Harry here... Often times the story men at the animation studios seem to be overlooked. Like right now, there's a fella at Pixar named Joe Ranft that is just magic. In all likelihood he'll be better known as the voice of Heimlich the Catepillar from A BUG'S LIFE than for his brilliant contributions to the stories of A BUG'S LIFE, TOY STORY 1 & 2, NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE. And that's just off the top of my head. Here is, most likely, one of Joe's heroes. Peet's children book work was beyond reproach. Absolutely a part of my childhood. And his film work... My god, it speaks for itself. Here ya go, that doll Junior Mintz decided to sing the swan song for Bill...
Hey Boss-Geek
JM here, very sad to report that Bill Peet, Walt Disney's greatest storyman, passed away Saturday May 11th after a series of illnesses at age 87.
Peet (sometimes credited as Peed) joined Disney in 1937 as an apprentice animator on SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS. He went onto become the studio's most respected animation writer/storyman, contributing to such features as DUMBO, FANTASIA, THE THREE CABALLEROS, and perhaps most famously, the three Br'er Rabbit segments of SONG OF THE SOUTH. He would later singlehandedly script and storyboard 101 DALMATIONS, but resigned from the studio in 1964 after a bitter disagreement with Walt over the story direction of THE JUNGLE BOOK.
Bill's exit from Disney started him on the second (and no doubt most
personally satisfying) phase of his career, as one of the world's best-known
and widely read children's book authors. In a forty year career as a writer
and illustrator, Peet created such children's classics as CHESTER THE WORLDLY
PIG, CYRUS THE UNSINKABLE SEA SERPENT, FAREWELL TO SHADY GLADE and dozens of
others.
Though he never confirmed or denied it, Peet's mid-sixties book
RANDY'S DANDY LIONS, the tale of timid circus lions forced to work under a
domaneering boss, was interpreted by many animation fans as a comment on
Peet's years at Disney.
His 1989 illustrated autobiography paints shrewd portraits of Peet's personal and professional lives, including his sometimes volitile relationship with Walt Disney. It's funny, wistful and heartfelt, very much in keeping with the best elements of Peet's storytelling.
Junior Mintz
