Wilfred Jackson (January 24, 1906 – August 7, 1988) was an American animator, arranger, composer and director best known for his work on the Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies series of cartoons and the Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria segment of Fantasia from Walt Disney Productions.[1][2] He was also instrumental in developing the system with which Disney added music and sound to Steamboat Willie, the first Mickey Mouse cartoon.

Wilfred Jackson
Born(1906-01-24)January 24, 1906
DiedAugust 7, 1988(1988-08-07) (aged 82)
Occupation(s)Animator, arranger, composer, film director
Years active1928–1961
EmployerWalt Disney Animation Studios (1928–1961)

Several of the Silly Symphony shorts he directed, including The Old Mill (1937), won Academy Awards during the 1930s.[3] Starting with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, he directed sequences in many of the major Disney animated features up to Lady and the Tramp in 1955, including all of the animated sequences in Song of the South (1946). He later moved into television, producing and directing for Disney's Disneyland series. After continuing health issues, he retired in 1961. Jackson died at age 82 in 1988.

Jackson attended Otis Art Institute (now called Otis College of Art and Design) in the 1920s.[4]

Filmography edit

Year Title Credits
1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Sequence Director
1940 Pinocchio Sequence Director
Fantasia Director – Segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria"
1941 Dumbo Sequence Director
1943 Saludos Amigos (Short) Sequence Director
1946 A Feather in His Collar (Short) Director
Song of the South Cartoon Director
1948 Melody Time Cartoon Director – Segment Johnny Appleseed
1950 Cinderella Director
1951 Alice in Wonderland Director
1953 Peter Pan Director
1955 Lady and the Tramp Director
Dateline: Disneyland (TV Special documentary) Director
1954–1959 The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) Himself – 1 Episode / Director – 9 Episodes / Segment Director – 2 Episodes / Sequence Director – 1 Episode / Cartoon Director – 1 Episode
1992 The Music of Disney: A Legacy in Song (Video documentary) Performer: "Turkey in the Straw"
2002 American Legends (Video) Director – Segment "Johnny Appleseed"

References edit

  1. ^ Shields, Meg (January 30, 2021). "How Animators Created the Elaborate "Ave Maria" Sequence for 'Fantasia'". Film School Rejects. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  2. ^ Smith, Jim; Matthews, Clive (2008). Tim Burton. Virgin Books pg. 133. ISBN 978-0-7535-0682-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (2006). Who's who in Animated Cartoons. Applause Books pg. 125. ISBN 978-1-5578-3671-7.
  4. ^ Doherty, Jake (October 10, 1993). "MACARTHUR PARK : Otis College at 75: Designs on the Future". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 28, 2021.

External links edit