("Star Courier" newspaper article, probably from Kewanee, Illinois)

Thursday, May 24, 1934
Walter Schmidt, Graduate Kewanee High, One of Ten Best Cartoonists in Nation
"Dick" Murray Tells of Phenomenal Success of Former Kewanee Boy

A letter received by the Star Courier today tells of the remarkable success of Walter Schmidt and "Dick" Murray, former Kewanee high school graduates who have been in California for some time.  Schmidt has followed the trade of cartoonist and Murray is engaged in the motion picture industry

Murray's letter follows:

"I think it would be of interest to Kewaneeans to know that Walter Schmidt is now in Hollywood, as you probably recall, his father was head of the Wight and Gas company there and moved to Chicago in 1925.  Walt graduated from the high school in 1925 and after a semester at Knox went to Chicago and began his career as a cartoonist.  As I suppose you know, he is considered in editorial offices as on of the ten best cartoonist in the nation.  His success at twenty-seven is really amazing and, of course, very gratifying to his former friends. Until quite recently he was editor of the High Hatter page of the New York American, one of Hearst's largest papers.  Deserting most of the humorous magazines , Schmidt's cartoons have been appearing with regularity in Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Esquire and other class magazines.  At the present time he is an idea man for Esquire i.e. furnishes the gags and situations that others draw for the magazine.  His ideas are acknowledged in the preface to Stag at Eve, Ogden Nash's clever book and such artists as Russell Patterson, Peter Arno and John Held, jr., are among his most enthusiastic boosters.

Aids Chaplin, Cantor

"While still in New York the Hal Roach studio signed him to a contract as a comedy writer and brought him to Hollywood.  After a brief three weeks Eddie Cantor persuaded him to leave that studio and put Schmidt under personal contract to himself.  Currently, Walt is preparing the scripts for Cantor's broadcasts which will be resumed during the winter and there is a possibility that he will write for Goldwyn studios while Cantor is here.  Schmidt will remain in Hollywood indefinitely.  Because of the press of his work Walt has practically had to forego any illustrating.  Charlie Chaplin, at a recent dinner for Walt, sought his services, on a book that Chaplin contemplates doing in the near future.  It was quite strange for us to meet far off in Hollywood nine years after we had played football together in K.H.S. (The ugly truth is that I was a perennial substitute and he was on the varsity).  He married a New Jersey girl over a year ago and is still the same modest and likable person that he was in Kewanee.  In school he illustrated the Tiger and Kewanite as well as playing football and basket ball.  You'll excuse my verboseness but I'm sure you'll be interested to hear of the phenomenal success he has had.  At present time Walt and I are seriously considering doing a monthly humorous feature for a nationally... 


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