George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American

animator An animator is an artist who creates multiple images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games ...

, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and

science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

genres. He became an American citizen after emigrating from Europe. He was nominated for

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

(in the category Best Short Subjects, Cartoon) for seven consecutive years (1942–1948) and received an honorary award in 1944. This makes him the second-most nominated Hungarian exile (together with William S. Darling and

Ernest Laszlo Ernest Laszlo, A.S.C. (born Ernő László; April 23, 1898 – January 6, 1984) was a Hungarian-American cinematographer for over 60 films, and was known for his frequent collaborations with directors Robert Aldrich and Stanley Kramer. He w ...

) after

Miklós Rózsa Miklós Rózsa (; April 18, 1907 – July 27, 1995) was a Hungarian-American composer trained in Germany (1925–1931) and active in France (1931–1935), the United Kingdom (1935–1940), and the United States (1940–1995), with extensi ...

Early life and career

Pal was born in

Cegléd Cegléd (; german: Zieglet) is a city in Pest county, Hungary, approximately southeast of the Hungarian capital, Budapest. Name The name of the town is of disputed origin. The name may be derived from the word "szeglet" (meaning "corner") due t ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

, the son of György Pál Marczincsak, Sr. and his wife Mária. He graduated from the

Hungarian University of Fine Arts The Hungarian University of Fine Arts ( Hungarian: ''Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem'', MKE) is the central Hungarian art school in Budapest, Andrássy Avenue. It was founded in 1871 as the Hungarian Royal Drawing School ''(Magyar Királyi Min ...

in 1928 (aged 20). From 1928 to 1931, he made films for

Hunnia Film Studio Hunnia Film Studio was the largest and most significant sound film studio in Hungary until its nationalization in 1948. Its predecessor, Corvin Film Studio, founded by Alexander Korda in 1917, was the most important Hungarian silent film compan ...

Budapest, Hungary Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population of ...

. At the age of 23 in 1931, he married Elisabeth "Zsóka" Grandjean, and after moving to Berlin, founded Trickfilm-Studio GmbH Pal und Wittke, with UFA Studios as its main customer from 1931 to 1933. During this time, he patented the Pal-Doll technique (known as ''

Puppetoons Puppetoons is a series of animated puppet films made in Europe (1930s) and in the United States (1940s) by George Pal. They were made using replacement animation: using a series of different hand-carved wooden puppets (or puppet heads or limbs) for ...

'' in the US). In 1933, he worked in Prague; in 1934, he made a film advertisement in his hotel room in Paris, and was invited by

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters is ...

to make two more ad shorts. He started to use Pal-Doll techniques in

Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,Horlicks Malted Milk. In December of that year, aged 32, he emigrated from Europe to the United States, and began work for

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

. At this time, his friend

Walter Lantz Walter Lantz (April 27, 1899 – March 22, 1994) was an American cartoonist, animator, producer and director best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker. Biography Early years and start in animation Lant ...

helped him obtain American citizenship. As an animator, he made the ''

'' series in the 1940s, which led to him being awarded an

honorary Oscar The Academy Honorary Award – instituted in 1950 for the 23rd Academy Awards (previously called the Special Award, which was first presented at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929) – is given annually by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Moti ...

in 1943 for "the development of novel methods and techniques in the production of short subjects known as Puppetoons". Pal then switched to live-action film-making with '' The Great Rupert'' (1950). He is best remembered as the producer of several

and

fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction ...

s in the 1950s and 1960s, such as '' When Worlds Collide'', four of which were collaborations with director

Byron Haskin Byron Conrad Haskin (April 22, 1899 – April 16, 1984) was an American film and television director, special effects creator and cinematographer. He is best known for directing '' The War of the Worlds'' (1953), one of many films where he ...

, including ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

'' (1953). He himself directed ''

Tom Thumb Tom Thumb is a character of English folklore. ''The History of Tom Thumb'' was published in 1621 and was the first fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no bigger than his father's thumb, and his adventures include being swallowed by a cow, tan ...

'' (1958), ''

The Time Machine ''The Time Machine'' is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895. The work is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel by using a vehicle or device to travel purposely and selectively for ...

'' (1960), and ''

The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm ''The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm'' is a 1962 American fantasy film directed by Henry Levin and George Pal. The latter was the producer and also in charge of the stop motion animation. The film was one of the highest-grossing films of ...

'' (1962).

Death

In May 1980, he died in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

, of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

at the age of 72, and is buried in

Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City Holy Cross Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery at 5835 West Slauson Avenue in Culver City, California, operated by the Los Angeles Archdiocese. It is partially in the Culver City city limits. Opened in 1939, Holy Cross comprises . It contains—amo ...

, California. ''The Voyage of the Berg'', on which he was working at the time, was never completed.

Awards and honours

Pal has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

at 1722 Vine St. In 1980, the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...

founded the "George Pal Lecture on Fantasy in Film" series in his memory. George Pal (along with the film ''When Worlds Collide'') is among the many references to classic

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

and horror films in the opening theme ("

Science Fiction/Double Feature "Science Fiction/Double Feature" is the opening song to the original 1973 musical stage production, ''The Rocky Horror Show'' as well as its 1975 film counterpart ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'', book, music and lyrics by Richard O'Brien, music ...

") of both the stage musical ''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the ...

'' and its cinematic counterpart, ''

The Rocky Horror Picture Show ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' is a 1975 Musical film, musical comedy horror film by 20th Century Fox, produced by Lou Adler and Michael White (producer), Michael White and directed by Jim Sharman. The screenplay was written by Sharman an ...

'' (1975). In 1975, Pal received the Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...

, as well as the San Diego Comic Con

Inkpot Award The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at CCI's annual conv ...

. Pal's Puppetoons ''Tulips Shall Grow'' and ''

John Henry and the Inky-Poo ''John Henry and the Inky-Poo'' is a 1946 stop-motion animation film written and directed by George Pal using Pal's '' Puppetoons'' stop-motion style. The film is based on African American folk hero John Henry. ''John Henry and the Inky-Poo'' wa ...

'' (1946) were added to the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

1997 and 2015 National Film Registry. One of the Tubby the Tuba models along with a frog and three string instruments were donated to the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Found ...

for the

National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...

Preservation

The

Academy Film Archive The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, established in 1944 with the purpose of organizing and overseeing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ educational and cultural activities, including the preservation of m ...

has preserved several of George Pal's films, including ''Jasper and the Beanstalk'', ''John Henry and the Inky Poo'', and ''Radio Röhren Revolution''.

Live-action feature films

Unreleased, unfinished, or projected films

*''Gulliver's Travels'' (1935) *''Sinbad'' (1935) *''Three Little Princes'' (1935) *''Casey Jones'' (1945) *''Davy Crockett'' (1945) *''Johnny Appleseed'' (1946) *''

After Worlds Collide ''After Worlds Collide'' (1934) is a sequel to the 1933 science fiction novel, '' When Worlds Collide''. Both novels were co-written by Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie. ''After Worlds Collide'' first appeared as a six-part monthly serial (November ...

'' (1955) *'' Odd John'' (1967) (rights acquired only) *'' Logan's Run'' (1968) *'' When the Sleeper Wakes'' (1972) *''War of the Worlds '' (1974–75) Unfinished TV pilot *'' Doc Savage: The Arch Enemy of Evil'' (1976) *''The Time Traveller'' (1977–78) aka ''Time Machine II''. A novelization with Joe Morhaim was published posthumously in 1981. *''

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz afte ...

'' (1979) *''The Disappearance'' (1980) (only in preproduction) *''Voyage of the Berg'' (1980) (only in preproduction)

Posthumous collection

*''

The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal ''The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal'' is a 1985 American documentary film about Academy Award-winning producer/director George Pal. It was written, directed, and produced by Arnold Leibovit. Summary The film follows Pal's career, beginning wi ...

'' (1985) (Produced and directed by

Arnold Leibovit Arnold Leibovit (born June 18, 1950) is an American director, producer, and screenwriter of feature films and musical productions. An acting member of the Producers Guild of America, he has produced, directed, and written several feature films. ...

) *''

The Puppetoon Movie ''The Puppetoon Movie'' is a 1987 animated film written, produced, and directed by Arnold Leibovit. It is based on the Puppetoons characters created by George Pal in the 1930s and 1940s which feature the eponymous Puppetoon animation, and feature ...

'' (1987) (Produced and directed by

) *''The Puppetoon Movie Volume 2'' (2020) (Produced and directed by Arnold Leibovit)

References

Bibliography

Gail Morgan Hickman Gail Morgan Hickman (born December 14, 1953) is an American producer and writer of film and television. His first major writing credit was for the ''Dirty Harry (film series), Dirty Harry'' film ''The Enforcer (1976 film), The Enforcer'' (1976 ...

. ''The Films of George Pal''. South Brunswick, NJ: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1977. . * Schepp, Ole and Kamphuis, Fred. ''George Pal in Holland 1934–1939''. Den Haag: Kleinoffsetdrukkerij Kapsenberg, 1983. * Miller, Thomas Kent. ''Mars in the Movies: A History''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2016. . * Peters, Mette. "George Pal’s ‘Cavalcade of Colours, Music and Dolls’: 1930s Advertising Films in Transnational Contexts". In: ''Animation and Advertising''. Thompson, Kirsten Moana, Cook, Malcolm (Eds.). Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. .

External links

* *
George Pal Lecture on Fantasy in Film

George Pal

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pal, George 1908 births 1980 deaths Academy Honorary Award recipients American animated film directors American animated film producers Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City Emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States English-language film directors Hungarian animated film directors Hungarian animated film producers Hungarian emigrants to the United States People from Cegléd People with acquired American citizenship Science fiction film directors Stop motion animators Inkpot Award winners