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Edwin Gillette

1909 – 2003

American animator

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About Edwin Gillette

Lived 1909 – 2003 (aged 94). Edwin Gillette was an inventor and animator.

Edwin Gillette (August 11, 1909, in Chicago – September 30, 2003, in Los Angeles ) was a cameraman and inventor notable for the development of the Syncro-Vox technique of limited animation, which was used in the series Clutch Cargo.

Early life Born to a Chicago architect, Gillette grew up in Pasadena, California, graduated in 1929 from the Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, and studied engineering at Stanford University. His interest in film led to his first job in the entertainment field at Paramount Studios, where he was Preston Sturges' secretary. After producing training films as an officer with the Army Air Corps in World War II, he returned to take a degree in cinema at USC.

Career Gillette developed the Syncro-Vox technique of animation which was first used in "talking animal" commercials of the early 1950s. He filed a patent for the technique in 1952, and obtained patent #2,739,505 for it on March 27, 1956.

After working as the undersea cinematographer on the 1957 film Undersea Girl, he joined Clark Haas' Cambria Studios, where Syncro-Vox was put to use in their animated series Clutch Cargo (1959), Space Angel (1962) and Captain Fathom (1965). He retired as a partner in Cambria Studios in 1964.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Education
Stanford University

People in Edwin Gillette's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Edwin Gillette's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Edwin Gillette?

American animator

When was Edwin Gillette born?

Edwin Gillette was born on 11 August 1909.

When did Edwin Gillette die?

Edwin Gillette died on 30 September 2003.

What was Edwin Gillette's occupation?

Edwin Gillette was an inventor and animator.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Edwin Gillette

· Wikidata: Q5346447

· DBpedia: Edwin Gillette

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Edwin Gillette. https://biography.guide/edwin-gillette/

MLA: "Edwin Gillette." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/edwin-gillette/.

Chicago: "Edwin Gillette." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/edwin-gillette/.

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