Filmation Studio Co-Founder Lou Scheimer 1928-2013 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 10-19-2013, 04:12 PM

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October 19, 1928 - October 17, 2013 Los Angeles, CA - Louis (Lou) Scheimer, the renowned and much loved animation pioneer has died at his home at age 84, just two days shy of his 85th birthday, from Parkinson's Disease. Lou is survived by his beloved daughter Erika Scheimer and his son Lane Scheimer. Erika Scheimer, who worked with her father for decades at Filmation, the company founded by Lou, Norm Prescott, and Hal Sutherland in the early sixties, had been at his side over these final days. Also on hand were his devoted daughter-in-law, Amy Rosenberg, and sundry close friends, former employees and relations. Lou's wife Jay Scheimer, had passed in 2009. Lou often said that Jay was truly the woman behind the man, and she was greatly instrumental in making Filmation a reality. He often said that he could never have survived the early years without Jay's support. They were a most colorful couple; back in the day, some referred to them as the "George and Gracie" of the animation crowd. Lou graduated from Carnegie-Mellon in 1952, married in 1953 and moved to Los Angeles in 1955 to work in the animation industry. In 1962, Filmation Studios was created and became one of world's premiere animation houses. During this early period, the studio produced TV commercials and documentaries. In 1965, the studio unveiled its first Saturday morning series, "Superman", a solid hit which ran for three years on CBS. Soon to follow were a string of shows, including the arrival of "Aquaman", "Batman" and the phenomenally rated "Archies" show. Lou was widely credited with starting Saturday morning cartoons. From the "Archies" cartoons came the number one hit song "Sugar, Sugar", which has been re-recorded through the years some 29 times [and counting!]. It was also the number two song of the 1960's, second only to the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand". A number one song from a cartoon? This was the first animated show to include original songs with each episode. This was one of many "firsts" achieved throughout the life of Filmation. The praise from critics and viewers alike was even more enthusiastic for Filmation's proudest animation achievement, "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids". In its twelve year run, "Fat Albert" was acclaimed by parents, educators and children everywhere. It received countless honors, including a number of Emmy nominations and the prestigious Peabody Award. It was the show that Lou was most proud of. From then on, he made it his life's mission to produce children's shows that not only were entertaining, but also contained pro-social values and messages. After "Fat Albert" aired in the early seventies, Filmation had truly come into its own as a giant in the field of animation. Shows broadcast on CBS, NBC and ABC in that time period include "Groovie Ghoulies", "The Brady Kids", "Mission Magic", "Jerry Lewis", the "Fabulous Funnies", "Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle, "Tom and Jerry", "Space Sentinels", "Lassie", and "Gilligan's Island". Subsequently, Lou ventured into live-action shows with such hits as "Shazam-Isis Hour", the original "Ghostbusters", "Ark II", "Space Academy" and "Jason of Star Command". In addition, Filmation made a triumphant foray into theatrical feature production with "Journey Back to Oz" in 1973. That year also marked the first of many prime time specials, including "Oliver Twist", "Treasure Island", "Fat Albert" and "A Snow White Christmas". In 1981, Filmation unveiled "Blackstarr", a sword and sorcery fantasy that rocketed to the top of the Saturday morning ratings. This was not surprising considering Filmation's acknowledged leadership in producing quality animated adventure shows. Beginning with "Fantastic Voyage" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth" in 1967, the studio went on to produce the now classic, Emmy award winning animated "Star Trek" series, as well as animated versions of "Tarzan", "Zorro", "The Lone Ranger", "Flash Gordon". In 1983, Lou created the marketplace for first-run syndication of animated shows. Filmation took on its most ambitious project to date: the "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" series. Over the years Filmation produced 130 "He-Man" episodes directly for syndication. Once again, Lou made positive messages a hallmark of the show. The results: another winner, both in domestic ratings and in unprecedented international sales in thirty countries in the first year alone. Two years later, in 1985, Filmation brought He-Man's twin sister "She-Ra, Princess of Power" to the syndicated world. Lou always felt that little girls were underserved in the world of super heroes. He made it a cause to change that with She-Ra. It too was a huge success at home and abroad. After Filmation closed, the now legendary Lou Scheimer had grown to be one of the most loved men in the animation industry. He became known for trying to keep animation in the U.S., and he fought hard to do so. Additionally, it was of great importance to him that Filmation train the next generation of animators in America.
Many of Lou's former employees can, to this day, be found working at Disney, DreamWorks, Pixar, and more. Indeed, many will tell you that it was Lou who gave them their start in the business. Lou's legacy of shows saw a whole new life in recent years, as DVD collections of his many shows began to proliferate in the 1990's.
The fact that a new generation of kids would be able to watch his Filmation shows gave Lou endless joy. Hundreds of fan mail letters and emails just keep on coming. Do an online search and read all about it. It is a great American, rags-to-riches story you will much enjoy. In lieu of flowers, Lou and his family kindly request that donations to Parkinson's research be made in his honor.

Marvo301 · 10-19-2013, 08:28 PM

Lou Scheimer

Regulus · 10-19-2013, 10:48 PM

Lou Scheimer. The mid to late 1960s were the heyday of Saturday Morning Cartoons. If you have kids (Or Grandkids) get them the DVDs of these classics and show them what a REAL Cartoon looked like

waichingliu81 · 10-20-2013, 06:50 AM

was absolutely appalled to see the amount of comments on certain articles of this story by people bashing filmation, insisting their cartoons were nothing special, other than to promote and sell action figures.

total disrespect and rudeness on the behalf of these idiots towards the company and lou.

filmation cartoons were prominent during the 80s and they were a part of my childhood and i still enjoy them as an adult today.

they may have not been as popular as or had a CV of work as long as hanna barbera, disney, warner bros, but they still brought fun and enjoyment to many children's lives. so what if they were adaptations of TV shows or were vehicles to promote actors, fat albert, superman, batman, ghostbusters all spring to mind?

cartoons today can learn a lesson or two from the likes of filmation, hanna barbera, warner bros etc.

RIP lou.

king of comedy · 10-20-2013, 07:49 AM

R.I.P. Great memories.

Mario500 · 10-20-2013, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waichingliu81

was absolutely appalled to see the amount of comments on certain articles of this story by people bashing filmation, insisting their cartoons were nothing special, other than to promote and sell action figures.

total disrespect and rudeness on the behalf of these idiots towards the company and lou.

There was no need to be as negative as the folks who posted the negative comments you referenced.

howilu · 10-21-2013, 10:39 AM

I remember seeing Lou Scheimer's name in the circular closing credit "Produced by Norm Prescott and Lou Scheimer after almost every Filmation cartoon.

He was behind some of the genre's most popular shows, including the various incarnations of The Archies, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, The Groovie Ghoolies and Bill Cosby's mix of entertainment and education Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. Those shows were part of CBS'S Saturday morning success for many years.

May he rest in peace.

Torgo · 10-21-2013, 01:00 PM

RIP

He was behind some of my favorite shows I grew up watching in the 70's and early 80's.

comedyfreak · 11-02-2013, 08:22 AM

I remember all those cartoons thanks for the memories Lou RIP.

MacLeaper · 11-05-2013, 11:32 AM

Lou Scheimer helped bring so many wonderful cartoons to TV, as well as live action shows. Aquaman, Superman, Batman and Robin and so many other DC superheroes came to TV through Filmation animation. And I can't forget classic live action shows like "The Secrets of Isis" and "Shazam!". And then there are others like Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and The Archies and of course- The Hardy Boys cartoon.

Filmation also did one of my favorite '80s cartoons as a kid- Bravestarr. (Actually, that was the last one they did too.)
It was sad to hear of Mr. Scheimer's death. Thanks for all the wonderful cartoons that not only entertained but helped edify kids with positive, moral messages as well. May God bless and comfort his family in this sad time.

Torgo · 11-05-2013, 02:05 PM

I've picked up some of the DVD releases for some of the Filmation shows. Glad Lou got to participate in the DVD commentaries and interviews.

Vahan · 11-05-2013, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torgo

I've picked up some of the DVD releases for some of the Filmation shows. Glad Lou got to participate in the DVD commentaries and interviews.

The only problem with the DVDs is that they suffer from PAL Speed-Up. Speaking for myself, I detest PAL Speed-Up.

It wasn't Scheimer's fault, though. When Hallmark bought the Filmation catalog, they stupidly threw out the original NTSC masters, and kept only the PAL ones. Remember when He-Man used to be rerun on USA Network in the late 1980's? Back then, they used the original NTSC masters for that show.

MacLeaper · 11-05-2013, 05:46 PM

It would be great if more of Filmation's classic shows would come to DVD- There are a number I'd love to see- the Superboy cartoons, for one. But particularly The Hardy Boys, as I'm a longtime fan of the books.

10-19-2013, 04:12 PM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,338	Filmation Studio Co-Founder Lou Scheimer 1928-2013 Link October 19, 1928 - October 17, 2013 Los Angeles, CA - Louis (Lou) Scheimer, the renowned and much loved animation pioneer has died at his home at age 84, just two days shy of his 85th birthday, from Parkinson's Disease. Lou is survived by his beloved daughter Erika Scheimer and his son Lane Scheimer. Erika Scheimer, who worked with her father for decades at Filmation, the company founded by Lou, Norm Prescott, and Hal Sutherland in the early sixties, had been at his side over these final days. Also on hand were his devoted daughter-in-law, Amy Rosenberg, and sundry close friends, former employees and relations. Lou's wife Jay Scheimer, had passed in 2009. Lou often said that Jay was truly the woman behind the man, and she was greatly instrumental in making Filmation a reality. He often said that he could never have survived the early years without Jay's support. They were a most colorful couple; back in the day, some referred to them as the "George and Gracie" of the animation crowd. Lou graduated from Carnegie-Mellon in 1952, married in 1953 and moved to Los Angeles in 1955 to work in the animation industry. In 1962, Filmation Studios was created and became one of world's premiere animation houses. During this early period, the studio produced TV commercials and documentaries. In 1965, the studio unveiled its first Saturday morning series, "Superman", a solid hit which ran for three years on CBS. Soon to follow were a string of shows, including the arrival of "Aquaman", "Batman" and the phenomenally rated "Archies" show. Lou was widely credited with starting Saturday morning cartoons. From the "Archies" cartoons came the number one hit song "Sugar, Sugar", which has been re-recorded through the years some 29 times [and counting!]. It was also the number two song of the 1960's, second only to the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand". A number one song from a cartoon? This was the first animated show to include original songs with each episode. This was one of many "firsts" achieved throughout the life of Filmation. The praise from critics and viewers alike was even more enthusiastic for Filmation's proudest animation achievement, "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids". In its twelve year run, "Fat Albert" was acclaimed by parents, educators and children everywhere. It received countless honors, including a number of Emmy nominations and the prestigious Peabody Award. It was the show that Lou was most proud of. From then on, he made it his life's mission to produce children's shows that not only were entertaining, but also contained pro-social values and messages. After "Fat Albert" aired in the early seventies, Filmation had truly come into its own as a giant in the field of animation. Shows broadcast on CBS, NBC and ABC in that time period include "Groovie Ghoulies", "The Brady Kids", "Mission Magic", "Jerry Lewis", the "Fabulous Funnies", "Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle, "Tom and Jerry", "Space Sentinels", "Lassie", and "Gilligan's Island". Subsequently, Lou ventured into live-action shows with such hits as "Shazam-Isis Hour", the original "Ghostbusters", "Ark II", "Space Academy" and "Jason of Star Command". In addition, Filmation made a triumphant foray into theatrical feature production with "Journey Back to Oz" in 1973. That year also marked the first of many prime time specials, including "Oliver Twist", "Treasure Island", "Fat Albert" and "A Snow White Christmas". In 1981, Filmation unveiled "Blackstarr", a sword and sorcery fantasy that rocketed to the top of the Saturday morning ratings. This was not surprising considering Filmation's acknowledged leadership in producing quality animated adventure shows. Beginning with "Fantastic Voyage" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth" in 1967, the studio went on to produce the now classic, Emmy award winning animated "Star Trek" series, as well as animated versions of "Tarzan", "Zorro", "The Lone Ranger", "Flash Gordon". In 1983, Lou created the marketplace for first-run syndication of animated shows. Filmation took on its most ambitious project to date: the "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" series. Over the years Filmation produced 130 "He-Man" episodes directly for syndication. Once again, Lou made positive messages a hallmark of the show. The results: another winner, both in domestic ratings and in unprecedented international sales in thirty countries in the first year alone. Two years later, in 1985, Filmation brought He-Man's twin sister "She-Ra, Princess of Power" to the syndicated world. Lou always felt that little girls were underserved in the world of super heroes. He made it a cause to change that with She-Ra. It too was a huge success at home and abroad. After Filmation closed, the now legendary Lou Scheimer had grown to be one of the most loved men in the animation industry. He became known for trying to keep animation in the U.S., and he fought hard to do so. Additionally, it was of great importance to him that Filmation train the next generation of animators in America. Many of Lou's former employees can, to this day, be found working at Disney, DreamWorks, Pixar, and more. Indeed, many will tell you that it was Lou who gave them their start in the business. Lou's legacy of shows saw a whole new life in recent years, as DVD collections of his many shows began to proliferate in the 1990's. The fact that a new generation of kids would be able to watch his Filmation shows gave Lou endless joy. Hundreds of fan mail letters and emails just keep on coming. Do an online search and read all about it. It is a great American, rags-to-riches story you will much enjoy. In lieu of flowers, Lou and his family kindly request that donations to Parkinson's research be made in his honor.
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

10-19-2013, 08:28 PM	#2
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,450	Lou Scheimer
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

10-19-2013, 10:48 PM	#3
Regulus Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 07, 2011 Location: Port Orange, Florida Avatar - Poiuyt Posts: 3,371	Lou Scheimer. The mid to late 1960s were the heyday of Saturday Morning Cartoons. If you have kids (Or Grandkids) get them the DVDs of these classics and show them what a REAL Cartoon looked like
	__________________ Grail Shows: *Doc Elliot, Owen Marshall-Counselor of Law, Here's Boomer, Three for the Road, Holmes and YoYo* Bucket List Shows: *Hot Wheels, Skyhawks, Run Joe Run, Westwood*

10-21-2013, 01:00 PM	#8
Torgo Omaha & Fritz Forum Star Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 19,017	RIP He was behind some of my favorite shows I grew up watching in the 70's and early 80's.
	__________________ "I'm going to go do something productive. I'm gonna go watch television." - Ray Peterson, The 'burbs "I am the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries." - Stephen King "There's nothing wrong with G-rated movies, as long as there's lots of sex and violence." - Elvira

11-02-2013, 08:22 AM	#9
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,058	I remember all those cartoons thanks for the memories Lou RIP.
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10-20-2013, 06:50 AM	#4
waichingliu81 debbie allen Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2006 Location: london, england, UK Posts: 4,347	was absolutely appalled to see the amount of comments on certain articles of this story by people bashing filmation, insisting their cartoons were nothing special, other than to promote and sell action figures. total disrespect and rudeness on the behalf of these idiots towards the company and lou. filmation cartoons were prominent during the 80s and they were a part of my childhood and i still enjoy them as an adult today. they may have not been as popular as or had a CV of work as long as hanna barbera, disney, warner bros, but they still brought fun and enjoyment to many children's lives. so what if they were adaptations of TV shows or were vehicles to promote actors, fat albert, superman, batman, ghostbusters all spring to mind? cartoons today can learn a lesson or two from the likes of filmation, hanna barbera, warner bros etc. RIP lou.

10-20-2013, 07:49 AM	#5
king of comedy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Aug 31, 2012 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,140	R.I.P. Great memories.

10-21-2013, 10:39 AM	#7
howilu Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 20, 2003 Location: St. Louis Park, MN Posts: 1,958	I remember seeing Lou Scheimer's name in the circular closing credit "Produced by Norm Prescott and Lou Scheimer after almost every Filmation cartoon. He was behind some of the genre's most popular shows, including the various incarnations of The Archies, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, The Groovie Ghoolies and Bill Cosby's mix of entertainment and education Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. Those shows were part of CBS'S Saturday morning success for many years. May he rest in peace.

11-05-2013, 11:32 AM	#10
MacLeaper Child of the 80s Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 20, 2001 Posts: 3,355	Lou Scheimer helped bring so many wonderful cartoons to TV, as well as live action shows. Aquaman, Superman, Batman and Robin and so many other DC superheroes came to TV through Filmation animation. And I can't forget classic live action shows like "The Secrets of Isis" and "Shazam!". And then there are others like Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and The Archies and of course- The Hardy Boys cartoon. Filmation also did one of my favorite '80s cartoons as a kid- Bravestarr. (Actually, that was the last one they did too.) It was sad to hear of Mr. Scheimer's death. Thanks for all the wonderful cartoons that not only entertained but helped edify kids with positive, moral messages as well. May God bless and comfort his family in this sad time.
	__________________ "Oh boy!" - Dr. Sam Beckett "You can do anything you wanna do if you put your mind to it." - MacGyver "Have mercy!" - Uncle Jesse "Ha, I kill me!" - ALF "I am The Way, The Truth and The Life. No man comes to The Father but by Me."- Jesus Christ (John 14:6)

11-05-2013, 02:05 PM	#11
Torgo Omaha & Fritz Forum Star Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 19,017	I've picked up some of the DVD releases for some of the Filmation shows. Glad Lou got to participate in the DVD commentaries and interviews.

11-05-2013, 05:46 PM	#13
MacLeaper Child of the 80s Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 20, 2001 Posts: 3,355	It would be great if more of Filmation's classic shows would come to DVD- There are a number I'd love to see- the Superboy cartoons, for one. But particularly The Hardy Boys, as I'm a longtime fan of the books.