American animator (1912-1986)
Donald F. Towsley
Born (1912-05-11 ) May 11, 1912Died November 25, 1986(1986-11-25) (aged 74) Occupation(s)
animator ,
director
Don Towsley (May 11, 1912 – November 25, 1986) was an
animator working at
Walt Disney Animation Studios ,
[1] and later at
MGM and
Filmation .
Career
Starting out at Disney, Towsley worked on three shorts in the
Silly Symphony series, animating the band in
The Cookie Carnival (1935), a scene of dancing hens ultimately cut from
Cock o' the Walk (1935), and the introduction and opening scene of
Donald's Better Self (1938).
[2] In 1938, Towsley became the main animator for the
Donald Duck short films, following
Fred Spencer's death.
[3]
Towsley contributed to the 1940 film
Pinocchio , as part of the team responsible for
Jiminy Cricket and
Monstro the Whale .
[4] He also animated the "
Pastoral Symphony " segment of the 1940 film
Fantasia .
[5]
In 1943, Towsley, along with a team of animators, contributed to a wartime animated short film titled Der Fuehrer's Face produced by Walt Disney.
[6]
In 1948, after leaving the Disney studio, Towsley created a line of children's wallpaper cutouts, featuring images of animals.
[7]
[8]
In the 1960s, Towsley worked for MGM's
Tom and Jerry series, including animation work on 1965's
Haunted Mouse .
[9]
Towsley joined the
Filmation animation studio in 1968 as an associate director.
[10] He directed episodes of
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972–74),
My Favorite Martians (1973–75),
The New Adventures of Gilligan (1974–77),
The U.S. of Archie (1974–76),
The New Adventures of Batman (1977),
Sabrina, Super Witch (1977–78) and
The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (1979–80), among others.
[11] He also directed a sequence in Filmation's 1972 film,
Journey Back to Oz .
[12]
Films worked on
1930s
1940s
1960s
1970s and 1980s
References
^ Massen, Michael (2011).
The Artist's Guide to Drawing the Clothed Figure: A Complete Resource on Rendering Clothing and Drapery . Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 208.
ISBN
9780823001194 . Retrieved 16 May 2020 .
^ Merritt, Russell; Kaufman, J.B. (2016). Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series . Disney Editions. pp. 163, 171, 222.
ISBN
978-1-4847-5132-9 .
^ Ghez, Didier (2010).
Walt's People : Talking Disney with the Artists who Knew Him, Volume 9 . Xlibris. p. 306.
ISBN
978-1-4500-8746-9 . Retrieved 16 May 2020 .
^ Blowen, Michael (December 20, 1984).
"Pinocchio Carves a Special Space in Film" . The Boston Globe . p. 110. Retrieved 16 May 2020 .
^ Culhane, John (1999). Walt Disney's Fantasia . Harry N. Abrams. p. 138.
ISBN
9780810980785 .
^ Shull, Michael S.; Shull, Michael; Wilt, David E. (1987).
Doing Their Bit: Wartime American Animated Short Films, 1939-1945 . McFarland & Co.
ISBN
9780899502182 . Retrieved June 7, 2020 .
^ Riebeth, Rome (August 22, 1948).
"Decal Menagerie" . Minneapolis Star-Tribune . p. 14. Retrieved 16 May 2020 .
^ Youse, Olive (April 10, 1949).
"Cheery Child's Room Created with Cut Outs: Animal Figures Cavort on Wallpaper" . Chicago Tribune . p. 82. Retrieved 16 May 2020 .
^ Hallenbeck, Bruce G. (2009). Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914-2008 . McFarland & Co. p. 234.
ISBN
9780786453788 .
^ Scheimer, Lou; Mangels, Andy (2012). Creating the Filmation Generation . TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 61–62.
ISBN
978-1-60549-044-1 .
^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 91, 114, 322, 331, 573, 583, 702.
ISBN
978-1476665993 .
^ McCall, Douglas L. (2015). Film Cartoons: A Guide to 20th Century American Animated Features and Shorts . McFarland & Co. p. 40.
ISBN
9781476609669 .
External links