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Thursday, December 15, 2005

IWERKS, Ub

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Birth/Death

Occupation/Title

Bio Summary

Early Life/Family

Education/Training

Career Outline

Comments On Style

Influences

Personality

Anecdotes

Miscellaneous

Filmography

Honors

Annie Award: Winsor McCay Award 1978


Related Links

Bibliographic References

Contributors To This Listing


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posted by Stephen Worth @ 2:48 PM   Read Comments Or Post Yours

1 Comments:

At 10:02 AM, Anonymous Barry Foust said...

Birth/Death:

24 March, 1901, Kansas City, Missouri
7 July, 1971 Burbank, CA (Heart-Attack)

Occupation/Title:

Animator/Director/Producer

Bio Summary:

Iwerks was working as an artist at the Pesman-Rubin Commercial Art Studio in
Kansas City when he met Walt Disney. They became good friends and colleagues. They
made notable attempts at starting their own business together in Kansas City including
Laugh-O-Gram films, but all failed. Finally Disney went to Hollywood, broke and
unemployed. There he started an animation company. Lacking talent, he called his old
friend Iwerks, who immediately packed up and headed for California. Notable
productions from this time include the Alice series and Oswald the Rabbit.

When Charles Mintz took the Oswald character and Walt’s employees from him
in 1928, Iwerks remained loyal and stayed with Disney’s studio. It was from this set-
back that Iwerks first animated Mickey Mouse. Iwerks was the lead animator on the
Mickey Mouse shorts and soon Steamboat Willie made history by adding sound to the
then silent films. It wasn’t easy working for Disney in those days and Iwerks took the
brunt of Disney’s rage.

It was in 1930 that Pat Powers offered Iwerks the chance to run his own studio.
He jumped at the offer. He created the characters Flip the Frog, Willie Whopper, but
they never gained great public support. By 1936 the studio lost its financial backers and
went under.

After that Iwerks went to work, primarily, as a visual effects director and in 1940
returned to work for Disney.

Early Life/Family:

Born an only child of Dutch and German descent, Iwerks grew up in a poor household in Missouri. His father left the family when Iwerks was young.


Education/Training:

When his father left the family Iwerks was forced to quit school and work to support his
mother. At age 18 he attended the Art Institute of Kansas City.

Career Outline:

Artist, Pesmin-Rubin Commercial Art Studios
Artist, Iwerks-Disney
Artist, Kansas City Slide Company
Animator, Laugh-O-Grams, Inc.
Artist, The Kansas City Film Ad
Animator/Director, The Disney Brothers Studio/Walt Disney Studios
Producer, Ub Iwerks Studios
Visual Effects Director, Columbia
Visual Effects Director, Walt Disney Studios

Comments On Style:

He had a free and flowing style, arguably the finest animator of his time. Iwerks was
considered to be the greatest contributor to the success of Walt Disney. Iwerks out
produced other animators 2 to 1 drawing 700 frames a day on Plane Crazy.

Influences:

Winsor McCay (Gertie the dinosaur)

Personality:

Iwerks was considered a quiet and reserved man with a quirky sense of humor.

Anecdotes:

One Iwerks employee remembered a film about an eight cylinder car. Iwerks took the
drawing and added about 10 more cylinders. Who ever heard of a car with 18 cylinders?
An Iwerks joke!

Miscellaneous:

Ub Iwerks widow, Mildred, died in 1992.

Filmography:

Director - filmography
(1940s) (1930s) (1920s)
Carnival Courage (1945)
Magic Strength (1944)
Willoughby's Magic Hat (1943)
Wise Owl (1940)
Ye Olde Swap Shoppe (1940)
The Egg Hunt (1940)
Blackboard Revue (1940)
Baby Checkers (1940)
Beauty Shoppe (1940)
A Busy Day (1940)


Crop Chasers (1939)
Nells Yells (1939)
The Gorilla Hunt (1939)
Midnight Frolics (1938)
The Frog Pond (1938)
Showtime (1938)
Horses on the Merry-Go-Round (1938)
Porky's Super Service (1937)
Foxy Pup (1937)
Porky and Gabby (1937)
Merry Mannequins (1937)
Scrappy's Trip to Mars (1937)
Skeleton Frolics (1937)
Two Lazy Crows (1936)
Happy Days (1936)
Little Boy Blue (1936)
Dick Whittington's Cat (1936)
Tom Thumb (1936)
Ali Baba (1936)
Big Bad Wolfe (1936) (uncredited)
... aka The Big Bad Wolf (USA)
Humpty Dumpty (1935)
Simple Simon (1935)
Balloon Land (1935)
... aka The Pincushion Man
The Three Bears (1935)
Sinbad the Sailor (1935) (uncredited)
Summertime (1935)
... aka In the Good Ol' Summertime
Mary's Little Lamb (1935)
Old Mother Hubbard (1935)
The Brementown Musicians (1935)
Little Black Sambo (1935)
The Microbe Army (1935)
Jack Frost (1934) (uncredited)
Don Quixote (1934)
The Valiant Tailor (1934)
The Headless Horseman (1934)
Viva Willie (1934)
Good Scout (1934)
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1934)
Jungle Jitters (1934)
Cave Man (1934)
... aka The Caveman (USA)
The Queen of Hearts (1934)
Rasslin' Round (1934)
Reducing Creme (1934)
Puss in Boots (1934)
Insultin' the Sultan (1934)
The Brave Tin Soldier (1934)
The Little Red Hen (1934)
Robin Hood, Jr. (1934)
Hell's Fire (1934)
... aka Masquerade Holiday (USA: video catalogue title)
Davy Jones' Locker (1933)
Jack and the Beanstalk (1933)
Stratos-Fear (1933)
Spite Flight (1933)
Soda Squirt (1933)
Play Ball (1933)
Pale-Face (1933)
Chinaman's Chance (1933)
Bulloney (1933)
Techno-Cracked (1933)
Flip's Lunch Room (1933)
Coo Coo the Magician (1933)
The Air Race (1933)
Funny Face (1932)
Nurse Maid (1932)
The Music Lesson (1932)
Phoney Express (1932)
The Goal Rush (1932)
Circus (1932)
Stormy Seas (1932)
Room Runners (1932)
The Office Boy (1932)
Bully (1932)
School Days (1932/I)
Puppy Love (1932)
What a Life (1932)
Fire! Fire! (1932)
The Milkman (1932)
Spooks (1931)
Africa Squeaks (1931)
Jail Bird (1931)
The Village Specialist (1931)
Movie Mad (1931)
The New Car (1931)
Ragtime Romeo (1931)
Laughing Gas (1931)
The Soup Song (1931)
The Village Smithie (1931)
Cuckoo Murder Case (1930)
The Village Barber (1930)
Flying Fists (1930)
Fiddlesticks (1930)
Arctic Antics (1930)
Autumn (1930)
Summer (1930)
Little Orphan Willie (1930)
Puddle Pranks (1930)
Hell's Bells (1929)
Springtime (1929)
Mickey's Choo-Choo (1929)
The Plowboy (1929)
The Barnyard Battle (1929)
The Gallopin' Gaucho (1928)
Steamboat Willie (1928)
Plane Crazy (1928)

Producer - filmography
(1940s) (1930s)
Baby Checkers (1940) (producer)
Beauty Shoppe (1940) (producer)
A Busy Day (1940) (producer)
Crop Chasers (1939) (producer)
Nells Yells (1939) (producer)
The Gorilla Hunt (1939) (producer)
Midnight Frolics (1938) (producer)
The Frog Pond (1938) (producer)
Showtime (1938) (producer)
Horses on the Merry-Go-Round (1938) (producer)
Foxy Pup (1937) (producer)
Merry Mannequins (1937) (producer)
Scrappy's Trip to Mars (1937) (producer)
Skeleton Frolics (1937) (producer)
Two Lazy Crows (1936) (producer)
Happy Days (1936) (producer)
Little Boy Blue (1936) (producer)
Dick Whittington's Cat (1936) (producer)
Tom Thumb (1936) (producer)
Ali Baba (1936) (producer)
Humpty Dumpty (1935) (producer)
Simple Simon (1935) (producer)
Balloon Land (1935) (producer)
... aka The Pincushion Man
The Three Bears (1935) (producer)
Sinbad the Sailor (1935) (producer)
Summertime (1935) (producer)
... aka In the Good Ol' Summertime
Mary's Little Lamb (1935) (producer)
Old Mother Hubbard (1935) (producer)
The Brementown Musicians (1935) (producer)
The Microbe Army (1935) (executive producer)
Jack Frost (1934) (producer)
Don Quixote (1934) (producer)
The Valiant Tailor (1934) (producer)
The Headless Horseman (1934) (producer)
Viva Willie (1934) (producer)
Good Scout (1934) (producer)
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1934) (producer)
Jungle Jitters (1934) (producer)
Cave Man (1934) (producer)
... aka The Caveman (USA)
The Queen of Hearts (1934) (producer)
Rasslin' Round (1934) (producer)
Reducing Creme (1934) (producer)
Puss in Boots (1934) (producer)
Insultin' the Sultan (1934) (producer)
The Brave Tin Soldier (1934) (producer)
The Little Red Hen (1934) (producer)
Robin Hood, Jr. (1934) (producer)
Hell's Fire (1934) (producer)
... aka Masquerade Holiday (USA: video catalogue title)
Davy Jones' Locker (1933) (producer)
Jack and the Beanstalk (1933) (producer)
Stratos-Fear (1933) (producer)
Spite Flight (1933) (producer)
Soda Squirt (1933) (producer)
Play Ball (1933) (producer)
Pale-Face (1933) (producer)
Chinaman's Chance (1933) (producer)
Bulloney (1933) (producer)
Techno-Cracked (1933) (producer)
Flip's Lunch Room (1933) (producer)
Coo Coo the Magician (1933) (producer)
Willie Whopper (1933) (producer)
Funny Face (1932) (producer)
Nurse Maid (1932) (producer)
The Music Lesson (1932) (producer)
Phoney Express (1932) (producer)
The Goal Rush (1932) (producer)
Circus (1932) (producer)
Stormy Seas (1932) (producer)
Room Runners (1932) (producer)
The Office Boy (1932) (producer)
Bully (1932) (producer)
School Days (1932/I) (producer)
Puppy Love (1932) (producer)
What a Life (1932) (producer)
Fire! Fire! (1932) (producer)
The Milkman (1932) (producer)
Spooks (1931) (producer)
Africa Squeaks (1931) (producer)
Jail Bird (1931) (producer)
The Village Specialist (1931) (producer)
Movie Mad (1931) (producer)
The New Car (1931) (producer)
Ragtime Romeo (1931) (producer)
Laughing Gas (1931) (producer)
The Soup Song (1931) (producer)
The Village Smithie (1931) (producer)
Cuckoo Murder Case (1930) (producer)
The Village Barber (1930) (producer)
Flying Fists (1930) (producer)
Fiddlesticks (1930) (producer)
Puddle Pranks (1930) (producer)

Miscellaneous Crew - filmography
(1960s) (1950s) (1940s) (1930s) (1920s)
The Birds (1963) (special photographic advisor)
... aka Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (UK: complete title)
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) (special processes)
... aka Walt Disney's 101 Dalmatians (USA: alternative title)
Sleeping Beauty (1959) (special processes)
Johnny Tremain (1957) (special processes)
... aka Johnny Tremain and the Sons of Liberty
Westward Ho the Wagons! (1956) (special processes)
Secrets of Life (1956) (special process)
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956) (special processes)
The Great Locomotive Chase (1956) (special processes)
... aka Andrews' Raiders (USA: TV title)
Lady and the Tramp (1955) (special processes)
Man in Space (1955) (TV) (special processes)
Men Against the Arctic (1955) (special process)
20000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) (special processes)
... aka Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (USA: reissue
title)
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1954) (special
processes)
... aka Episode 1: Davy Crockett - Indian Fighter (USA: TV title)
... aka Episode 2: Davy Crockett Goes to Congress (USA: TV title)
... aka Episode 3: Davy Crockett at the Alamo (USA: TV title)
Bear Country (1953) (special process)
Peter Pan (1953) (special processes)
Alice in Wonderland (1951) (special processes)
Cinderella (1950) (special processes)
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) (special processes)
... aka Ichabod and Mr. Toad (USA: promotional title)
... aka The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (USA: TV title)
... aka The Madcap Adventures of Mr. Toad
Melody Time (1948) (special processes)
Make Mine Music (1946) (process effects)
Big Bad Wolfe (1936) (animator) (as U.B. Iwerks)
... aka The Big Bad Wolf (USA)
Simple Simon (1935) (animator)
Sinbad the Sailor (1935) (animator) (as U.B. Iwerks)
Little Black Sambo (1935) (animator)
The Cactus Kid (1930) (animator)
The Skeleton Dance (1929) (animator)
The Barn Dance (1929) (animator)
The Gallopin' Gaucho (1928) (animator)
Steamboat Willie (1928) (animator)
Plane Crazy (1928) (animator)
Alice the Piper (1924) (animator)
Alice and the Three Bears (1924) (animator)
Alice Hunting in Africa (1924) (animator)
Alice Gets in Dutch (1924) (animator)
Alice the Peacemaker (1924) (animator)
Alice's Day at the Sea (1924) (animator)
Alice's Wonderland (1923) (animator)
Cinderella (1922/I) (animator)


Special Effects - filmography
(1960s) (1950s) (1940s)
"Disneyland"
... aka Disney's Wonderful World (USA: new title)
... aka The Disney Sunday Movie (USA: new title)
... aka The Magical World of Disney (USA: new title)
... aka The Wonderful World of Disney (USA: new title)
... aka Walt Disney (USA: new title)
... aka Walt Disney Presents (USA: new title)
... aka Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (USA: new title)
- The Three Lives of Thomasina: Part 3 (1965) TV Episode
(special effects)
- The Three Lives of Thomasina: Part 2 (1965) TV Episode
(special effects)
- The Three Lives of Thomasina: Part 1 (1965) TV Episode
(special effects)
- Toby Tyler: Part 2 (1964) TV Episode (special effects)
- Toby Tyler: Part 1 (1964) TV Episode (special effects)
(3 more)
The Three Lives of Thomasina (1964) (special effects)
The Parent Trap (1961) (special photographic effects)
Ten Who Dared (1960) (special effects)
Pollyanna (1960) (special effects)
Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus (1960) (special effects)
... aka Toby Tyler
One Hour in Wonderland (1950) (TV) (special processes)
Beaver Valley (1950) (process photography)
... aka In Beaver Valley
So Dear to My Heart (1948) (special effects)
Fun and Fancy Free (1947) (process effects)
Song of the South (1946) (special photographic processes)
The Three Caballeros (1944) (process effects)
The Reluctant Dragon (1941) (special effects)
... aka A Day at Disneys (USA: TV title)
... aka Behind the Scenes at Walt Disney Studio

Visual Effects - filmography
White Wilderness (1958) (special processes)
... aka Large Animals of the Arctic (cut version)
... aka The Lemmings and Arctic Bird Life (cut version)
Man and the Moon (1955) (TV) (visual effects producer)
... aka Tomorrow the Moon (USA: reissue title)
Filmography as: Director, Producer, Miscellaneous Crew, Special
Effects, Visual Effects, Writer, Actor, Cinematographer, Archive
Footage
Writer - filmography
(1930s) (1920s)
The Microbe Army (1935)
Steamboat Willie (1928)

Actor - filmography
Alice's Wonderland (1923)

Cinematographer - filmography
Alice's Wonderland (1923) (as Ubbe Iwerks)

Archive Footage
Walt: The Man Behind the Myth (2001) (TV) .... Himself (animator)
The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story (1999) .... Himself

Honors:

Oscar - Traveling Matte Method of Animation
Oscar – General contributions to the Industry
Kalmas Gold Medal Award

Related Links:

www.imdb.com/name/nm0412650
www.digitalmediafx.com/features/ubiwerks.html

Bibliographic References:

Serious Business, Stefan Kanfer
The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story
www.imdb.com
www.digitalmediafx.com

Contributors to This Listing:

Barry Foust

 

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