J. Hayde discloses that Chaplin had declined several opportunities to purchase them. The Van Beuren Corporation acquired and produced live-action features such as Adventure Girl (1934) and two more Frank Buck safaris, Wild Cargo (1934) and Frank Buck's Fang and Claw (1935). Other Van Beuren live-action productions included a "Van Beuren Vagabond" travelogue series, a series of novelty shorts narrated by the radio comedy team Easy Aces (Goodman Ace and Jane Ace) and musical comedy shorts featuring Bert Lahr, Shemp Howard, among others. Van Beuren remained unsatisfied, and agreed to license the popular comic-strip character The Little King and the radio comedy act, Amos 'n' Andy to adapt into animated cartoons. Neither series was successful. Van Beuren then hired Walt Disney director Burt Gillett and animator Tom Palmer to create a new series of color cartoons. These "Rainbow Parade" cartoons featured established characters: Felix the Cat, Parrotville Parrots, Molly Moo-Cow, and the Toonerville Trolley gang. Closure These full-color Van Beuren efforts were well received, and Van Beuren had finally succeeded in sponsoring a popular cartoon series. However, RKO entered into a deal to distribute new color cartoons produced by industry leader Walt Disney. RKO, no longer needing Van Beuren's cartoons, abandoned the Rainbow Parade shorts. Amedee J. Van Beuren fell ill during this time. In July 1938, he had a stroke that would eventually lead to his death on November 12, 1938 by heart attack. During his recovery from his stroke, Van Beuren closed his studio rather than accept unionization that had caused the studio problems in 1935. The Van Beuren library was sold to various television, reissue, and home-movie distributors in the 1940s and 1950s, including Unity Pictures, Walter Gutlohn/Library Films, Commonwealth Pictures, and Official Films. The library eventually lapsed into the public domain. Productions Animation: Aesop's Fables Cubby Bear Amos 'n' Andy The Little King Rainbow Parade (color series) Felix the Cat Molly Moo-Cow Burt Gillett's Toddle Tales Tom and Jerry Toonerville Trolley Parrotville Live-action: James the Cat Stung (1931) Bring 'Em Back Alive (1932) Adventure Girl (1934) Wild Cargo (1934) Fang and Claw (1935) References External links Full list of Van Beuren cartoons from the Big Cartoon Database Biography of Amedee J. Van Beuren Swiss Trick on Archive.org American animation studios Mass media companies established in 1921 Mass media companies disestablished in 1936 American companies established in 1921 1921 establishments in New York City 1936 disestablishments in