Who's Who
in the
Disney Strike
The images below are color-coded as to who, at the start of the strike, is aligned with the strikers (the Screen Cartoonists Guild) versus the loyalists (the Federation of Screen Cartoonists and their successors)
Lead Animator at Walt Disney Productions (Three Little Pigs, Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo) and chief developer of Goofy as a character
Co-founder of the Federation of Screen Cartoonists with Gunther Lessing, president 1938-1939
Chairman of the Disney Unit of the Screen Cartoonists Guild, an affiliate of the Painters Union
Art Babbitt
Co-founder and co-owner of Walt Disney Productions
Motion picture producer
Voice of Mickey Mouse and the public face of the company
Walt Disney
Co-founder of Federation Motion Picture Crafts (FMPC), a multi-union labor organization
Called "Studio labor's No. 1 leader" in Variety
Business agent of the International Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators & Paperhangers (aka the Painters Union), an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Herb Sorrell
Chief legal counsel of Walt Disney Productions since 1930
Vice President of Walt Disney Productions since ca. 1937
Co-founder of the organization that would become The Federation of Screen Cartoonists
Gunther Lessing
Top layout artist at Walt Disney Productions
Secretary of the Screen Cartoonists Guild
Dave Hilberman
Assistant-director on Snow White, production manager on Pinocchio
Director of Personnel at Walt Disney Productions
Creative personnel "Casting Director," deciding which animators get which assignments
Hal Adelquist
Lead animator at Walt Disney Productions (Brave Little Taylor, Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo)
The highest-ranking animator with the most training in fine arts (Disney's gold standard)
Bill Tytla
Animator at Walt Disney productions, 1932-1937
Animation supervisor / director since 1937
President of Federation of Screen Cartoonists, 1939-1940
Bill Roberts
Lead animator at MGM
Chairman of the MGM unit of the Screen Cartoonists Guild
President of the Screen Cartoonists Guild
Bill Littlejohn
Representative of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), large labor organization under which the Painters Union is affiliated
Aubrey Blair
Convicted panderer, indicted for blackmail and conspiracy
West coast representative for IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees)
Willie Bioff
Co-founder and co-owner of Walt Disney Productions since 1923
CEO of Walt Disney Productions
Roy O. Disney
Top-level Warner Bros. animator (at Leon Schlesinger productions)
Chairman of the Warner Bros. unit of the Screen Cartoonists Guild
Chuck Jones
Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Frank Thomas, Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Les Clark, Milt Kahl, John Lounsbery, and Woolie Reitherman
All had become or were soon to be top-level animators at Walt Disney Productions
The Nine Old Men
FOR THE GUILD:
Baur, Franz – A traffic boy at the Disney company, and Guild meeting attendee
Baldwin, Howard – Striking Disney animator, member of strike's Negotiation Committee
Bodle, George E. – Attorney for the Guild (partner with Yager)
Clark, Joe – VP of Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators, & Paperhangers of America
Janofsky, Leonard– Screen Writers Guild's lawyer, the Federation's first lawyer until he presumed the Federation to be company-led
Lamb, Herb – Production Control Manager at the Disney company
Lambertson, Phyllis – Guild negotiating committee & vice chairman of the Guild's Disney unit
McClellan, Murray – Striking Disney animation Asst, member of strike's negotiating committee
Peterson, Ken – Striking Disney animator, member of strike's Negotiation Committee
Pomerance, (S) William K. – Representative and Business agent of the Guild following the Disney strike
Ravin, Rita – Secretary for the Guild, member of the strike's negotiating committee
Ritchie, Jean – Ex-secretary of Federation, striking Disney inbetweener.
Schrader, Lyle – International representative of the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators, and Paperhangers of America
Walsh, Walsh – Los Angeles regional director for National Labor Relations Board
Yager, George A. – Field examiner for the NLRB (partner with Bodle)
FOR THE FEDERATION and WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS
Baumister, Jim – Artist at the Disney company, member of Federation negotiating committee
Caldwell, Verne – Supervisor of public relations in charge of publicity at Disney company
Christensen, Grace – Head of Ink & Paint at Disney
Garrity, Bill – Production engineer, personnel capacity at Disney company; production control manager in 1937
Hand, Dave – Disney studio supervisor since 1936
Kinney, Jack – Director for Disney: Pinocchio, Goofy shorts since 1940
Lundy, Dick – Animator ('32-37, '38-'39) and director('37, '40 on) at Disney company
Jackson, Wilfred – Director at Disney company since 1930
Morris, George E. – Secretary-Treasurer of Disney company
Nater, Carl – Partner with Adelquist, negotiating committee at Disney company
O'Rourke, Anthony G. – Director of labor Relations at Disney company since February, 1941
Painter, Howard – Legal Counsel for Federation of Screen Cartoonists, ca. February, 1941
Pierce, Perce – Director, Disney company
Pressley, Hugh – Personnel manager ca. 1941 at Disney company
Sharpsteen, Ben – Production supervisor at Disney company
Smith, Dorothy "Dot" – Head of Ink & Paint at Disney company
Spreckels, Walter P. – Labor consultant for Disney, April 1941.; immediately prior was Los Angeles regional director for NLRB
Ward, Leo – Attorney for the Federation as voted in 1940