Biography: Carlo Vinci

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If you only get information about animators from books on the history of animation, you might think that the Warner Bros directors and the "Nine Old Men" were the only important figures in the development of animation. But there are many books yet to be written about unknown artists whose achievements are right up there with the more familiar names.

Take for instance, Carlo Vinci...



Carlo Vinci's career spanned half a century. He received many honors as a fine artist before joining the staff of Terrytoons in 1933. For the next two decades, he was one of their top animators, specializing in dancing scenes...


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John Kricfalusi describes Vinci's style as being as if Carlo invented animation himself, having never seen anyone else's animation. He was the master of the basic principles we read about in the Preston Blair book or Illusion of Life, but as you watch Vinci's syncopated, sinewy dancing scenes, you have to wonder if he didn't have a few extra principles of his own!

Carlo left Terrytoons and moved West to join his old friend Joe Barbera at MGM in the mid 50s, but soon after he arrived, the studio closed down. Joe Barbera got him a job at Disney, where Carlo animated on the Disneyland TV program. His pace was so fast, he was told to slow down, because he was producing so much quality footage, he made the rest of the animators look bad.



When Hanna and Barbera opened their own studio to produce TV cartoons, Vinci was one of the first three animators hired. He reinvented his style to work within the constraints of television schedules and budgets on shows like Ruff & Reddy, Huckleberry Hound, and Yogi Bear; but he really made his mark on The Flintstones. Every six weeks, Vinci animated an entire 24 minute episode of The Flintstones by himself!

Carlo retired at the ripe old age of 72, and passed away in 1993. We are very fortunate to have the assistance of his family in compiling a biopedia entry on his career. It includes photos, frame grabs, notes by John K and Joe Barbera, and movie files of his great film, "Mighty Mouse In Krakatoa" as well as clips from The Flintstones. Check it out...

Carlo Vinci Biopedia Entry

Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood
Animation Archive

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