John Hench
Writing
Biography
An employee of The Walt Disney Company for more than 65 years, during which saw the creation of nearly every Disney animated feature and theme park. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Hench attended numerous art and creative schools across the country, including the Art Students League of New York, the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Art Institute in San Francisco, and the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. Starting in 1939 as a story artist, he weaved his way through the animation department working in areas including backgrounds, layout and art direction, effects animation and special effects. Hench was respected by Walt Disney as one of the studio's most gifted artists and teamed him with Salvador Dalí on the animated short Destino, a project begun in 1945 that was not completed and released until 2003. Hench was also Disney's "official portrait artist" of Mickey Mouse, painting the company's portraits for Mickey's 25th, 50th, 60th, 70th, and 75th birthdays. By 1954, Hench was in the studio's live action department, as lead developer of the hydraulic giant squid in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, helping to win anAcademy Award for Best Special Effects for the film. Afterward, he moved to WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering), to design attractions for Disneyland. Hench went on to design many iconic elements for Disney's theme parks, including Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland, Space Mountain, and contributed to attractions such as the Mickey Mouse Revue. Because of his resemblance to Walt Disney and his frequent visits to Disney theme parks, he was often asked to sign autographs and pose for pictures with park visitors who mistook Hench for Disney himself. - Wikipedia
Known For

Leaving the safety of their nursery behind, Wendy, Michael and John follow Peter Pan to a magical world where childhood lasts forever. But while in Neverland, the kids must face Captain Hook and foil his attempts to get rid of Peter for good.
Peter Pan

Dumbo is a baby elephant born with over-sized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy Timothy the Mouse, the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all obstacles.
Dumbo

Jiminy Cricket hosts two Disney animated shorts: Bongo about a circus bear escaping to the wild, and Mickey and the Beanstalk, a take on the famous fairy tale.
Fun and Fancy Free

For Donald's birthday he receives a box with three gifts inside. The gifts, a movie projector, a pop-up book, and a pinata, each take Donald on wild adventures through Mexico and South America.
The Three Caballeros

Short film to a song of love lost and rediscovered, a woman sees and undergoes surreal transformations. Her lover's face melts off, she dons a dress from the shadow of a bell and becomes a dandelion, ants crawl out of a hand and become Frenchmen riding bicycles. Not to mention the turtles with faces on their backs that collide to form a ballerina, or the bizarre baseball game.
Destino

There's not a person in the world who wouldn't recognize Mickey Mouse. But until now, not many knew the man who originally gave shape, movement and personality to the world's most beloved icon. "The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story" takes you behind the scenes to meet Walt Disney's best friend and chief animator.
The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story

Hosted by Jiminy Cricket along with Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell, this special combines newly produced animation with clips from vintage animated Disney shorts and feature films, presented to the viewer as Christmas cards from the various characters starring in each one.
From All of Us, To All of You

The story of the unlikely alliance between two of the most renowned innovators of the twentieth century: brilliantly eccentric Spanish Surrealist Salvador Dalí and American entertainment innovator Walt Disney.
Dalí & Disney: A Date with Destino

Walt Disney presents a preview for both his upcoming park called Disneyland and several episodes of the show to come. Then the show focuses primarily on the career of Mickey Mouse.
The Disneyland Story

Walt Disney introduces Julie Reems,Miss Disneyland Tencennial,who is to travel as Disneyland's official ambassador,and he shows Julie the imagineering department at Disneyland,and shows her the initial project of the IT'S A SMALL WORLD building that will be built,and the new restaurant that will be built. Then he shows her the haunted mansion that will be built,and miniatures of the Pirates of the Carribean ride that will be built.Next,Tinkerbell uses her "magic" to take viewers to Disneyland for the big 10 year celebration with Mickey and the gang.
Disneyland 10th Anniversary

With rare behind-the-scenes footage, a detailed look at the making of Walt Disney’s adaptation of the Jules Verne novel 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.
The Making of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

"Clair de Lune" was fully animated and scored when it was deleted from Fantasia in early 1940, a casualty of Fantasia's excessive length. In February 1942, inking, painting and technicolor photography were completed for "Clair de Lune" as a short subject, but it was not released. In 1946 it was edited , reshaped and re-scored as the popular music sequence "Blue Bayou" in "Make Mine Music". Previous attempts to recreate "Clair de Lune" were frustrated by missing animation and Stokowski footage. A nitrate workprint of the original version located in 1992 has allowed "Clair de Lune" to be completely reconstructed as Walt Disney intended it to be seen.
Clair de Lune

An interview with John Hench.