Movies
Disney animator Johnston dies, aged 95
Published Thursday, Apr 17 2008, 07:56 BST | By Alex Fletcher
Rex Features
Johnston, who was the last of Disney's "nine old men" animation group, died in Sequim, Wash earlier this week. His death was from natural causes.
His film credits included work on Snow White, Fantasia, Alice In Wonderland and Pinocchio.
The Californian's proudest work came on the production of Bambi. Speaking about the film in 1999, he said: "The mother’s death showed how convincing we could be at presenting really strong emotion."
After he retired from animation, Johnston lectured at schools and film festivals around the world. He is survived by his two sons, Ken and Rick.
Roy E. Disney, director emeritus for The Walt Disney Company, paid tribute to Johnston, describing him as a "pioneer".
Disney commented: "Ollie was part of an amazing generation of artists, one of the real pioneers of our art, one of the major participants in the blossoming of animation into the art form we know today."
More: Ollie Johnston, Movies
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