Ward Kimball

Ward Walrath Kimball (March 4, 1914–July 8, 2002) was an Academy Award winning animator for the Walt Disney Studios. He was one of Walt Disney's team of animators known as Disney's Nine Old Men.

Related Topics:
March 4 - 1914 - July 8 - 2002 - Academy Award - Animator - Walt Disney Studios - Walt Disney's - Disney's Nine Old Men

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Kimball created several classic Disney characters including Tweedledum and Tweedledee from Alice in Wonderland, Lucifer from Cinderella, and Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio. Jiminy Cricket was said to resemble Kimball in both appearance and mannerisms.

Related Topics:
Alice in Wonderland - Cinderella - Jiminy Cricket - Pinocchio

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He was also a jazz trombonist. He founded and led the seven piece Dixieland band Firehouse Five Plus Two, in which he played trombone. They made several records and toured college campuses and jazz festivals during the 1950s.

Related Topics:
Jazz - Trombonist - Dixieland - Firehouse Five Plus Two - Trombone - 1950s

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Along with his employer and friend Walt Disney, Kimball also collected old railroad ephemera, was an avid train enthusiast and was a founding member of the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California. A full-sized steam locomotive which Kimball actually ran on his private, backyard railroad and which bears some of his original artwork, is displayed there. He is credited with helping to inspire Disney to install the Disneyland Railroad at Disneyland during its construction, which was in turn inspired by Walt's private Carolwood Pacific Railroad - also partly built by Ward.

Related Topics:
Railroad - Orange Empire Railway Museum - Perris, California - Steam locomotive - Disneyland Railroad - Disneyland - Carolwood Pacific Railroad

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Kimball died in Los Angeles, California at the age of 88.

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