I don't know how old Grim Natwick is, and I don't care. All that matters is what a fine anatomy of woman he has bestowed upon the feminist movement. And to maximize that contribution, Betty Boop, his alluring creation, even ran for President. If he were only twenty years younger or I twenty years older. Ah, Fantasy Island!
It was a protracted evening, this tribute to Grim Natwick at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on 22 August 1983, but a night that was anything but grim yet all Grim.
"I feel so highly complimented." he laughed, "I was amazed and delighted that the program was ever put on. A great honor, but there should be more of these things because there are lots of important people. I tried to analyze this. Just to see, I watched the Country Singer Awards. Here are fellows who learn to sing one song, thump a guitar, and they're famous all over the world. The thing that denies an animator any publicity is that he works alone by himself in a room, everything he does belongs to somebody else, he never gets a penny back from it, never gets any recognition for it, nobody knows who he is. It took all this time for anyone to even know how to spell my name, and some don't know how to spell it yet." Well, we do. It’s g-r-e-a-t!
The idea for Grim's salute was initiated by the fertile mind of writer, Charles Solomon, who approached Doug Edwards, Director of Special Projects with the Academy Foundation, and voila! Accompli! Those who partook of wine and hors d'oeuvres at the preceding reception were the cream of animation greats - William Littlejohn, Leo Salkin, Wolfgang Reitherman, Cal Howard, Bob Kurtz, Bill Scott, Chuck Jones, Ollie Johnston, Frank Thomas, Nick Bosustow, Marc Davis, Les Novros, Barrie Nelson, Rick Reinert, Bill Kurtz, and even Tissa David flew out from New York for this memorable happening.
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