Dear Mr. Kistler:
Brian, my name is Ray, any friend of Old time Films and Radio is a friend o mine!
As for Crusader Rabbit, I did the sound effects on Jay’s early series. He not only took short cuts wih his animation, he created the COMPLETE prerecorded sound track: music, sound effects and dialogue on 1/4″ tape at Radio Recorders on Santa Monca Blvd in Hollywood, which he transferred to optical film, then created the animation to synchronize with the sound track, rather than spend time and money in film dubbing studios, hiring sound editors to sync dialogue, sound and music to pre- animated pictures, It was like producing a radio show, then post- producing the animation. As I was a member of AFRA (American Federation of Radio Actors) I was hired to do a few animal “voices” for Ward during the production of this early series.
As for the actors, I was working a CBS staff job and freelancing Albums, Transcriptions, etc. with every actor in Hollywood and as for critiquing any particular personality, all I remember is I was a fan of each and every one of them. So help me…we WERE just one big happy family…AND there were only two or three director/producers who I could characterize as pills, that I worked for, in the 77 years I have been in the business! (I was a featured player in SILENT MOVIES, RADIO and VAUDEVILLE.) Please! excuse my ego!
RAY
Dear Ray:
What an honor to hear from you. I guess you are one of the most famous people who has ever responded to us (though I have a feeling that Jim Stokes is also right up there, with you).
As for your work, as a player in the silent movies, I will hone in, with my computer skills, vis á vis searching for the casts of movies, and see if I can find your name, somewhere, listed among the players of some of those old films……..Even if you did a bit part, I am sure that your name would appear in the cast.
I enjoyed reading about the things that you had to share with us……..and I did not know that you did animal voices for some of the CRUSADER RABBIT episodes, for Jay Ward.
Thanks so much for your information. Your contribution is helping to make our Jay Ward/Walter Tetley website, much more diversified. I do not think that we have ever received, before, an email from someone who worked with the sound mixing (and the sound effects).
Brian