Charles Mintz

:Not to be confused with Charles Muntz, a character from Up.
Charles Bear Mintz was an American film producer and distributor. He assumed control over Margaret J. Winkler's Winkler Pictures after marrying her in November 1923; the couple had two children, Katherine and William. Between 1925 and 1939, he produced over 370 cartoon shorts.
==History==
Mintz had been part of Winkler Pictures since at least 1924."Acquires New Holmes Series" - The Film Daily (5/25/1924) A 1937 biography claims he had been producing Felix the Cat cartoons in 1921."Mintz, Charles" - The Film Daily Presents the Product Guide and Director's Annual 1937
===Alice Comedies===
Compared to Margaret, Mintz had been much more critical towards Walt Disney during the production of the Alice Comedies.
Mintz signed a deal with the Film Booking Offices of America (FBO) in 1926; FBO would distribute the Alice Comedies to theaters instead of Winkler while Winkler would still own the rights to the series. FBO distributed the Alice Comedies up until the series' end in 1927.
===Oswald the Lucky Rabbit===
In early 1927, Mintz got word that Universal Pictures was looking to get back into the cartoon business. Because of this, he had requested that Walt create a character he could sell to Universal. Ub Iwerks would design a rabbit character, and Universal would name it Oswald. Mintz signed a deal with Universal vice president R. H. Cochrane on March 4; Winkler would produce 27 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons throughout the 1927-28 season."Universal Announces Release Of "Oscar, the Rabbit" Cartoons" - Motion Picture World (3/12/1927) Mintz reportedly had an Oswald-themed "feast" with most of Universal's staff."Ali Hartman's Film Fables from Big U" - Universal Weekly (7/9/1927)
In February 1928, Mintz moved production of the Oswald cartoons to Winkler; The Walt Disney Studio's contract with Winkler had been terminated after they failed to reach an agreeable payment deal. He hired most of Disney's animators to work at a new studio formed in the company. The studio would be managed by Margaret Winkler's brother, George.
;Losing Oswald
After losing the Oswald contract to Walter Lantz,"Benny Rubin and Oswald Make Universal One-Reelers Super Shorts" - Universal Weekly Mintz focused on the output of a Winkler-distributed property, the Krazy Kat series. Winkler Pictures moved from New York to Los Angeles and was renamed Charles Mintz Studio in 1931. The studio would be renamed Screen Gems after Columbia Pictures acquired it a few months before he died of a heart attack on December 30, 1939.http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/animation-anecdotes-268/
Mintz was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Short Subject. His first nomination was in 1935 for "Holiday Land", and he was nominated again in 1938 for The Little Match Girl.
Contrary to popular belief, Walt had no ill will towards his former employer. He later said that Charles Mintz had high standards for cartoons and working with him helped him raise his standards for making cartoons. 
==Gallery==
Charles Mintz in Walt Before Mickey.JPG|Conor Dubin as Charles Mintz in Walt Before Mickey.
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Males
Category:1800s births
Category:1900s deaths
Category:Deceased
Category:People from Pennsylvania
Category:American people
Category:Jewish people
Category:Producers
Category:Alice Comedies