Joe Hale - my 343rd choice to be named a Disney Legend

Animator, layout artist, writer, director Joe Hale is my 343rd pick to be named a Disney Legend.

Hale joined the company’s animator training program in 1951. That was the beginning of a storied career that would span four decades and witness the first golden age of Disney animation. Hale worked alongside Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men, a group of core animators, and right-hand men, who created some of Disney’s most iconic animation. Hale himself worked with Walt Disney on more than 100 projects as an animator and cartoon layout artist for the production company. He worked for ten years on Wonderful World of Color,a Disney television series in the 1960’s.

He also made  important contributions to such classics as Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins, Lady and the Tramp, and Pete’s Dragon. He was part of Disney’s production, It’s Tough to Be a Bird, and Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, both of which won an Academy Award for Best Cartoon Short Subject. He also received an Academy Award nomination in 1979 for Best Animated Visual Effects for his efforts on The Black Hole. Hale was named the producer for Disney’s 25th full -length animated feature, The Black Cauldron, in 1980. He rewrote the script at that time and was in charge of all aspects of the production of the film. The Black Cauldron was released in 1985 and he retired from Disney the following year. In 2008, Hale was honored with a NFFC Disney Legend Award presented by the National Fantasy Fan Club in recognition of his significant contributions to the Disney legacy. He also continues to make appearances on behalf of Disney at conventions.