Vault Disney Presents Disney Legends - Ub Iwerks (1997)

Ub Iwerks is the Nikola Tesla of animation and special effects. He may be the most important collaborator Walt Disney ever had. They met and worked together on Walt's earliest films in Kansas City. Shortly after Walt sold his first major film series, the Alice Series, to a distributor, he sent for Ub. Ub was co-creator of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Mickey Mouse, and the Silly Symphonies. He singlehandedly animated many cartoons including the first several Mickey Mouse cartoons and several Silly Symphonies.

Ub left the studio after having a falling out with Walt and established his own shortly after but Ub was no Walt Disney. After several years of producing his own cartoons, Ub's studio folded and closed shop. A mutual friend brought Ub and Walt together to reconcile and Walt hired Ub back at the Walt Disney Studios to improve anything he could in the process. He improved the multiplane camera, perfected blending live action and animation together in technicolor film sequences, and developed what became blue/green screen just to name a few.

When the studio strike happened in 1941, Ub crossed the picket lines continuing to work for Walt. This gesture deeply moved Walt and led to reconciliation between the two childhood friends. For the rest of his career, Ub tinkered and invented dozens of inventions that allowed Walt to have an edge in both animation and live action film production as well as special effects. Ub also applied his ingenuity in making the special effects on Walt's Disneyland attractions more believable. He was also loaned out to Alfred Hitchcock to collaborate on the special effects on films like The Birds. Ub's son, Don, also joined his father in working at the Walt Disney Studios.

After Walt passed away, Ub helped Walt's brother Roy push forward on Walt Disney World. Ub's final project was the Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World. he passed away shortly after. Ub's inventions and innovations are still used in the film and theme park industries today. If it wasn't for Ub's genius, Walt wouldn't have been able to achieve the majority of the accomplishments he's known for.

When Disney artist Blaine Gibson sculpted statues of Walt Disney and his brother Roy to be installed in the Disney parks, he secretly made a bust of Ub because he knew it was the collaboration of these three men that made the Walt Disney Studios what it was. Ub's son Don was presented with this bust.

Ub Iwerks was made a Disney Legend in 1989.

Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.