John Korty
John Korty was born on the 22nd of June 1936 in Lafayette, Indiana. He began making amateur films while still a teenager. His education took him to Antioch College in Ohio where he studied liberal arts. He graduated from that institution in 1959. During his second year at college he developed a deep interest in animation. He created a cut-out technique for his work and used various other imaging methods including scratching film stock or painting directly onto it. He also incorporated objects such as photographs string cloth and scissors into his visuals. These early experiments formed the foundation for his future career. He made more than thirty television commercials using a Bolex H-16 camera while working with four fellow students at Antioch.
Korty moved to Stinson Beach in Marin County north of San Francisco in 1964. There he established a barn studio called Korty Films. Within four years he produced three feature films there. The first project was the little-seen drama The Crazy-Quilt released in 1966 with narration by Burgess Meredith. The others included Riverrun and Funnyman which featured performances by the comedy troupe The Committee Theatre. These were successful low-budget projects that gained attention locally. George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola found inspiration in his barn studio setup. They both established their own studios in the San Francisco Bay Area shortly after. Korty actually became a tenant at Coppola's Zoetrope Studios before moving out when rents increased. The company eventually settled in Point Reyes Station California. This environment contributed to what later historians call the New Hollywood movement.
His most highly lauded work appeared on television from the early 1970s until the late 1990s. He became known as the director of The People in 1972. That film starred Kim Darby and William Shatner and was produced by Francis Ford Coppola. It was based on the science-fiction novel The Pilgrimage by Zenna Henderson. In 1974 Korty won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. He received this honor for his filmed adaptation of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. Four years later the Directors Guild of America gave him an award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary. This recognition went to his documentary feature Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids?. The film had previously won an Academy Award in the documentary category. Other notable films included Go Ask Alice released in 1973 and an adaptation of Farewell to Manzanar in 1976.
Several Korty animated shorts were featured on PBS children's programs during the mid-1970s and late-1980s. These segments aired on both The Electric Company and Sesame Street. They featured moral tales including at least one adaptation of Aesop's Fables. A recurring character known as Thelma Thumb appeared throughout these works. All of the films used Korty's backlit cut-out technique which he called Lumage. Some entries ran as short as 18 seconds. He tended to use a synthetic fabric called Pellon for the animations. This material lent a consistent style to the work. Improv actors often ad-libbed the dialogue while child performers were sometimes used. Among the children was the sister of David Fincher. David Fincher worked for Korty and would later gain recognition as a director himself. John Korty also produced animated shorts for the first season of Vegetable Soup with assistance from Drew Takahashi and Gary Gutierrez.
Twice Upon a Time was a George Lucas-produced animated fantasy originally released theatrically by Warner Bros. in August 1983. It later aired as an HBO feature in June 1984. The film lost money upon its release. Korty would not return to animated productions for more than twenty years following this event. He served as a cinematographer for a few other films including the Robert Redford feature The Candidate. His theatrical animation efforts remained a singular major venture despite his earlier success in television. The financial failure marked a significant turning point in his career trajectory. Critics noted the ambitious nature of the project but acknowledged its commercial shortcomings.
Korty won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids?. He received several Emmy Awards throughout his career including one for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman in 1974. The Directors Guild of America honored him multiple times for both drama and documentary work. He also won a Humanitas Prize for Farewell to Manzanar and Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids? in 1979. Film critic Leonard Maltin described him as a principled filmmaker who worked both outside and within the mainstream. He attempted to find projects that supported his humanistic beliefs. These accolades reflected his commitment to storytelling that addressed social issues with dignity.
During his long life Korty married three times. His marriages to Carol Tweedie and designer Beulah Chang ended in divorce. He was remarried to Jane Silvia for 32 years until his death. She survived him after he passed away on the 9th of March 2022. They had one son named Gabriel Korty. Korty had two sons from his second marriage to Chang: Jonathan and David Korty. He also had three grandchildren. According to his brother Doug the cause of his death was vascular dementia. Korty remained active in producing short animated pieces even into his later years. In 2006 he posted two short animated pieces to the World Wide Web featuring characters Brock and Throck discussing political landscapes.
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Common questions
When was John Korty born and where did he grow up?
John Korty was born on the 22nd of June 1936 in Lafayette, Indiana. He began making amateur films while still a teenager.
What animation technique did John Korty develop for his television work?
John Korty developed a backlit cut-out technique which he called Lumage. He used synthetic fabric called Pellon to create consistent styles for animated shorts featuring characters like Thelma Thumb.
Which film won an Academy Award for John Korty in the documentary category?
Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids? won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. This film also earned him a Humanitas Prize in 1979 alongside Farewell to Manzanar.
How many times was John Korty married and who survived him after his death?
John Korty married three times and remained active until his death on the 9th of March 2022. His wife Jane Silvia survived him after he passed away from vascular dementia.
Why did John Korty stop producing animated features after 1983?
Twice Upon a Time lost money upon its release in August 1983 so John Korty would not return to animated productions for more than twenty years following this event. The financial failure marked a significant turning point in his career trajectory.