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Abe Levitow

Abe Levitow

Director and producer · Died May 8, 1975, aged 52 · Los Angeles, California, USA

Abraham Levitow (July 2, 1922 – May 8, 1975) was an American animator who worked at Warner Bros. Cartoons, UPA and MGM Animation/Visual Arts. He is best known for his work under Chuck Jones' direction. Levitow began working as an in-betweener and assistant animator at Warner Bros. Cartoons in 1940 at the age of 17. He briefly left Warner Bros. when he was drafted during World War II working on training films. Levitow returned to the studio, working as an assistant animator for Ken Harris under the Chuck Jones unit, and he was later promoted to animator in 1950 and would receive his first animations credit in 1953 for the cartoon Wild Over You. He worked steadily for Jones over the remainder of the 1950s, and directed several cartoons for release in 1959, including the Pepé Le Pew cartoon "Really Scent". While working under Jones, he made characters' joints more angular than most other animators. Those characters with fur (Wile E. Coyote, for example) looked especially shaggy in Levitow's scenes. Levitow joined UPA in 1958 to work on the Mr. Magoo feature 1001 Arabian Nights, staying behind even after the studio was sold to Henry G. Saperstein. In 1962, he directed the first feature-length animated television special, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. 1962 also saw the release of his theatrical feature Gay Purr-ee. By 1962, he was working with Jones at MGM as an animator and a director in the Tom and Jerry series. He co-directed the feature film The Phantom Tollbooth with Chuck Jones at MGM. In addition, he worked with UPA on more Mr. Magoo cartoons, including The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo, and also collaborated with Chuck again on the program Curiosity Shop through Format Films. He animated on the Chuck Jones-produced A Christmas Carol, directed by Richard Williams at Williams' London studio in 1971. In 1972, he and producer Dave Hanson founded Levitow/Hanson Films. The studio produced several animated pieces for Sesame Street, the most notable being Willie Wimple. His last completed project was B.C.: The First Thanksgiving, which aired in November of 1973. At the time of his death, Levitow was in line to direct the animated feature film Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure. The project was taken over by Richard Williams when Levitow died from a bone tumor during pre-production at the age of 52. [biography (excerpted) from Wikipedia]

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 2, 1922
Died
May 8, 1975 (aged 52)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Director and producer
Titles
5 on MovieCove · 78 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 13% in 30 days

What are Abe Levitow's films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
30%
Bonds
28%
Self
16%
Morality
11%
Power
8%
Ideas
7%
Community3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 4 · Serious 1 · Dark 0

Heightened: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their heightened movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 0 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 4

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 1 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
4
Joyful
3
Romantic
1
Tense
1
Thrilling
1
Other
2

How their films linger

Feel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Abe Levitow's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 5 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, on Tubi (1).

Subscription and free streaming for Abe Levitow's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

78 credits, 5 with a MovieCove page.

  • Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director

  • Bugs Bunny at the Symphony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Animation Director

  • Bugs Bunny's Lunar Tunes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Happy Birthday, Bugs!: 50 Looney Years(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Daffy Duck's Thanks-for-Giving Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Animation

  • Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure(1977)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • What Happened to All That Bread? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Producer

  • B.C.: The First Thanksgiving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director · Executive Producer

  • A Christmas Carol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Story Artist

  • B.C. - The Shadow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director

  • The Wizard of Id (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director

  • The Phantom Tollbooth(1970)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Uncle Sam Magoo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director

  • Surf-Bored Cat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • The Mouse from H.U.N.G.E.R. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Rock 'n' Rodent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Guided Mouse-Ille (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • O-Solar-Meow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Catty-Cornered (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • The A-Tom-inable Snowman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • Filet Meow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • Puss 'n' Boats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • Jerry-Go-Round (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Mr. Magoo, Man of Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • Martian Through Georgia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol(1962)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Gay Purr-ee(1962)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Nelly's Folly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Co-Director

  • Lickety-Splat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Co-Director

  • Magoo Meets Frankenstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Executive Producer

  • The Dick Tracy Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 76 episodes · Director

  • The Mr. Magoo Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 130 episodes · Director · Associate Producer

  • Barbecue for Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Animation

  • Popeye the Sailor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Animation

  • Inside Magoo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • Magoo Meets Boing Boing (The Noise-Making Boy) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • 1001 Arabian Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Animation Director · Art Direction

  • Unnatural History (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • A Witch's Tangled Hare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • Wild About Hurry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Animation

  • Really Scent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • Baton Bunny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • Cat Feud (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Animation

  • Whoa, Be-Gone! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Animation

  • Hare-Way to the Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Animation

  • Robin Hood Daffy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Animation

  • Touché and Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Animation

  • Zoom and Bored (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Animation

  • What's Opera, Doc? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Animation

  • Steal Wool (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Animation

  • Boyhood Daze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Animation

  • Scrambled Aches (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Animation

  • 90 Day Wondering (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Animation

  • There They Go-Go-Go! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Animation

  • Deduce, You Say (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Animation

  • Rocket-bye Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Animation

  • Barbary-Coast Bunny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Animation

  • Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Animation

  • Heaven Scent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Animation

  • Broom-Stick Bunny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Animation

  • One Froggy Evening (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Animation

  • Guided Muscle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Animation

  • Two Scent's Worth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Animation

  • Double or Mutton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Animation

  • Ready.. Set.. Zoom! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Animation

  • Beanstalk Bunny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Animation

  • A Hitch in Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Animation

  • Baby Buggy Bunny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Animation

  • Sheep Ahoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Animation

  • Stop! Look! and Hasten! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Animation

  • Claws for Alarm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Animation

  • Feline Frame-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Animation

  • It's Everybody's Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Animation

  • Wild Over You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Animation

  • Forward March Hare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Animation

  • Scaredy Cat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Animation

  • Looney Tunes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

Career shape

A full career of 76 titles from 1929 to 2011.

Highest rated

Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)

Midcredits 83rd

Most popular right now

Gay Purr-ee (1962)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing33 of 76: 30 only directing, 3 with another roleWriting1 of 76: 1 only writing, 0 with another roleProducing5 of 76: 2 only producing, 3 with another roleOther crew40 of 76: 40 only other crew, 0 with another role

76 titles, 3 with more than one role.

By decade

1920s1 · crew1940s1 · crew1950s40 · crew1960s23 · crew1970s7 · crew1980s1 · crew1990s1 · crew2010s2 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do Abe Levitow's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 77th percentile, the median of all 5; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 77th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 5 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th1

Shape of the crowd

3 of their 5 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · director

Happy Birthday, Bugs!: 50 Looney Years (1990)

80th percentile spread · 18% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)

Midcredits 83rd · 77% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 71/100 and the pacing 41/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Abe Levitow work with?

People who share at least 2 of Abe Levitow's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Chuck Jones shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Editors

Producers