Clyde Geronimi

Italian-born animator Clyde Geronimi immigrated to the United States when he was seven years old. The award-winning animation director is best known for his work at the esteemed Disney animation studios, but prior to joining the House of Mouse in 1931, Geronimi began his career at the J.R. Bray Studios, where he worked on cartoons alongside "Woody Woodpecker" creator, Walter Lantz. Geronimi was earning director's credits on animated shorts as early as 1926. After he had directed a long line of shorts, he stepped up to co-directing feature-length cartoons, like the Disney classics "Cinderella," the world's most famous rags-to-riches tale; "Alice in Wonderland," which followed a curious girl down a literal rabbit hole; and "Peter Pan," which centered on a boy who would never grow up. By crafting these--and many other--beloved children's movies, Geronimi shaped the childhoods of countless kids and influenced animation trends all over the world. By the 1960s, he'd moved into television, where he helmed a variety of cartoon programs, each one about a colorful character. There was the near-sighted and oft-in-trouble "Mister Magoo"; the tough detective in the bright yellow overcoat, "Dick Tracy"; and the web-slinging superhero "Spider-Man." After making an enormous impact in the realm of animation, Geronimi retired in the later 1960s.