Cal Dalton

Calvin Moore Dalton (December 2, 1908 – June 9, 1974) was an American animator and director, most recognized for his time at Warner Bros. Cartoons. He got his start in commercial animation in 1930 as a lead animator for Romer Grey and Boyd La Vero. In 1933, he worked on an animated short of The Wizard of Oz at Ted Eshbaugh's independent studio. Moving to Leon Schlesinger Productions, his first assignment there was the 1934 cartoon Viva Buddy.

Over his career, Dalton contributed to 33 Warner Bros. cartoons as an animator, including the Bob Clampett-directed segment of When's Your Birthday? in 1937. After Friz Freleng left in 1938, Frank Tashlin took over Freleng's unit, and Dalton was promoted to director of Tashlin's old unit. For reasons that remain unclear, he was never allowed to direct alone, instead sharing duties first with Cal Howard and later with Ben Hardaway. Dalton felt frustrated that the more experienced Hardaway often overshadowed him.

His most notable achievement was co-directing Hare-um Scare-um in 1939 with Hardaway, which introduced a gray-and-white rabbit that served as the prototype for Bugs Bunny. In total, Dalton directed or co-directed 17 Warner Bros. cartoons between 1938 and 1940. He spent the rest of his years at the studio doing strictly animation work, leaving in 1947. His final project was Goofy Gophers (1947), the debut of those characters, and he also provided uncredited animation for the Daffy Duck short Mexican Joyride (1947).