Brice Harvey Mack (June 2, 1917 – January 2, 2008) was a background painter and director, known for his extensive work at Disney in the 1940s and 1950s as a background painter. He was hired for story writing at Disney in the 1950s, and worked on illustrating children's books based on the studio's films.

Brice Mack
Born
Brice Harvey Mack

June 2, 1917 (1917-06-02)
Manila, Philippines
DiedJanuary 2, 2008 (2008-01-03) (aged 90)
Hollywood, California
OccupationDirector
ChildrenKevin Mack

His first credited appearance was as the background artist for the Rite of Spring sequence in Fantasia. He worked on Song of the South, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Lady and the Tramp. He also worked on Walt Disney's anthology television series as a background painter and writer in the late 1950s. In the 1950s he became the president of ERA Productions, a small studio which was staffed with animators who had mostly come from Disney after leaving during the strike of 1941, producing and directing animated and live action commercials for the Peterson Company, as well as work for Disney. He later went on to form Unicorn Productions, with which he continued to work on commercials, films, and theme park rides, continuing to consult for Disney into the early 1990s, when he retired.

His feature work includes directing the 1978 live-action horror film Jennifer, written by Steve Krantz. Other director credits include Rooster: Spurs of Death (1983), Swap Meet (1979), and Half a House (1979). He was the executive in charge of production for Ruby and the producer of Mara of the Wilderness.

Mack was survived by his wife, Ginni, three sons and three grandsons. His son Kevin Mack is an Academy Award–winning visual effects supervisor.

Awards

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Brice Mack was awarded the Golden Motion Picture Cartoonist award in 1987.

Filmography

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Film Year Notes
Fantasia 1940 backgrounds for Rite of Spring sequence
Song of the South 1946 backgrounds for cartoon sequences
Fun and Fancy Free 1947 backgrounds
Melody Time 1948 backgrounds for Johnny Appleseed, Little Toot and Pecos Bill
Pluto's Fledgling 1948 short
So Dear to My Heart 1948 backgrounds for cartoon sequences
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad 1949 backgrounds for both segments
Pluto's Surprise Package 1949 short
Pluto's Sweater 1949 short
Bubble Bee 1949 short
Sheep Dog 1949 short
Cinderella 1950 b Backgrounds
Wonder Dog 1950 short
Alice in Wonderland 1951 backgrounds
Two-Gun Goofy 1952 short
Teachers Are People 1952 short
How to Be a Detective 1952 short
Peter Pan 1953 backgrounds
Father's Day Off 1953 short
For Whom the Bulls Toil 1953 short
Father's Weekend 1953 short
Donald's Diary 1954 short
Casey Bats Again 1954 short
Lady and the Tramp 1955 backgrounds
Beezy Bear 1955 short
Film (after years at Disney) Year Notes
Mara of the Wilderness 1965 produced with company Unicorn Films. Starred Adam West
Half a House 1975 directed; received an Academy Award nomination for best song[1]
Jennifer 1978 directed
Swap Meet 1979 directed
Rooster: Spurs of Death 1983 directed

References

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  • Ball, Ryan (2008-01-16). "Disney Background Painter Mack Dies at 90". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
  • "Animation vet Brice Mack dies at 90". Variety. Reed Elsevier. 2008-01-21. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
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