Harry Holt, a former Disney animator who helped design legendary scenes in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" and "Lady and the Tramp," has died. Holt, 93, died April 14 in Casselberry.
Holt's career with Disney began in 1936, when he applied to become an artist. To test his skills, he was told to take the major Disney characters and write and illustrate a scenario for each in comic-strip style. After two weeks of training, he began as an apprentice and quickly worked his way to playing a role in the development of Snow White.
He remained with Disney for 20 years until he left to work in television production and art direction. After a couple of years in Chicago, he moved to Los Angeles and joined Hanna-Barbera Studios, where he worked on the Flintstones TV series and Tom and Jerry cartoons.
Holt returned to Disney in the 1960s as plans were being developed for Walt Disney World in Orlando.
Holt became chief designer, assigned to interpret and design sculptural forms for Disney World. He sculpted the original models of characters for several rides, including Pirates of the Caribbean. Those models were then used as references for the sculpture department to create life-size animatronic characters. Other attractions based on his models were Country Bear Jamboree, Snow White, Peter Pan and the Haunted Mansion.
Before retiring in the early 1990s, he greeted guests at the Disney/MGM Studio Preview Center in Orlando and signed replicas of his Disney character sketches.
"Disney was his life," said Barbara Holt, his wife.
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Holt's career with Disney began in 1936, when he applied to become an artist. To test his skills, he was told to take the major Disney characters and write and illustrate a scenario for each in comic-strip style. After two weeks of training, he began as an apprentice and quickly worked his way to playing a role in the development of Snow White.
He remained with Disney for 20 years until he left to work in television production and art direction. After a couple of years in Chicago, he moved to Los Angeles and joined Hanna-Barbera Studios, where he worked on the Flintstones TV series and Tom and Jerry cartoons.
Holt returned to Disney in the 1960s as plans were being developed for Walt Disney World in Orlando.
Holt became chief designer, assigned to interpret and design sculptural forms for Disney World. He sculpted the original models of characters for several rides, including Pirates of the Caribbean. Those models were then used as references for the sculpture department to create life-size animatronic characters. Other attractions based on his models were Country Bear Jamboree, Snow White, Peter Pan and the Haunted Mansion.
Before retiring in the early 1990s, he greeted guests at the Disney/MGM Studio Preview Center in Orlando and signed replicas of his Disney character sketches.
"Disney was his life," said Barbara Holt, his wife.
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