Disney Animation Legend & Trailblazer was 111 years old – deadline

“Ruthie was a legend among animators and her creative contributions to Disney – from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs To Rescuers —- remain beloved classics to this day, ”said Bob Iger, executive chairman and chairman of the board of Walt Disney Co. in a report On Monday. “While we miss her smile and wonderful sense of humor, her exceptional work and pioneering spirit will forever be an inspiration to all of us.”

Iger was talking about Ruthie Tompson, who died at the Motion Picture and Television Fund in Woodland Hills on Sunday. She was 111 years old. The Disney icon’s relationship with the studio dates back to its early days.

In his Disney legend maintenance, said Tompson in the 1920s, she lived near the Disney Bros. Studio on Kingswell Avenue.

“Roy once asked us neighborhood kids to play cat on the street, while he photographed us with a camera,” she said, hinting that it was for character studies in movement. “I guess it was for Alice Comedies,” she continued. “He paid each of us a quarter, which I was happy about because I could buy licorice. “

Tompson became a painter in the studio’s ink and paint department. She was among those who helped create Disney’s first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in 1937. She went to the final checker, examining the animation cells before they were photographed on film. In 1948, she moved on to animation verification and scene planning.

In 1952, Tompson was among the first three women to be admitted to the Hollywood Camera Union when she was invited to join IATSE Local 659.

In addition to White as snow, Tompson worked on all-time classics like Pinocchio (1940), Fancy (1940), Dumbo (1941), The Sleeping Beauty (1959), Mary poppins (1964), The Aristocats (1970) and Robin Hood (1973). Having worked on virtually every Disney animated film until Rescuers in 1975, she retired from the company.

She worked on a few other projects, including Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 version of The Lord of the Rings.

According to a Disney statement, Tompson is survived by two nieces, Judy Weiss and Calista Tonelli; and a nephew, Pierce Butler III. Donations can be made on Tompson’s behalf to the Motion Picture & Television Fund.