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Animator, director, producer and story artist Burny Mattinson, who joined the Walt Disney Company at the end of its first great run of films, when _Dumbo_ (1941) and _Bambi_ (1942) were new
and an in-his-prime Walt Disney was just 42 years old, died today. He was 87. He was the last full-time Walt Disney Studios employee who had worked at the company when Walt Disney still ran
it. Seeing the studio’s _Pinocchio_ at the age of six convinced Mattinson he wanted to work in animation. “Ever since I saw that film, this was my dream—to work in this business,” he
recalled years later. “So I worked every day, drawing.” After graduating high school, he convinced his mother drop him off at the studio gate, where he handed his portfolio to a security
guard. Impressed, the guard called Ken Seiling, the head of Personnel. There were no available job positions in the studio’s animation department, but Mattinson got his foot in the door with
a job in the traffic department. Six months later, Mattinson began working on _Lady and the Tramp_ (1955). WATCH ON DEADLINE It was the start of the career of the man who became the
longest-serving cast member in the history of The Walt Disney Company, who was set to receive the company’s first-ever 70th anniversary service award this coming June 6. Jennifer Lee, chief
creative officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios, said in a statement, “Burny’s artistry, generosity, and love of Disney Animation and the generations of storytellers that have come through
our doors, for seven decades, has made us better—better artists, better technologists, and better collaborators. All of us who have had the honor to know him and learn from him will ensure
his legacy carries on.” _Raya and the Last Dragon_ director Don Hall — whose _Big Hero 6_ won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature — also issued a statement. “For almost 30 years,”
Hall wrote, “I’ve had the privilege to work alongside Burny Mattinson, from _Winnie the Pooh_ to _Big Hero 6_ to, most recently, _Strange World_. I have marveled at his artistry, enjoyed his
good humor, and sat enraptured by his stories of Disney history. At 18 years old, he followed his dream of working at Walt Disney Animation Studios, and for almost 70 years he lived that
dream every day, inspiring all of us who had the good fortune to follow in his footsteps. I love him dearly.” He worked as an artist on such classics as _Lady and the Tramp _(1955), _One
Hundred and One Dalmatians _(1961), _The Sword in the Stone _(1963), _The Jungle Book _(1967), and _The Rescuers _(1977). He served as a key member of the story team on contemporary Disney
classics including _Aladdin _(1992), _Beauty and the Beast _(1993), _The Lion King _(1994), _Pocahontas _(1995), _The Hunchback of Notre Dame _(1996), _Tarzan _(1997) and _Mulan _(1998). At
one point, Mattinson became an assistant animator to one of the studio’s legendary Nine Old Men, Marc Davis, on _Sleeping Beauty_ (1959) and _One Hundred and One Dalmatians_ (1961).
Mattinson went on to work for 12 years under another renowned animator, Eric Larson, while mastering the animation of Ludwig Von Drake for _Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color _(1961) and
contributing to such features as _The Sword in the Stone_ (1963) and _The Aristocats_ (1970). As the Nine Old Men began to retire, Mattinson became a key animator on _Winnie the Pooh and
Tigger Too_ (1974) before being recruited by Frank Thomas to work on storyboards for _The Rescuers_ (1977). “Then Woolie Reitherman, who was a director, asked, ‘Would you stay [in the Story
Department]?’ ” Mattinson later remembered of his career. “And I said, ‘Ok!’ I started loving making the story because there is something very creative about it. It was never hard.”
Legendary Disney animator Eric Goldberg — who was also a close friend and colleague of Mattinson’s —said, “Burny was the Renaissance man of Disney Animation. He literally did everything that
could be done at the studio—assistant animator, animator, story artist, producer, and director of many films that made an indelible mark on our collective appreciation of the Disney ethos.
He was also, when he started, traffic boy to Walt, giving Walt his weekly spending cash.” Of Mattinson’s art, Goldberg added, “Burny was low-key, charming, inventive, and superbly gifted as
a draftsperson and a storyteller. His storyboards were beautifully acted and wonderfully atmospheric, which I first encountered when I joined the studio for _Aladdin_. The more I saw of his
work, the more I became in awe of his breadth of talent. I value his cheerful friendship and lasting inspiration to me and so many other animation artists. He will be missed, but not
forgotten.” Mattinson’s achievements include directing the animated featurette _Mickey’s Christmas Carol_ (1983), which marked the return of Mickey Mouse to the screen for the first time in
30 years. He was also a producer as well as co-director on _The Great Mouse Detective_ (1986). “Animation is 75 percent thinking and 25 percent drawing,” Mattinson once said of his process.
“Everything must be carefully thought out first. Our animators not only have to think like actors but also figure out how to get that performance across on paper and on the screen. Our
characters pause to think and connive. You can see it in their eyes.” Asked two decades ago to reflect on his career at Disney, Mattinson said, “I mean, 50 years is a long time, but I still
feel like that 18-year-old kid that came here back in ’53, you know? I never feel like I’ve gotten old.” According to Disney, Mattinson was still working full-time as a story consultant and
mentor at the time of his passing. Mattinson is survived by his wife, Ellen Siirola; his son, Brett Mattinson, and his wife, Kelly, and their two children; and his daughter, Genny, her
husband Larry Ellena, and their two children. Funeral services will be private, and he will be laid to rest at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the
MPTF (Motion Picture and Television Fund) in Woodland Hills, California.