John Hubley

John Hubley (May 21, 1914 – February 21, 1977) was an American animation director, art director, producer and writer of traditional animation films known for both his formal experimentation and for his emotional realism which stemmed from his tendency to cast his own children as voice actors in his films.

John Hubley
Born(1914-05-21)May 21, 1914
Marinette, Wisconsin, United States
DiedFebruary 21, 1977(1977-02-21) (aged 62)
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
EducationArtCenter College of Design
OccupationAnimator
Years active1935–1977
EmployerWalt Disney Animation Studios (1935-1941)
UPA (1941-1952)
Storyboard/Hubley Studios (1955-1977)
Spouse(s)
Claudia Ross
​
(
m. 1941; div. 1954)

​
(
m. 1955)

Biography

Early life

Hubley was born in Marinette, Wisconsin to John Raymond Hubley (1880–1959) and Verena K. Hubley (1891–1978), a painter.[1] He moved to Los Angeles, California, to study painting at the Art Center School for three years.[2][3] In 1935, he gained a job as a background and layout artist at Disney, where he worked on such classic films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Dumbo, and Bambi, as well as "The Rite of Spring" segment from Fantasia.

On February 25, 1939, the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright visited the studio, and brought with him a copy of the Russian animated movie The Tale of the Czar Durandai (1934), directed by Ivan Ivanov-Vano, which he showed to the artists, among them Hubley. Wright thought that the different style and design, that was very different from the typical Disney animation, would inspire and give the animators new ideas. Hubley liked what he saw and was influenced by it.[4] He left the company during Disney animators' strike in 1941, and found work directing films for Screen Gems and the Army's First Motion Picture Unit until he joined United Productions of America which was founded by Stephen Bosustow, Zack Schwartz, Dave Hilberman. UPA soon became known for their highly stylized designs and limited animation.

UPA

In 1949 he was the creator of the Mr. Magoo cartoon character, based on an uncle, and directed the first Magoo cartoon with Jim Backus voicing Magoo.

Hubley's final project at UPA was to direct the animation of The Four Poster,[5] which became influential in Yugoslavia and was a major stylistic contributor to the Zagreb School of Animated Films.[6] Hubley was forced to leave UPA in 1952 when he refused to name names before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. He founded Storyboard Studios the next year and worked on commercials (where he would not be credited) such as creating the Marky Maypo character,[7] but was forced to turn down more exciting projects (such as an adaptation of Finian's Rainbow) because his name was still blacklisted. He moved his studio to New York in 1955, where he switched production over to independent short films.

Later works

Hubley was originally the director of Watership Down, until disagreements with producer Martin Rosen caused the latter to take over. Some of his work, including the opening sequence, remain in the final version. He died shortly after.[8]

He married Faith Elliott (September 16, 1924 – December 7, 2001) the same year as the studio's move, and they collaborated on nearly every film he made until his death in 1977 at age 62 during heart surgery; their final production was A Doonesbury Special (with creator Garry Trudeau), which was a co-winner of the Short Film Palme d'Or jury award the year after his death.[9]

Personal life

His two other children with Faith Hubley were Mark and Ray Hubley, whose voices were used for the Oscar-winning Moonbird.[10] Children with Claudia Ross are son Mark Ross Hubley, an accomplished second generation animator; grandson Miles Hubley, screenwriter, director and editor; and daughters Anne Hubley Ricchiuti and Susan Hubley Blakeley. Faith and their four children carried on his legacy in the renamed Hubley Studios. Hubley is survived by his daughters Georgia Hubley, who plays drums and sings for the rock band Yo La Tengo, as well as Emily Hubley, a filmmaker and animator, who has made numerous short films, including animated inserts and segments for documentaries such as Blue Vinyl and the film version of Hedwig and the Angry Inch,[11] and a feature called The Toe Tactic [12] which combines live action and animation.

Preservation and legacy

The Academy Film Archive has preserved a number of John Hubley's films, including A Smattering of Spots, A Doonesbury Special, and Of Men and Demons.[13]

The Hole was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2013.[14]

Filmography

Screen Gems
  • Wolf Chases Pigs (1942)
  • Old Blackout Joe (1942)
  • The Dumbconscious Mind (1942)
  • King Midas, Junior (1942)
  • The Vitamin G-Man (1943)
  • Professor Small and Mister Tall (1943)
  • He Can't Make It Stick (1943)

UPA
  • Flat Hatting (1946)
  • Robin Hoodlum (1948)
  • The Magic Fluke (1949)
  • Ragtime Bear (1949)
  • Spellbound Hound (1950)
  • Punchy de Leon (1950)
  • Gerald McBoing-Boing (1951)
  • Fuddy Duddy Buddy (1951)
  • Rooty Toot Toot (1952)

Storyboard/Hubley Studios

shorts and features

TV

National Film Board of Canada
  • The Cruise (1966)[38]
gollark: Personal use for note-taking.
gollark: Sure.
gollark: Or at least get it "vaguely working".
gollark: If I ever finish it which is haahahahahahahahano.
gollark: Yep!

References
  1. "Menominee Will Show Hubley Art". The Escanaba Daily Press. October 31, 1961. p. 4. Retrieved November 29, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Overview for John Hubley". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
  3. "John Hubley Facts". biography.yourdictionary.com. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
  4. Amidi, Amid (January 26, 2012). "Exclusive Excerpt from "Walt's People"". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  5. Robinson, David (Winter 1961–1962). "In the Picture; Evolution of a Cartoonist". Sight & Sound. 31 (1): 17.CS1 maint: date format (link)
  6. Holloway, Ronald (1983). "The Short Film in Eastern Europe: Art and Politics of Cartoons and Puppets". In Paul, David W. (ed.). Politics, Art and Commitment in the East European Cinema. pp. 233–238. ISBN 9781349067367.
  7. "Advertising Mascots > Marky Maypo (Maypo Instant Oat Cereal)". TV Acres. Archived from the original on 2012-11-19. Retrieved 2013-12-15.
  8. Watership Down: "Take Me with You, Stream, on your Dark Journey"|The Current|The Criterion Collection
  9. THE DOONESBURY SPECIAL - Festival de Cannes
  10. Short Film Oscars® in 1970-Oscars on YouTube
  11. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)|The Criterion Collection
  12. THE TOE TACTIC - Animator Emily Hubley's Feature Film Debut
  13. "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.
  14. "Library of Congress announces 2013 National Film Registry selections" (Press release). Washington Post. December 18, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  15. "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award – 1957 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  16. "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award – 1959 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  17. 1960|Oscars.org
  18. "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award – 1962 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  19. 1963|Oscars.org
  20. "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award 1964 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  21. Of stars and men - Extrait posted by Images en bibliothèques on Vimeo
  22. "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award 1966 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  23. 1967|Oscars.org
  24. Short Film Winners: 1967 Oscars
  25. "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award 1968 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  26. 1969|Oscars.org
  27. "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award 1969 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  28. 1970|Oscars.org
  29. "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award – 1970 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  30. "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award 1972 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  31. "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award 1973 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  32. "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award 1974 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  33. 1975|Oscars.org
  34. Short Film Oscars: 1975 Oscars
  35. "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award – 1977 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  36. 1978|Oscars.org
  37. Short Film Winners: 1978 Oscars
  38. The Cruise (1966) - IMDb

Notes
  • Tied with another Oscar-nominated animated short Oh, My Darling by Dutch animator Børge Ring

See also
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