Milt Kahl
Milton Erwin Kahl (March 22, 1909 – April 19, 1987) was an American animator. He was one of (and often considered the most influential of) Walt Disney's supervisory team of animators, known as Disney's Nine Old Men, recognised for his significant influence on character animation. He was officially inducted as a Disney Legend in 1989.
Also recorded as Milton Kahl
Milt Kahl
- Name
- Milt Kahl
- Birth Name
- Milton Erwin Kahl
- Born
- 22 March 1909
- Birthplace
- San Francisco, California, U.S.
- Died
- 19 April 1987
- Place of death
- Mill Valley, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- Animator
- Known for
- One of Disney's Nine Old Men
- Full name
- Milton Erwin Kahl.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Fields
- animation.
- Teachers
- Hamilton Luske.
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Documentary summary
Milton Erwin Kahl (March 22, 1909 – April 19, 1987) was an American animator. He was one of (and often considered the most influential of) Walt Disney's supervisory team of animators, known as Disney's Nine Old Men, recognised for his significant influence on character animation. He was officially inducted as a Disney Legend in 1989.
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q2711171 · wikipedia · Milt Kahl
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Milt Kahl • Birth Name — Milton Erwin Kahl • Born — 22 March 1909 • Birthplace — San Francisco, California, U.S. • Died — 19 April 1987 • Place of death — Mill Valley, California, U.S. • Occupation — Animator • Years Active — 1936–1976, 1985–1986 • Children — 2 • Known for — One of Disney's Nine Old Men
Biography
Biography
Kahl was born in San Francisco, California, to Erwin, a saloon bartender, and Grace Kahl. He had three younger sisters, Dorothy, Marion, and Gladys. He would often refine character sketches from Bill Peet, incorporating ideas of Ken Anderson. The final look of many characters in the Disney films was designed by Kahl, in his angular style inspired by Ronald Searle and Picasso. He is revered by contemporary masters of the form such as Andreas Deja, and also Brad Bird, who was his protégé at Disney in the early 1970s. In the behind-the-scenes feature "Fine Food and Film" shown on the Ratatouille DVD, Bird referred to Kahl as "tough," but in a gentle way, as he often gave Bird advice on where he could improve in animation whenever he came up short. Bird later repeated this in "The Giant's Dream" documentary on the Blu Ray for The Iron Giant. In the book The Animator's Survival Kit, the author Richard Williams makes repeated references and anecdotes relating to Kahl, whom he befriended during his early years in the animation industry. The centenary of Kahl's birth was honored by the Academy on April 27, 2009, with a tribute entitled "Milt Kahl: The Animation Michelangelo" and featured Brad Bird as a panelist. On April 19, 1987, Kahl died of pneumonia, aged 78, in Mill Valley, California.
Filmography
Filmography
• Year — Title — Credits — Characters — Notes • 1934 — Servants' Entrance — Animator — uncredited • 1935 — Mickey's Fire Brigade (Short) — uncredited • On Ice (short) — uncredited • 1936 — Orphans' Picnic (Short) — uncredited • Elmer Elephant (short) — uncredited • Mickey's Circus (short) — uncredited • Toby Tortoise Returns (short) — uncredited • 1937 — Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — Forest animals — Credited as Milton Kahl • Lonesome Ghosts (short) — uncredited • 1938 — Ferdinand the Bull — Ferdinand (voice; uncredited) • Farmyard Symphony (short) — uncredited • 1939 — Ugly Duckling (short) — uncredited • 1940 — Pinocchio — Animation Director — Pinocchio, Geppetto — Credited as Milton Kahl • 1942 — Bambi — Supervising Animator — Bambi, Thumper — Credited as Milton Kahl • 1943 — Saludos Amigos (Short) — Animator — Donald Duck riding the llama sequence • The Grain That Built a Hemisphere (Documentary short) — uncredited • Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi (Short) — uncredited • Reason and Emotion (Short) — uncredited • The Winged Scourge (Documentary short) — uncredited • Chicken Little (short) — uncredited • 1944 — How to Play Football — Credited as Milton Kahl • 1945 — The Three Caballeros — Credited as Milton Kahl • Tiger Trouble (Short) — uncredited • Duck Pimples (Short) — uncredited • Hockey Homicide (short) — uncredited • 1946 — Make Mine Music • Song of the South — Directing Animator — Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Bear, and Br'er Fox • 1947 — Fun & Fancy Free — Animator — "Say It With A Slap" — uncredited • 1948 — Melody Time — Directing Animator — Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill, Slue Foot Sue • 1949 — So Dear to My Heart — Animator • The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad — Directing Animator — Ratty, Mole, MacBadger, Brom Bones • 1950 — Cinderella — Fairy Godmother, the King, the Grand Duke • 1951 — Alice in Wonderland — Alice, Dodo, Pink Flamingo • 1953 — Peter Pan — Peter Pan, Wendy, John and Michael • 1955 — Lady and the Tramp — Tramp, Trusty • 1959 — Sleeping Beauty — Prince Philip, Sir Minstrel, Samson, King Hubert, King Stefan • 1961 — One Hundred and One Dalmatians — Pongo, Perdita, Roger, Anita • 1963 — The Sword in the Stone — Directing Animator / Character Designer — Arthur, Merlin, Lord Ector, Sir Kay, Sir Bart, Madame Mim • 1964 — Mary Poppins — Animator — Fox • 1967 — The Jungle Book — Directing Animator — Shere Khan, Kaa, Mowgli, Bagheera, King Louie • 1968 — Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (Short) — Animator — Tigger • 1970 — The Aristocats — Directing Animator — Thomas O'Malley, Duchess, Edgar, Madame Bonfamille, Georges Hautecourt • 1971 — Bedknobs and Broomsticks — Animator — King Leonidas, Secretary Bird, Fisherman Bear • 1973 — Robin Hood — Directing Animator — Robin Hood, Little John, Maid Marian, Lady Kluck, the Sheriff of Nottingham • 1974 — Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (Short) — Tigger • 1977 — The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh — Animator — Tigger • The Rescuers — Directing Animator — Madame Medusa, Snoops, Penny • 1995 — Frank and Ollie (Documentary) — Acknowledgment: Caricatures • 2002 — Mickey's House of Villains (Video) — Animator - Segment "Lonesome Ghosts"
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Milt Kahl was recorded at birth as Milton Erwin Kahl. The authorities additionally record the heading Milton Kahl. His recorded language was English.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1909
Milt Kahl born at San Francisco.
1987
Milt Kahl died at Mill Valley.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
- San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area.
Named but not plotted · 2
San Francisco.
Birth place
Mill Valley.
Death place
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q2711171: Milt KahlWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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