Disney animator Bill Justice has died

Bill Justice, a former Walt Disney Studios animator who worked on such classics as "Fantasia," "Bambi" and "Alice in Wonderland," and later joined Walt Disney Imagineering, where he helped program Audio-Animatronics figures for attractions at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, died Thursday.

Justice died a day after he turned 97 of natural causes in a nursing home in Santa Monica, said Ted King, a family friend.

An Ohio native who began his career at Walt Disney Studios in 1937, Justice's credits as a Disney animator include "Saludos Amigos," "Victory Through Air Power," "The Three Caballeros," "Make Mine Music" and "Peter Pan." Among the characters Justice animated were Thumper in "Bambi" and the mischievous Chip 'n' Dale.

Justice also directed the animated Mickey Mouse March opening for the popular 1950s TV series "The Mickey Mouse Club." "If he'd done nothing else but direct that unforgettable Mickey Mouse Club opening, he'd have a place in the hearts of baby boomer Disney fans everywhere," said film critic and historian Leonard Maltin.

After joining Walt Disney Imagineering in 1965, Justice helped program Audio-Animatronics figures for Disneyland attractions such as Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, the Carousel of Progress, Mission to Mars, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, Country Bear Jamboree and America Sings.

He later was involved with the Hall of Presidents attraction at Walt Disney World and is said to have "masterminded" the Mickey Mouse Revue featured at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland.

Justice was born in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Indianapolis. He studied to be a portrait artist at the John Herron Art Institute. He moved to California after graduating in 1935.

Teamed with Disney colleagues X Atencio and T. Hee, Justice also did stop-motion animation in live-action Disney features such as "The Parent Trap," "Mary Poppins" and "Babes in Toyland." "Bill was the leader of our trio," said Atencio.

Justice, who retired in 1979, chronicled his 42 years at Disney in the book "Justice for Disney."