James Algar

Director

About

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Also Known As

James Nelson Algar

Birth Place

Modesto, California, USA

Born

June 11, 1912

Died

February 26, 1998

Biography

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A lifer at Disney, James Algar began as an animator before directing such classics as "Fantasia" and "Bambi" and later writing, producing, and directing for nature and wildlife documentaries and the long-running series "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color." He landed his first job with Disney as an animator on the landmark feature "Snow White and Seven Dwarfs." His talent caught Walt'...

Filmography

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Fantasia 2000 (1999)

The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures (1975)

The Legend of Lobo (1962)

Jungle Cat (1960)

White Wilderness (1958)

Secrets of Life (1956)

Photos & Videos

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African Lion, The (1955) The King Of The Beasts

African Lion, The (1955) The Eaters Of Grass

Biography

A lifer at Disney, James Algar began as an animator before directing such classics as "Fantasia" and "Bambi" and later writing, producing, and directing for nature and wildlife documentaries and the long-running series "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color." He landed his first job with Disney as an animator on the landmark feature "Snow White and Seven Dwarfs." His talent caught Walt's eye, and he was asked to direct the Mickey Mouse sequence "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" that became the centerpiece of the epic "Fantasia." He next directed portions of "Bambi" and a World War II propaganda film, "Victory Through Air Power." After the war, his focus shifted to documentaries about nature and wildlife, with the first entry in the "True-Life Adventure" series, "Seal Island," winning an Academy Award for best short. He continued to write and direct such projects, both shorts and features, while working on the TV series "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color," writing, producing, and directing on different episodes over the course of a 20-year run. He produced other projects as well, including "Rascal," a feature about a boy who befriends a wily raccoon. In addition to his screen work, he wrote and produced the classic "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln," as well as other attractions, for the 1964 World's Fair (and later, Disneyland).

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

Fantasia 2000 (1999)

The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures (1975)

The Legend of Lobo (1962)

Jungle Cat (1960)

White Wilderness (1958)

Secrets of Life (1956)

The African Lion (1955)

The Vanishing Prairie (1954)

The Living Desert (1953)

Bear Country (1953)

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)

Victory Through Air Power (1943)

Fantasia (1942)

Director "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"

Writer (Feature Film)

The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures (1975)

The Incredible Journey (1963)

The Legend of Lobo (1962)

Jungle Cat (1960)

White Wilderness (1958)

The Liberty Story (1957)

Secrets of Life (1956)

The African Lion (1955)

The Vanishing Prairie (1954)

The Living Desert (1953)

Bear Country (1953)

Producer (Feature Film)

The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures (1975)

The Gnome-Mobile (1967)

The Incredible Journey (1963)

The Legend of Lobo (1962)

Ten Who Dared (1960)

Associate Producer

Animation (Feature Film)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Servants' Entrance (1934)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures (1975)

Life Events

1935

Joined Walt Disney as an animator; spent entire career there

1937

Did animation for Disney feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"

1940

Directed "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment of "Fantasia"

1942

Sequence directed for Disney animated feature, "Bambi"

1953

Directed (also scripted) Oscar-winning documentaries, "The Living Desert" and "The Vanishing Prairie"

1958

Wrote, co-produced "Circarama," "America the Beautiful" and "Circle Vision" for the Brussels World Fair

1960

Began directing and producing live- action features; produced first film, "Ten Who Dared"

1969

Scripted, produced and directed many epiodes of TV series, "The Wonderful World of Disney"

1975

Produced and directed feature, "The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures"

Videos

African Lion, The (1955) The King Of The Beasts Dated and with language and perspectives that would not be considered appropriate in current discourse, the nonetheless thoughtful and informative opening to the successful Walt Disney studios live action feature, The African Lion, narration by Winston Hibler, directed by James Algar.

African Lion, The (1955) The Eaters Of Grass Further exposition in Winston Hibler’s narration, with passing reference to the topical lions, a methodical and absorbing introduction of the animals upon whom they prey, though the names and species might be delineated differently today, in the Walt Disney live action hit The African Lion, 1955.

African Lion, The (1955) Laziest Animal Alive Again Winston Hibler narration, with camera by Alfred G. and Elma Millotte, an early description of some of the behaviors of the title cats, shot in Technicolor all around the Serengeti, in Walt Disney’s The African Lion, 1955.

Legend Of Lobo, The (1962) -- (Movie Clip) A Cougar Was Pokin' Around Joining Rex Allen’s narration of the daddy-wolf El Feroz on the hunt, a dramatic highlight, and one of very few scenes featuring humans, and noted brutality, from Walt Disney’s The Legend Of Lobo, 1962.

Legend Of Lobo, The (1962) -- (Movie Clip) The Wolf Known As Lobo Opening with elaborate appreciation of the landscape around Sedona, ensuing narration by Arizona’s own Rex Allen, and loosely based on “Lobo the King of Currumpaw,” the factual short-story by Ernest Thompson Seton, from Walt Disney’s widely-seen The Legend Of Lobo, 1962.

Secrets Of Life (1956) -- (Movie Clip) The Modern Camera The narration by Winston Hibler trails off for the first extended sequence of time-lapse plant-growth, original music by Disney staffer Paul Smith, in the feature documentary Secrets Of Life, 1956, from the True Life Adventure series.

Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad, The (1949) -- (Movie Clip) The Most Fabulous Character The voices of Basil Rathbone, Colin Campbell, Claude Allister and Campbell Grant introduce the premises opening the popular Disney animated feature, released by RKO, The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad, based on the works of Kenneth Grahame and Washington Irving.

Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad, The (1949) -- (Movie Clip) What Have I Been Missing? Mole and Rat (voiced by Colin Campbell and Claude Allister) have their first encounter with the irascible Toad (voiced by Eric Blore) and his ride Proudbottom (Pat O’Malley), in the Disney animated feature The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad, 1949.

Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad, The (1949) -- (Movie Clip) Headless Horseman Sleepy Hollow, NY, schoolteacher Ichabod Crane, his head filled by a romantic rival with stories of the legendary headless horseman, attempts a lonely ride home, the comforting narration by Bing Crosby now absent, in the Disney feature The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad, 1949.

Living Desert, The (1953) -- (Movie Clip) Across The Face Of Our Globe Co-writer Winston Hibler narrates the animated opening to the first Walt Disney feature-length documentary, the first picture distributed by Disney’s new Buena Vista subsidiary, and the 1953 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Feature, The Living Desert.

Living Desert, The (1953) -- (Movie Clip) Odd Patterns Of Life Winston Hibler’s narration continues getting into much greater detail, with cacti, birds, tortoises, and the first introduction of the matter of reproduction, in the Academy Award winning Walt Disney documentary The Living Desert, 1953.

Bibliography

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