Warner Bros. Animators ID

Cartoon Research continues….

Earlier this week we posted about a vintage Leon Schlesinger studio program for a Christmas play starring animator Harold Soldinger. Shortly after that post, I received an email from Soldinger’s son Steven. He’s been trying to communicate with people who knew his father, and I put him in touch with Martha Sigall.

Steven sent Martha a vintage photo (below left, which he obtained from the indispensable Michael Barrier) of his dad with some the Looney Tunes artists at a Christmas party and asked her to identify anyone she could. Steven and Martha have allowed me to share this pic with our cartoon-loving readership. Click thumbnails below to see photos at full size. Martha says:

“The people in the picture with the Christmas tree are left top row: Harold Soldinger, Warren Batchelder. The fellow he has his arms around, I don’t know. And, left of him is Bob Matz. Right of him is Fred Jones. Then, Herman Cohen. Leaning on Herman is Paul Smith. Mike Maltese has the paper hat and beard. Next to him is Lloyd Vaughn and Lee Halpern. I don’t know the fellow who is playing the priest.”

UPDATE: Additional identification has been confirmed. Top row, Harold Soldinger, Les Larson (the priest), Mike Maltese, Paul Smith (bending over), Lloyd Vaughan, Lee Halpern.
Bottom row; Warren Batchelder, Chuck McKimson, Bob Matz, Fred Jones, Herman Cohen. The photo was taken in 1938.