Burt Gillett

Burt Gillett

Background information

Fullname

Burton Fred Gillett

Born

October 15,1891
Elmira,New York,United States

Died

December 28,1971 (aged 80)
Los Angeles,California, United States

Nationality

American

Alternate names

Burton Gillett
Burton F. Gillett
Gil Burton

Occupation

Director, writer, animator

Years active

1916-1940

Gillet was born on October 15, 1891 to his father, Lewis Martin Gillett (1859-1910), a watchmaker at a jewelry store, and his mother, Fra McClure (1867-1944). In 1904, his family moved to Pennsylvania, where, as a high school student in 1907, Judge's Weekly awarded him second prize in a drawing contest conducted by the publication. He commuted to New York to attend the Art Students League in Manhattan around 1910. During his art education, he worked as a cashier at a lumber company.

Gillett started his professional artistic career as a newspaper cartoonist/writer for The Connellsville News and later, as a reporter for The Daily Courier. By 1913, he moved to New York, where he worked as a cartoonist for the Newburgh Daily News, and became the head of their art department. In 1918, Gillett changed careers and began directing animated shorts companies, like International Film Service in Manhattan, William Randolph Hearst's King Features Syndicate, the Barré-Bowers studio, Max Fleischer studios, and Pat Sullivan studios.

In 1929,Walt Disney visited New York for talented animator and discovered Gillett along withBen Sharpsteen and began as an animator on earlyMickey Mouse cartoons and Silly Symphonies before directing his first shortWild Waves. Following Carl Stalling's departure from the studio in January 1930, Gillett took charge of some of the directorial duties. Many of his colleagues recalled Gillett's boundless enthusiasm and stimulation as a director, as he acted out the character's movement with his body to his animators and musical composer; primarily working with Bert Lewis andFrank Churchill. Despite his contributions, Gillett also had a notorious temperament that left some feeling distain towards him.

In 1936, he took charge at Van Beuren studios where he attempted to reviveFelix the Cat with methods he learned from Disney only to have minimal success. Despite a second stint at Disney directingLonesome Ghosts,The Moth and the Flame, andBrave Little Tailor, his problems with alcohol and mental instability led to him leaving the animation industry in 1940.

Gillett led a more private life while still remaining in the West Coast and making periodical visits to Connellsville, where he was still fondly remembered for his newspaper work. He passed away in 1971 at Los Angeles, California.

Filmography[]

Gallery[]

From left:Dick Lundy,Norman Ferguson,Jack King, Gillett, Merle Gilson, andBen Sharpsteen

Seated,Carl Stalling andUb Iwerks; from left,Wilfred Jackson, Sharpsteen, Gillett,Les Clark,Walt Disney,Johnny Cannon, and King. Jackson said of this photo: "I believe Ub had just finished designing the sheet music cover."

Stalling at the piano, with, from left, Cannon, Disney, Gillett, Iwerks, Jackson, Clark, and (seated) King and Sharpsteen.

Left to Right: King, Iwerks, W. Disney, Stalling, Gillett
Kneeling, from left, Sharpsteen, Lundy, Gilson, and Ferguson.

Standing, from left: Clark, King, Sharpsteen,Jack Cutting, Gillett, Iwerks, Win Smith, Jackson,William Cottrell,Floyd Gottfredson
Kneeling, from left,Dick Lundy, Charles Byrne, Carlos Manriquez, Ferguson, Merle Gilson,Chuck Couch, Stalling, Cannon, W. Disney.

Left to Right: W. Disney, Stalling, Sharpsteen, Iwerks, Clark, Gillett, Cannon, Jackson, and (standing) King

Standing from left: Edmond Seward,Frank Churchill,Otto Englander, Sharpsteen, Bert Lewis, Gilles "Frenchy" de Tremaudan, Clark, Rudy Zamora, Jackson, King, Tom Palmer, Cutting (behind Palmer), Cannon, Ferguson,Webb Smith
Seated, from left:David Hand,Ted Sears, Lundy, Gillett, W. Disney.

1931; Standing from left: Smith, Seward, Englander, Zamora, Hand, Palmer, Cutting, W. Disney, Churchill, Cannon, Sharpsteen
Seated from left: King, Lundy, Sears, Ferguson, de Tremaudan, Jackson, Clark, Gillett, Lewis.

External links[]

• Burt Gillett onWikipedia
• Burt Gillett onIMDb
• Burt Gillett atFind a Grave
• Gillett on CartoonResearch

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