Ward Kimball

Born: 1914-03-04

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 Reluctant Dragon

as Ward Kimball
Released: 1941-06-19

Humorist Robert Benchley attempts to find Walt Disney to ask him to adapt a short story about a...

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The Pixar Story

as Ward Kimball (archive footage)
Released: 2007-08-28

A look at the first years of Pixar Animation Studios - from the success of "Toy Story" and...

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The Story Behind Walt Disney's 'Fun and Fancy Free'

as Self
Released: 1997-01-01

From all the cartoons Walt Disney and his team create a full length feature film fun and fancy...

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Waking Sleeping Beauty

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2009-09-05

By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The...

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Mickey: The Story of a Mouse

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2022-03-19

Mickey Mouse is one of the most enduring symbols in our history. Those three simple circles take...

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Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6

as Ward Kimball (archive footage)
Released: 2004-05-31

Two classic animated shorts from the Disney studios. In 'The Reluctant Dragon' (1941), a young...

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The Wizard of Speed and Time

as The IRS Chief
Released: 1989-09-22

A Hollywood filmmaker (Mike Jittlov) makes a short for an evil film studio. Unbeknownst to him,...

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Apollo: Missions to the Moon

as Self - Disney Animator (archive footage)
Released: 2019-07-07

National Geographic's riveting effort recounts all 12 crewed missions using only archival...

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From Rags to Riches: The Making of Cinderella

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2005-10-04

The making of Cinderella (1950).

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Walt Disney's Where Do the Stories Come From?

as Self
Released: 1956-04-03

Walt answers the often-asked question of just where the stories for his studio's cartoons come...

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It's Tough to Be a Bird

as Bird Fancier
Released: 1969-12-10

Part cartoon and part documentary, this film offers a humorous look at birds and the ways people...

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The Nifty Nineties

as Ward (voice) (uncredited)
Released: 1941-06-20

Mickey courts Minnie in the Gay Nineties: they take in a vaudeville show and go for a drive in...

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Pinocchio: The Making of a Masterpiece

as Self
Released: 1993-04-07

The making of the Disney classic hosted by Robby Benson.

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Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town

as Self
Released: 1988-07-14

A behind-the-scenes documentary hosted by Joanna Cassidy on the making of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

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From Walt's Table: A Tribute to Disney's Nine Old Men

as Self (Archive Footage)
Released: 2005-01-01

Film critic Joel Siegel gets together with a group of animators, directors and producers to...

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The Cinderella That Almost Was

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2005-01-01

Documentary about other potential concepts floated for Disney's Cinderella.

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Disneyland '59

as Self
Released: 1959-06-15

Walt Disney and Art Linkletter co-host a live celebration of Disneyland's 1959 expansion that...

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Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life

as Self
Released: 1981-04-26

Former Disney child star Hayley Mills returns to the Walt Disney Studio for a look at the...

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One Hour in Wonderland

as Self - Firehouse Five Plus Two
Released: 1950-12-25

Airing on Christmas Day, 1950, this holiday special was the first Disney TV production. It...

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It All Started with a Mouse: The Disney Story

as Self
Released: 1989-10-14

The story of Walt Disney and the company he built.

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Operation Wonderland

as Self
Released: 1951-06-14

1951 behind the scenes featurette of the Walt Disney animated classic.

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The Fantasia Legacy: The Concert Feature

as Self
Released: 2000-11-14

Documentary on the making of Walt Disney’s Fantasia.

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The Disneyland Story

as uncredited
Released: 1954-10-27

Walt Disney presents a preview for both his upcoming park called Disneyland and several episodes...

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The Making of 'Pinocchio': No Strings Attached

as Himself (Archive Footage)
Released: 2009-03-10

Documentary focusing on the making-of the 1940n adaptation of Pinocchio by the Disney studio,...

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A Wish Came True: The Making of 'Pinocchio'

as Himself
Released: 2000-12-22

This documentary showcases the making of "Pinocchio".

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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self
First aired: 1962-10-01

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight...

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