Richard Rich

Richard Rich was one of the rare animation producers who rose to the top of his profession without being an animator to begin with. He started in the Disney mail room, and through a series of promotions reached assistant director, then director, in the company. In the latter capacity, he helmed the magical quest feature "The Black Cauldron (1985). That film was notable for being Disney's first PG-rated movie. Following that experience, he struck out on his own, forming Rich Animation Studios. This busy facility turned out a long series of short biographical videos, usually concerning individuals or stories from various religious tomes. Although this business was productive, short films apparently weren't enough for Rich, and he gradually returned to full-length feature animation with the fairy-tale fantasy "The Swan Princess: Escape from Castle Mountain" (1997), which he wrote and directed in addition to serving as producer. He repeated the triple feat the following year for that movie's sequel, "The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Kingdom." He continued producing and/or directing animated features and shorts well into the new millennium. Among his feature efforts were cartoon adaptations of the classic musical romance "The King and I" (1999) and the famous children's tale "The Little EngineThat Could" (2010).