The Inspirational Albert Hurter

            Albert Hurter was the first ever inspirational sketch artist to work at the Walt Disney Studio. He is most famous for his significant contribution to the visual styles of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio. His sketches were known to reflect a morbid sense of humor (DisneyWiki). Albert worked in many different places starting with his early career. He has worked at Barre-Bower Animation Studio (1916-1918), he had a career in designing direct mail ads for a printing company, At about age 48 he was then hired as an animator by Disney (DisneyWiki). He worked for Disney from 1931-1942. In putting his years of art training to use, he brought to Disney animation the more realistic, European illustration-like style that would characterize the studio’s earlier features (DisneyWiki).

                        His character designs for The Goddess of Spring follow human anatomy rather than the more conventional “rubber hose and circle” style of animation (DisneyWiki). This style was arguably instrumental to the success of Snow White and the seven Dwarfs; where Disney artists had initially designed character in the manner of the Silly Symphonies, it was decided that designs of a more realistic nature were needed for the main characters to carry the story and keep the audience engaged (DisneyWiki).

            Disney made Hurter the authority on the ‘look’ of Snow White: all designs had to be approved of by Hurter, from character designs to rock formations (DisneyWiki). One of Hurter’s sketches for the film depicted the radiant Snow White, now in the Sleeping Death, surrounded by the Seven Dwarfs, all them sobbing; this inspired the mourning scene in the film, which famously made many celebrities at the premiere of the film break into tears. Inspirational sketch artists Gustaf Tenggren and Ferdinand Hovarth helped Hurter bring the style of European Illustration to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (DisneyWiki).

Hurter held similar authority during production of Pinocchio, and looked to Attilio Mussino's illustrations of the 1911 edition of the story, designing Pinocchio as a rather homely wooden puppet; the titular character was later made more rounded and boyish, according to a design by Milt Kahl (DisneyWiki). Hurter's ideas, many of them inspired by Heinrich Kley, led to sequences in Fantasia, including Night on Bald Mountain's Chernabog (inspired by Kley's drawings of gigantic devils), the dancing hippos, elephants and alligators which featured in Dance of the Hours, and the mythical creatures of the Pastoral Symphony (DisneyWiki). He designed the atmosphere and props for Dumbo and contributed ideas for The Reluctant Dragon. Hurter also worked on ideas for films whose production would begin long after his death, including Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp (DisneyWiki).

 

Hurter died from rheumatic heart disease on March 28, 1942 - his addiction to smoking may have contributed to his death. He was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Works Cited:

 

 

Unknown Author, “Albert Hurter”, Web. http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Albert_Hurter. Thursday April 10^th.

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