Experts come in and tell him what to put in a picture, you know, and he's quite an individualist who balks at anyone telling him what to put in his picture. Conflict of personality….He's really an extraordinary man but he's very, very human in many ways. - Campbell Grant on Walt Disney Campbell Grant was an American animator, artist, and illustrator at Disney, known for his work on Pinocchio, Fantasia, and The Wind in the Willows.
Grant was born in Berkeley, CA and graduated from Oakland High school before attending the California School of Arts and Crafts through a scholarship. Later, in 1930, he attended the Santa Barbara School of the Arts where he learned the techniques of color woodcut from Frank Morley Fletcher. He joined the Federal Arts Project (FAP) upon graduation. Through them, he a mural for the Santa Barbara High School and exhibited artwork in watercolor and rock painting with the Painters and Sculptors of Los Angeles in 1934 and the Public Works of Art Project that same year.
He left the FAP to work for Walt Disney in the fall of 1934 where he worked on the features that involved Disney's "Golden Age", Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi. He created and modeled characters alongside Joe Grant, James Bodrero, and John P. Miller. During WWII, Grant worked on propaganda and educational films for the War Department both from Disney and director Frank Capra.
His most significant company contribution was The Wind and the Willows in 1940. Walt tasked him and James Bodrero to prepare sketch art and a Lecia reel where, like most the animators, recorded rough dialogue for the characters. His recording of Angus MacBadger eventually made into the final film. However, the 1941 Animator's strike along with WWII shelved the production. It was later, revived after the war where it was in shortened in length to become part of a package film. Unfortunately for Grant, Walt was forced to lay-off hundreds of employees, including him, to save his studio from financial ruin. During this time, Grant was also working on visual education pictures in conjunction with Mexico's department of education for museums.
After Disney, he became an illustrator for Little Golden Books where he, ironically, drew for adaptations of Disney films while his wife wrote stories for them. He also collaborated with people, such as Kenneth MacGowen and Richard Amour with serious work related to archeology, history, and literature. In his later years, Grant continued his work with the FAP and became a leading authority on Chumesh rock art, writing books, such as The Rock Paintings of American Indians and The Rock Painting of the Chumash. He also taught art at the Cape School in Carpintera, CA.
Grant passed away in 1992.
Filmography[]
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Animator (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Pinocchio | Character designer |
| 1940 | Fantasia | Story Development: "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria" |
| 1941 | Dumbo | Animator (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Bambi | Animator (uncredited) |
| 1948 | They're Off | Story |
| 1949 | The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad | Sketch artist Story (uncredited) Voice: Angus MacBadger: "The Wind in the Willows" |
Role[]
External links[]
Campbell Grant on IMDb- 1965 Interview with Betty Hoag
- Islapedia - Campbell Grant
- Noticas - Brothers in Art
- Joe Grant and the Model Department
