Some random statistics from a 62-year career

84-year old Gene Deitch concluded his 2008 tour of San Francisco—which included being an honored guest of the SF International Animation Festival—by addressing a rapt audience at SF State. His 6th presentation on the tour was ostensibly a review of his work for Weston Woods, but he called it a salute to his "greatest failures." (As if!) Allow us to summmarize some highlights, quantitatively:

150+ The number of awards Gene has won for his childrens’ story adaptations.

5 The number of "failed projects" Gene presented Thursday night: (But on balance, it’s also the number of Academy Award nominations that he’s received.)

1/2 is how much weight a good musical soundtrack carries in the success or failure of an animated film. Gene showed us 2 versions of William Steig’s Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (1993) to illustrate his point.

12 The length (in minutes) of his 35mm adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, created in 30 days to secure an option on The Lord of the Rings for producer William Snyder. They got the option, but couldn’t raise the necessary backing to make the film in 1964.

3 The number of adaptations of Jules Pfieffer stories that Gene has adapted: Munro (1961), Bark George, and I Lost My Bear (2005).

1968 was the year he could have won his second Oscar, if only The Giants had been properly submitted for consideration. But it did make him 1 of 6 directors in the Czech Republic to have his film banned by the Communist regime (for "Objectivism").

34 The number of chapters in Gene’s online book, How to Succeed in Animation, available free from Animation World Network.

2 is the number of versions of Where the Wild Things Are that were released. The first (from 1976) features an avant-garde soundtrack by Gene himself; the other (from 1988) has a more conventional music accompaniment by Peter "PDQ Bach" Schickele. 

5840 The number of miles Gene and wife Zdenka must travel from San Francisco back to their home in Prague (where they’ve lived together for 48 years). Have a safe trip and thanks for a great evening!