An Animated Academy Salute to UPA

Press Release from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Beverly Hills, CA -- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Monday Nights with Oscar” series will present eight rarely seen United Productions of America (UPA) shorts, including Academy Award winners “Gerald McBoing-Boing” (1950) and “Mister Magoo’s Puddle Jumper” (1956) on Monday, December 14, at 7 p.m. at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City. The program has been selected by and will be hosted by Oscar-winning animator, animation historian and author John Canemaker.

UPA was one of the most influential Hollywood studios in animation history, one whose impact is still felt in the eclectic styles of today’s animation. During its heyday in the 1950s, UPA’s modernist graphic design and experimental techniques moved cartoon films worldwide away from the Disney studio’s “illusion of life” representational imagery.

The program will include newly struck 35mm prints from the Academy Film Archive, screened with permission from Sony Pictures.

Tickets for “An Animated Academy Salute to UPA” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets may be purchased online at www.oscars.org [1] <http://www.oscars.org> or by mail (a printable order form is available in the Events & Exhibitions section of the Web site). Tickets may also be purchased at the box office prior to the event (subject to availability). All seating is unreserved.

The Academy Theater is located at 111 East 59th Street in New York City. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the event. All seating is unreserved.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and 

Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.