Ralph Wolcott Hulett was an American prolific watercolorist, background artist, and animator, who worked for Disney for near four decades.
Born in Kankakee, Illnois; Hulett later moved to Glendale, California where, upon graduation from high school, he attended the renowned Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles thru a four year scholarship, specializing in watercolor painting thru instructors were Millard Sheets, Phil Dike, Phil Paradise and Herb Jepson. During his college years, Walt Disney hired him to work on backgrounds for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, though he went uncredited. After graduating in 1938, he began working full-time at the studio.
By the mid-1940s, Hulett earned enough seniority to be credited for his work which, included Pinocchio, Bambi, The Three Caballeros, Song of the South, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, and The Jungle Book.
Outside of Disney, he was a well-known member of the California Water Color Society and American Watercolor Society, selling and showcasing his works through local art galleries and exhibitions. He also produced art around the LA landscape, illustrated art for various magazines, and authored an art instruction book for the Walter Foster Company.
Hulett later passed away in 1974.
Filmography[]
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Assistant background artist (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Pinocchio | Backgrounds (uncredited) |
| Fantasia | Background artist: "Dance of the Hours" (uncredited) | |
| 1941 | Dumbo | Backgrounds (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Bambi | Backgrounds (uncredited) |
| Saludos Amigos | Backgrounds (uncredited) | |
| 1944 | The Three Caballeros | Background artist (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Make Mine Music | Backgrounds: "Casey at the Bat" |
| Song of the South | Background artist | |
| 1947 | Fun and Fancy Free | Background artist |
| Foul Hunting | Background artist | |
| Chip an' Dale | Background artist | |
| 1948 | Melody Time | Background artist |
| Pluto's Purchase | Background artist | |
| Soup's On | Background artist | |
| So Dear to My Heart | Background artist | |
| Mickey and the Seal | Background artist | |
| Seal Island | Animator | |
| 1949 | Pueblo Pluto | Background artist |
| Donald's Happy Birthday | Background artist | |
| The Greener Yard | Background artist | |
| 1950 | Cinderella | Background artist |
| Primitive Pluto | Background artist | |
| Pests of the West | Background artist | |
| Bee at the Beach | Background artist | |
| 1951 | Test Pilot Donald | Background artist |
| Alice in Wonderland | Background artist | |
| No Smoking | Background artist | |
| 1952 | Father's Lion | Background artist |
| Susie the Little Blue Coupe | Background artist | |
| 1953 | Peter Pan | Background artist |
| The Alaskan Eskimo | Animator | |
| 1954 | Donald's Diary | Background artist |
| 1955-1970 | The Magical World of Disney | Backgrounds Layout artist |
| 1955 | Lady and the Tramp | Background artist |
| 1956 | A Cowboy Needs a Horse | Background artist |
| 1957 | The Story of Anyburg, U.S.A. | Background artist |
| 1959 | Sleeping Beauty | Backgrounds |
| Noah's Ark | Background artist | |
| 1960 | Goliath II | Color stylist |
| 1961 | One Hundred and One Dalmatians | Background artist |
| Aquamania | Background artist | |
| 1962 | A Symposium on Popular Songs | Animator: title sequence |
| 1963 | The Sword in the Stone | Backgrounds |
| 1964 | Mary Poppins | Background artist |
| 1967 | The Jungle Book | Background artist |
| 1968 | Understanding Stresses and Strains | Background artist |
| 1969 | Steps Toward Maturity and Health | Background artist |
| 1970 | The Aristocats | Background artist |
| 1971 | Bedknobs and Broomsticks | Background artist |
| 1973 | Robin Hood | Background painter |
| 1977 | The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | Background artist (uncredited): "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day" "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too" |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- He was good friends with fellow animator Joshua Meador.
- His first wife, Eva Sinclair later married another Disney artist, Jack Kinney.
External links[]
