Bob Kuwahara

Visual Effects

Bob Kuwahara

Born
Died
(aged 63)
Birthplace
Tokyo, Japan
Credits
38 titles

Biography

From Wikipedia: Japanese-born American animator best known for his work with Walt Disney and Terrytoons between the 1930s and 1960s. Kuwahara was born in Tokyo on August 12, 1901, and his family moved to the United States in 1910, where he graduated from Los Angeles Polytechnic High School in 1921. After high school he attended the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles until 1928. In 1929 Kuwahara moved to New York City to work as a commercial artist, but the stock market crash later that year forced him to return to Los Angeles. In 1932 Kuwahara began working as an animator and writer for Walt Disney, where he had a hand in shorts like Thru the Mirror and the Academy Award-nominated Who Killed Cock Robin?, as well as the feature-length film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In 1937 Kuwahara went to work for MGM, but later spent three years in the Heart Mountain internment camp during World War II. In 1945 Kuwahara and his family moved to Larchmont, New York where he wrote and drew a comic strip called Miki for five years before low circulation forced him to drop the strip. In 1950 Kuwahara returned to animation, signing on with Paul Terry's Terrytoons studio, and stayed with the studio following CBS' purchase of the studio in 1955. In 1959 Kuwahara wrote and directed the first of 14 Hashimoto-san theatrical shorts, for which he is probably best remembered today. Production of these shorts continued until 1963, after which time they were incorporated into CBS' The Hector Heathcote Show. During the same period Kuwahara was also a director for the popular Deputy Dawg series. Kuwahara's final TV series was 1965's syndicated The Astronut Show.

Signature work

Known For

Crew credits 38

YearTitleJob
1971 Oscar's Birthday Present Film Director
1970 Martian Moochers Film Director
1966 The Cowardly Watchdog Film Director
1966 Champion Chump Film Director
1965 The Invisibeam Film Director
1964 Hokey Home Movies Film Director
1964 Search For Misery Film Director
1963 Spooky-Yaki Film Director
1963 A Bell for Philadelphia Film Director
1963 Cherry Blossom Festival Film Director
1963 Obnoxious Obie Film Director
1963 Pearl Crazy Film Director
1963 Tea House Mouse Film Director
1963 The Square Planet Film Director
1962 Big Chief No Treaty Film Director
1962 Honorable Paint in the Neck Film Director
1962 Loyal Royalty Film Director
1962 Honorable Family Problem Film Director
1962 Where There's Smoke Film Director
1961 Sappy New Year Film Story
1959 Hashimoto-San Film Writer, Director
1959 Foofle's Train Ride Film Animation
1958 Gaston, Go Home Film Writer
1958 Gaston's Baby Film Writer
1957 It's a Living Film Story
1957 Gag Buster Film Writer
1957 Topsy TV Film Story
1957 Gaston Is Here Film Writer
1950 The Fox Hunt Film Writer
1939 Jitterbug Follies Film Background Designer, Layout
1936 More Kittens Film Story
1936 Toby Tortoise Returns Film Storyboard
1936 Thru the Mirror Film Story
1936 Three Little Wolves Film Storyboard, Screenplay
1934 Mickey's Steam Roller Film Animation
1934 The Hot Choc-late Soldiers Film Animation
1933 Lullaby Land Film Animation
1933 Father Noah's Ark Film Animation
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