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  • BIRTH 04/03/1914
  • DEATH 08/07/2002
  • Country United States
  • MOVIES 14
  • DIRECTOR 7
  • SCRIPT 3
  • PRODUCTION 3

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.

Ward Kimball

Movies (14)

The Reluctant Dragon
The Reluctant Dragon
Ward Kimball
Apollo: Missions to the Moon
Apollo: Missions to the Moon
Self - Disney Animator (archive footage)
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
Ward Kimball (archive footage)
Mickey: The Story of a Mouse
Mickey: The Story of a Mouse
Self (archive footage)
Disneyland '59
Disneyland '59
Self
It's Tough to Be a Bird
It's Tough to Be a Bird
Bird Fancier
From Rags to Riches: The Making of Cinderella
From Rags to Riches: The Making of Cinderella
Self (archive footage)
One Hour in Wonderland
One Hour in Wonderland
Self - Firehouse Five Plus Two
It All Started with a Mouse: The Disney Story
It All Started with a Mouse: The Disney Story
Self
The Disneyland Story
The Disneyland Story
The Wizard of Speed and Time
The Wizard of Speed and Time
The IRS Chief
The Nifty Nineties
The Nifty Nineties
Ward (voice) (uncredited)
Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town
Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town
Self
Operation Wonderland
Operation Wonderland
Self

Director (7)

Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom
Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom
The Mickey Mouse Anniversary Show
The Mickey Mouse Anniversary Show
Man in Space
Man in Space
Dad... Can I Borrow the Car?
Dad... Can I Borrow the Car?
Melody
Melody
It's Tough to Be a Bird
It's Tough to Be a Bird
Disneyland
Disneyland
(2 episodes)

Script (3)

Babes in Toyland
Babes in Toyland
Man in Space
Man in Space
It's Tough to Be a Bird
It's Tough to Be a Bird

Production (3)

Man in Space
Man in Space
Dad... Can I Borrow the Car?
Dad... Can I Borrow the Car?
It's Tough to Be a Bird
It's Tough to Be a Bird