Ward Kimball
Visual Effects
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.
Known for
Visual Effects47
movieBedknobs and Broomsticks
1971
Animation Director
moviePacifically Peeking
1968
Animation
movieA Salute to Alaska
1967
Animation Director
movieScrooge McDuck and Money
1967
Animation
movieMary Poppins
1964
Animation
movieFly With Von Drake
1963
Animation
movieMelody
1953
Animation
moviePeter Pan
1953
Animation, Animation Director
movieAlice in Wonderland
1951
Animation
movieCinderella
1950
Animation Director
movieThe Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
1949
Animation, Animation Director
moviePecos Bill
1948
Animation
movieMelody Time
1948
Animation
movieFun and Fancy Free
1947
Animation Director
movieWillie the Operatic Whale
1946
Animation
moviePeter and the Wolf
1946
Animation
movieHockey Homicide
1945
Animation
movieThe Three Caballeros
1944
Animation
movieThe Pelican and the Snipe
1944
Animation
movieChicken Little
1943
Animation
movieReason and Emotion
1943
Animation
movieVictory Vehicles
1943
Animation
movieThe Spirit of '43
1943
Animation
movieHow to Play Baseball
1942
Animation
movieDumbo
1941
Animation Director
movieThe Nifty Nineties
1941
Animation
movieThe Reluctant Dragon
1941
Animation
movieThe Little Whirlwind
1941
Animation
movieFantasia
1940
Animation
moviePinocchio
1940
Animation, Animation Director
movieThe Autograph Hound
1939
Animation
movieMother Goose Goes Hollywood
1938
Animation
movieFerdinand the Bull
1938
Animation
movieWoodland Café
1937
Animation
movieMore Kittens
1936
Animation
movieToby Tortoise Returns
1936
Animation
movieElmer Elephant
1936
Animation Production Assistant
moviePluto's Judgement Day
1935
Animation
movieThe Tortoise and the Hare
1935
Animation Production Assistant
movieThe Goddess of Spring
1934
Animation Production Assistant
movieMickey Plays Papa
1934
Animation Production Assistant
movieOrphan's Benefit
1934
Animation
movieThe Wise Little Hen
1934
Animation
movieThe Hot Choc-late Soldiers
1934
Animation Production Assistant
Acting29
movieMickey: The Story of a Mouse
2022
Self (archive footage)
movieApollo: Missions to the Moon
2019
Self - Disney Animator (archive footage)
movieWaking Sleeping Beauty
2009
Self (archive footage)
movieThe Making of 'Pinocchio': No Strings Attached
2009
Self (Archive Footage)
movieThe Pixar Story
2007
Ward Kimball (archive footage)
movieFrom Rags to Riches: The Making of Cinderella
2005
Self (archive footage)
movieFrom Walt's Table: A Tribute to Disney's Nine Old Men
2005
Self (Archive Footage)
movieThe Cinderella That Almost Was
2005
Self (archive footage)
movieWalt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
2004
Ward Kimball (archive footage) (uncredited)
movieThe Wizard of Speed and Time
1989
The IRS Chief
movieIt's Tough to Be a Bird
1969
Bird Fancier
movieMan and the Moon
1955
Self (uncredited)
movieOne Hour in Wonderland
1950
Self - Firehouse Five Plus Two
movieThe Nifty Nineties
1941
Ward (voice) (uncredited)
movieThe Reluctant Dragon
1941
Ward Kimball
Directing12
movieIt's Tough to Be a Bird
1969
Director
Escalation
1968
Director
movieEyes in Outer Space
1959
Director
movieMars and Beyond
1957
Director
movieMan and the Moon
1955
Director
movieMan in Space
1955
Director
movieMelody
1953
Director
Production5
movieIt's Tough to Be a Bird
1969
Producer
movieEyes in Outer Space
1959
Producer
movieMan and the Moon
1955
Producer
movieMan in Space
1955
Producer
Writing5
Creator1
tvThe Mouse Factory
1972
Creator