Art Stevens, Disney Animator, Dies at 92

[crazy4wdw]

Disney Animator Art Stevens Dies at 92

Posted: 2007-07-02 15:49:20

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Veteran Disney animator Art Stevens, who co-directed "The Fox and the Hound" and "The Rescuers," has died. He was 92.

Stevens died May 22 at his home in Studio City after suffering a heart attack, said Disney spokesman Howard Green.

Born in Montana in 1915, Stevens began working for Disney after he learned that Walt Disney planned an animated feature based on one of his favorite stories, "Alice in Wonderland."

Among Stevens' credits as an animator are "Peter Pan," "101 Dalmatians," "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day," "Robin Hood," "Mary Poppins" and the underwater sequence in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks."

He co-directed the 1977 film "The Rescuers" with Wolfgang Reitherman and John Lounsbery. Stevens and Reitherman also produced "The Fox and the Hound," which Stevens co-directed with Ted Berman and Richard Rich.

It became Disney's highest-grossing film at the time when it was released in 1981.

Among other career achievements, Stevens provided story concepts and did animation for three TV documentaries on space exploration that were produced and directed by Disney animation legend Ward Kimball.

The two men later worked on the Academy Award-winning Disney featurettes "Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom" and "It's Tough to Be a Bird."

Stevens also helped design and animate the title sequences for the Disney features "Freaky Friday," "No Deposit, No Return," "The Strongest Man in the World" and "The North Avenue Irregulars."

He retired from Disney in 1983.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Penny; his sons, Craig and Kent; and four grandchildren.

 

[mitros]

Sad, another Disney "original" is now gone.........

 

[Uncleromulus]

Sad to hear. It seems he was there almost from the beginning---