Animation Design Legend Maurice Noble Dies

Animation Design Legend Maurice Noble Dies

Maurice J. Noble, whose contributions to animation have been enjoyed by generations of animated film buffs and Saturday morning cartoon fans, died Friday, May 18, 2001. He was 91 years old. His unique and innovative use of color and design are apparent in landmark Disney films such as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Pinnochio," "Fantasia," "Bambi" and "Dumbo." His work on more than 60 Warner Bros. cartoons featuring characters such as Bugs Bunny, Marvin the Martian, Daffy Duck, Pepe Le Pew, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner helped create a new look and approach to animation that is still influencing designers today.

Noble is widely recognized as the premier animation designer in the history of animation. Animation design or layout design provides the "sets" upon which animated characters perform. It is a deceptively difficult job. In Noble's case, the role became even more complex when his involvement extended into almost every aspect of a film's production, from providing inspirational concepts and staging ideas to color-coordinating the animated characters with the finished production backgrounds. Each new animated film presented Noble an opportunity to explore an unusually distinctive art form, and he consistently strived to develop highly imaginative and interesting settings to support and enhance every production.

Noble was born in Spooner, Minn., moving to California at an early age. Educated at Chouinard Art Institute (precursor to the California Institute of the Arts), he began his career in advertising, where he notably designed the "Red Door" for the Estee Lauder Company. Noble discovered his true calling at the Walt Disney Company. "Dumbo" (1941) showcases his innovative knowledge of color and design in its famous "pink elephant" sequence.

During World War II, Noble was a member of the Frank Capra U.S. Army Signal Corp Unit, creating animated films for the Armed Forces, among the most memorable, the "Private Snafu" series. It was during this period that he met his future collaborators Ted Geisel (better known as Dr. Suess) and Chuck Jones.

After the war, Noble entered into a creative partnership with Jones that would continue, off and on, for nearly 50 years. Some of the more famous animated short subjects he designed include "Duck Dodgers in the 24th Century," "Bully For Bugs," "Duck Amuck" and "What's Opera, Doc?" The latter two are the only animated films inducted into the National Film Registry. Both "What's Opera Doc?" and "The Dot and The Line," which Noble co-directed with Jones, were recognized with the Academy Award for Best Short Animated Subject.

In the 1960s, Noble's collaboration with Jones continued at MGM, where they produced many Dr. Suess classics, including "The Cat In The Hat," "Horton Hears a Who," and the original animated adaptation of "How The Grinch Stole Christmas."

Noble briefly left animation in the 1970s to focus on producing a series of hand-pulled, limited-edition serigraphs (silk screens). These serigraphs became collectible in their own right.

In the 1990s, Noble returned to animation and contributed designs to Chuck Jones Film Productions and Warner Bros. He also formed his own studio, Maurice Noble Productions. During this time, he mentored a new generation of animation designers who work in studios as diverse as Cartoon Network, Dreamworks, Pixar, Warner Bros. and the Walt Disney Co. He was a popular guest speaker at universities and software, television and film companies.

In 1993, Noble was honored for contributions to the Disney Studio in a ceremony at Fantasia Court at Disney World, where his signature and handprints were placed in cement. He received the Annie Award in 1987 from the International Animation Society for creative excellence in the field of animation.

His longtime collaborator, four-time Oscar winner Jones, said: "Maurice Noble excited, moved and stimulated us all. He approached each filmic problem with his unique history and viewpoint. Maurice had the confidence and knowledge to create a world where animation could flourish, and never intruded on the orderly advance of the story. He enhanced every film, and provided inspiration and creativity to the team. He never showed off, but he did show up every layout man or art director I have ever known by his honesty, his devotion to his craft, and above all, his commitment to the film at hand. Without him, a great many of my films could not have been made."

Noble is survived by his wife Marjorie, two children and a grandson. His life will be celebrated in a memorial service in June. His complete filmography is available at www.nobletales.com.