Brice Mack
Brice Harvey Mack (June 2, 1917 – January 2, 2008) was a background painter and director, known for his extensive work at Disney in the 1940s and 1950s as a background painter. He was hired for story writing at Disney in the 1950s, and worked on illustrating children's books based on the studio's films.
Brice Mack | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brice Harvey Mack June 2, 1917 |
| Died | January 2, 2008 (aged 90) |
| Occupation | Director |
| Children | Kevin Mack |
His first credited appearance was as the background artist for the Rite of Spring sequence in Fantasia. He worked on Song of the South, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Lady and the Tramp. He also went to work on Walt Disney's anthology television series as a background painter and writer in the late 1950s. In the 1950s he became the president of ERA Productions, a small studio which was staffed with animators who had mostly come from Disney after leaving during the strike of 1941, producing and directing animated and live action commercials for the Peterson Company, as well as work for Disney. He later went on to form Unicorn Productions, with which he continued to work on commercials, films, and theme park rides, continuing to consult for Disney into the early 1990s, when he retired.
His feature work includes directing the 1978 live-action horror film Jennifer, written by Steve Krantz. Other director credits include Rooster: Spurs of Death (1983), Swap Meet (1979), and Half a House (1979). He was the executive in charge of production for Ruby and the producer of Mara of the Wilderness.
Mack was survived by his wife, Ginni, three sons and three grandsons. His son Kevin Mack is an Academy Award–winning visual effects supervisor.
Awards
Brice Mack was awarded the Golden Motion Picture Cartoonist award in 1987.
Filmography
| Film | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasia | 1940 | Backgrounds for Rite of Spring sequence |
| Song of the South | 1946 | Backgrounds for cartoon sequences |
| Fun and Fancy Free | 1947 | Backgrounds |
| Melody Time | 1948 | Backgrounds for Johnny Appleseed, Little Toot and Pecos Bill |
| Pluto's Fledgling | 1948 | Short |
| So Dear to My Heart | 1948 | Backgrounds for cartoon sequences |
| The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad | 1949 | Backgrounds for both segments |
| Pluto's Surprise Package | 1949 | Short |
| Pluto's Sweater | 1949 | Short |
| Bubble Bee | 1949 | Short |
| Sheep Dog | 1949 | Short |
| Cinderella | 1950 | Backgrounds |
| Wonder Dog | 1950 | Short |
| Alice in Wonderland | 1951 | Backgrounds |
| Two-Gun Goofy | 1952 | Short |
| Teachers Are People | 1952 | Short |
| How to Be a Detective | 1952 | Short |
| Peter Pan | 1953 | Backgrounds |
| Father's Day Off | 1953 | Short |
| For Whom the Bulls Toil | 1953 | Short |
| Father's Weekend | 1953 | Short |
| Donald's Diary | 1954 | Short |
| Casey Bats Again | 1954 | Short |
| Lady and the Tramp | 1955 | Backgrounds |
| Beezy Bear | 1955 | Short |
| Film (after years at Disney) | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mara of the Wilderness | 1965 | Produced with company Unicorn Films. Starred Adam West |
| Half a House | 1975 | Directed; received an Academy Award nomination for best song[1] |
| Jennifer | 1978 | Directed |
| Swap Meet | 1979 | Directed |
| Rooster: Spurs of Death | 1983 | Directed |
References
- Ball, Ryan (2008-01-16). "Disney Background Painter Mack Dies at 90". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
- "Animation vet Brice Mack dies at 90". Variety. Reed Elsevier. 2008-01-21. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
