Comics: George Tilton and Jeanne Alippe, Husband and Wife Writers and Editors

George Henry Tilton III was born on April 8, 1922, in Manhattan, New York, New York, according to the New York, New York Birth Index at Ancestry.com. His parents were George Henry Tilton II and Theodora P. Tiffany. 

The 1930 United States Census said Tilton was the oldest of three siblings. The family of five were Manhattan residents at 1105 Park Avenue. Tilton’s father was a real estate agent.

In the 1940 census, the Tiltons lived in Palm Beach, Florida at 313 Chileau Avenue. In 1935 they were residing in Littleton, New Hampshire. 

Tilton’s obituary in The Advocate (Stamford, Connecticut), June 15, 2005, said 

Mr. Tilton was a 1940 graduate of St. George’s School in Newport, Rhode Island, and 1944 graduate of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He served in the United States Navy during WWII as an engineering officer and was stationed in the South Pacific. He attained the rank of lieutenant and remained in the naval reserve until 1954.

On August 24, 1948, Tilton and Jeanne Therese Alippe obtained a Manhattan marriage license. Their upcoming marriage was reported in the Asbury Park Press (New Jersey), September 10, 1948. 

Former Belford Girl to Marry 

New York.—The marriage of Miss Jeanne Therese Alippe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Alippe, former Belford, N. J. residents, now of New York, to George Henry Tilton 3d, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Henry Tilton, jr., Littleton, N. H., will take place in New York tomorrow. 

The ceremony will be performed in the Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity by the Rev. Charles V. Foelsch, a reception will follow at the Hotel New Weston. 

The bride, attended by her sister, Mrs. Herbert L. Boettcher, will be gowned in ice blue satin with matching headress and navy blue accessories. She will carry an old-fashioned bouquet. 

John Tilton will serve as best man for his brother, whose ushers are to be Joseph Daffron and Douglas J. Alippe. 

The bride attended Columbia university. Mr. Tilton, an alumnus of Dartmouth college, is a staff writer with Fiction House, inc. 

After a trip to Atlantic City, the couple will live in New York. 

Jeanne Therese Alippe was born on September 17, 1924, in Silverlake, New Jersey, according to her Social Security application.

The 1930 census recorded Alippe as the second of three children born to Philip Alippi and Marie Antoinette Nollet. They were Manhattan, New York City residents at 75 Old Broadway. Her father was a perfume salesman.

In the 1940 census, the Alippi family lived at 140 West 62nd Street in Manhattan. 

Alippe’s Social Security application had the spelling of her surname as Alippi in July 1941. Two years later the spelling changed to Alippe. Who’s Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999, Grand Comics Database and Women in Comics Wiki have her name as Jean Alipe.

According to the 1950 census, Tilton and Alippe made their home at 155 East 47th Street in Manhattan. His occupation was listed as other. She was a managing editor at a magazine publisher.

Alippe was mentioned in Women and the Comics (1985). After comics, Alippe was the editor of Medical Marketing & Media. 

In 1969, Dartmouth College published Class of 1944 Twenty-Five Years Later 1944–1969 which included photographs of Tilton in 1944 and 1969. 

The Advocate said 

... Mr. Tilton was a member of ASCAP and wrote several popular songs in the 1940s, including Seven Come Heaven, There’s Something in My Eye and Nine Loves. He was also a staff writer for Fiction House in New York at that time and worked on the popular adventure comics, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle and The Tiger Woman, as well as other pulp fiction. He joined Fawcett Publications in 1950 and worked there until 1970 as Managing Editor. George and Jeanne moved to Stamford, Connecticut in 1954 and lived there until 1999. ...

Tilton and Alippe retired to Alexandria, Virginia where she passed away on December 15, 2002. (Another obituary for Alippe is here.) Tilton passed away on March 18, 2005. (Another obituary appeared in Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, November/December 2005.) They were laid to rest at Glenwood Cemetery. 

Women in Comics Posts

Jeanne Alippe, Ruth Atkinson, Olive Bailey, Valerie Barclay, Vivian Berg, Helen Chu aka Duffy Mohler, Ellen Cole, Corinne Boyd Dillon, Anahid Dinkjian, 

Barbara Clark Fogel, Evelyn Gaines aka Lynn Lovelace, Merna Gamble, Gerda Gattel, Selma Meyers Gleit, Jane Krom Grammer, Anita Greene,

Bonnie Hano, Ray Hermann, Joye Hummel, Marjorie Wilkes Huntley, Grace Jacquet, Charlotte Jetter, 

Anna Kaufman, Bessie Mae Kelley, Nadine French King, Alice Kirkpatrick, Grace Kremer, Pauline Loth, 

Veda Lufkin, 

Marion McDermott, Emma C. McKean, Tarpé Mills, Claire S. Moe, Lily Reneé, Ruth Roche, 

Georgette Sauterel, Marie Severin, Marcia Snyder, Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Serena Summerfield, Daisy Swayze, Terry Szenics, Claire Szep, 

Alberta Tews, Peggy Zangerle

(Next post on Monday: British Photo-Comic, 1893)

Street Scene: Storm Drain Cover

• H A W A I  I •

Maui

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Comics: Louis L. Goldklang, Letterer

Louis Larry Goldklang was born on May 23, 1907 in New York, New York. The birth information is from the Social Security Death Index. Goldklang’s full name was on his World War II draft card which had April as the birth month. 

In the 1910 United States Census, Goldklang was the youngest of six sons born to Aaron, a tailor, and Yetta, both Austrian emigrants. The family resided in Manhattan at  87 ? 114th Street. 

The 1915 New York state census said the Goldklangs were Bronx residents at 858 East 16? Street. 

According to the 1920 census, the Goldklangs’ address 1101 Prospect Avenue in the Bronx. 

The 1925 New York state census recorded Goldklang’s occupation as “Letter” which should have been letterer. He lived with his parents and three brothers at 905 Beck Street in the Bronx. 

In the 1930 census, Goldklang’s occupation was mixed up with his brother, Meyer (known later as Myron). Goldklang was the sign painter and Meyer the jewelry setter. They lived their parents in the Bronx at 1102 Simpson Street. 

The 1940 census counted Goldklang and his parents in Brooklyn at 2504 85th Street. Goldklang’s highest level of education was the second year of high school. In 1939 he earned $1044 as a letterer for a screen service. 

The National Screen Service Corporation (see sidebar) was Goldklang’s employer on his World War II draft card which he signed on October 16, 1940. Goldklang’s address was unchanged. He was described as five feet seven inches, 160 pounds, with blue eyes and black hair. The 1950 census said he did not serve during the war.

The 1950 census said Goldklang was a “Cartoonist Letterer” for a “Comic Book Concern”. He continued to live with his parents at the same place in Brooklyn. Coincidentally, Goldklang was on the same career path as Ira Schnapp. 

Who’s Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999 said Goldklang worked at the Iger Studio. Some of his credits are at the Grand Comics Database. Goldklang lettered Classic Comics and Classics Illustrated numbers 23, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens; 24, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain; 25, Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana, Jr.; 26. Frankenstein by Mary W. Shelley; 27, The Adventures of Marco Polo; and 31, The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson. 

Apparently Goldklang did not marry and remained a Brooklyn resident. Goldklang passed away on January 30, 1986. The Social Security Death Index said his last residence was Brooklyn. He was laid to rest at Mount Hebron Cemetery. 

SIDEBAR: National Screen Service

The Literary Digest, August 1, 1936, described the operation of the National Screen Service.

Film Trailers: How the Screen Gives Advance Publicity to Coming Attractions

In a recent court action the film title, “Revolt of the Zombies,” the rarely publicized motion-picture trailer was introduced as evidence because of its advertising value. Not to be confused with the increasingly popular automobile trailer, the cinema type is that short film cropping up to proclaim the thrills, chills, fast action, love interest and stars of coming attractions.

During the infant days of the “flickers” announcements were flashed on the screen during the “One Minute to Change Reels.” In this period highly colored slides were shown among advertisements for Granny’s Corn Fritters, Uncle Joe’s Liver Pills, bicycles at half price and sundry merchandise with emphatic remarks such as: “Just a minute while the operator has a fit,” or “Please remove your hat, the lady in back might want to see, too.” These slides were the direct forerunners of the modern film trailer.

As the cinema matured, advertisements of coming attractions were introduced. These were on slides at first but eventually were made on film. At this point they became known as trailers; “trailer” because they were attached to a reel on a feature or longer piece of film and trailed. In 1920, actual scenes were introduced and from that time the “trailer” business has increased in importance until it is now one of the important branches of the motion picture industry. 

Stars and Stars—The average trailer announcing the  GLAMOUROUS star of stars, Mary Jones in that THRILLING—NERVE TINGLING—HEART-TEARING—SOUL±REVEALING—THUNDERBOLT-LIKE—SAGA OF TRUE LOVE—“Cousin Elizabeth”—runs about a minute and a half and is 200 feet long. More than 10,000 theaters are supplied from one to three times a week with these short reels by the National Screen Service. The only production companies not using this service are Warner Brothers and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, both of which prefer to make their own. 

Three to eight scenes are cut into the trailer from the picture it announces. The companies supply this scene material and as compensation in addition to the advertising values, they are paid royalties based on the amount of film footage actually used and the number of prints. National Screen Service has scouts who watch the shooting of pictures to select most expressive scenes of the entire story. 

Occasionally stars are changed, stories altered, theme songs dropped, or whole scenes deleted. This causes confusion for the trailer makers, especially when title changing runs rampant on the Hollywood lots. Mae West’s last picture started as “Klondike Lou,” was changed to “Hallelujah, I’m a Saint,” and finally released as “Klondike Annie.”

National Screen Service has produced up to 2,700 different sorts of these short reels in one year with more than 30,000 prints being issued. The usual feature picture may open in fifty cities simultaneously, but the company has to be prepared for emergencies such as in the case of Shirley Temple's “Curly Top,” which opened in four hundred theaters the same week. 

Depending on length, wordage and production, the cost of trailers range from from $300 to $1,500 apiece. Some theaters, such as the Radio City Music Hall in New York, allot an annual budget of $5,000 for exclusive trailers. Most theaters, however, are supplied on yearly contracts at from ten to twenty dollars a week.

Careful Distribution—Peculiarly enough in the problem of trailer distribution, there is a question of censorship. National Screen Service has its own censor, but occasionally eliminations are necessary in some prints and these are marked “For Mass. only,” or “O.K. for Pennsylvania,” depending on local requirements. 

Western films, with action stressed, have to be watched carefully. Censors allow a chair or some weapon to be raised in a fight scene, but the actual striking may not be shown. A man may jump over a cliff but he may not ride a horse in so doing. That constitutes cruelty to animals and is tabu.

Only an instant of machine-guns may be seen. There can be sounds of firing, but the machine-gun must not be shown in action. Two people may clinch and kiss, but they must always be vertical, never horizontal. And kisses are measured actually by footage; thus, three feet of a kiss would represent about two and a half seconds of time, as film is projected ninety feet a second, or approximately twelve minutes for a full reel.

There are three common types of trailers: “talkers” with film scenes, “text” with titles, stills of actors and animation effects and short fifty-foot reels, all titles and with or without music. 

Upon the suggestion of the production company, these films are assembled by an editorial and cutting staff. Letterers and artists produce background cards, build small sets for trick photography, do animation and letter advertising matter which is then photographed by the camera crew with an eye toward all kinds of trick work.

The editors work with every available dictionary and word collection in their quest for adjectival fireworks. In the sound library are some 5,000 pieces of music. Sound effects are likewise held available, such as a lion’s roar being accomplished by drawing a rosin-covered string through the covered end of an open-end drum; a whale’s blowing by forcing air through a short section of hose; a bit more hose achieving an alligator effect. Nails dropping into a keg gave the impression that a rock slide has hit the roof of a house and for a big cave-in, match-boxes held in the hand and crushed before the “mike” produced the desired result. 

Recently, with the use of a powerful baby microphone, sound engineers are being sent all over the world. One crew recorded the sounds in the fiords of Norway.

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Comics: Mel Blum, Art Director

Melvin Donald Blum was born on February 23, 1920 in Manhattan, New York City, according to the New York, New York Birth Index, at Ancestry.com, and the Social Security Death Index. However, his World War II draft card and marriage application had the birth date February 22, 1917. 

Blum was born six weeks after the 1920 United States Census enumeration. His parents, Sidney and Selma, and sisters, Dora and Sarah, were in the household of his paternal grandparents. They were Manhattan residents at 1646 Madison Avenue. Blum’s father was a dry goods salesman. 

The 1925 New York state census counted Blum, his parents and sister in the Bronx at 1635 University Avenue. His father was a printer. 

In the 1930 census, Blum, his parents, sister, Rita, and brother, Barry, lived in Brooklyn at 2207 East 4th Street. His father was a printing executive. 

Presumably Blum attended school in Brooklyn. It’s not clear if he had any formal art training. Apparently Blum’s father had some influence on his career direction. 

According to the 1940 census, Blum was an art director at a printing firm. He continued to live with his parents in Brooklyn at 1620 East 33rd Street. Blum was a high school graduate who earned $2,400 in 1939. 

Six months after the census enumeration, Blum signed his World War II draft card on October 10, 1940. His address was updated twice. Blum’s description was five feet nine inches, 175 pounds, with blue eyes and blonde hair. His employer was the A.J. Lipp Company, a printing firm in Manhattan. 

On March 21, 1941, Blum and Betty Shapiro obtained a Brooklyn marriage license. The application said he was a production manager. The couple married on April 6, 1941.

At the Timely-Atlas-Comics blog, Dr. Michael J. Vassallo interviewed Allen Bellman who explained that Blum sometimes used his brother’s name to be known as Mel Barry. Beginning in Fall 1942, Mel Barry was credited in Krazy Komics numbers 2 (associate editor) and 3 (technical advisor), and Terry-Toons issues 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9 (technical advisor). Mel Blum was technical advisor in Terry-Toons numbers 10, 11, 12, 49 and 51.  

 

Years later Blum became art director of Martin Goodman’s magazines and paperbacks. 

Lion Books, Inc.

The 1950 census recorded the Blum family of four in Flower Hill, Nassau County, New York at 11 Greenway Street. Blum was art director at Magazine Management. He earned $1,700 in 1949 and did not serve during World War II. 

Writer’s Digest, March 1957, said Blum was the editor of Ken for Men. Journalism Quarterly, Summer 1958, published “The Social Anatomy of the Romance-Confession Cover Girl”. The footnote said Blum was one of the respondents to the research. 

At some point Blum was divorced. In 1960 he married Lorraine Setchen in Manhattan. 

Common Sense, February 15, 1960, published a Jewish Pornography Index that included three magazines art directed by Blum. 

At some point Blum left Goodman’s publishing empire and found work at the National Enquirer. It’s not clear when he started there. In 1971 the newspaper moved from New York to Lantana, Florida. The Working Press of the Nation, Volume 2 (1980) had an entry for the National Enquirer whose staff included Blum. 

National Enquirer

600 S.E. Coast Ave., Lantana, FL. 33464

Last Date Listing Updated Verified 01/79

National Enquirer

Phone: 305-586-1111

PBD: Weekly

Circulation: 5,719,918 (ABC) 

PG: 58 x 78 1/2 picas; COL: 11.3 picas; PHOTO: Yes; MAT; No, CUT: Yes; SCREEN: 65; CHARGE: Yes; PAY: Yes; RATE: Depends on material.

Generoso Pope, Jr. ..... Publisher

Iain Calder ..... Editor 

Paul Levy ..... Managing Editor 

Ralph Gallagher ..... Advertising Manager 

Malcolm Balfour, Mel Blum ..... Associate Editors

Ron Caylor, Raymond Villwock ..... Associate Editors 

Blum passed away on July 10, 2010. The Social Security Death Index said his last residence was Brooklyn. A paid death notice appeared in The New York Times, July 12, 2010. 

Blum—Mel. Loving father of Marilyn, Terry, Gene, Vicki, and Avi. Sibling to Barry and Rita.

Further Reading

Mens Pulp Mags, Andrew Nette: pulp fiction historian, novelist, blogger—and real cool cat 

Horrorhound #30, July/August 2011, “World of Vintage Men’s Adventure Magazines” (Blum not mentioned)

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Lettering: Labels

Arts & Decoration, July 1921

The Printing Art, September 1915

 

 

(Next post on Monday: Mel Blum, Art Director)