Don Bluth

Don Bluth is an American animator, film director, and producer whose films include The Secret of NIMH and An American Tail. His work helped sustain feature-length theatrical animation outside Disney during the 1980s.

The Secret of NIMH: A 1982 animated fantasy film directed by Don Bluth, adapted from Robert C. O’Brien’s novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Bluth’s first feature after leaving Disney established his studio’s detailed, dramatic approach.
Walt Disney Animation Studios: The American animation studio founded by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney in 1923. Bluth trained and worked there before leaving with colleagues to form a competing studio.
Gary Goldman: An American animator and producer who collaborated with Don Bluth on films and games. Goldman co-founded Bluth’s studio and worked closely with him across decades.
The Great Mouse Detective: A 1986 Disney animated mystery film about a mouse detective in Victorian London. Its release near An American Tail’s helped draw attention to renewed competition in animated features.
An American Tail: A 1986 animated musical film about a young mouse who immigrates to the United States. Its immigrant family story became one of Bluth’s best-known theatrical successes.
Sleeping Beauty: A 1959 Disney animated feature adapted from the European fairy tale. Bluth began his Disney career as an assistant on this production.
John Pomeroy: An American animator who left Disney with Don Bluth and became a longtime collaborator. Pomeroy was among the artists who helped establish Bluth’s independent animation team.
Disney Renaissance: A period of commercial and critical success for Disney animated films, commonly dated from 1989 to 1999. Bluth’s films helped challenge Disney before the studio entered this successful period.
The Land Before Time: A 1988 animated adventure film about young dinosaurs searching for a safe valley. Bluth directed this major box-office success, balancing peril with a child-centered story.
The Rescuers: A 1977 Disney animated film about two mice who rescue a kidnapped girl. Bluth worked as an animator on a film made during his later Disney years.

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Robert ZemeckisCompared with: Bluth's hand-drawn animation offers a useful contrast to Zemeckis's live-action and digital hybrid experiments.