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Disney Animator & ‘Black Cauldron’ Producer Joe Hale Dies at 99
Joe Hale, whose 35-year Disney career included work as an animator, layout artist, and producer, and who received an Oscar nomination for his effects work on The Black Hole (1979), has died. He was 99.
Hale passed away on January 29 at his home in Atascadero, California, from natural causes, according to his wife of nearly 60 years, Beverly Hale, who spoke with The Hollywood Reporter.
Joe Hale began his Disney career as an inbetweener on Alice in Wonderland (1951) and contributed to numerous classics, including Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), Mary Poppins (1964), The Jungle Book (1967), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Pete’s Dragon (1977), and The Fox and the Hound (1981).
In 1980, Joe Hale became a first-time producer on The Black Cauldron (1985), a project Disney had been developing for about seven years. Overseeing a staff of 300 artists, including a young Tim Burton, and a budget of $44 million, Hale faced challenges when test screenings revealed some scenes were too disturbing for children. New Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg ordered re-edits against Hale’s wishes, delaying the release from Christmas 1984 to the following July. Ultimately, The Black Cauldron grossed less than $22 million, and Hale was fired in 1986.
Following The Black Cauldron, Hale and his team began work on a film adaptation of T.H. White’s Mistress Masham’s Repose, a sequel to Gulliver’s Travels. However, Jeffrey Katzenberg rejected the project, leading to layoffs for Hale and his staff. Despite this setback, Hale was recognized with an honorary Disney Legend Award in 2008.
After leaving Hollywood, Hale dedicated his time to sculpting, his wife said. He is survived by his son, Steven, and grandchildren, Camille and Travis.
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