagabond Adventures (1930–1935)
- Floyd Gibbons Supreme Thrills (1931)
- Liberty Short Short Stories (1931–1932)
- Reissued sound shorts featuring Charlie Chaplin (1932–1934)
- Musical Comedies (1933–1934)
- Dumb-Bell Letters (1934–1936)
- Easy Aces (1935–1936)
- Struggle to Live (1935–1937)
- World on Parade (1935–1937)
- Sports with Bill Corum (1935–1937)
External links
- Comprehensive Van Beuren cartoons listing at the Big Cartoon Database
- Profile of Amedee J. Van Beuren
- Swiss Trick available on Archive.org
- Van Beuren Studios
- American animation studios
- Mass media companies established in 1920
- Mass media companies disestablished in 1936
- American companies established in 1920
- 1921 establishments in New York City
- 1936 disestablishments in New York (state)
- American companies disestablished in 1936
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment