WK
Ward Kimball
Actor, Writer, Director, Producer, Additional Credits
Born March 4, 1914Died July 8, 2002 (88 years)
While Kimball was a brilliant draftsman, he preferred to work on comical characters rather than realistic human designs. Animating came easily to him and he was constantly looking to do things differently. Because of this, Walt Disney called Ward a genius in the book The Story Of Walt Disney. While there were many talented animators at Disney, Ward's efforts stand out as especially unique.Kimball created several classic Disney characters including the Crows in Dumbo; Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland; the Mice and Lucifer the Cat from Cinderella; and Jiminy Cricket fromPinocchio. He also animated the famous "Three Caballeros" musical number from the Disney film of the same name.In 1953, Kimball became a director and was responsible for the Academy Award-winning short Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, and three Disney television shows about outer space that put the United States into the space program. He received anAcademy Award for the short animated cartoon It's Tough to Be a Bird.Ward Kimball was profiled by the Academy Award-winning producer Jerry Fairbanks in his Paramount Pictures film short series Unusual Occupations. This 35mm Magnacolor film short was released theatrically in 1944 and focused on Kimball's backyard railroad and full sized locomotive.Kimball was also a jazz trombonist. He founded and led the seven-piece Dixieland band Firehouse Five Plus Two, in which he played trombone. The band made at least 13 LP records and toured clubs, college campuses and jazz festivals from the 1940s to early 1970s. Kimball once said that Walt Disney permitted the second career as long as it did not interfere with his animation work.Kimball continued to work at Disney up until the early 1970s, working on the Disney anthology television series, being one of the writers for Babes in Toyland, creating animation for Mary Poppins, directing the animation for Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and working on titles for feature films such as The Adventures Of Bullwhip Griffin and Million Dollar Duck. His last staff work for Disney was producing and directing the Disney TV show The Mouse Factory. He continued to do various projects on his own, even returning to Disney to do some publicity tours. Additionally, Kimball worked on an attraction for Disney's EPCOT Center called The World Of Motion.
Ward Kimball Filmography
| 2022 | Mickey: The Story of a Mouse · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2019 | Apollo: Missions to the Moon · as Self - Disney Animator (archive Footage) |
| 2009 | Christmas with Walt Disney · as Self - Trombone, Firehouse Five Plus Two (from 'one Hour In Wonderland') |
| 2009 | Waking Sleeping Beauty · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2009 | The Making of 'Pinocchio': No Strings Attached · as Himself (archive Footage) |
| 2005 | From Rags to Riches: The Making of Cinderella · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2003 | The 75th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Memorial Tribute |
| 2001 | Mickey Mouse in Living Color · as Self |
| 2001 | Walt: The Man Behind the Myth · as Self - Animator |
| 2000 | The Fantasia Legacy: The Concert Feature · as Self - Disney Animator |
| 1990 | Tracks Ahead (TV Series) · as Self - Host |
| 1990 | |
| 1988 | |
| 1986 | The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal · as Self |
| 1978 | The South Bank Show (TV Series) · as Self - Animator |
| 1974 | Dinah! (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1973 | Tomorrow with Tom Snyder (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1970 | The 42nd Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Winner |
| 1967 | Omnibus (1967) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1959 | Disneyland '59 · as Self |
| 1955 | The Mickey Mouse Club (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1955 | Dateline: Disneyland · as Self |
| 1955 | Man in Space · as Self |
| 1954 | Disneyland (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1950 | One Hour in Wonderland · as Self - Firehouse Five Plus Two |
| 1950 | You Bet Your Life (TV Series) · as Self - Contestant |
| 1948 | The Milton Berle Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1941 | The Reluctant Dragon · as Ward Kimball |
| 2007 | The Pixar Story · as Ward Kimball (archive Footage) |
| 2004 | Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6 · as Ward Kimball (archive Footage) (uncredited) |
| 1988 | The Wizard of Speed and Time · as The Irs Chief |
| 1985 | The Ray Bradbury Theater (TV Series) · as Trainmaster - Introduction |
| 1970 | Dad... Can I Borrow the Car? · as Man Eating Toy Car |
| 1969 | It's Tough to Be a Bird · as Bird Fancier |
| 1941 | The Nifty Nineties · as Ward (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1969 | |
| 1961 | |
| 1955 | |
| 1954 | Disneyland (TV Series) |
| 1971 | The Mouse Factory (TV Series) |
| 1970 | |
| 1969 | |
| 1968 | |
| 1955 | |
| 1954 | Disneyland (TV Series) |
| 1953 |
| 1971 | The Mouse Factory (TV Series) |
| 1970 | |
| 1969 | |
| 1955 | |
| 1954 | Disneyland (TV Series) |
| 1971 | The Mouse Factory (TV Series) · as Creator |
| 1971 | Bedknobs and Broomsticks · as Animation Director |
| 1971 | Bedknobs and Broomsticks · as Animation Director |
| 1964 | Mary Poppins · as Animation |
| 1953 | Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom · as Animation |
| 1953 | Peter Pan · as Animation |
| 1951 | Alice in Wonderland · as Animation |
| 1950 | Cinderella · as Animation Director |
| 1949 | The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad · as Animation |
| 1948 | Melody Time · as Animation |
| 1947 | Fun and Fancy Free · as Animation Director |
| 1946 | Peter and the Wolf · as Animation |
| 1946 | The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met · as Animation |
| 1945 | Hockey Homicide · as Animation |
| 1944 | The Three Caballeros · as Animation |
| 1943 | Chicken Little · as Animation |
| 1943 | Reason and Emotion · as Animation |
| 1943 | Victory Vehicles · as Animation |
| 1943 | Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi · as Animation |
| 1943 | The Spirit of '43 · as Animation |
| 1942 | How to Play Baseball · as Animation |
| 1941 | Dumbo · as Animation |
| 1941 | The Nifty Nineties · as Animation |
| 1941 | The Reluctant Dragon · as Animation |
| 1941 | The Little Whirlwind · as Animation |
| 1940 | Fantasia · as Animation |
| 1940 | Pinocchio · as Animation |
| 1939 | The Autograph Hound · as Animation |
| 1938 | Mother Goose Goes Hollywood · as Animation |
| 1938 | Ferdinand the Bull · as Animation |
| 1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs · as Animation |
| 1937 | Woodland Café · as Animation |
| 1936 | Toby Tortoise Returns · as Animation |
| 1936 | Toby Tortoise Returns · as Story |
| 1936 | Elmer Elephant · as Animation Production Assistant |
| 1935 | Pluto's Judgement Day · as Animation |
| 1935 | The Tortoise and the Hare · as Animation Production Assistant |
| 1934 | The Goddess of Spring · as Animation Production Assistant |
| 1934 | Orphan's Benefit · as Animation |
| 1934 | The Wise Little Hen · as Animation |