Includes bibliographic references (pages 324-338, 346-347) and index.

The animator's prayer -- Foreword / by George Lucas -- Introduction -- part 1. 1920-1931: "There were no directors at first" ; The birth of the Disney director -- part 2. 1932-1935: "Extensions of Walt's arms" ; Burt Gillett : the man who directed "Three little pigs" -- part 3. 1936-1948: "We couldn't have done it without organization" ; Dave Hand : a man trapped, the water rising ; Ben Sharpsteen : the organization man -- part 4. 1949-1961: "All of a sudden, we had to grow up" ; Wilfred Jackson : the musical man ; Ham Luske : a team player ; Gerry Geronimi : the fight for quality -- part 5. 1936-1957: "You pretty much had full autonomy" ; The shorts department : King, Hannah, Nichols, and Kinney -- part 6. 1962-1973: "No replacement for Walt" ; Woolie Reitherman : in the director's cockpit ; Legacy -- Appendix A: Listing of all sequence directors and production supervisors -- Appendix B: Disney animated films by year and director -- Appendix C: Sequences by director -- Appendix D: Animation directors time line -- Appendix E: Dave Hand's 1938 organization diagram.

If you were asked to name the director of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, could you? How about Bambi, Pinocchio, or Cinderella? We know and love directors like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Frank Capra, and Alfred Hitchcock, but even Disney fans know very little about the directors of their favorite classic animated films. Directing at Disney: The Original Directors of Walt's Animated Films chronicles the progression of this unknown yet pivotal role from the 1920s through the 1970s. For students of filmmaking and management, this book serves as a go-to resource for this creative and quite often technical role. For all Disney fans, these personal portraits of Walt's closest collaborators offer a fuller picture behind the stories, characters, and creation of Disney's beloved animated films, as well as a fascinating reflection of Walt's own growth as a creative leader.