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Abe Levitow

Abe Levitow

Known For Visual Effects
Birthday Jul 02, 1922
Died May 08, 1975 (52)
Birthplace Los Angeles, California, USA
Popularity 2 (history)
Updated Aug 05, 2025 (Update)
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

Abraham Levitow (July 2, 1922 – May 8, 1975) was an American animator who worked at Warner Bros. Cartoons, UPA and MGM Animation/Visual Arts. He is best known for his work under Chuck Jones' direction. Levitow began working as an in-betweener and assistant animator at Warner Bros. Cartoons in 1940 ... at the age of 17. He briefly left Warner Bros. when he was drafted during World War II working on training films. Levitow returned to the studio, working as an assistant animator for Ken Harris under the Chuck Jones unit, and he was later promoted to animator in 1950 and would receive his first animations credit in 1953 for the cartoon Wild Over You. He worked steadily for Jones over the remainder of the 1950s, and directed several cartoons for release in 1959, including the Pepé Le Pew cartoon "Really Scent". While working under Jones, he made characters' joints more angular than most other animators. Those characters with fur (Wile E. Coyote, for example) looked especially shaggy in Levitow's scenes. Levitow joined UPA in 1958 to work on the Mr. Magoo feature 1001 Arabian Nights, staying behind even after the studio was sold to Henry G. Saperstein. In 1962, he directed the first feature-length animated television special, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. 1962 also saw the release of his theatrical feature Gay Purr-ee. By 1962, he was working with Jones at MGM as an animator and a director in the Tom and Jerry series. He co-directed the feature film The Phantom Tollbooth with Chuck Jones at MGM. In addition, he worked with UPA on more Mr. Magoo cartoons, including The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo, and also collaborated with Chuck again on the program Curiosity Shop through Format Films. He animated on the Chuck Jones-produced A Christmas Carol, directed by Richard Williams at Williams' London studio in 1971. In 1972, he and producer Dave Hanson founded Levitow/Hanson Films. The studio produced several animated pieces for Sesame Street, the most notable being Willie Wimple. His last completed project was B.C.: The First Thanksgiving, which aired in November of 1973. At the time of his death, Levitow was in line to direct the animated feature film Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure. The project was taken over by Richard Williams when Levitow died from a bone tumor during pre-production at the age of 52. [biography (excerpted) from Wikipedia]

Known For

Filmography

No data available

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

1971

Story Artist

Barbecue for Two

Barbecue for Two

1960

Animation

1001 Arabian Nights

1001 Arabian Nights

1959

Art Direction

Cat Feud

Cat Feud

1958

Animation

Whoa, Be-Gone!

Whoa, Be-Gone!

1958

Animation

Hare-Way to the Stars

Hare-Way to the Stars

1958

Animation

What's Opera, Doc?

What's Opera, Doc?

1957

Animation

Boyhood Daze

Boyhood Daze

1957

Animation

Steal Wool

Steal Wool

1957

Animation

Zoom and Bored

Zoom and Bored

1957

Animation

Scrambled Aches

Scrambled Aches

1957

Animation

Rocket-bye Baby

Rocket-bye Baby

1956

Animation

Deduce, You Say

Deduce, You Say

1956

Animation

Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z

Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z

1956

Animation

90 Day Wondering

90 Day Wondering

1956

Animation

There They Go-Go-Go!

There They Go-Go-Go!

1956

Animation

Broom-Stick Bunny

Broom-Stick Bunny

1956

Animation

One Froggy Evening

One Froggy Evening

1955

Animation

Beanstalk Bunny

Beanstalk Bunny

1955

Animation

Two Scent's Worth

Two Scent's Worth

1955

Animation

Ready.. Set.. Zoom!

Ready.. Set.. Zoom!

1955

Animation

A Hitch in Time

A Hitch in Time

1955

Animation

Guided Muscle

Guided Muscle

1955

Animation

Baby Buggy Bunny

Baby Buggy Bunny

1954

Animation

Claws for Alarm

Claws for Alarm

1954

Animation

Stop! Look! and Hasten!

Stop! Look! and Hasten!

1954

Animation

Feline Frame-Up

Feline Frame-Up

1954

Animation

It's Everybody's Business

It's Everybody's Business

1954

Animation

Forward March Hare

Forward March Hare

1953

Animation

Scaredy Cat

Scaredy Cat

1948

Animation

Bugs Bunny's Lunar Tunes

Bugs Bunny's Lunar Tunes

1991

Director

The Wizard of Id

The Wizard of Id

1971

Director

The Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth

1970

Director

Uncle Sam Magoo

Uncle Sam Magoo

1970

Director

Guided Mouse-Ille

Guided Mouse-Ille

1967

Director

Rock 'n' Rodent

Rock 'n' Rodent

1967

Director

O-Solar-Meow

O-Solar-Meow

1967

Director

Surf-Bored Cat

Surf-Bored Cat

1967

Director

Catty-Cornered

Catty-Cornered

1966

Director

Filet Meow

Filet Meow

1966

Director

Jerry-Go-Round

Jerry-Go-Round

1966

Director

The A-Tom-inable Snowman

The A-Tom-inable Snowman

1966

Director

Puss 'n' Boats

Puss 'n' Boats

1966

Director

Gay Purr-ee

Gay Purr-ee

1962

Director

Martian Through Georgia

Martian Through Georgia

1962

Director

Lickety-Splat

Lickety-Splat

1961

Director

Nelly's Folly

Nelly's Folly

1961

Co-Director

Inside Magoo

Inside Magoo

1960

Director

Baton Bunny

Baton Bunny

1959

Director

Unnatural History

Unnatural History

1959

Director

Really Scent

Really Scent

1959

Director

A Witch's Tangled Hare

A Witch's Tangled Hare

1959

Director

B.C.: The First Thanksgiving

B.C.: The First Thanksgiving

1973

Executive Producer

The Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth

1970

Producer

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

No data available

No data available

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 2 3 1
2024 7 4 9 1
2024 8 2 7 1
2024 9 1 3 1
2024 10 1 2 1
2024 11 1 4 1
2024 12 1 2 1
2025 1 3 8 1
2025 2 1 2 1
2025 3 1 1 1
2025 5 1 1 1
2025 7 0 0 0
2025 8 2 4 0

Trending Rank


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