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Benjamin Luther "Ben" Sharpsteen was an American film animator, director, and producer for Disney, where remained for 33 years from 1929 to 1962 when he formally retired, but returned on occasion for a few projects. He won two Academy Awards for his work on the True-Life Adventures documentaries Ama Girls and White Wilderness.

Born in 1895 in the state of Washington and was a 1916 graduate of the University Farm, now known as UC Davis.[1] Sharpsteen worked as an inker for Hearst International and subsequently enjoyed tenures at various animation studios, including Fleischer and Paramount before settling at Disney. While there, he started as an animator for many Silly Symphonies before becoming a director for shorts and later films, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and Dumbo. Upon becoming a supervisor, he oversaw productions, like Melody Time, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, and Alice in Wonderland before becoming involved with the Disney anthology series from 1954 and received much acclaim for his contributions to the True-Life Adventures series. Although he formally retired in 1959, Sharpsteen continued to contribute to the studio well into 1980.[2]

Outside of Disney, Sharpsteen created a museum documenting the history of California's first millionaire, Sam Brannan, and the history of the Upper Napa Valley as well as more on Sharpsteen's life and work at the Sharpsteen Museum located in Calistoga, California.

He died in Sonoma County, California. In 1998, Sharpsteen was posthumously named a Disney Legend.

Filmography[]

Year Film Position
1929 When the Cat's Away animator
The Karnival Kid animator - uncredited
Mickey's Choo-Choo assistant animator - uncredited
The Plowboy animator - uncredited
Jungle Rhythm animator
1930 Cannibal Capers animator - uncredited
Frolicking Fish animator - uncredited
The Fire Fighters animator - uncredited
Arctic Antics animator
Midnight in a Toy Shop Animator - uncredited
The Shindig Animator - uncredited
The Chain Gang Animator - uncredited
Monkey Melodies Animator - uncredited
The Gorilla Mystery Animator - uncredited
The Picnic Animator - uncredited
Winter Animator - uncredited
Pioneer Days Animator - uncredited
Playful Pan Animator - uncredited
1931 The Birthday Party Animator - uncredited
Birds of a Feather Animator - uncredited
Traffic Troubles Animator - uncredited
Mother Goose Melodies Animator - uncredited
The China Plate Animator - uncredited
The Cat's Out Animator - uncredited
Egyptian Melodies Animator - uncredited
Fishin' Around Animator - uncredited
The Beach Party Animator - uncredited
Mickey Cuts Up Animator - uncredited
Mickey's Orphans Animator - uncredited
1932 The Duck Hunt Animator - uncredited
Mickey in Arabia Animator - uncredited
Just Dogs Animator - uncredited
Mickey's Nightmare Animator - uncredited
Trader Mickey Animator - uncredited
The Whoopee Party Animator - uncredited
Touchdown Mickey Animation supervisor - uncredited
The Klondike Kid Animator - uncredited
Babes in the Woods Animator - uncredited
Santa's Workshop Animator - uncredited
Mickey's Good Deed Animator - uncredited
1933 Building a Building Animator - uncredited
The Mad Doctor Animator - uncredited
Birds in the Spring Animator - uncredited
Mickey's Mellerdrammer Animator - uncredited
Ye Olden Days Animator - uncredited
Father Noah's Ark Animator - uncredited
Mickey's Gala Premier Animator - uncredited
Mickey's Mechanical Man Animator - uncredited
Old King Cole Animator - uncredited
Puppy Love Animator - uncredited
Lullaby Land Animator - uncredited
Giantland Animator - uncredited
The Night Before Christmas Animator - uncredited
1934 Shanghaied Animator - uncredited
The Grasshopper and the Ants Animator - uncredited
Funny Little Bunnies Animator - uncredited
Gulliver Mickey Animator - uncredited
The Hot Chocolate Soldiers Animator - uncredited
Hollywood Party Animator - uncredited
The Wise Little Hen Animator - uncredited
The Flying Mouse Animator - uncredited
Peculiar Penguins Animator - uncredited
Mickey Plays Papa Animator - uncredited
Two-Gun Mickey Director - uncredited
1935 Mickey's Service Station Director - uncredited
The Cookie Carnival Director - uncredited
Mickey's Fire Brigade Director - uncredited
On Ice Director - uncredited
Cock o' the Walk Director
Broken Toys Director - uncredited
1936 Moving Day Director - uncredited
More Kittens Director
Mickey's Circus Director - uncredited
Donald and Pluto Director - uncredited
1937 The Worm Turns Director
Don Donald Director -uncredited
Moose Hunters Director -uncredited
Hawaiian Holiday Director - uncredited
Clock Cleaners Director - uncredited
Pluto's Quin-puplets Director - uncredited
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Sequence Director
Post-Production Coordinator - uncredited
1938 Mickey's Trailer Director - uncredited
Polar Trappers Director - uncredited
The Fox Hunt Director
1940 Pinocchio Supervising Director
Fantasia Production Supervisor
Producer - uncredited
Segment Director - uncredited
1941 Dumbo Supervising Director
1947 Fun and Fancy Free Production Supervisor
1948 Melody Time Production Supervisor
Seal Island Production Supervisor
1949 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Production Supervisor
1950 Cinderella Production Supervisor
In Beaver Valley Production Supervisor
1951 Alice in Wonderland Production Supervisor
Nature's Half Acre Production Supervisor
1952 The Olympic Elk Production Supervisor
Water Birds Director
1953 Bear Country Associate Producer
The Alaskan Eskimo Associate Producer
Prowlers of the Everglades Associate Producer
The Living Desert Associate Producer
The Vanishing Prairie Associate Producer
Siam Producer
1954-1972 The Magical World of Disney Himself: "The Disneyland Story"
Producer
Director
Sequence Director
Production Supervisor
1955 Switzerland Director
The African Lion Associate Producer
Men Against the Arctic Associate Producer
1956 The Blue Men of Morocco Associate Producer
Secrets of Life Producer
Sardinia Director
Samoa Director
1957 Lapland Director
1958 Portugal Producer
Ama Girls Producer
White Wilderness Producer
1959 Mysteries of the Deep Production Associate
Director
1960 Islands of the Sea Production Associate
Director
1970 Dad, Can I Borrow the Car? Production Supervisor
1975 The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures Producer
1980 Mickey Mouse Disco Director
2000 Fantasia 2000 Production Supervisor - Segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"

Gallery[]

References[]

External links[]


v - e - d
1920s—1970s
Disney's Nine Old Men: Milt KahlFrank ThomasOllie JohnstonLes ClarkJohn LounsberyMarc DavisWard KimballEric LarsonWolfgang Reitherman

Animators: Bill TytlaArt BabbittLee BlairPreston BlairFred MooreShamus CulhaneCy YoungDon LuskNorman FergusonHal KingJack HannahDick KinneyHal AmbroKen O'BrienJudge WhitakerBill JusticeDon BluthGary GoldmanCharles A. NicholsBlaine GibsonJohn EwingWalt StanchfieldRolly CrumpFred HellmichAmby PaliwodaWilfred JacksonXavier AtencioBen SharpsteenEarl HurdDale OliverEric CleworthDavid HandFred SpencerJulius SvendsenJack BradburyKenneth MuseRudolf IsingHugh HarmanFriz FrelengWalt KellyLeo SalkinJohn DehnerRetta ScottDavid SwiftJack CuttingGrant SimmonsArt StevensFrank TashlinWathel RogersTyrus WongJohnny CannonBernard WolfJohn W. DunnHenry SelickTony StroblChuck WilliamsBurny MattinsonDave SudingAndy GaskillCampbell GrantJohn HubleyPaul MurryHarvey ToombsJane Baer
Visual Development, Layout, Background Artists and Character Designers: Gustaf TenggrenMary BlairMarjorie RalstonMarcellite GarnerLillian BoundsEdna FrancisVirginia DavisJoe GrantMel ShawClaude CoatsDon DaGradiJohn HenchEyvind EarleKen O'ConnorThor PutnamAlbert HurterHerbert RymanDon GriffithBasil DavidovichJack BoydPeter EllenshawRuthie TompsonEarl DuvallRetta DavidsonUb IwerksVance GerryHazel SewellJames BodreroLance NolleyGrace BaileyMaurice NobleDale BarnhartAndy EngmanEustace LycettJohn EmersonJoe HaleLeota ToombsFerdinand HorvathJerry ReesJim ColemanDorse LanpherJohn P. MillerDodie RobertsNorma SwankBecky FallbergWalter PeregoyCollin CampbellJoshua MeadorThelma WitmerHugh HennesyHelen OggerCharles CristadoroJoyce CarlsonMcLaren StewartRalph Hulett
Storyboard Artists and Writers: Bill PeetRalph WrightDick HuemerFloyd NormanYale GraceyTed SearsErdman PennerJoe RinaldiWinston HiblerOtto EnglanderWilliam CottrellBill BergAl BertinoT. HeeHomer BrightmanTed OsbourneLarry ClemmonsHarry ReevesJesse MarshChuck CouchWebb SmithDick SebastPeter YoungDorothy Ann Blank
Directors: Clyde GeronimiHamilton LuskeJack KinneyTed BermanRichard RichGeorge ScribnerRiley ThomsonDick LundyJack KingBurt GillettJames AlgarBill RobertsLarry LansburghRichard IrvineHal Adelquist
Producers: Walt DisneyRon MillerKen AndersonDon DuckwallPerce PearceMargaret J. WinklerHarry Tytle

1980s—present
Renaissance Directors: Rob MinkoffRoger AllersGary TrousdaleKirk WiseChris SandersMark DindalJohn MuskerMike Gabriel

Story Trust Directors: Ron ClementsChris BuckByron HowardDon HallChris WilliamsRich MooreStephen J. AndersonNathan GrenoFawn Veerasunthorn
Producers: Peter Del VechoClark SpencerRoy ConliDorothy McKimDon HahnShane MorrisPeter Schneider
Chief Creative Officer: Jennifer Lee
Associated Figures: Bob IgerRoy Edward DisneyMichael EisnerJohn LasseterEd CatmullJeffrey KatzenbergBob Chapek
Signature Voice Actors: Jim CummingsAlan TudykKatie LowesJohn DiMaggioMaurice LaMarcheJodi BensonDavid Ogden StiersJesse CortiPaul BriggsRaymond S. PersiPhil JohnstonFrank WelkerBill FarmerBrian Cummings
Signature Musicians: Robert B. ShermanRichard M. ShermanAlan MenkenKristen Anderson-LopezRobert LopezLin-Manuel MirandaHoward AshmanTim RicePhil CollinsStephen SchwartzMarc ShaimanDanny Troob
Supervising Animators: Glen KeaneAndreas DejaEric GoldbergMark HennJohn PomeroyRandy HaycockDale BaerTony BancroftTom BancroftAnthony DeRosaRuss EdmondsBruce W. SmithMichael SurreyDuncan MarjoribanksRuben AquinoNik RanieriKen DuncanRon HusbandRick FarmiloeTom SitoTony AnselmoWill FinnKathy ZielinskiHendel ButoyEllen WoodburyMatthew O'CallaghanDavid PruiksmaBob WalkerAaron BlaiseNancy KniepJames BaxterTony FucileSergio PablosRandy Cartwright
Visual Development & Storyboard Artists: Dean DeBloisClaire KeaneBrittney LeeJin KimShiyoon KimRyan GreenSue C. NicholsMichael Peraza, Jr.Kevin LimaKelly AsburyToby SheltonBarry CookMark KennedyCarole HollidayJorgen KlubienBrian PimentalDonovan CookDavid PimentelJoseph Christopher PepeRob GibbsJoe RanftMichael GiaimoPerry FarinolaRandy FullmerMark WaltonLauren MacMullanDaniel Gerson
Other Animators: Kaaren LundeenMichael HumphriesTim BurtonBrenda ChapmanSandro CleuzoGary M. EgglestonBrad BirdDavid StephanRay HarrisRuben ProcopioBarry AtkinsonThomas BakerChris BaileyGeefwee BoedoeDaan JippesPres RomanillosAsh BrannonChristine Lawrence FinneyMike CosaJymn MagonButch HartmanBill WaldmanChris SonnenburgJames LopezBradley RaymondDarrell Van CittersAaron SpringerTerry Shakespeare