Joe Grant was born on May 15, 1908 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941) and Alice in Wonderland (1951). He was married to Jenny Grant. He died on May 6, 2005 in Glendale, California, USA.
He was hired by Walt Disney in 1933 to work on the animated short
"Mickey's Gala Premiere." He left the studio in 1949 to start his own
business, but returned 40 years later and worked on many Disney
animations
Designed the queen-witch character in "Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs".
He helped to create "Dumbo" and conceived "Lady and the Tramp" with his
wife, Jennie.
More than 70 of his caricatures are in the Smithsonian Institution's
permanent collection. He received the Ruben Award from the National
Cartoonists Society in 1996.
The 2005 film, Chicken Little, was dedicated to his memory. Since
returning to Disney in 1989, he served as a creative consultant for the
studio's animation department up until his death.
Walt [Disney] was a great advocate of pantomime. He would stand in front of the boards and re-enact the scene. You could see the reflection of him in the film: his pantomime was beautifully followed through. Today it's all talking heads.