Bob Baker Marionette Theater
- Bob Baker Marionette Theater
The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, founded by Bob Baker and Alton Wood in 1963, is the oldest children's theater company in Los Angeles.
History
Bob Baker (born in 1924) is an American puppeteer whose marionettes have entertained thousands of children and adults worldwide for more than 70 years.
At age 8, Baker trained with several different Los Angeles-based companies before giving his first professional performance for director Mervyn Leroy. While attending Hollywood High School, he began manufacturing toy marionettes that sold both in Europe and the United States. After graduation he became an apprentice at the George Pal Animation Studios. A year later he was promoted to head animator of Puppetoons. After WWII, Baker served as an animation advisor at many film studios, including Disney. His innovative puppetry was featured on TV in "Bewitched", "Star Trek" and "Land of the Giants"; and on film in the 1944 cult classic "Bluebeard" with John Carradine, "A Star is Born" with Judy Garland, "G.I. Blues" with Elvis Presley, Disney's "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Baker was also instrumental in championing union membership for puppeteers. As a result, Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA now recognize puppeteers as actors with a special skill. He has also provided a place of learning for the next generation of puppeteers, including Scott Land and Michael Earl.
Baker and partner Alton Wood turned a run-down scenic shop near downtown L.A. into a family entertainment institution, The Bob Baker Marionette Theater. The Bob Baker Marionettes have performed around the globe (even on Navy ships and submarines), with an inventory of some three thousand puppets. Like Bil Baird before him, Bob Baker is an American pioneer in the art of puppetry.
References
* [http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=302660&mod=bio "The New York Times" bio on Bob Baker]
*cite news |title=Photo Walls: Bob Baker's Marionette Theater |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4729980
publisher= "Day to Day (NPR)" |last= Mal Sharpe and Jennifer Sharpe|date= 2005-07-05 ( [http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=4729980&m=4730072 Listen (Real Audio Player required)] )
External links
* [http://www.bobbakermarionettes.com/index.html Bob Baker Marionettes Official Website]
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