T. Hee
Encyclopedia
This article is about the animator. For the James Bond villain, see Tee Hee.
Thornton "T." Hee, born Alex Campbell (26 March 1911 - 30 October 1988) was an American
animator, director, and teacher. He taught character design and caricature. He is always credited as T. Hee.
Hee worked at Leon Schlesinger Productions
from 1935-36 as a character designer. He designed many of the celebrity caricatures used in The Coo Coo Nut Grove (1936) and The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos
(1937). A 1936 Christmas card that he drew, featuring caricatures of the Schlesinger animators, was used to design the gremlins
in the 1944 animated short Russian Rhapsody.
Hee joined The Walt Disney Company
around 1937. He is most recognized for directing the Dance of the Hours
segment of Fantasia
. He left after the strike
, but returned to work there twice, from 1940 to 1946, and again from 1958 to 1961.. Hee also worked for United Productions of America
(1951 to 1958) and Terrytoons
(1961 to 1963).
Hee was one of the co-founders, along with Jack Hannah
, of the Character Animation program at the California Institute of the Arts
. He later served as chairman of the Film Arts Department.
Hee provided the illustrations used during the opening credits of The Life Of Riley
television show of the 1950's.
Thornton "T." Hee, born Alex Campbell (26 March 1911 - 30 October 1988) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animator, director, and teacher. He taught character design and caricature. He is always credited as T. Hee.
Hee worked at Leon Schlesinger Productions
Warner Bros. Cartoons
Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was the in-house division of Warner Bros. Pictures during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, Warner Bros. Cartoons was primarily responsible for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical...
from 1935-36 as a character designer. He designed many of the celebrity caricatures used in The Coo Coo Nut Grove (1936) and The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos
The Woods Are Full Of Cuckoos
The Woods Are Full Of Cuckoos is a Merrie Melodie cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin, and released in December 1937. Author and critic Alexander Woollcott is parodied as Owl Kott in the cartoon, a parody that Tashlin would revisit the next year as well in Have You Got Any Castles?.-Plot:The cartoon...
(1937). A 1936 Christmas card that he drew, featuring caricatures of the Schlesinger animators, was used to design the gremlins
Gremlins
Gremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature—called a Mogwai—as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It was followed by a sequel,...
in the 1944 animated short Russian Rhapsody.
Hee joined The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
around 1937. He is most recognized for directing the Dance of the Hours
Dance of the Hours
Dance of the Hours is a short ballet from Act 3, Scene 2 of the opera La Gioconda composed by Amilcare Ponchielli. It depicts the hours of the day through solo and ensemble dances. The opera was first performed in 1876 and was revised in 1880...
segment of Fantasia
Fantasia (film)
Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The third feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are...
. He left after the strike
Disney animators' strike
The Disney animators' strike was a labor strike by the animators of Walt Disney Studios in 1941.-History:The 1930s led to a rise of labor unions in motion pictures as in other industries such as The Screen Actors Guild which was formed in 1933. Animators of Fleischer Studios went on strike in 1937...
, but returned to work there twice, from 1940 to 1946, and again from 1958 to 1961.. Hee also worked for United Productions of America
United Productions of America
United Productions of America, better known as UPA, was an American animation studio of the 1940s through present day, beginning with industrial films and World War II training films. In the late 1940s, UPA produced theatrical shorts for Columbia Pictures, most notably the Mr. Magoo series. In...
(1951 to 1958) and Terrytoons
Terrytoons
Terrytoons was an animation studio founded by Paul Terry. The studio, located in suburban New Rochelle, New York, operated from 1929 to 1968. Its most popular characters included Mighty Mouse, Gandy Goose, Sourpuss, Dinky Duck, Deputy Dawg, Luno and Heckle and Jeckle; these cartoons and all of its...
(1961 to 1963).
Hee was one of the co-founders, along with Jack Hannah
Jack Hannah
Jack Hannah was an animator, writer and director of animated shorts.Hannah was born January 15, 1913, in Nogales, Arizona. He moved to Los Angeles in 1931 to study at the Art Guild Academy. One of his first jobs was designing movie posters for Hollywood theaters...
, of the Character Animation program at the California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
. He later served as chairman of the Film Arts Department.
Hee provided the illustrations used during the opening credits of The Life Of Riley
The Life of Riley
The Life of Riley, with William Bendix in the title role, is a popular American radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film, a long-run 1950s television series , and a 1958 Dell comic book...
television show of the 1950's.