One of the finest animators ever to work at Disney, Milt Kahl, who was born in 1909 and retired on this day 42 years after joining Disney in 1934, was known for his innate artistic brilliance… and volcanic temper. In his book Walt Disney: An American Original, author Bob Thomas explained how, during the early years of the first golden age of Disney animation, Walt was able to endure the temperamental outbursts of this young animator, “whose talent as an animator was exceeded by no one’s. Walt developed a system of dealing with Kahl’s pique: ‘I’d just wait three days after Milt has asked to see me; by then he has forgotten what he was mad about.'” Among the characters this titanic talent, known informally as “King Kahl” or “The Animation Michelangelo,” brought to life such unforgettable characters as Pinocchio, Adult Bambi, and Thumper, the prince and Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Tramp and Lady from Lady and the Tramp, Shere Kahn and King Louie from The Jungle Book, and Tigger in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Milt Kahl passed away in 1987 and was honored with the Disney Legends Awards two years later.
