Ruthie Thompson obit

Disney Legend Ruthie Tompson Passes Away at 111

 

 She was not on the list.

We’re sad to share that Disney Legend Ruthie Tompson passed away at the age of 111. Her work in Disney Animation goes back to the 1937 release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and she stayed with the studio until 1975 when she retired during production on The Rescuers.

Born in Portland Maine on July 22nd, 1910, Ruthie’s family moved to California when she was a young girl where she first met Walt and Roy Disney when the Disney Bros. Studio was still a fledgling business on Kingswell Avenue. Her path crossed with the brothers as a young adult when she worked at Dubrock’s Riding Academy where the brothers frequently played polo. She was offered a job as a painter at the Hyperion Studio, which led to her work on Disney’s first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Ruthie’s hard work paid off, being promoted to final checker in the Ink & Paint Department, responsible for reviewing the cels before they were photographed. In 1948, she became a scene planner and became an expert in guiding camera movements in animation. She was one of just three women in the International Photographers Union when she joined the organization in 1952.

After nearly 40-years with Disney, Ruthie retired in 1975. At the time of her passing, she was the oldest member of Women in Animation and while she celebrated her 110th birthday during lockdown at the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s Country House, she used media attention for the milestone to raise $110,000 for the Woodland Hills campus to build a postproduction suite. She loved to spend time there continuing her craft in the film industry in addition to going to Dodgers games.

As she stated in an interview, Tompson first met the Disneys when she visited her neighbor Robert's new baby. She recalls sitting on an apple box until her parents said they'll be going home for dinner. The location of The Walt Disney Company, then known as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, was not far from her home – she passed it on her way to grammar school. She was invited into the office after many times of standing outside and watching them work through the window. She visited the office often and ended up appearing in the Alice Comedies.

Ruthie Tompson became a Disney Legend in 2000 for her contributions to Disney Animation. Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger shared the news today on Twitter.

Filmography

 

    Lonesome Ghosts (1937) (ink and paint - uncredited)

    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (ink and paint - uncredited) (1937)

    Pinocchio (1940)

    Fantasia (1940)

    Dumbo (1941)

    Donald in Mathmagic Land (scene planner - uncredited) (1959)

    Sleeping Beauty (checker and scene planner - uncredited) (1959)

    Popeye the Sailor (1960–62)

    Mary Poppins (scene planner - uncredited) (1964)

    The Aristocats (scene planner - uncredited) (1970)

    Robin Hood (scene planning supervisor - uncredited) (1973)

    Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (short; 1974)

    The Rescuers (1977)

    The Lord of the Rings (1978)

    Metamorphoses (1978)

    The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story (Documentary) (special thanks - as Ruthie Tompson) (1999)

    American Experience (TV Series documentary) (self) (2015)

    Walt Disney - Part 1 (self; as Ruthie Thompson) (2015)

    110-Year-Old Ruthie Tompson Tells Us About Making Snow White | NOT-SO SMALL WORLD (Web episode) (self; as Ruthie Tompson) (2020)