Audiences may recall Legend of Disney honoree Lawrence Lansburgh as the animal lover who featured every critter from hounds to horses in the numerous films he produced and directed.
The son of an architect, San Francisco native Lansburgh got his big break performing stunt work in the films of legendary director Cecil B. Demille. Joining the company of the mouse in the mid-'40s, Lansburgh rose to fame as the director of numerous Disney productions, including the Academy Award-nominated short Catdog. Lansburgh would later go on to win Oscars for his short film The Wetback Hound in 1958 and The Horse With the Flying Tail in 1961. Quickly gaining stature at Disney, Lansburgh worked on many of the studio's productions before directing several episodes of television's The Wide World of Disney between the mid-'50s and early '70s. Presented the honor of being knighted a Legend of Disney in October 1998, Lansburgh's substantial contributions to the studio were recognized in a special ceremony at Disney Studios.
Wildlife enthusiast and filmmaker Lawrence Lansburgh died at his Eagle Point, OR, horse ranch in late March 2001. He was 89.
