Industrial Films and Poster Service:

The Formation of UPA

Dave Hilberman, Zachary Schwartz and Stephen Bosustow in 1942

In the early 1940's two former Disney co-workers, Zachary Schwartz (then working at Screen Gems) and Dave Hilberman (then with Graphic Films), decided to rent some office space in which to paint in their spare time. Around that time, Stephen Bosustow, another former Disney employee, was working at Hughes Aircraft and had convinced his bosses to do a filmstrip on safety. Graphic Films turned the job down, but Dave Hilberman suggested that he and Schwartz could give it a try. The three artists completed the job, and then began searching for other after hours work.

Hell Bent For Election

Franklin Roosevelt and Thomas Dewey as the Win the War Special and the Defeatist Limited

Around the same time, the UAW decided to sponsor a pro-Roosevelt campaign film for the 1944 elections. Through the Screen Cartoonists Guild they were put in touch with John Hubley who, along with Phil Eastman and Bill Hurtz, prepared a storyboard for the project. The UAW then approached Leon Schlesinger at Warner's, but he turned them down due to the political nature of the film. The UAW next approached Bosustow, Schwartz and Hilberman, who bid on the film and were awarded the contract. It was January, 1944, and the film needed to be done by August. Schwartz, Hilberman and Bosustow formed a company, Industrial Films and Poster Service and hired Adrian Woolery, who had just left Disney.

Hell Bent For Election

The Dewey Defeatist Limited does a "take"

The film was titled 'Hell Bent for Election', and employed the talents of many moonlighting artists. The upcoming election was very important and the general consensus among the artists was that FDR was their man. Alot of the artists worked for free, including director Chuck Jones. The finished product was not as technically advanced as later UPA work, but it was vibrant, stylish and persuasive, and a huge success. Enough of a success that Schwartz and Bosustow had quit their day jobs and now needed more work.

Hell Bent For Election

The Dewey Defeatist Limited crashes

They bid on a job for the Army Signal Corps, and were awarded the contract. From then on there was never a lack of work. Industrial films, government films, slides and filmstrips kept the company going, so much so that they needed to move to larger quarters to house the rapidly expanding staff. At the same time, the name of the company was changed to United Productions of America (UPA). Some of the films done at UPA during the next few years included 'Flat Hatting', for the US Navy, and 'Brotherhood of Man', for the UAW.

In 1946, after a disagreement between the three partners, Schwartz and Hilberman sold their interest in the company to Bosustow and left to form Tempo Productions.

Hell-Bent For Election, Part 1

Watch part one of Hell-Bent For Election that I posted on YouTube
Length: 06:16

Hell-Bent For Election, Part 2

Watch part two of Hell-Bent For Election that I posted on YouTube
Length: 06:44

UPDATED OCTOBER 28, 2007

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