Weekly Movie Challenge

Ward Kimball

Biography

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.

Actor

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

2005

as Self (Archive Footage)

The Cinderella That Almost Was

2005

as Self (archive footage)

A Wish Came True: The Making of 'Pinocchio'

2000

as Himself

Pinocchio: The Making of a Masterpiece

1993

as Self

The Wizard of Speed and Time

1989

as The IRS Chief

One Hour in Wonderland

1950

as Self - Firehouse Five Plus Two

The Nifty Nineties

1941

as Ward (voice) (uncredited)

The Reluctant Dragon

1941

as Ward Kimball

Documentaries

Mickey: The Story of a Mouse

2022

as Self (archive footage)

Apollo: Missions to the Moon

2019

as Self - Disney Animator (archive footage)

Waking Sleeping Beauty

2009

as Self (archive footage)

The Making of 'Pinocchio': No Strings Attached

2009

as Himself (Archive Footage)

The Pixar Story

2007

as Ward Kimball (archive footage)

From Rags to Riches: The Making of Cinderella

2005

as Self (archive footage)

The Fantasia Legacy: The Concert Feature

2000

as Self

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

1997

as Self

It All Started with a Mouse: The Disney Story

1989

as Self

Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town

1988

as Self

Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life

1981

as Self

It's Tough to Be a Bird

1969

as Bird Fancier

Disneyland '59

1959

as Self

Walt Disney's Where Do the Stories Come From?

1956

as Self

The Disneyland Story

1954

Operation Wonderland

1951

as Self

Directing

Dad... Can I Borrow the Car?

1970

Director

It's Tough to Be a Bird

1969

Director

Nature's Better Built Homes

1969

Director

The Mickey Mouse Anniversary Show

1968

Director

Nature's Charter Tours

1968

Director

Escalation

1968

Director

Inside Outer Space

1963

Director

Eyes in Outer Space

1959

Director

Magic Highway U.S.A.

1958

Director

Disneyland: Mars and Beyond

1957

Director

Man and the Moon

1955

Director

Man in Space

1955

Director

Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom

1953

Director

Melody

1953

Director

Visual Effects

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

1971

Animation Director

Pacifically Peeking

1968

Animation

A Salute to Alaska

1967

Animation Director

Mary Poppins

1964

Animation

Fly With Von Drake

1963

Animation

Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom

1953

Animation

Melody

1953

Animation

Peter Pan

1953

Animation

Peter Pan

1953

Animation Director

Alice in Wonderland

1951

Animation

Cinderella

1950

Animation Director

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

1949

Animation

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

1949

Animation Director

Pecos Bill

1948

Animation

Melody Time

1948

Animation

Fun and Fancy Free

1947

Animation Director

Willie the Operatic Whale

1946

Animation

Peter and the Wolf

1946

Animation

Hockey Homicide

1945

Animation

The Three Caballeros

1944

Animation

The Pelican and the Snipe

1944

Animation

Chicken Little

1943

Animation

Reason and Emotion

1943

Animation

Victory Vehicles

1943

Animation

Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi

1943

Animation

The Spirit of '43

1943

Animation

How to Play Baseball

1942

Animation

Dumbo

1941

Animation

The Nifty Nineties

1941

Animation

The Reluctant Dragon

1941

Animation

The Little Whirlwind

1941

Animation

Fantasia

1940

Animation

Pinocchio

1940

Animation

Pinocchio

1940

Animation Director

The Autograph Hound

1939

Animation

Mother Goose Goes Hollywood

1938

Animation

Ferdinand the Bull

1938

Animation

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

1938

Animation

Woodland Café

1937

Animation

More Kittens

1936

Animation

Toby Tortoise Returns

1936

Animation

Elmer Elephant

1936

Animation Production Assistant

Pluto's Judgement Day

1935

Animation

The Tortoise and the Hare

1935

Animation Production Assistant

The Goddess of Spring

1934

Animation Production Assistant

Mickey Plays Papa

1934

Animation Production Assistant

Orphan's Benefit

1934

Animation

The Wise Little Hen

1934

Animation

The Hot Choc-late Soldiers

1934

Animation Production Assistant

Ward Kimball

Actor

Videos

Documentaries

Directing

Production

Writing

Visual Effects