Who is Frank Thomas?
Frank Thomas has had a long and distinguished career with Disney. He is credited with animating Thumper and Bambi on the ice in Bambi (1942), Lady and Tramp eating a romantic spaghetti dinner in Lady and the Tramp (1954), and Mad Madam Mim in the Sword in the Stone (1963). Thomas was given the Disney Legend Award in 1989. This award was created by Roy E. Disney to honor individuals whose body of work has made a significant impact on the Disney entertainment legacy.
Frank Thomas is a native Californian. During World War II he was head of an Air Force Animation Unit, and from 1946 to 1966, in his spare time, was the piano player for the famous Dixieland Jazz group, The Firehouse Five plus Two. He lives in California with his wife of forty-seven years, Jeanette. They have four children and three grandchildren.
Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston have co-authored four books about Disney animation and art. Disney Animation: Illusion of Life (1981) is considered a textbook of the art of Disney animation. Too Funny for Words (1987) covers the art of the physical gag in animation. Walt Disney's Bambi: The Story and the Film (1990) is a record of the making of the classic feature, and The Disney Villain (1994) is the decisive study of animated menace.
Passed away Sept 8, 2004 We'll miss you.