Walter E. Calmette Sr.
Courtesy of Kira Calmette Feola
Walter E. Calmette Sr., a veteran movie gross sales government who oversaw licensing and merchandising for the enduring Felix the Cat cartoon character for greater than 30 years, has died. He was 85.
Calmette died Jan. 6 at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena of problems of coronary heart failure, his household introduced.
Calmette joined New World Entertainment in 1984 as senior vp acquisitions, working in ancillary gross sales, licensing, merchandising and theatrical acquisitions worldwide. The expertise led him to be employed by the Oriolo household to run business affairs for Felix the Cat Productions, overseeing worldwide merchandising and licensing offers for the corporate.
Calmette got here to the U.S. from Peru in 1958. While placing himself by way of college, he received his begin within the leisure business in 1962 with an entry-level position at Films Incorporated in Hollywood, the place he discovered be a movie salesman.
He traveled to varsity campuses throughout the nation and ultimately led the Hollywood workplace for the Chicago-based agency as he cultivated relationships with studio and theater gross sales colleagues.
Calmette jumped to Avco Embassy Pictures in 1980, beginning out as director of nontheatrical gross sales. He was promoted to vp as his tasks elevated to servicing lodges and airways.
His daughter, Kira Calmette Feola, is a number one awards specialist in Hollywood.
Survivors additionally embody his spouse of 63 years, Mila; son Walter Jr. and daughter-in-law Heidi; son-in-law Andrew; and who he referred to as his “Magnificent Seven” grandsons: Michael, Andrew, John, Nico, Alex, Mathew and Michael.
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