October 8, 1907 – Animator and Disney Legend Art Babbitt is Born
“Art said we only scratched the surface of what animation can do.” – Animator Greg Duffell.
On October 8, 1907, Arthur Harold Babitsky, better known as Art Babbitt, was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He and his family moved to Sioux City, Iowa, while he was still young; after his father suffered a paralyzing accident at work, Babbitt moved to New York to provide for the family, beginning his career at the Terrytoons Studio for Paul Terry. It was there that he met fellow future Disney Legend Bill Tytla, and the two applied for, and won positions, at the Disney Studios in California. Babbitt began as an assistant animator, but was soon promoted. One of the crowning achievements from the early part of his career at Disney was his animation of the drunken Abner Mouse in the Silly Symphony The Country Cousin, which won an Academy Award. Babbitt was given the plum assignment of animating the Wicked Queen in the studio’s first full-length feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He was then given the role of directing animator and task of animating the character of Gepetto in Pinocchio, a film he regarded as one of the finest features ever created during the Golden Age of Animation. Babbitt is also credited with the creation of the character Goofy and bringing him to stardom with the addition of Goofy’s unique clumsy manner. Babbitt’s place at the studio was jeopardized with his participation in the Animator’s Strike of 1941. Babbitt was sympathetic with the artists, in-betweeners, and other less-well paid employees that wished for form a union. After Disney fired Babbitt for being a “troublemaker” due to his part in the union, the strike began the very next day, with Babbitt being named as one of the leaders. Babbitt’s involvement caused a rift between Disney and himself, one that never really healed. After the strike ended, Disney was forced to re-hire Babbitt, although Babbitt would end up fired several times. For these instances, Babbitt took his case against Disney all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. However, Babbitt soon left the studio to join UPA instead. In 1991, Roy E. Disney contacted Babbitt and ended the feud between the studio and the animator, and when Babbitt passed away in 1992, former rivals Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston gave touching tributes at his funeral. Babbitt was named as a Disney Legend in 2007.
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