Don Towsley (animator)
Don Towsley (May 11, 1912–November 25, 1986) was an animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios,[1] and later at MGM and Filmation.
Donald F. Towsley | |
---|---|
Born | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | May 11, 1912
Died | November 25, 1986 74) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged
Occupation | animator, director |
Career
Starting out at Disney, Towsley worked on three shorts in the Silly Symphony series, animating the band in The Cookie Carnival (1935), a scene of dancing hens ultimately cut from Cock o' the Walk (1935), and the introduction and opening scene of Donald's Better Self (1938).[2] In 1938, Towsley became the main animator for the Donald Duck short films, following Fred Spencer's death.[3]
Towsley contributed to the 1940 film Pinocchio, as part of the team responsible for Jiminy Cricket and Monstro the Whale.[4] He also animated the "Pastoral Symphony" segment of the 1940 film Fantasia.[5]
In 1943, Towsley, along with a team of animators, contributed to a wartime animated short film titled Der Fuehrer's Face produced by Walt Disney.[6]
In 1948, after leaving the Disney studio, Towsley created a line of children's wallpaper cutouts, featuring images of animals.[7][8]
In the 1960s, Towsley worked for MGM's Tom and Jerry series, including animation work on 1965's Haunted Mouse.[9]
Towsley joined the Filmation animation studio in 1968 as an associate director.[10] He directed episodes of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972-74), My Favorite Martians (1973-75), The New Adventures of Gilligan (1974-77), The U.S. of Archie (1974-76), The New Adventures of Batman (1977), Sabrina, Super Witch (1977-78) and The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (1979-80), among others.[11] He also directed a sequence in Filmation's 1974 film, Journey Back to Oz.[12]
Films worked on
1930s
- Donald's Cousin Gus (1939)
- Donald's Golf Game (1938)
- Moving Day (1937)
- The Cookie Carnival (1936)
- Mickey's Service Station (1935)
- Two-Gun Mickey (1934)
1940s
- Drip Dippy Donald (1948)
- Wide Open Spaces (1947)
- Crazy with the Heat (1947)
- Donald's Dilemma (1947)
- It's a Grand Old Nag (supervising animator) (1947)
- Dumb Bell of the Yukon (1946)
- Wet Paint (1946)
- Donald's Double Trouble (1946)
- Sleepy Time Donald (1946)
- Old Sequoia (1945)
- Cured Duck (1945)
- Donald's Crime (1945)
- The Plastics Inventor (1944)
- Saps in Chaps (1942)
- Bambi (additional animation - uncredited) (1942)
- Dumbo (1941)
- Fantasia (animation supervisor) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (1940)
- Pinocchio (1940)
1960s
- Pink on the Cob (additional animator: animation) (1969)
- Carte Blanched (additional animator: animation)
- "The Archie Show" TV series (associate director) (1968)
- "The Batman/Superman Hour" TV series (associate director) (1968)
- The Bear That Wasn't (1967)
- Advance and Be Mechanized (1967)
- Cannery Rodent (1967)
- Cat and Dupli-cat (1967)
- Guided Mouse-ille ... a.k.a. Guided Mouse-ille or Science on a Wet Afternoon (1967)
- The Mouse from H.U.N.G.E.R. (1967)
- O-Solar Meow (1967)
- Purr-Chance to Dream (1967)
- Rock 'n' Rodent (1967)
- Surf-Bored Cat (1967)
- Shutter Bugged Cat (title animation - uncredited) (1967)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (TV) ... a.k.a. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (USA: complete title) (1966)
- The A-Tom-Inable Snowman (1966)
- Catty-Cornered (1966)
- Filet Meow (1966)
- Jerry, Jerry, Quite Contrary (1966)
- Love Me, Love My Mouse (1966)
- Puss 'n' Boats (1966)
- Matinee Mouse (title animation - uncredited) (1966)
- The Dot and the Line ... a.k.a. The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics (supervising animator) (1965)
- The Man from Button Willow (1965)
- Ah, Sweet Mouse-Story of Life (1965)
- Bad Day at Cat Rock (1965)
- The Brothers Carry-Mouse-Off (1965)
- The Cat's Me-Ouch (1965)
- Duel Personality (1965)
- Haunted Mouse (1965)
- I'm Just Wild About Jerry (1965)
- Jerry-Go-Round (1965)
- Of Feline Bondage (1965)
- Tom-ic Energy (1965)
- The Year of the Mouse ... a.k.a. Tom Thump (1965)
- A Taste of Catnip (additional animation - uncredited) (marking Towsley's last animations of Sylvster) (1965)
- The Cat Above and the Mouse Below (1964)
- Is There a Doctor in the Mouse? (1964)
- Much Ado About Mousing (1964)
- Snowbody Loves Me (1964)
- The Unshrinkable Jerry Mouse (1964)
- Penthouse Mouse (additional/title animation - uncredited) (1963)
- The Yogi Bear Show TV series (1961)
- Talking of Tomorrow (1960)
1970s and 1980s
- Mickey Mouse Disco (1980)
- The Space Sentinels TV series (animation director) ... a.k.a. The Young Sentinels (USA) (1977)
- Fraidy Cat (1975)
- Oliver Twist (sequence director) (1974)
- The New Adventures of Gilligan (director) (1974)
- U.S. of Archie (director) (1974)
- Treasure Island (sequence director) (1973)
- Journey Back to Oz (sequence director) (1972)
- The Aristocats (animator) (1970)
References
- Massen, Michael (2011). The Artist's Guide to Drawing the Clothed Figure: A Complete Resource on Rendering Clothing and Drapery. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 208. ISBN 9780823001194. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- Merritt, Russell; Kaufman, J.B. (2016). Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series. Disney Editions. pp. 163, 171, 222. ISBN 978-1-4847-5132-9.
- Ghez, Didier (2010). Walt's People : Talking Disney with the Artists who Knew Him, Volume 9. Xlibris. p. 306. ISBN 978-1-4500-8746-9. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- Blowen, Michael (December 20, 1984). "Pinocchio Carves a Special Space in Film". The Boston Globe. p. 110. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- Culhane, John (1999). Walt Disney's Fantasia. Harry N. Abrams. p. 138. ISBN 9780810980785.
- Shull, Michael S.; Shull, Michael; Wilt, David E. (1987). "Doing Their Bit: Wartime American Animated Short Films, 1939-1945". McFarland & Co. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- Riebeth, Rome (August 22, 1948). "Decal Menagerie". Minneapolis Star-Tribune. p. 14. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- Youse, Olive (April 10, 1949). "Cheery Child's Room Created with Cut Outs: Animal Figures Cavort on Wallpaper". Chicago Tribune. p. 82. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- Hallenbeck, Bruce G. (2009). Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914-2008. McFarland & Co. p. 234. ISBN 9780786453788.
- Scheimer, Lou; Mangels, Andy (2012). Creating the Filmation Generation. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 61–62. ISBN 978-1-60549-044-1.
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 91, 114, 322, 331, 573, 583, 702. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- McCall, Douglas L. (2015). Film Cartoons: A Guide to 20th Century American Animated Features and Shorts. McFarland & Co. p. 40. ISBN 9781476609669.
External links
- Don Towsley on IMDb