Ward Kimball

Ward Kimball

Born: March 4, 1914
Died: July 8, 2002
in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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.

Movies for Ward Kimball...

Mickey: The Story of a Mouse
Title: Mickey: The Story of a Mouse
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: March 19, 2022
Type: Movie
Mickey Mouse is one of the most enduring symbols in our history. Those three simple circles take on meaning for virtually everyone on the planet. So ubiquitous in our lives that he can seem invisible, Mickey is something we all share, with unique memories and feelings. Over the course of his nearly century-long history, Mickey functions like a mirror, reflecting our personal and cultural values back at us. "Mickey: The Story of a Mouse" explores Mickey's significance, getting to the core of what Mickey's cultural impact says about each of us and about our world.
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Apollo: Missions to the Moon
Title: Apollo: Missions to the Moon
Character: Self - Disney Animator (archive footage)
Released: July 7, 2019
Type: Movie
National Geographic's riveting effort recounts all 12 crewed missions using only archival footage, photos and audio.
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Waking Sleeping Beauty
Title: Waking Sleeping Beauty
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: September 5, 2009
Type: Movie
By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovate and old timers not yet ready to relinquish control. These conditions produced a series of box-office flops and pessimistic forecasts: maybe the best days of animation were over. Maybe the public didn't care. Only a miracle or a magic spell could produce a happy ending. Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairy tale. It's the true story of how Disney regained its magic with a staggering output of hits - "Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast ," "Aladdin," "The Lion King," and more - over a 10-year period.
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The Making of 'Pinocchio': No Strings Attached
Title: The Making of 'Pinocchio': No Strings Attached
Character: Self (Archive Footage)
Released: March 10, 2009
Type: Movie
Documentary focusing on the making-of the 1940n adaptation of Pinocchio by the Disney studio, often considered the artistic pinnacle of the Disney feature.
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The Pixar Story
Title: The Pixar Story
Character: Ward Kimball (archive footage)
Released: August 28, 2007
Type: Movie
A look at the first years of Pixar Animation Studios - from the success of "Toy Story" and Pixar's promotion of talented people, to the building of its East Bay campus, the company's relationship with Disney, and its remarkable initial string of eight hits. The contributions of John Lasseter, Ed Catmull and Steve Jobs are profiled. The decline of two-dimensional animation is chronicled as three-dimensional animation rises. Hard work and creativity seem to share the screen in equal proportions.
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From Rags to Riches: The Making of Cinderella
Title: From Rags to Riches: The Making of Cinderella
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 4, 2005
Type: Movie
The making of Cinderella (1950).
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From Walt's Table: A Tribute to Disney's Nine Old Men
Title: From Walt's Table: A Tribute to Disney's Nine Old Men
Character: Self (Archive Footage)
Released: January 1, 2005
Type: Movie
Film critic Joel Siegel gets together with a group of animators, directors and producers to discuss and pay tribute to their mentors and Walt Disney's core group of animators, The Nine Old Men
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The Cinderella That Almost Was
Title: The Cinderella That Almost Was
Character: Self (Archive Footage)
Released: January 1, 2005
Type: Movie
Documentary about other potential concepts floated for Disney's Cinderella.
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Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
Title: Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
Character: Ward Kimball (archive footage)
Released: May 31, 2004
Type: Movie
Two classic animated shorts from the Disney studios. In 'The Reluctant Dragon' (1941), a young boy and a famous dragon fighter team up to teach a docile dragon the art of being a force to be reckoned with. In 'Mickey and the Beanstalk' (1947), Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck confront the fearsome Willie the Giant to try to retrieve the magical singing harp to Happy Valley.
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A Wish Came True: The Making of 'Pinocchio'
Title: A Wish Came True: The Making of 'Pinocchio'
Released: December 22, 2000
Type: Movie
This documentary showcases the making of "Pinocchio".
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The Fantasia Legacy: The Concert Feature
Title: The Fantasia Legacy: The Concert Feature
Character: Himself
Released: November 14, 2000
Type: Movie
Documentary on the making of Walt Disney’s Fantasia.
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The Story Behind Walt Disney's 'Fun and Fancy Free'
Title: The Story Behind Walt Disney's 'Fun and Fancy Free'
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1997
Type: Movie
From all the cartoons Walt Disney and his team create a full length feature film fun and fancy free . Learn the story of how ww2 Changed bongo and the rest of the cartoons . How Edgar burgan got to play himself and his puppets.
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Pinocchio: The Making of a Masterpiece
Title: Pinocchio: The Making of a Masterpiece
Character: Self
Released: April 7, 1993
Type: Movie
The making of the Disney classic hosted by Robby Benson.
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It All Started with a Mouse: The Disney Story
Title: It All Started with a Mouse: The Disney Story
Character: Self
Released: October 14, 1989
Type: Movie
The story of Walt Disney and the company he built.
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The Wizard of Speed and Time
Title: The Wizard of Speed and Time
Character: The IRS Chief
Released: September 22, 1989
Type: Movie
A Hollywood filmmaker (Mike Jittlov) makes a short for an evil film studio. Unbeknownst to him, the producer has placed a bet of $25,000 that he won't come up with anything with a use. Luckily, our film creator gets the help of his friends.
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Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town
Title: Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town
Character: Self
Released: July 14, 1988
Type: Movie
A behind-the-scenes documentary hosted by Joanna Cassidy on the making of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
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It's Tough to Be a Bird
Title: It's Tough to Be a Bird
Character: Bird Fancier
Released: December 10, 1969
Type: Movie
Part cartoon and part documentary, this film offers a humorous look at birds and the ways people perceive them.
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Title: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Character: Self
Released: October 1, 1962
Type: TV
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
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Disneyland '59
Title: Disneyland '59
Character: Self
Released: June 15, 1959
Type: Movie
Walt Disney and Art Linkletter co-host a live celebration of Disneyland's 1959 expansion that consisted of the debuts of Matterhorn Bobsleds, the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail, and the Submarine Voyage, a project so massive that it was called "The Second Opening of Disneyland". Highlights include a mammoth, star-studded parade and the official launching of the Disneyland submarines by U.S. Navy officers. Among the guests are then-Vice-President Richard Nixon and family, Clint Eastwood, and Meredith Willson, who leads the Disneyland band in his own "76 Trombones." Sponsored by Kodak, the commercial spokespersons include Ozzie and Harriet Nelson.
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Walt Disney's Where Do the Stories Come From?
Title: Walt Disney's Where Do the Stories Come From?
Character: Self
Released: April 3, 1956
Type: Movie
Walt answers the often-asked question of just where the stories for his studio's cartoons come from, which is from practically anywhere.
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The Disneyland Story
Title: The Disneyland Story
Released: October 27, 1954
Type: Movie
Walt Disney presents a preview for both his upcoming park called Disneyland and several episodes of the show to come. Then the show focuses primarily on the career of Mickey Mouse.
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Operation Wonderland
Title: Operation Wonderland
Character: Self
Released: June 14, 1951
Type: Movie
1951 behind the scenes featurette of the Walt Disney animated classic.
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One Hour in Wonderland
Title: One Hour in Wonderland
Character: Himself - Firehouse Five Plus Two
Released: December 25, 1950
Type: Movie
Airing on Christmas Day, 1950, this holiday special was the first Disney TV production. It features Edgar Bergen with Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd at Walt Disney's Christmas party. The show includes clips of movies and animated shorts and the first appearance of the Fire House Five Plus Two jazz band.
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The Nifty Nineties
Title: The Nifty Nineties
Character: Ward (voice) (uncredited)
Released: June 29, 1941
Type: Movie
Mickey courts Minnie in the Gay Nineties: they take in a vaudeville show and go for a drive in his horseless carriage, to the strains of "While Strolling Through the Park" and "In the Good Old Summertime". Goofy rides by on a penny-farthing bicycle, and the whole Duck family rides by on a bicycle built for five.
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The Reluctant Dragon
Title: The Reluctant Dragon
Character: Ward Kimball
Released: June 19, 1941
Type: Movie
Humorist Robert Benchley attempts to find Walt Disney to ask him to adapt a short story about a gentle dragon who would rather recite poetry than be ferocious. Along the way, he is given a tour of Walt Disney Studios, and learns about the animation process.