From the March 2009 Peg-Board
Millard Kaufman, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter and the co-creator of Mr. Magoo, died in Los Angeles on March 14 at the age of ninety-two.
Kaufman wrote Ragtime Bear, the 1949 UPA animated short directed by John Hubley that introduced Mr. Magoo. Kaufman modeled the near-sighted character on his uncle with Jim Backus as the voice.
Kaufman was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay for 1953’s Take the High Ground!, and was nominated again for Bad Day At Black Rock, a 1955 suspense drama starring Spencer Tracy.