Joe Grant facts for kids

Joe Grant (born May 15, 1908 – died May 7, 2005) was a talented American artist and writer. He is best known for his amazing work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. He helped create many classic Disney movies.

Joe Grant's Early Career at Disney

Joe Grant was born in New York City. He started working at Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1932. He was a character designer and story artist. This means he helped create how characters looked and what happened in the stories.

One of his first projects was a Mickey Mouse cartoon. It was called Parade Of The Nominees. This cartoon was made for the Academy Awards. It was not shown in movie theaters.

Designing Famous Disney Characters

Joe Grant designed the scary Queen Grimhilde. She was the villain in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He also helped create the story for Pinocchio.

He was a co-writer for several other famous Disney films. These included Fantasia, Dumbo, and Saludos Amigos. During World War II, Joe Grant worked on cartoons about the war. One of these, Der Fuehrer's Face, won an Oscar.

The Inspiration for Lady

Did you know that a famous Disney character was based on Joe Grant's pet? The main character, Lady, from Lady and the Tramp was inspired by his English Springer Spaniel dog. The dog's name was also Lady.

Joe Grant's daughter shared this story. She said that Walt Disney noticed the dog's long fur. He thought it looked like a dress. This idea led to creating the character of Lady for the movie.

Returning to Disney and Later Work

Joe Grant left Disney in 1949. He started his own businesses. He ran a ceramics business and a greeting card business.

But he returned to Disney in 1989. He helped create many more beloved films. These included Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. He also worked on The Lion King and Pocahontas. Other films he contributed to were Mulan and Fantasia 2000.

He even worked with Pixar on Monsters, Inc.. Joe Grant was specially mentioned in the credits of Monsters, Inc.. He continued to work four days a week at Disney until he passed away.

He received the Disney Legend award. This award honors people who have made a great impact on The Walt Disney Company.

The Short Film Lorenzo

In 2004, a short animated film called Lorenzo was released. Joe Grant developed the idea for this film. It was based on a real event from 1949. His own cat got into a fight with two poodles.

Joe Grant wondered what would happen if his cat lost its tail. This thought led to the story of Lorenzo. The short film was directed by Mike Gabriel. It was first shown on March 4, 2004.

Lorenzo won an Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject. It was planned to be part of a third Fantasia movie. However, that movie was later cancelled.

Joe Grant's Legacy

Joe Grant passed away on May 7, 2005. He died from a heart attack. He was working at his drawing board at home. This was just eight days before his 97th birthday.

He is buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery. This cemetery is in Glendale, California. Two films were dedicated to his memory. These were Chicken Little (released after his death) and Pixar's Up (released four years later). Joe Grant left behind an amazing legacy of creativity and storytelling in animation.