January 23

January 23, 1900 – Animator and Disney Legend David Hand is Born

“[Hand] was cavalier in transforming Walt’s dreams into animation.” – Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, from the book Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life

On January 23, 1900, David Dodd Hand was born in Plainfield, New Jersey. He attended the Chicago Art Institute, and joined the J.R. Bray Studio after graduation, later working for Max Fleischer in the “Out of the Inkwell” cartoons. After the release of Steamboat Willie in 1928, Hand applied for work at the Disney Studios, and was hired in 1930. Hand worked on several short films for his first three years with the studio before becoming an animation director, the third in the studio’s history after Burt Gillett and Wilfred Jackson. He was noticed by Disney himself quite early for his ability to recognize quality, and never sacrificed quality for the cost of the film. Hand is noted for working on 70 short film and three animated features. Hand’s last work at the Disney Studio was serving as the animation supervisor for Victory Through Air Power.

In 1944, Hand was invited to set up a new animation studio in England, winning a five-year contract with J. Arthur Rank. Hand became a well-known influence on British animation, and in 1951, he moved back to the United States to pursue a career in industrial filmmaking. In 1986, Hand passed away at the age of 86; in 1994, he was inducted as a Disney Legend.