Wolfgang Reitherman
Biography
Reitherman began working for Disney in 1934, along with future Disney legends Ward Kimball and Milt Kahl. The three worked together on a number of classic Disney shorts, including The Band Concert, Music Land, and Elmer Elephant and in all, Reitherman worked on various Disney feature films produced from 1937 to 1981, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Slave in the Magic Mirror) to The Fox and the Hound (co-producer). He did the climatic dinosaur fight in Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring in Fantasia, the Headless Horseman chase in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" section in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, the Crocodile in Peter Pan, and Maleficent as a dragon in Sleeping Beauty (the former three he animated and the latter he directed). Beginning with 1961's One Hundred and One Dalmatians, "Woolie", as he was called by friends, served as Disney's chief animation director. One of Reitherman's productions, the 1968 short Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. He also served as a producer and sequence director, and starred as himself in the 1941 feature film The Reluctant Dragon. All three of Reitherman's sons — Bruce, Richard and Robert — provided voices for Disney characters, including Mowgli in The Jungle Book, Christopher Robin in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, and Wart in The Sword in the Stone. Reitherman directed several Disney animated feature films including, One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), The Sword in the Stone (1963), The Jungle Book (1967), The Aristocats (1970),Robin Hood (1973) and The Rescuers (1977). He is also known for reusing animation in movies directed by him. According to Floyd Norman, this was just one of his trademarks, and had nothing to do with time or cost savings: "Woolie was our director on The Jungle Book. Reuse was just Woolie’s thing. He never did it to save money. I really don’t think the “Old Guard” ever had any interest in saving money. I was never a big fan of reuse, but it wasn’t my place to tell these old guys what to do. One final thought. It never seemed to bother Walt, and I never heard him complain about reuse."
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (48)
Waking Sleeping Beauty
as Self (archive footage)
2009
The Making of 'Pinocchio': No Strings Attached
as Himself (Archive Footage)
2009
The Pixar Story
as Self (archive footage)
2007
Mickey, les J.O. rigolos
2005
From Walt's Table: A Tribute to Disney's Nine Old Men
as Self (Archive Footage)
2005
Walt Disney Treasures - The Complete Goofy
Director (Directing)
2002
The Fox and the Hound
Co-Producer (Production)
1981
The Rescuers
Director (Directing)
1977
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Director (Directing)
1977
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too
Producer (Production)
1974
Robin Hood
Director (Directing)
1973
Superstar Goofy
Director (Directing)
1972
The Aristocats
Director (Directing)
1970
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
Director (Directing)
1968
The Jungle Book
Director (Directing)
1967
Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
Director (Directing)
1966
The Sword in the Stone
Director (Directing)
1963
The Hunting Instinct
Director (Directing)
1962
Aquamania
Director (Directing)
1961
Holiday for Henpecked Husbands
Director (Directing)
1961
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Director (Directing)
1961
A Salute to Father
Director (Directing)
1961
Goliath II
Director (Directing)
1960
Donald in Mathmagic Land
Director (Directing)
1959
How to Relax
Director (Directing)
1957
The Truth About Mother Goose
Director (Directing)
1957
The Goofy Adventure Story
Director (Directing)
1957
Pluto's Day
Director (Directing)
1956
The Goofy Cavalcade of Sports
Director (Directing)
1956
The Goofy Sports Story
Director (Directing)
1956
The Goofy Success Story
Director (Directing)
1955
Lady and the Tramp
Animation (Visual Effects)
1955
A Story of Dogs
as Self
1954
Peter Pan
Animation (Visual Effects)
1953
Alice in Wonderland
Animation (Visual Effects)
1951
Cinderella
Animation Director (Visual Effects)
1950
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Animation (Visual Effects)
1949
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Animation Director (Visual Effects)
1949
Goofy Gymnastics
Animation (Visual Effects)
1949
Tennis Racquet
Animation (Visual Effects)
1949
Mickey and the Beanstalk
Animation (Visual Effects)
1947
Fun and Fancy Free
Animation Director (Visual Effects)
1947
How to Ride a Horse
Animation (Visual Effects)
1947
How to Fish
Animation (Visual Effects)
1942
How to Swim
Animation (Visual Effects)
1942
Saludos Amigos
Animation (Visual Effects)
1942
El Gaucho Goofy
Animation (Visual Effects)
1942
Dumbo
Animation (Visual Effects)
1941
