At 95, Gene Deitch pἀssed away on Thursday, April 16, 2020 night in his Prague flat. His cause of deἀth is unknown yet. Munro, directed by Deitch received the 1960 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
‘Here’s Nudnik’ and ‘How to Avoid Friendship’ both garnered him nominations for the same award in 1964. In the past, he had developed the “Tom Terrific” series and in 1958, he co-produced “Sidney’s Family Tree” which received an Academy Award nomination.
Deitch, who was born in Chicago on August 8th, 1924, originally planned a 10-day visit to Prague in 1959. He directed 13 episodes of “Tom and Jerry” and a few “Popeye the Sailor” episodes while working behind the Iron Curtain.
In his biography “For the Love of Prague” which is available to watch on Amazon, he documented life in communist Czechoslovakia and afterward in the Czech Republic following the 1989 anti-communist Velvet Revolution.
He was given the Winsor McCay Award in 2004 in recognition of his lifelong contributions to animation. Three of Deitch’s sons from his first marriage, who are also cartoonists and illustrators are still living along with his wife.
By directing 13 episodes of the Tom & Jerry series and one episode of Popeye the Sailor for a TV syndicate in 1961, he played a crucial part in the show’s revival. He first encountered pictures while working for North American Aviation, where he drew complex airplane blueprints.
He took an apprenticeship at United Productions of America in 1955 after growing enamored of the medium, where he finally worked his way up to become the Terrytoons’ creative director. Deitch also contributed to a number of animated film projects throughout the course of a six-decade career.
He directed the comedy “Munro” in 1960, which was nominated for the coveted Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. In addition, his 1964 films Here’s Nudnik and How to Avoid Friendship were nominated for the same award.
Check out the following posts if you want to read more about other people’s pἀssing:
- Douglas Tompkins Deἀth: The Mystery Surrounding the End of North Face Co-Founder
- The Untold Story of Rob Knox Deἀth: The Heartbreaking End of a Young Star!
- Tracy Brown Deἀth: Remembering the Legacy of Donavan Bering’s Wife
We will never forget this brilliant soul, even though his innumerable animation masterpieces have delighted generations and will continue to enlighten those in the future. You can follow our Twitter account and read our most recent posts to know more about the news of other people’s deἀths.