If you think he deserves a biography, clicking “LIKE” will help get Art Babbitt published!
-
Join 106 other subscribers
Search
-
Recent Posts
Archives
Topics
- 1907-1924: Sioux City Kid (3)
- 1924-1929: Illustrator in NYC (5)
- 1929-1932: Terrytoons (11)
- 1932-1941: Disney Glory Days (74)
- 1941: The Disney Strike (31)
- 1942-1946: Repercussions (9)
- 1946-1970s: Later Years (15)
- Alice in Wonderland (3)
- Animation (41)
- California (12)
- Cards (3)
- Dance (6)
- Disney (63)
- Dumbo (2)
- Fantasia (5)
- FDR (3)
- Film (21)
- Games (1)
- Genealogy (4)
- Hollywood (10)
- Illustration (16)
- Labor (13)
- mafia (2)
- Mickey Mouse (14)
- miscellaneous (29)
- music (7)
- New York (14)
- Nine Old Men (11)
- OWS (2)
- Photography (16)
- Pinocchio (4)
- politics (8)
- Skeleton Dance (2)
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (12)
- Supreme Court (1)
- UPA (1)
- WWII (5)
Author Archives: Art Babbitt
Letters of Termination
Seventy-five years ago today, Art Babbitt was fired from Walt Disney Productions. It was Tuesday, May 27, 1941. Babbitt was coming in from lunch and the security guard apologetically handed him an envelope containing two letters. “Bad news, Art,” he … Continue reading
The Guild Vies for Disney Animators
In March 1941, the Screen Cartoon Guild (later the Screen Cartoonists Guild) was doing its hardest to attract Disney artists. Other studios were already signed up, like MGM, George Pal, and Screen Gems (Columbia). And Schlesinger (Warner Bros) was already … Continue reading
Posted in 1941: The Disney Strike
Leave a comment
Babbitt Cameo in The Reluctant Dragon
Do you remember that scene in The Reluctant Dragon in which Robert Benchley watches Ward Kimball draw some original Goofy animation? The Disney artists were filmed for this movie around March 1941, during the height of union discord at the … Continue reading
Babbitt Boycotts his Boss
Whether you’re loyalist or whether you’re on the verge of striking, if you’re a Disney employee in early March 1941, you’ve got to hand it to Babbitt — this man has some serious moxy. Babbitt had been frustrated as hell … Continue reading
The Fake Disney Union Strikes HARD
By February 1941, the fake Disney union, the company-run FEDERATION OF SCREEN CARTOONISTS, was under threat. Rounding the corner was an actual independent union, the SCREEN CARTOONISTS GUILD. The GUILD had already signed up the animators of MGM. Around Feb … Continue reading
The Fake Disney Union
As noted in the previous post, the fake (i.e. company-based, non-independent) union was called the FEDERATION OF SCREEN CARTOONISTS and was formed collaboratively Between Disney’s vice president/head lawyer Gunther Lessing, and top animator Art Babbitt. Executive officers include president Art … Continue reading
THE DISNEY STRIKE – pt.1
The Disney Strike has shaped Hollywood politics for 75 years. It was during an age in which an entire industry (film) was slowly becoming unionized, and an entire workforce (animation artists) was the last to do so. More than three … Continue reading
Courtroom Testimony: THE DISNEY PROCESS
October 8, 1942. Disney animator Art Babbitt sits on the witness stand in California Superior Court. He is using Walt Disney Productions over wrongful termination. On November 24, 1941, 98 Disney artists were laid off. For the most part, these … Continue reading
This Year’s Books and Docs on Disney’s Golden Age
This year alone has seen the release of so many great works on Disney history. Let’s take a look at some of the standouts! Behind the Magic: Snow White, produced for ABC How could I not start with this? Besides … Continue reading
The Prolific Print Cartoonist
Before joining Disney in the 1930s, young artists might carry a portfolio of drawings and reels of animation to Walt’s office. Art Babbitt was only 24 when he went in for an interview with Walt in the summer of 1932. … Continue reading
Posted in 1929-1932: Terrytoons, Illustration, New York
Leave a comment
babbittblog 