Jerry Beck

Acting

Jerry Beck

Born 1955-02-09 · New York City, New York, USA

Jerry Beck is a well-known animation historian, with ten books and numerous articles to his credit. He is also an animation producer, an industry consultant to Warner Bros., and has been an executive with Nickelodeon and Disney.

Acting credits

Animation Outlaws poster
6.3

Walt Disney said “We have created characters and animated them in the dimension of depth, revealing through them to our perturbed world that the things we have in common far outnumber and outweigh those that divide us.” Outside of Walt himself there are few people who have brought together and united more animators in the history of the genre than Craig "Spike" Decker and Mike Gribble, known to all as Spike & Mike. They created an animation festival that helped launch the careers of John Lasseter, Peter Lord, Will Vinton, Bill Plympton and Mike Judge to name just a few. Their Spike & Mike festival had an enormous impact on animation that was felt the world over. The festival was known as much for the breakthrough animation it presented as the outrageous antics of the founders.

Animation Outlaws

2019

Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants poster
10.0

Commemorates the 10th anniversary of the SpongeBob SquarePants. The documentary chronicles the beloved character's journey to international pop culture icon status and showcases the series' around the world.

Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants

2009

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You Now! poster
7.4

After 52 years of solving mysteries, the Scooby gang reunite at Warner Bros. Studios to reminisce about their favorite cases and how they were filmed. But it turns out that the back lot may have its OWN monster problem. Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo investigate this mystery while celebrating the legacy of the franchise.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You Now!

2021

The Art of 'Spirited Away' poster
8.2

The people that brought the film Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001) (a.k.a. "Spirited Away") to the US explain how it was converted into English, with some minor confusion between languages, and how well it did in both Japan and America.

The Art of 'Spirited Away'

2003

Claydream poster
6.8

A modern day Walt Disney, Will Vinton picked up a ball of clay and saw a world of potential. Known as the “Father of Claymation,” Vinton revolutionized the animation business during the 80s and 90s. But after 30 years of being the unheralded king of clay, Will Vinton’s carefully sculpted American dream came crumbling down. Structured around interviews with this charismatic pioneer and his close collaborators, the film charts the rise and fall of the Academy Award and Emmy winning Will Vinton Studios.

Claydream

2022

Adventures in Plymptoons! poster
2.0

A documentary film about Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton. This is a portrait piece that includes interviews with family, friends, colleagues, critics, and fans.

Adventures in Plymptoons!

2011

Beyond Beauty: The Untold Stories Behind the Making of Beauty and the Beast poster
6.0

An interactive, feature-length behind-the-scenes documentary teeming with worthwhile bonus content all its own.

Beyond Beauty: The Untold Stories Behind the Making of Beauty and the Beast

2010

Behind the Tunes: Drawn to Life - The Art of Robert McKimson poster
NR

A look at the career of Warner Bros. animator and director Robert McKimson.

Behind the Tunes: Drawn to Life - The Art of Robert McKimson

2007

Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood poster
6.1

A look at the forces that shaped Pre-Code Hollywood and brought about the strict enforcement of the Hays Code in 1934.

Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood

2008

The One and Only June Foray poster
NR

This film is about the life and times of legendary voice actress June Foray. From her beginnings as a child wanting to be an actress, to becoming one of the greatest voice talents in the golden age of animation.

The One and Only June Foray

2013

No artwork available
6.7

"Tinkerbell: A Fairy's Tale" is a look into Tink, who has become a pop culture icon in the years since the film's release. We hear about some of the inspirations for Tink (actress Margaret Kerry was the live-action reference), concept art for Tink and more.

Tinker Bell: A Fairy's Tale

2007

Behind the Tunes: Once Upon a Looney Tune poster
NR

A look at the fairy tale-based Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, starring characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, and more.

Behind the Tunes: Once Upon a Looney Tune

Bugs Bunny's 80th What's Up, Doc-umentary! poster
8.0

Narrated by Billy Crystal, the documentary examines the history of the character over the decades, including sketches, clips from the shorts, and interviews with the animation legends who created some of the most memorable Bugs material

Bugs Bunny's 80th What's Up, Doc-umentary!

2020

The Making of 'Pinocchio': No Strings Attached poster
6.0

Documentary focusing on the making-of the 1940n adaptation of Pinocchio by the Disney studio, often considered the artistic pinnacle of the Disney feature.

The Making of 'Pinocchio': No Strings Attached

2009

No artwork available
NR

For half a century Harvey Comics characters ruled newsstands, television screens, and the imaginations of children across the United States. While the names Casper the Friendly Ghost, Richie Rich, Little Audrey, Dick Tracy, and The Green Hornet live on, Harvey Comics has been largely forgotten. This film will bring together stories from family members, artists, historians, and celebrities to reveal the untold story of a company that changed comic books and pop culture forever.

Ghost Empire: The Forgotten Story of Harvey Comics

Out of the Inkwell: The Fleischer Story poster
7.0

A documentary about the Fleischer brothers and how they revolutionized animation.

Out of the Inkwell: The Fleischer Story

2008

The Animagic World of Rankin/Bass poster
NR

An all-new documentary celebrating the legacy of the holiday specials created by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass including interviews with filmmakers and historians.

The Animagic World of Rankin/Bass

2018

Behind the Tunes: Wacky Warner One-Shots poster
NR

Historians and modern animators discuss classic era Warner cartoons without "stars": characters who returned in subsequent cartoons.

Behind the Tunes: Wacky Warner One-Shots

2007

Bird Gone Wild: The Woody Woodpecker Story poster
4.0

The story of Walter Lantz and Woody Woodpecker from the early days at Universal Pictures to the creation of brand new cartoons in 2018. Featuring contributions from Woody experts and of course, Woody himself.

Bird Gone Wild: The Woody Woodpecker Story

2018

Behind the Tunes: Real American Zero - The Adventures of Private Snafu poster
NR

Historians and animators discuss the Private Snafu cartoons made for military training during World War II.

Behind the Tunes: Real American Zero - The Adventures of Private Snafu

The Memory of Robot Carnival: A Look Back at the History of the Classic Anthology poster
NR

A visual essay on the making, release and restoration of Robot Carnival.

The Memory of Robot Carnival: A Look Back at the History of the Classic Anthology

2018

No artwork available
NR

Enjoy a heartwarming journey through the legacy of the world’s most famous cartoon superstar – Bugs Bunny. Witness his extraordinary transformation from animated character to global and pop culture icon with classic archival footage and exclusive new interviews with voice actors Bob Bergen, Eric Bauza, Jeff Bergman, Candi Milo, Billy West, animation historian Jerry Beck, Variety’s TV Editor Mike Schneider and others.

Hare's to Bugs! A Bugs Bunny Celebration

2024

The Art and Animation of Carl Barks poster
NR

A documentary film about the life and work of artist and author Carl Barks, including his lifetime association with Walt Disney and the Donald Duck character family.

The Art and Animation of Carl Barks

2005

Irreverent Imagination: The Golden Age of the Looney Tunes poster
8.0

A documentary on the Looney Tunes. Including interviews from people who worked on it, and their family.

Irreverent Imagination: The Golden Age of the Looney Tunes

2003

Behind the camera