Charles Dale Tholen; Pioneer in Stop-Motion Animation

Charles Dale Tholen, 79, pioneer in stop-motion special effects for films and television commercials. Born in Golden, Ill., Tholen served in the Army in North Africa and Italy during World War II. In the 1940s, he worked for George Pal Productions, making models and designing special effects for such films as “Tubby the Tuba” and Oscar-winning “Destination Moon.” In 1952, Tholen became a partner in Swift-Chaplin Productions, one of the first companies organized solely to create television commercials. Tholen designed and made scale models, sets and camera equipment necessary to bring mascot characters to life in complicated stop-motion effects. Among the memorable commercials he helped create were the Jolly Green Giant, Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger and Speedy Alka-Seltzer. Tholen’s avocation was designing cars and tools for amateur auto racing. On July 25 in Culver City of complications after a heart attack.