Dick Lundy (animator)
Encyclopedia
Richard James "Dick" Lundy (August 14, 1907 – April 7, 1990) was an American animator
and film director
who worked at several different animation studios including Walt Disney Productions, MGM
, and Hanna-Barbera
. Lundy was a pioneer of personality animation and is today most remembered as one of the creators of Donald Duck
. Throughout his career he worked as a primary animator on at least 60 films, both short and feature-length, and directed 51 short films.
(1933) and Orphan's Benefit (1934). After working on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
(1937) Lundy became a director at Disney.
In 1943 Lundy departed the Disney studios and worked for Walter Lantz Productions. He started as an animator and again became a director. He directed Andy Panda
, Woody Woodpecker
, and the Swing Symphonies.
Lundy worked for Wolff Productions after the Lantz studies closed in 1948. Here he worked on television commercials.
In 1950 Lundy worked for MGM on Barney Bear
shorts and the Droopy film Caballero Droopy.
In 1959 Lundy worked for Hanna-Barbera
on The Flintstones
, Yogi Bear
, and Scooby Doo. He retired in 1973 but continued to do freelance work for several years thereafter.
and Dick Huemer
in the short film The Wise Little Hen
, a film in which Lundy also worked. This was Donald's first appearance, although the story offered little opportunity for character development. This would come in Donald's second appearance, Orphan's Benefit, in which Lundy was the sole animator of Donald. According to common animation practice, the audio and voices of the film were recorded first and were then played for the animators to reference. In listening to voice actor Clarence Nash
portray the Duck in Orphan's Benefit, Lundy said "[I] decided that [Donald] was an ego-show-off. If anything crossed him, he got mad and blew his top."
to James and Minnie Lundy, their only child. Shortly after his birth the family moved to Detroit where Lundy's father worked as an inspector for the Burroughs Adding Machine
Company.
When Lundy was ten years old his parents separated and he and his mother went to live in Port Huron
north of Detroit. They later moved back to the city where Lundy's mother worked as a waitress. Lundy moved to Los Angeles
in the late 1920s.
Lundy was married twice. In 1932 he married Juanita Sheridan who also worked at the Disney studio. This marriage ended in divorce in 1934. By 1939 Lundy was remarried.
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
who worked at several different animation studios including Walt Disney Productions, MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio
The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio was the in-house division of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture studio in Hollywood, California during the Golden Age of American animation, responsible for producing animated short subjects to accompany MGM feature films in Loew's Theaters...
, and Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
. Lundy was a pioneer of personality animation and is today most remembered as one of the creators of Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
. Throughout his career he worked as a primary animator on at least 60 films, both short and feature-length, and directed 51 short films.
Career overview
In the summer of 1929 Lundy started working for Walt Disney Productions, first assigned in the ink and paint department. In September he transferred to the animation department as an inbetweener. In March the next year Lundy was promoted to animator and later worked on Three Little PigsThree Little Pigs (film)
Three Little Pigs is an animated short film released on May 27, 1933 by United Artists, produced by Walt Disney and directed by Burt Gillett. Based on a fairy tale of the same name, Three Little Pigs won the 1934 Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons. In 1994, it was voted #11 of the 50...
(1933) and Orphan's Benefit (1934). After working on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American animated film based on Snow White, a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. It was the first full-length cel-animated feature in motion picture history, as well as the first animated feature film produced in America, the first produced in full...
(1937) Lundy became a director at Disney.
In 1943 Lundy departed the Disney studios and worked for Walter Lantz Productions. He started as an animator and again became a director. He directed Andy Panda
Andy Panda
Andy Panda is a cartoon character who starred in his own series of animated cartoon short subjects produced by Walter Lantz. These "cartunes" were released by Universal Pictures from 1939 to 1947 and United Artists from 1948 to 1949. The titular character is an anthropomorphic cartoon character, a...
, Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker is an animated cartoon character, an anthropomorphic acorn woodpecker who appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz animation studio and distributed by Universal Pictures...
, and the Swing Symphonies.
Lundy worked for Wolff Productions after the Lantz studies closed in 1948. Here he worked on television commercials.
In 1950 Lundy worked for MGM on Barney Bear
Barney Bear
Barney Bear was a series of animated cartoon short subjects produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio. The titular character was an anthropomorphic cartoon character, a sluggish, sleepy bear who often is in pursuit of nothing but peace and quiet....
shorts and the Droopy film Caballero Droopy.
In 1959 Lundy worked for Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
on The Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
, Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear is a fictional bear who appears in animated cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. Yogi Bear was the first breakout character created by Hanna-Barbera, and was eventually more popular than...
, and Scooby Doo. He retired in 1973 but continued to do freelance work for several years thereafter.
Donald Duck
Lundy was not the first to draw or even animate Donald Duck. This was done by Art BabbittArt Babbitt
Arthur Harold Babitsky , better known as Art Babbitt, was an American animator, best known for his work at The Walt Disney Company. He received over 80 awards as animation director and animator, but is most famous for creating Goofy...
and Dick Huemer
Dick Huemer
Dick Huemer was an animator in the Golden Age of Animation.- Career :...
in the short film The Wise Little Hen
The Wise Little Hen
The Wise Little Hen is a Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies cartoon, based on the fairy tale The Little Red Hen. This cartoon marked the debut of Donald Duck. Donald and his friend Peter Pig try to avoid work by faking stomach aches until Mrs. Hen teaches them the value of labor. This cartoon was...
, a film in which Lundy also worked. This was Donald's first appearance, although the story offered little opportunity for character development. This would come in Donald's second appearance, Orphan's Benefit, in which Lundy was the sole animator of Donald. According to common animation practice, the audio and voices of the film were recorded first and were then played for the animators to reference. In listening to voice actor Clarence Nash
Clarence Nash
Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash was an American voice actor, best known for providing the voice of Donald Duck for the Walt Disney Studios...
portray the Duck in Orphan's Benefit, Lundy said "[I] decided that [Donald] was an ego-show-off. If anything crossed him, he got mad and blew his top."
Personal life
Lundy was born in Sault Ste. Marie, MichiganSault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
to James and Minnie Lundy, their only child. Shortly after his birth the family moved to Detroit where Lundy's father worked as an inspector for the Burroughs Adding Machine
Adding machine
An adding machine was a class of mechanical calculator, usually specialized for bookkeeping calculations.In the United States, the earliest adding machines were usually built to read in dollars and cents. Adding machines were ubiquitous office equipment until they were phased out in favor of...
Company.
When Lundy was ten years old his parents separated and he and his mother went to live in Port Huron
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
north of Detroit. They later moved back to the city where Lundy's mother worked as a waitress. Lundy moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in the late 1920s.
Lundy was married twice. In 1932 he married Juanita Sheridan who also worked at the Disney studio. This marriage ended in divorce in 1934. By 1939 Lundy was remarried.