BLAIR, Preston

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Birth/Death

Born: 1908 Redlands California
Died, April-1995


Occupation/Title

Animator, Designer, Director, Producer, Author, Watercolorist


Bio Summary

Early Life/Family

Preston was born in Redlands California and spent his whole life in Southern California working for 50 years on animation.

Education/Training

Preston attended Pomona College, Otis Art Institute, and studied Illustration at Chouinard. During the Depression Preston paid ten dollars a week to learn to animate and the animation studio Romer Gray.


Career Outline

Preston Started as a fine artist and exhibited in the California Watercolor Society and the American Watercolor Society in New York. When Preston worked in animation, he accomplished many notable achievements. During the 1940's he worked for Walt Disney Studio's. He designed and animated the hippos in the "Dance of the Hours" and animated Mickey from the "Sorcerers Apprentice" sequences from fantasia. He also animated on the other Disney classics, Pinocchio and Bambi. Later, he worked for MGM. He directed the Barney Bear shorts and designed Red Hot Riding Hood from the Tex Avery Shorts. He also produced commercials, educational films, and half hour cartoon episodes like the Flintstones. He also put out his book through Walter Foster on how to animate which is the most popular book on animation, along with the Richard Williams book.


Comments On Style

Preston's style is marked by a solidity of volumes, combined with expressive squash and stretch. His draftsmanship was of the top order.


Influences

Personality

Anecdotes

Miscellaneous

Filmography

Hanna Barbera:
"The Flintstones" (1960) TV Series (animator)

MGM:
Senor Droopy (1949) (animator)
Bad Luck Blackie (1949) (animator)
Lucky Ducky (1948) (animator)
Uncle Tom's Cabaña (1947) (animator)
Red Hot Rangers (1947) (animator)
Hound Hunters (1947) (animator)
Henpecked Hoboes (1946) (animator)
Northwest Hounded Police (1946) (animator) aka The Man Hunt
The Hick Chick (1946) (animator)
Lonesome Lenny (1946) (animator)
Wild and Woolfy (1945) (animator) aka Robinson's Screwball
Swing Shift Cinderella (1945) (animator) aka Swingshift Cinderella (USA: poster title)
The Shooting of Dan McGoo (1945) (animator) aka The Shooting of Dan McScrew
Jerky Turkey (1945) (animator)
The Screwy Truant (1945) (animator)
Big Heel-Watha (1944) (animator) aka Buck of the Month
Happy-Go-Nutty (1944) (animator)
Batty Baseball (1944) (animator)
Screwball Squirrel (1944) (animator)
What's Buzzin' Buzzard? (1943) (animator)
One Ham's Family (1943) (animator)
Red Hot Riding Hood (1943) (animator) (uncredited)
The Early Bird Dood It! (1942) (animator)
Blitz Wolf (1942) (animator)

Disney:
Bambi (1942) (animator)
Fantasia (1940) (animator) (segments "Sorcerer's Apprentice, The" and "Dance of the Hours")
Pinocchio (1940) (animator)

Columbia/Mintz:
Antique Antics (1933) (animator)
Bunnies and Bonnets (1933) (animator)
Wooden Shoes (1933) (animator)
Wedding Bells (1933) (animator)
The Minstrel Show (1932) (animator)
Prosperity Blues (1932) (animator)
Little House Keeping (1932) (animator)

Director - filmography MGM
Goggle Fishing Bear (1949) aka Goggle Fishing
The Bear and the Hare (1948) aka Snowshoe Baby
The Bear and the Bean (1948) 

Producer - filmography Filmation
Journey Back to Oz (1974) (associate producer)


Honors

Annie Award: Winsor McCay Award 1985


Related Links

IMDB Listing


Bibliographic References

"Cartoon Animation", by Preston Blair. Published by Walter Foster


Contributors To This Listing

Josh Reed
Larry Loc

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