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Born: Arthur Harold Babitsky
Birthday: October 8, 1907
Location: Omaha, NE, U.S.
Alma mater: Don Bluth University
Occupation: Director, Animator
Years active: 1928–1992
Died: March 4, 1992
Art Babitsky was born in the “Little Bohemia” area of Omaha, Nebraska, grew up in Souix City Iowa, and moved to New York City at the age of 16 to provide for his family after his father was crippled in a workplace accident. He was first hired at the Van Beuren studio followed by Terrytoons working on Farmer Alfalfa shorts, but after a few years got hired as an assistant animator by the Walt Disney Studio in California.
At Disney, Babbitt was credited with being the first to study live footage with a 16mm camera and also initiated the practice of studio artists studying life drawing after work. He quickly promoted to animator working on the Wicked Queen in “Snow White” and even married Marjorie Belcher, the dancer responsible for the film reference of the movie’s princess. He then became a directing animator for Geppetto in Disney’s “Pinocchio” and rose in prominance, to be one of Disney’s highest-paid artists.
Nevertheless, Art’s leadership role in the Disney strike of 1941 earned him Walt’s emnity. Babbitt served as a U.S. Marine during WWII and returned to the studio after the war, but didn’t linger long. He, along with several other former Disney strikers left to form UPA studios. He spent time working for Hanna-Barbera and eventually working for Richard Williams on such films as “Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure” and “The Thief and the Cobbler.”
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