David Hilberman, one of the founders of legendary cartoon studio United Pictures of America (UPA), died on July 5 the age of 96. The Bambi animator passed away at a hospital in Stanford, Calif., where he was being treated for complications resulting from an infection.
Hilberman began his career in the layout department at Disney in 1936, but his involvement in the labor strikes against the Mouse House would eventually lead to his firing and public allegations of Communist activity. He then teamed up with Stephen Bosustow and Zachary Schwartz to form Industrial Film and Poster Service, which would later become UPA. Initial work for the studio included the Franklin Delano Roosevelt re-election endorsement Hell Bent for Election and Brootherhood of Man for the United Auto Workers.
After the war, there was little demand for propaganda and training films, and UPA was struggling to make ends meet. By 1946, Hilberman and Schwartz left UPA and sold their shares in the studio to Bosustow, who eventually inked a deal to produce cartoons for Columbia Pictures. These included the Oscar-winning short Gerald McBoing Boing, as well as a series of Mr. Magoo and Jolly Frolics shorts.
Hilberman and Schwartz went on to found TEMPO Studios, a New York ad firm that was closed down due to Hilberman being blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee. After spending some time abroad, he returned to the states and hooked up with Hanna-Barbera Prods. and later enjoyed a long teaching career at San Francisco State College. His wife, Libby, passed away on July 11, 2006.
