Eugene Poddany (23 December 1919 - 10 March 1984) was a Golden Age musician for Warner Brothers, Walter Lantz, and M.G.M. Visual Arts Studios.
Biography[]
Eugene was born to Frank and Tatiana Girgilevich Poddany in Harbin, China. The family seemed to relocated to Seattle when he was four years old. Eugene comes from a family of musicial instrument builders and prop makers. He graduated in 1937, and was hired as a copyist for major animation and film studios while occasionally being considered as a substitute director of orchestra. He did so for Carl Stalling as he was in the middle of recovering from a brain injury. While working for Milt Franklyn, he had a few opportunities to be credited as the composer.
Eugene Poddany's major breakthrough was when Chuck Jones, Walter Bien, Les Goldman, and Tom Ray started their own studios mostly contracted with Metro Goldwyn Mayer to make Tom & Jerry. He made 20 entries. Chuck Jones made character designs with descriptive facial expressions, many of them supposed to look cute. Eugene noticed this and made music with a gentle, whimsical style.
He also made music for two Dr. Seuss television specials, which happened to be the last time he ever worked.
Eugene had a very disturbed life. In childhood, his younger brother James who was 5 at the time of his death from a crushed skull. This had bothered Eugene for a very long time until he saved a drowning boy. It is also possible that Eugene Poddany became a real life antihero by helping others. Unfortunately, during the production of the compilation special "Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island" (which had credited him as Gene Poddany) is when his life went to a point of no return. He died by public suicide with the S.W.A.T. Team attempting and failing to intervene.
Discography[]
- "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" (1966)
- "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" (1970)
Discography (Other)[]
- The Dot And The Line