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Ward Kimball

Ward Kimball

While Kimball was a brilliant draftsman, he preferred to work on comical characters rather than realistic human designs. Animating came easily to him and he was constantly looking to do things differently. Because of this, Walt Disney called Ward a genius in the book The Story Of Walt Disney. While there were many talented animators at Disney, Ward's efforts stand out as especially unique.Kimball created several classic Disney characters including the Crows in Dumbo; Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland; the Mice and Lucifer the Cat from Cinderella; and Jiminy Cricket fromPinocchio. He also animated the famous "Three Caballeros" musical number from the Disney film of the same name.In 1953, Kimball became a director and was responsible for the Academy Award-winning short Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, and three Disney television shows about outer space that put the United States into the space program. He received anAcademy Award for the short animated cartoon It's Tough to Be a Bird.Ward Kimball was profiled by the Academy Award-winning producer Jerry Fairbanks in his Paramount Pictures film short series Unusual Occupations. This 35mm Magnacolor film short was released theatrically in 1944 and focused on Kimball's backyard railroad and full sized locomotive.Kimball was also a jazz trombonist. He founded and led the seven-piece Dixieland band Firehouse Five Plus Two, in which he played trombone. The band made at least 13 LP records and toured clubs, college campuses and jazz festivals from the 1940s to early 1970s. Kimball once said that Walt Disney permitted the second career as long as it did not interfere with his animation work.Kimball continued to work at Disney up until the early 1970s, working on the Disney anthology television series, being one of the writers for Babes in Toyland, creating animation for Mary Poppins, directing the animation for Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and working on titles for feature films such as The Adventures Of Bullwhip Griffin and Million Dollar Duck. His last staff work for Disney was producing and directing the Disney TV show The Mouse Factory. He continued to do various projects on his own, even returning to Disney to do some publicity tours. Additionally, Kimball worked on an attraction for Disney's EPCOT Center called The World Of Motion.

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The Mouse Factory

The Mouse Factory

1972

Creator

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

1971

Animation Director

Dad... Can I Borrow the Car?

Dad... Can I Borrow the Car?

1970

Producer, Director

It's Tough to Be a Bird

It's Tough to Be a Bird

1969

Director, Writer, Producer

Nature's Better Built Homes

Nature's Better Built Homes

1969

Director

The Mickey Mouse Anniversary Show

The Mickey Mouse Anniversary Show

1968

Director

Pacifically Peeking

Pacifically Peeking

1968

Animation

Nature's Charter Tours

Nature's Charter Tours

1968

Director

Escalation

Escalation

1968

Director

A Salute to Alaska

A Salute to Alaska

1967

Animation Director

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

1964

Animation

Fly With Von Drake

Fly With Von Drake

1963

Animation

Inside Outer Space

Inside Outer Space

1963

Director

Babes in Toyland

Babes in Toyland

1961

Writer

Eyes in Outer Space

Eyes in Outer Space

1959

Director, Producer, Writer

Magic Highway U.S.A.

Magic Highway U.S.A.

1958

Director

Disneyland: Mars and Beyond

Disneyland: Mars and Beyond

1957

Director

Man and the Moon

Man and the Moon

1955

Director, Producer, Writer

Man in Space

Man in Space

1955

Director, Writer, Producer

The Wonderful World of Disney

The Wonderful World of Disney

1954

Director

Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom

Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom

1953

Director, Animation

Melody

Melody

1953

Director, Animation

Peter Pan

Peter Pan

1953

Animation, Animation Director

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

1951

Animation

Cinderella

Cinderella

1950

Animation Director

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

1949

Animation, Animation Director

Pecos Bill

Pecos Bill

1948

Animation

Melody Time

Melody Time

1948

Animation

Fun and Fancy Free

Fun and Fancy Free

1947

Animation Director

Willie the Operatic Whale

Willie the Operatic Whale

1946

Animation

Peter and the Wolf

Peter and the Wolf

1946

Animation

Hockey Homicide

Hockey Homicide

1945

Animation

The Three Caballeros

The Three Caballeros

1944

Animation

The Pelican and the Snipe

The Pelican and the Snipe

1944

Animation

Chicken Little

Chicken Little

1943

Animation

Reason and Emotion

Reason and Emotion

1943

Animation

Victory Vehicles

Victory Vehicles

1943

Animation

Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi

Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi

1943

Animation

The Spirit of '43

The Spirit of '43

1943

Animation

How to Play Baseball

How to Play Baseball

1942

Animation

Dumbo

Dumbo

1941

Animation

The Nifty Nineties

The Nifty Nineties

1941

Animation

The Reluctant Dragon

The Reluctant Dragon

1941

Animation

The Little Whirlwind

The Little Whirlwind

1941

Animation

Fantasia

Fantasia

1940

Animation

Pinocchio

Pinocchio

1940

Animation, Animation Director

The Autograph Hound

The Autograph Hound

1939

Animation

Mother Goose Goes Hollywood

Mother Goose Goes Hollywood

1938

Animation

Ferdinand the Bull

Ferdinand the Bull

1938

Animation

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

1938

Animation

Woodland Café

Woodland Café

1937

Animation

More Kittens

More Kittens

1936

Animation

Toby Tortoise Returns

Toby Tortoise Returns

1936

Animation

Elmer Elephant

Elmer Elephant

1936

Animation Production Assistant

Pluto's Judgement Day

Pluto's Judgement Day

1935

Animation

The Tortoise and the Hare

The Tortoise and the Hare

1935

Animation Production Assistant

The Goddess of Spring

The Goddess of Spring

1934

Animation Production Assistant

Mickey Plays Papa

Mickey Plays Papa

1934

Animation Production Assistant

Orphan's Benefit

Orphan's Benefit

1934

Animation

The Wise Little Hen

The Wise Little Hen

1934

Animation

The Hot Choc-late Soldiers

The Hot Choc-late Soldiers

1934

Animation Production Assistant

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