CBS and Terrytoons

[musicradio77]

I saw this post on the NYRMB by DougDrown where he wrote:

A question about a bit of both broadcasting and film history from greater NYC: Back in 1955, CBS purchased Paul Terry's Terrytoons cartoon studio, which had produced "Mighty Mouse" and "Heckle and Jeckle," among others, and which had been located in New Rochelle since the early days of silent movies. CBS kept the studio running, sans Terry (who retired), until finally shutting it down around 1968. CBS-Paramount still owns the Terrytoons name, as well as all rights to the characters and to film/video distribution.

What happened to the old Terrytoons studio? Is the complex still standing?

I'm not really sure what it says. I'm not a fan of Terrytoons, but I remember watching it when I was a baby since it was on WPIX-TV from the 11 Alive era, and in the early 90's on WWOR-TV as part of "Mighty Mouse and Friends". The two cartoons from Terrytoons are "Wolf! Wolf!" featuring Mighty Mouse and "The Last Roundup" with Gandy Goose are not one of my favorties. But I didn't know what happened to the old Terrytoons Studio in New Rochelle? I don't see it. Who knows!

[musicradio77]

Here's Bob Frable's answer about the Terrytoons building in New Rochelle following the breakup with Viacom from CBS Corp.:

The responses I got from the cartoon message board I occasionally read, was that they actually used two buildings: 271 North Ave. (1934-49) is still standing, but 38 Centre Ave. (1949 on) was gutted and another building replaced it.

Thanks to Bob for the answer.

[Brian Damage]

I use to love Heckle and Jeckle cartoons.

[TV Knowledge Fan]

CBS bought Paul Terry out in late 1955 for a few million dollars [they had been showing his black & white library as "BARKER BILL'S CARTOON SHOW" two afternoons a week, and had begun "MIGHTY MOUSE PLAYHOUSE" that Deecember, which replaced "BARKER BILL" as a Saturday morning showcase for the Terrytoons inventory {too much competition from "THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB"!}], and took advantage of their purchase, continuing to release new theatrical cartoons, adding a "HECKLE & JECKLE SHOW" on Sundays in 1956, Saturdays by 1958; the short-lived "CBS CARTOON THEATER" in the summer of 1956 with Dick Van Dyke as host, with more Terrytoons and some "byplay" with the Terry characters via film editing and clever dialogue.....Gene Deitch was put in charge of the "CBS Terrytoons" studio around that time, tried to expand the "artiness" of the studio's product, and was forced out by early 1959, at which point, the theatrical shorts grew MORE cheaper, and the CinemaScope releases were phased out...

"FARMER ALFALFA AND HIS TERRYTOON PALS" (the OLD Terrytoons of the '30s, which had been shown on "BARKER BILL") made its debut in syndication in 1958, and lasted a few years under national sponsorship of Tootsie Roll and General Foods {Baker's Chocolate}...."DEPUTY DAWG" made his syndicated debut in 1960 as a first-run series....CBS sold a "HECTOR HEATHCOTE SHOW" to NBC (!!) in 1963, with new material [they even managed to sell NBC two years worth of "HECKLE & JECKLE" repeats in 1969-'71]....and then Ralph Bakshi took control of the studio in 1966, cranking out "THE MIGHTY HEROES" for a new "MIGHTY MOUSE" series for CBS that fall, leaving the studio in '67......and the studio was officially shut down in the summer of 1968, even though they continued to do business for CBS at their address for a few more years under Bill Weiss....THEN, the New Rochelle operation was shut down after 1972 or so, shortly after Paul Terry had passed away.
And VIACOM, CBS' former syndicated film division, continued to distribute the Terrytoon library to local stations using the "MIGHTY MOUSE PLAYHOUSE",
"HECKLE & JECKLE CARTOON SHOW" and "TERRYTOONS" titles.....right into the '80s...........

[emma1231]

I visited the Centre Street loc. of Terrytoons around 1960 when I was a White Plains teenager. (That was a near-by city.) and was shown around. It had just been emptied and painted, but some of the production architectural features were still intact (like controlroom windows, layouts, and large partitions where animation had been drawn, voice overs recorded, that sort of thing. I was only 15 or so. I could have my year wrong. I was told that production had ceased only recently and that I was just too late to see it in operation. I remember the white architecture of the building and where the entrance was. I passed by last year and it was still standing. It was the same bldg.; it hadn't been demolished at all. I dont know what was going on in the upper floors, but the street level had been turned into a produce store, with mostly latino patrons. It was run by an Asian man who hardly spoke english but he said he knew that cartoons had been made in the building once upon a time. Hope this info helps someone out.I would love to find old photo(s) of the building. Maybe the New Rochelle Public Library or a local historical society has something.

[Steve Carras]

Like Warner Brothers, Terrytioons tried copyring the Hanna-Barbera style (in this case, adventure) with "Sally Sargent" (a cheap=joke free, Daphne-only Scooby-Doo--the kind of better quality, to give it the beneift of the doubt here--what S'Doo was tpom be) and "Ruby Eye of the Monkey God" (rahter like Johnny Quest and ilk). Amid Amidi and Jerry beck's Cartoon Brew has it up..Fred Calvert acxtually did these ..have no clue as to the voices (Sally's theme and animaiton ias acutlaly pretty cool!)

That was in 1968. The only did those two, unlike Warner Bros. what with their 1967-69 stuff that incoluded "Cool Cat',"Norman Normal", and the last of several William Lava stints at Warner Bros. (going back off and on to 1960s.)

As for Terry, the examples (S.Sargent and M./God) were exceptions, not the rule.