The Daily Tribune from Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin • Page 8

THE DAILY TRIBUNE, Wisconsin Rapids, Saturday, July 20, 1974 Page 5 Rapids native recalls when he first created 'Betty Boop' By Thomas Lonergan Tribune Staff Writer It took Grim Natwick less than two minutes to re-create the a character recognized by millions. On a large brown envelope he first drew the round head, followed by the curvey body. The eyes were next, sunk low and looking away. The curley short cropped hair, pug nose and round mouth left no mistake about it. There was Betty Boop singing a doop" in the South Wood County Historical Corporation's building at 540 3rd St.

S. Natwick, Wisconsin Rapids native, and one of the first animated cartoonists, created Betty Boop in 1931. She was an "instantaneous hit," he said in an interview earlier this week. Those who managed to catch a Saturday morning or weekday afternoon cartoon show in the late 1950's and early 1960's probably remember Betty Boop. However, movie goers in the pre-television days likely saw a lot more of Betty to base memories on.

Grim Natwick based Betty Boop on a "rag time piece of music." He created her while working at the Max Fleischer (don't say you can't remember Popeye) studio in New York. He was given a piece of music sung by Helen Kane, Natwick recalls. She was, "one of these $10,000 a night singers at that time (early 1930's) because of the 'Boop boop a doop' type singing," said Natwick. In Betty's first cartoon appearance Helen Kane provided the vocals and Miss Boop "did a little dance for two or three minutes," Natwick said. A little story was also woven into it, he added.

Natwick said he first designed Betty "as sort of a little round faced dog. Her ears gradually became earrings. a saying 'Boob boop a doop' so of course she had to be cute." Betty Boop "wore the first mini-skirt," Natwick said, and "had a cute little garter with a rose in it." She was designed after Helen Kane, said Natwick, who wore "spit curls" and was, "kind of a pouty little 1 Natwick animated the first six Betty Boop cartoons which were followed by 94 more. "She was considered to be so sexy that Hollywood banned her locked her up for years," said Natwick. She was "so modest" compared to what is seen on the screen today, he added.

After graduation from Lincoln High School in 1910, Natwick went to art school in Chicago where a friend got him interested in animation. The drawing interest was there in high school, however. According to things he's thrown out the past week, "I did nothing else," but draw Natwick said. A couple boxes of his old books had sketches in them, he said. Drawing was a "propelling feeling that I couldn't hold a 1 added Natwick.

However, he also found time for football and the track team, he said. While in Wisconsin Rapids, Natwick is staying with his brother, Donald and his wife, Helen Natwick, 471 2nd St. S. The house he was born in still stands near what is now 3rd Ave. S.

Natwick declined to reveal his age. He's avoided the question, "10,000 times," he said, ever since first going to Hollvwood where the studios didn't think people over 30 "were young enough" to do animation work. Animation didn't start until 1914 or 1915, Natwick recalls, and it wasn't until 1918 when he got into it. His art school friend, "induced me into William Randolph Hearst's studio in New York," Natwick explained. "He was insane about cartoons," Natwick said of Hearst.

After three years of art study in Vienna, Natwick joined the Fleischer studio at a time animation was growing. 'Betty Boop' Natwick spent 18 to 20 years living in Hollywood, several under the employ of Walt Disney. At the Disney studios, between 1934 and 1938 Natwick worked on the first feature length cartoon, "Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs." Snow White a "very complicated'' character to draw and took up to five times as long to finish as others. Like Mickey Mouse, said Natwick. People had the idea Disney drew his own characters but when he got there 200 artists were already working for the studio, Natwick said.

Natwick worked on Snow White (released in 1938) a year and eight months. Over the years it remained Disney's favorite picture, he recalls. Natwick also worked on the opening scene of what many consider Disney's most famous animation film, "Fantasia." This film was the "greatest piece of animation ever," said Natwick, but the audience in the mid-1940's wasn't ready for it. The fantasy of pictures "did not appeal to war-minded citizens, 1 Natwick said. "Too many who might have liked it were in the Army." Fantasia was re-released and has been popular among college age audiences the past few years.

The film has a classical i background which Natwick said was "very new to attempt at that time." A 75- piece orchestra provided the musical background, he explained. There are a million and a half drawings in Fantasia which took four years to make, Natwick said. Other famous characters drawn by Natwick include Dumbo and Pinocchio for Disney, Woody Woodpecker and Mr. Magoo for Universal studios and several TV commercial fixtures for several years including the Enco (now Exxon) tiger and Sinclair (now Arco) dinosaur. He also worked on "Gulliver's Travels" for Fleischer in the 1940's.

A color drawing of Gulliver by Natwick is in the historical corporation museum. He never retired, Natwick said, but "sort of backed out'' of animation six years ago. "I wanted to paint," he said. There more animation being done today than there ever was, he said, but it's "so highly limited." Comparing a i a i for film and television is like "playing bean bags versus polo," he said. There are few active parts in TV animation, he said with many shots focusing on the head, shoulders or eyes.

Natwick returned in February from an eight-month instructing job at' a London animation studio. He viewed a Betty Boop revival there and expects one in this country shortly. Only this time Betty will be in color. Betty Boop revised in London was "quite Natwick said. Among the 16 to 24 age group there are a bunch of "Betty Boop maniacs," he added.

Grim Natwick, creator of "Betty Boop," will be at the South Wood County Historical Society museum Sunday along with a display of his drawings, between 1 and 4 p.m. Nekoosa barber ends 'clip days after a half century for a man then to $3.25 now. Market St. Other locations in-1 In his prime the dean of He started in Fred Smith's i eluded a building behind the site I Nekoosa barbers could cut four i three-chair, three-pool table and of the present IGA store and heads of hair in an hour. At The many years of cutting! one-billiard table shop in the next to the Holmes building 72, "I've got to go like a son By Thomas Berger Tribune Staff Writer hair have left only a few on basement of the Nekoosa labor where Thomas McLean's law head of Densmore temple in 1924.

Buchanan. His Nekoosa patrons I Buchanan left Nekoosa again He retired at the age of 65, of a gun to make three." So, he quit to pursue his first five-pound bass. In all the years lost both a barber whose shop i to work in his brother-in-law's but found it was impossible to he's been fishing for bass he spanned over a half century and shop in Iron Mountain, hang up the shears completely. never netted a five pounder, a admitted prevarication for a year but returned, never "So many of my friends called Buchanan said. specialist when he retired July to move his shop from Nekoosa.

me. 'Oh, I don't want to go A there's time for 7. "I always came back," he said, anywhere else. I don't want to prevarication. Buchanan claims Buchanan, who will be 73 "I always liked the people go anywhere else," they'd say." jthat when he was 15 he drove Aug.

6, began as an apprentice i here." August Brown was keeping I his dad to a relative's farm near barber in Sauk Rapids, Most of the time, Buchanan op open five days a week, Grand Marsh. in 1923 under his brother-in-law cut hair with Ralph Forbes, a Wednesday and It took 'prid' near all day," and saw the price of a haircut i starting with a shop in the old 5 a a pen. Buchanan i allowing some time to get stuck. rise from a quarter and a dime Lapham home building on i opened the shop up the other His uncle, Buchanan says, had two days by renting the space. a pig from Mexico that his 'And that's where I stayed," uncle said would "eat just as Military notes S.

Sgt. Randall R. Dhein was power plant operator mechanic until just over a week ago. Long hair is doing some barbers in but Buchanan told much as a regular pig but don't P'S had mule hoof, parents to let their boys grow Buchanan says. Over the years their hair out if they want to.

made bets nd asked promoted to his present rank course at the Army Engineer Yo can't change trends or! about ever one came in recently at the Winona Army School, Ft. Belvoir, Va. i fight trends," he said. i shop if seen a mule- Recruiting Center, Winona, I Bottensek was trained in the I "We were doing quite a i f' as one CT -i msn np of tnpm Minn. He was selected operation and maintenance of business, but they were letting I Buc i ianan sajd advanced meritorious promotion, hand and power tools, 1 a i Ion 8 er and a Iittle Although Buhanan said he has If fuT-illir hir- based on his outstanding per- i an cliesel engines and various formance as an Army recruiter, generators.

The son of Mrs. Irene! fe Fischer, 521 2nd St. and Pfc- George M. Thompson II, Richard Dhein, 2 1st St. son of and Mrs George N.

has been assigned to Thompson, Rt. 2, Plainfield, Winona station since is ass gne to the llth Armored 1973, and is responsible for all Cavalry Regiment, Germany. Army recruiting activities i Thompson is a mortar both Buffalo and Trempcaleau i crewrnan He and his wife live Counties in Wisconsin. woodland Park, Colo. Prior to being assigned t.o Winona he served as a a 1 Pvt.

Michael A. Klein, son of lillcry surveyor at Fort i Mr alld Mrs Robert M. Klein, Okla and has overseas Edwards Port Edwards, lours in Korea and Germanv. assigned to the Ut Cavalry longer." It finally hurt his letters to prove the existence of i business, but It took quite a the pjgs one boy whose a he while though. cut asked his teacher about the "I love kids and 1 can stand pig and came back with hjs a lot, but sometimes you have teacher's advice.

"She says to a stinker. But that's kids," he I go back and tell your barber to said. stick to bartering," the tot said. Weekly paper gets little response to legalizing marijuana editorial New Zealand consul gen, visits Wisconsin Rapids New Zealand three, Spray Babcock. Although year around, and livestock can islands, combined about the size! he claims New Zealand is i graze outside 11 months of the of Colorado, that are midway similar to Wisconsin in being year.

"We have nine million between America and Asia. A i a major dairy products i cattle and 60 million sheep," country that is relatively producer and having a great; Cotton said. "With only three unknown and often confused! deal of forestry, that nation has million people we're pretty with its neighbor Australia, 1,300 miles away, according to Consul General never tasted cranberries, he said. "It's the kind of product i badly outnumbered." Cotton, who travels in the that we'd be glad to buy from i U.S. to acquaint Americans with New Zealand Paul Cotton.

the U.S.," Cotton added. New Zealand, said trade with Cotton, who has'been in thej In noting differences between; the U.S. on a two-way basis U.S. for the last 16 months, the state and the has been developing "very i i Wisconsin Rapids Cotton said, "We've noticed that I well." Tuesday night and Wednesday there's not very much on "Watergate is a situation of morning during a two-day tour skyline here and we see; your Cotton said. He of the state planned by the relatively little claimed that it hadn't affected secretary of agriculture.

Wednesday morning stopped at Jacob Searless Cranberry Company and Ocean He explained New Zealand has relations Cotton mountains with snow on them i countries. between the two Claims dirty tricks used in campaign HIGHLAND CENTER, Wis. (AP)--The editor of the Richland Center Observer has urged the state Justice Department to investigate alleged "ditry tricks'' in a state senatorial campaign. James Olson said three Democratic challengers for the seat now held by Sen. Gordon Roseleip, R-Darlington, have been assailed in letters to newspapers from non-existent persons.

The letters were postmarked at Cuba City and were produced on the same typewriter and on the same kind of paper, Olson said. Campaign funding bill has loopholes is claim MADISON, Wis. (AP) The Medical Society of Wisconsin has notified Gov. Patrick Lucey that its attorneys have found! what appears to be a loophole; in the recently-enacted cam-! paign finance law, Earl Tha- yer, secretary of the society, said Wednesday. i The loophole would allow i banks, savings and loan associ- i ations, some insurance panies and the Medical Society; to contribute directly to cam- paigns.

The new law was intended to ban contributions by such businesses and groups. The governor and the legislature should "move quickly to remedy what is at the very least an astonishing oversight," Thayer said. He added that the society would not make contributions. The new measure prohibits contributions by corporations organized under three sections of Wisconsin law, but does not cover corporations organized under other sections on law. The latter group includes banks, savings and loan institutions, some insurance corporations and the Medical Society, Thayer said.

veteran of five years of Division, Ft. Hood Texas. r-M i Klein is a clerk in the r-M i Army sery.ce, Dhein and his wife, the former Beverly Fotn of Port Edwards, reside at Company. Pvt. Gary L.

Engel, son of PLYMOUTH, Wis. (AP) i papers in other states have The twice-weekly newspaper in done so. this city of 6,000 may be the "I wouldn't say this is any- body, but it makes no more sense for that act to be cause for arrests, trials, imprison- A SHAFiING General Revenue Sharing provides federal funds directly to local and Your must pusiish this advsing you how these funds have been used or obliged during the year Juiy 1. 1973. thru Jur.c 30.

This is to inform you of your government's priorities and to encourage your part.cipstion decisions on how future funds Winona. first of its kind in Wisconsin to thing unusual for the Review," ments, police records and Robert Engel, 2550 Lincoln editorially support the legal- Yvonne M. Brandt, daughter a a rom Marine recruit'' ization of marijuana. of Mr. and Mrs.

Charles Brandt, ra ns at San Diego, July 9. 72S Point Basse Nekoosa, entered active in the A i Airman Neil A. DeWitt, son Force 8, at Milwaukee. Plainfield, has at Sheppard AFB, of Mr. A i completing six weeks I i 11.

basic i i a a i i at graduated Lackland Air Force Base, San Texas, from the Antonio, Texas, she will begin mechanic course, a i i in i DeWitt. is trained to repair a a cu rrcntAir Force jet aircraft The community's response to the editorial? Not a peep pro or con, said Robert S. Johanson, and Mrs. Elmer T. I and publjsher of lhe re Pvt.

Michael J. Bottensek, son of Mrs. Dora Bottensek, 3-110 Lake completed an Army and is assigned to Stuttgart, Germany, for duty with the U.S. Air Forces in Europe. Sunday Lobster Special The Freuiid's Includes: Choice of Potato Loaf of Bread Salad Bar Beverage 506 Post Road, Plover 341-4000 A spokesman for the Wisconsin Press Association said editorial is the first favoring legalization of marijuana in this state's weekly and bi-weekly press, although small news- Johanson said.

"We often edito-, the editorial said, rialize on controversial sub-1 Johanson said his son Barn-, jects. We believe in a strong I the Review's assistant publish-; page of opinion." The editorial was prompted by the Sheboygan County sheriff's race, where the challenger er, wrote the editorial while was on vacation. "It's logical, although I is accusing the incumbent of know whether I would agree spending too much time and with it," Johanson said. I money arresting young juana smokers. "It may be stupid to put marijuana smoke into your Plane crash victim had premonition, friend says KENOSHA, Wis.

(AP) aA Kcnoshn woman missing and presumed dead in a weekend plane crasli off the coast of Florida apparently had a premonition about the crash, her roommate says. Caria Brchm, 17, also of Kc- nosha, had been sharing a Palm Beach, apartment wilh Joanna Dodge, 19, one of six persons lost when their plane apparently crashed off after taking off from Palm Beach for the Bahamas Saturday. Miss Brehm, who had a scat on the plane but decided to stay in Palm Beach because of ill- don't endorse the use of drugs, i or alcohol either, although 1 like a cocktail now and then." The editorial called for aggressive prosecution for addictive drugs like heroin, public education and rehabilitation campaigns on drug abuse and legalizing the possession and use of small amounts of marijuana. With licensing and inspection ACTUAL EXPENDITURES CATEGORIES (A) 1 2 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 3 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION HEALTH RECREATION 6 LIBRARIES 7 SOCIAL SERVICES FOR AGED OR POOR 8 FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION 3 MULTIPURPOSE AND GENERAL GOVT. CAPITAL (B) OPERATING'' MAINTENANCE (C) 14582.23 THE GOVERNMENT OF has received General Revenue Sharing paymen during tne period I'om July 1973.

thru Juno 3 VACCOUNT NO. 50 2 FORT EDWfiRDS VILLAGE viLLflGE CLERK FORT EDKtHfttS i.ub jt. ts totaling 0. 1974. GG7 54469 10 EDUCATION 11 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 12 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ness, said Miss Dodge was in a of marijuana by the authorities, strange mood the night before i the editorial said, "individuals I 13 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 14 OTHER ISpocify) the flight.

Miss Brehni said the two went shopping, and Miss Dodge bought her several expensive gifts even though she did not have much money. She also said the two stayed up all night when they returned to tlieir apartment, with Miss Dodge talking about death and often breaking into tears. can decide its worth for them- Johanson said he was not disappointed that i i a hadn't generated any public comment. "Only two things in the last 11 years have aroused much furor here: flouridation of the drinking water and the inter- state highway," he said. Sewei Installation 15 TOTALS (OJ TRUST FUND RcFORT (1) Balance as of Juno 30.

1073 (2) Pevnnoo Funds Reta.vcd frorn July 1. r.r^jsn 30. 1 0 7 4 5 -0- 20.23 9735.00 9735.00 14582.23 NONDISCRIMINATION REQUIREMENTS HAVE SEEN (E) CrmiFICATION: 1 cel'ify the: 1 ths Crvrf and. to nfi'oon. I cortirv tnat t-'ioy riwa rot boin in violy.im r.MO'trv (Section 103) or tho lundt p'orbiiiMi ibec-t'On o( Chml (31 M) Total rum': (5) Tot-I Amr.L-ot S- Rsli-ncfMof 1974 rppoa 1 rnj thoy i coi-y i ul frtfitia fl nc i Edward iNEWSPA'FERr STEWSPAPER!.