I was sorry to hear—via Mark Evanier—of the passing of Michael Schlesinger, a film fan, film preservationist, and filmmaker par excellence. Almost 20 years ago, when Mike was at Sony/Columbia, he provided the beautifully restored prints of Scrappy cartoons for Jerry Beck’s memorable Scrappyland event. (Here’s video of the festivities.) I wish everyone could see for themselves how good those shorts looked on the big screen. But it’s reassuring to know they exist, even if they spend most of their time locked up in the Columbia vault. I’m forever grateful to Mike for his role in protecting our Scrappy heritage.
Mark’s post covers some of Mike’s other activities in the film world, which were many and varied. My condolences to his family and friends.