Burny Mattinson, who labored as an animator, director, producer and story artist throughout a 70-year profession because the longest-serving “castmember” within the historical past of The Walt Disney Co., has died. He was 87.
Mattinson died after a brief sickness on Monday at a Canoga Park assisted dwelling facility in Los Angeles, the studio introduced. He was because of obtain his seventieth anniversary service award — the studio’s first ever — on June 4.
Mattinson was working full time at Walt Disney Animation Studios as a narrative advisor and mentor on the time of his loss of life.
“Burny’s artistry, generosity and love of Disney Animation and the generations of storytellers which have come by way of our doorways, for seven a long time, has made us higher — higher artists, higher technologists and higher collaborators,” Walt Disney Animation Studios chief inventive officer Jennifer Lee stated in an announcement. “All of us who’ve had the glory to know him and be taught from him will guarantee his legacy carries on.”
Amongst Mattinson’s achievements have been a solo directing credit score on the featurette Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) — which returned Mickey Mouse to the large display for the primary time in 30 years and earned him an Oscar nomination — and roles as producer and co-director on the characteristic The Nice Mouse Detective (1986).
He additionally labored as an artist on such classics as Girl and the Tramp (1955), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), The Sword within the Stone (1963), The Jungle Ebook (1967), The Rescuers (1977), Large Hero 6 (2014) and Unusual World (2022); served as a key member of the story workforce on Aladdin (1992), Magnificence and the Beast (1993), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Tarzan (1997) and Mulan (1998); was a narrative supervisor on Winnie the Pooh (2011); and contributed to the 2007 Goofy quick Learn how to Hook Up Your Dwelling Theater.
The primary of two youngsters, Burnett Mattinson was born in San Francisco on Could 13, 1935. Earlier than he was 6, he noticed Disney’s Pinocchio, and ever since, “this was my dream — to work on this enterprise,” he recalled. “So, I labored daily, drawing.”
His father, a drummer with Horace Heidt’s Large Band, moved the household to Los Angeles in 1945. By the point he was 12, he was drawing Disney-style cartoons.
After highschool, his mom dropped him off on the Disney studio gate in Burbank. A guard took a take a look at his portfolio and let him in, and Mattinson wound up with an interview and a job within the mailroom. Six months later, with no formal artwork coaching, he began work as an in-betweener on Girl and the Tramp.
He was promoted to assistant animator beneath animator Marc Davis on Sleeping Magnificence and continued in that capability on One Hundred and One Dalmatians. When that movie ended, he started a 12-year stint with animator Eric Larson, engaged on tasks together with Walt Disney’s Fantastic World of Coloration for tv, The Sword within the Stone, Mary Poppins (1964), The Jungle Ebook and The Aristocats (1970).
After finishing an eight-week inner coaching program, Mattinson turned an animator on Robin Hood (1973) and a key animator on Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Too (1974), working with animator Ollie Johnston.
Animator Frank Thomas noticed Mattinson’s thumbnail sketches and requested him to assist on storyboards for The Rescuers. “Storyboards are as near route as you may get,” Mattinson famous. “You’re telling cameras the place to go, what’s occurring onscreen, the place to chop and actually making a blueprint for the movie.”
Impressed by a Disneyland Data Christmas album, Mattinson despatched a observe to then-studio head Ron Miller for an thought for a film. He was stunned when he was assigned to direct Mickey’s Christmas Carol, which led to his contributions on The Nice Mouse Detective.
Mattinson was named a Disney Legend in 2008. He set the castmember longevity file on March 5, 2018, surpassing Disney artist and Imagineer John Hench’s mark of 64 years, 8 months and 29 days.
Survivors embody his spouse, Ellen; son Brett, his spouse, Kelly, and their two youngsters; and his daughter, Genny, her husband, Larry, and their two youngsters.
In lieu of flowers, donations might be made to the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
