Animating Art 1

Описание: Art Babbitt discusses his life and animation in this 1987 documentary by Imogen Sutton (wife of Richard Williams). The 40-minute film includes interviews with Richard Williams and Andreas Deja, and early footage from The Thief and the Cobbler.

Arthur Harold Babitsky (October 8, 1907 -- March 4, 1992), better known as Art Babbitt, was an American animator, best known for his work at The Walt Disney Company. He received over 80 awards as animation director and animator, but is most famous for creating Goofy. Art Babbitt began his career in New York City working for Paul Terry's Terrytoons Studio. But in the early 1930s he moved to Los Angeles followed by his fellow Terrytoon colleague Bill Tytla, and got a job animating for the Walt Disney Studio. His first important work was a drunken mouse in the short "The Country Cousin"(1936).

Art Babbitt worked as an animator or animation director on such films as The Three Little Pigs (1933), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Fantasia (1940), and The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964), among others.

He animated the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Geppetto in Pinocchio, Zeus, Vulcan, and the dancing mushrooms in Fantasia, and the stork in Dumbo.

Despite being one of the highest paid animators at Disney, Babbitt was sympathetic to the cause of lower echelon Disney artists seeking to form a union. This greatly displeased Walt Disney and the two had bad blood between them from then on. After leaving the Disney company union and joining the "Screen Cartoonists' Guild Local 852", the regular union representing all of Hollywood animators, Babbitt was fired from Disney in 1941, an event that eventually led to the 1941 Disney animators' strike. Babbitt then served as one of the union leaders and negotiators.

After serving with the Marines in the Pacific in World War II, Babbitt returned to Disney for a time, then went to United Productions of America (UPA) formed by former Disney strikers. He worked on many of their famous award winning shorts, including the lead character Frankie in "Rooty Toot-Toot"(1951).

In the 1950s he was part owner of Quartet Films, where he did commercials, including the Cleo winning "John & Marsha" spot for Parkay Margarine. Later he was part of Hanna & Barbera's commercial wing.

Known in the animation world as one of the art's most accomplished teachers, in 1973 Canadian animator Richard Williams brought Art Babbitt to his London studio in Soho Square to deliver a series of lectures on animation acting and technique that subsequently became famous among animators. Some of Babbitt's final work was on the character King Nod in William's film "The Thief and the Cobbler".

In 1991 Disney Company chief Roy E. Disney, the nephew of Walt, contacted Art Babbitt and they ended the long feud. Art's former rivals, the pro-Walt animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, gave Art a warm and moving eulogy at his funeral service.

His first wife (1937-1940) was Marge Champion, a dance model in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. His second wife was Dina Babbitt, a Holocaust survivor. His third wife, who survives him, is actress Barbara Perry. Babbitt died of kidney failure March 4, 1992, at the age of 84.