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 handsome "Rainbow Parade" cartoons featured established characters: Felix the Cat, Parrotville Parrots, Molly Moo-Cow, and the Toonerville Trolley gang. These Van Beuren efforts were well received, and Van Beuren had finally succeeded in sponsoring a popular cartoon series. However, RKO ended its distribution of Van Beuren cartoons in 1936 when it began distributing those produced by industry-leader Walt Disney. Amadee 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 unionisation that had caused the studio problems in 1935. The Van Beuren library was sold by RKO 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. Animation:  Live-action: