Animation Editor-Producer Don Ernst Dies Age 89
Don Ernst, a movie, sound and music editor and producer who labored on many hits throughout each live-action TV and movie and animation over greater than 50 years, died Sunday at age 89. Information of his passing was shared with Animation Journal by animation historian and former Disney colleague Tom Sito, who labored with the late producer on and off on the studio from Aladdin (1992) by Fantasia 2000 (1999).
“Don had a prolific profession enhancing traditional TV collection like Gunsmoke, Gilligan’s Island and Hill Avenue Blues,” Sito wrote. “He was a mainstay for Ralph Bakshi, slicing Heavy Site visitors, Coonskin, Lord of the Rings and extra. At Walt Disney characteristic, he labored on Again to Neverland and Fantasia Continued, later Fantasia 2000.
“He might be gruff, however he was at all times honest. I can nonetheless hear his deep gravely voice within the hallway calling out, ‘Lois! Lois!’ for Lois Freeman-Fox, Fantasia‘s lead editor.
“A loyal father and grandfather. Peace and luxury to Stacy, Darci and all of the Ernst household. RIP.”
Born January 25, 1934, Donald William Ernst minimize his tooth in live-action TV within the mid-Nineteen Fifties, and went on to win two Primetime Emmy Awards (and a number of other extra nominations by the ’70s and ’80s) for his sound enhancing work, taking dwelling the prize for the particular Raid on Entebbe and collection Hill Avenue Blues.
His earliest work in animation was with the auteur New York director Ralph Bakshi, engaged on his adults-only darkish comedies Heavy Site visitors , Coonskin and Hey Good Lookin’ in addition to the fantasy epic Wizards and adaptation of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. He additionally edited for Steven Hahn’s 1985 house opera, Starchaser: The Legend of Orin, notable for being the primary animated characteristic produced in 3-D, and Jerry Rees’s 1987 fan favourite The Courageous Little Toaster.
On the shut of the ’80s, Ernst edited shorts based mostly on Disney hits Peter Pan (Again to Neverland) and Tummy Hassle (Who Framed Roger Rabbit), shifting roles to provide the early ’90s shorts Curler Coaster Rabbit, Mickey’s Audition and, later, the Goofy outing Hang-out a Home (1999). He additionally served as story supervisor on the Oscar-nominated Disney-Dalí quick Destino.
Ernst was co-producer on Disney’s animated Aladdin and a producer on the musical anthology Fantasia 2000, in addition to the Walt Disney Photos English-language dub of Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning characteristic Spirited Away (2002). He additionally govt produced the favored live-action comedy-adventure Homeward Certain: The Unbelievable Journey (1993).
