Rollin Hamilton
Rollin Hamilton was a pioneering American animator and Walt Disney's first hire, whose work shaped the earliest years of Hollywood animation.
What do we know about Rollin Hamilton?
Here are the key biographical details about Rollin Hamilton:
- Name: Rollin Hamilton
- Also Known As: Ham Hamilton, Rollin Clare Hamilton
- Date of Birth: October 28, 1898
- Place of Birth: South Dakota, USA
- Date of Death: June 3, 1951
- Gender: Male
- Job Title: VFX Artist
- Crew Jobs: Animation, Director, Writer
Who is Rollin Hamilton?
Rollin "Ham" Clare Hamilton (October 28, 1898 – June 3, 1951) was an early motion picture animator. He was Walt Disney's first hire, and from 1924 to 1928 he worked as an animator for the Alice Comedies and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit shorts. In 1928, Hamilton and several other animators left the Walt Disney Studio to work at Winkler Pictures' new animation studio with the help of Charles Mintz. A year later, Hamilton briefly transferred to Walter Lantz's new studio before he helped fellow animators Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising establish their own animation studio. He was one of the primary animators for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. From 1929 to 1934, he animated the Bosko character in the Harman and Ising studio.
He was one of the few animators who remained with Leon Schlesinger after Harman and Ising left in 1933. In Schlesinger's studio, he animated Buddy, Beans the Cat, and Porky Pig. He then worked as a freelance animator until 1940.
Hamilton died in 1951 of a heart attack.
What is Rollin Hamilton known for?
Rollin Hamilton's most recognized animation credits include:
- Toby Tortoise Returns (1936, Movie)
- Trolley Troubles (1927, Movie)
- All Wet (1927, Movie)
- Merbabies (1938, Movie)
- Bosko, the Talk-Ink Kid (1929, Movie)
- Sinkin' in the Bathtub (1930, Movie)
- The Mechanical Cow (1927, Movie)
- Oh, Teacher! (1927, Movie)
- Hollywood Capers (1935, Movie)
- Congo Jazz (1930, Movie)
External Links
Explore more about Rollin Hamilton through these authoritative sources: