Roy Williams

Personal Info

Known For Writer

Birthday 1907-04-30

Deathday 1976-11-07 (69 years old)

Place of Birth Colville, Washington, USA

Roy Williams

Biography

From D23: In 1930, Roy Williams started his career at The Walt Disney Studios as an artist. He later became a storyman, until, after the advent of television, Walt Disney personally cast the “300 pounds of walking pixie” in a new role. As Roy later recalled, “Walt was in my office when suddenly, he looked up at me and said, ‘Say, you’re fat and funny looking. I’m going to put you on the Mickey Mouse Cluband call you the Big Mooseketeer!’” Roy, with his impish grin, became an instant favorite with children around the world. Born on July 30, 1907, in Colville, Washington, Roy grew up in Los Angeles. While attending Fremont High School, he learned to make people laugh with the outrageous cartoons he sketched. After high school he was offered a sports scholarship to the University of Southern California, but instead applied for a job at the up-and-coming Walt Disney Studios—and was personally hired by Walt. During those early years, Roy worked on nearly all of the animated shorts produced by the Studio; at the same time, he attended evening classes at Chouinard Art Institute. He moved to the story department after presenting a Donald Duck gag to Walt. In the gag, Donald swallowed a magnet and attracted every metal object imaginable. Walt was so impressed with Roy’s unbridled imagination that he tripled his salary. Roy E. Disney, former vice chairman of The Walt Disney Company, once recalled, “Roy was amazing. You’d ask him for gags for a situation and he’d give you literally hundreds of them.” As a story man, Roy contributed to such animated films as Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros, and Make Mine Music, while, as an artist, he contributed to the Silly Symphonies The Night Before Christmas, The China Shop, and many others. During World War II, he designed more than 100 insignias for the armed forces, including the award-winning Flying Tigers insignia. Roy is best known, however, for the four seasons he played “Big Roy” on the Mickey Mouse Club. He is also credited with designing the trademark ears worn by the show’s cast. His fun-loving nature and immense talent made him a perfect publicity representative for the company. On numerous occasions, Roy traveled across the country to promote the re-release of such films as Cinderella; in 1959, he served as goodwill ambassador for The Walt Disney Studios. Later, he worked as a Disney comic strip artist, cartoonist at Disneyland, and consultant on the traveling arena show “Disney on Parade.” Roy Williams passed away on November 7, 1976, in Burbank, California.

Known For

Writer

2012
Fast Girls

as Screenplay

1956
1955
Music Land

as Writer

1954
Spare the Rod

as Story

1954
1954
Dragon Around

as Story

1953
1952
1951
1950
Trailer Horn

as Story

1950
1950
1947
1947
1946
Wet Paint

as Story

1946
1945
Cured Duck

as Story

1942
Lake Titicaca

as Story

1942
Saludos Amigos

as Writer

1937
1936
1936
Elmer Elephant

as Writer

Visual Effects

1935
The Band Concert

as Animation

1935
Water Babies

as Animation

1934
The China Shop

as Animation

1934
Shanghaied

as Animation

1934
Mickey Plays Papa

as Animation

1934
Two-Gun Mickey

as Animation

1933
Old King Cole

as Animation

1933
Father Noah's Ark

as Animation

1933
Lullaby Land

as Animation

1933
1933
The Mail Pilot

as Animation

1933
1932
The Klondike Kid

as Animation

Director

1935
Cock o' the Walk

as Assistant Director

1935
Broken Toys

as Assistant Director

Actor