Forgotten Pioneer

I am proud to say that my grandfather, like David Hand, was also one of “animation’s forgotten pioneers” (“A Master’s Handwork,” by Donald Liebenson, May 4).

Manuel Moreno worked at Universal with Walter Lantz during the “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit” years. He animated and directed at other studios, earned a solid reputation, and could have easily moved into a position at the studio of his choice. Instead, he fulfilled his dream to return to his native Mexico and launch a studio to make animated films in Spanish.

Between 1943 and 1946, Caricolor Films made a few shorts--one in Technicolor with stereo sound, called “Me Voy de Caceria”--featuring his character Pelon. Stanford University now holds most of Moreno’s notes, papers, photos and home movies, but the films made in Mexico have never resurfaced, since they were lost while searching for a distributor in Hollywood.

Liebenson’s article boosts my hopes that my grandfather’s films are sitting in some random box somewhere and maybe Times readers are sitting on them now.

MARIO MANUEL PRIETTO

Los Angeles

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The article mentions that “Ginger Nutt’s Christmas Circus” has been lost for ages. It is currently available on the video “Jingle Bell Foolin’ ” (United American Video, 1990). Many of the others mentioned are available on cheap videos, in poor quality prints.

DAVID HOWELLS

Alhambra