Jack Kinney; Disney Animator
Jack Kinney, a Disney animator and sequence director whose awards included an Oscar for the wartime classic “Der Fuehrer’s Face,†has died in a Glendale hospital.
Kinney, who also worked on such classics as “Pinocchio†and “Dumbo,†was 82.
A spokesman for Walt Disney Pictures in Burbank said this week that Kinney died Feb. 4 of natural causes.
“Der Fuehrer’s Face,†released in 1942, was an animated lampoon of Adolf Hitler. In addition to directing that cartoon, Kinney originated the popular “How to . . . “ series in which Goofy makes feeble and funny attempts at playing baseball or skiing, almost always with disastrous results.
Kinney had first directed the Goofy character in the 1940 short “Goofy’s Glider†and went on to make most of the Goofy shorts, including “Motor Mania†in 1950, which won several safety awards.
Kinney began his 27-year career with Walt Disney in 1931 as an animator. In the late 1930s, he turned to directing, making “The Reluctant Dragon,†“Saludos Amigos,†“The Three Caballeros,†“Make Mine Music†and “Melody Time.â€
In 1959, he formed his own animation company, Jack Kinney Productions, and oversaw the production of more than 100 Popeye cartoons for television. He also directed the animated feature film “1001 Arabian Nights,†starring Mr. Magoo.
Kinney wrote the 1988 autobiography “Walt Disney and Assorted Other Characters.â€
He is survived by his wife, Jane, and three children. Burial was at sea.
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