Arthur Harold Babitsky, better known as Art Babbitt, was an American animator, best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios.
14 Facts About Art Babbitt
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Art Babbitt received over 80 awards as an animation director and animator, and developed the character of Goofy.
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Art Babbitt began his career in New York City working for Paul Terry's Terrytoons studio.
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Art Babbitt began his career at Disney as an assistant animator, but his talent was spotted and he was promoted to animator.
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Art Babbitt's first important work was a drunken mouse in the short The Country Cousin, which won an Academy Award for the studio.
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Art Babbitt thought long and carefully before he did anything, and then he did it wrong.
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Art Babbitt had previously expounded on Goofy's nature in a 1930s memo:.
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One morning, as Disney drove through picketing workers on his way to the studio, Art Babbitt heckled him through a bullhorn.
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Art Babbitt worked with director Jack Kinney, another "Goofy man", as Disney began to look for ways to be rid of Art Babbitt.
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Art Babbitt was fired more than once but was reinstated, taking his case successfully all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States, and winning a handsome settlement.
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Disney was forced to rehire him after the war, but Art Babbitt did not stay long.
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Art Babbitt worked on many of their famous award-winning shorts, including the lead character Frankie in "Rooty Toot-Toot", and won many awards.
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Art Babbitt was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
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Art Babbitt had two daughters with Dina, L Michele Babbitt and Karin Wendy Babbitt.