This is such sad news. Dave was my faculty advisor at grad school at S.F. State. He ALWAYS tried to get me to take an animation course but I always refused so it’s totally ironic that I spent 30 years in the animation biz. Even though I never took a class from him, he was very instrumental in turning me into the filmmaker and person I became. I’d call him every so often over the years to report in and he’d chuckle that he’d been right and I should have taken those animation courses.

I have so many wonderful memories of Dave and Libby at their home that was so full of life and art. I remember Dave telling stories about going to art school in Russia in his youth (which, of course, was enough to brand him as a “Commie” in later years.) This was back during the Viet-Nam war years and Dave let us all know, from first-hand experience, what it takes to take on a government bent on a disastrous and evil course. (And I’m passing those lessons on to yet another generation now.)

One story stands out that occurred sometime during the 70’s. He, as a respected University Professor, was invited to some seminar for film educators in Los Angeles. One of the events was a trip to the Disney studios. He walked in with the other teachers and they were welcomed with open arms until some of the old guard recognized him and slammed their doors in his face. Over 30 years later, the old Disney strike animosities had not died. Hate does die hard. Dave, however, recounted the story with bemusement. There was not a hateful bone in his body.

I miss him. My profound condolences to his family

Geraldine Clarke

Shame to read this. Also noticed he served as story consultant on Tokyo Movie Shinsha’s Western-style effort, “Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland” (oddly, imdb.com seems to list two different David Hilberman’s though their film listings are pretty few and far between).

I recently attended the San Francisco State animation finals screening. What Mr. Hilberman helped create there is still going strong, and the student’s work gets better every year. It’s a terrific legacy.

Hey, I got a crazy idea. Let’s actually start talking and writing articles about these animation greats from the golden age while they are still alive!! Maybe we could even learn something new about animation history from them! I really wanted to meet an artist that worked at Iwerks Cartoon Studio and I didn’t know Berny Wolf was alive until he died. A lot of these guys that remember “the good old days” of animation love to reminisce and they deserve a little praise in their last years on earth. The ungrateful animation community owes it to them. I bet there are only 5 people per major studio that even knows who Flip the Frog is or how to correctly pronounce Ub’s name.

I lived with David and Libby during the early 70’s in San Francisco. I built a studio for him. I formed an incredible bond with both of them. A few years later we met up again in Palo Alto. I remember installing a skylight in their house. Refusing to take payment, David gave me a oil painting he had just completed. It still hangs on my wall today. I miss him and always will.

When I was a young tad, I took the opportunity to hang out with guys like the late Berny Wolf, and Dave Hilberman. Boy, they had a lot to tell, and I had a lot to learn.

You’re right, these old guys won’t be around forever. We should all take every opportunity to have a cup of coffee with these industry vets, and learn a thing or two. I sure did.

David, if you haven’t already read them, I’d strongly recommend the “Walt’s People” series of books. There are 4 volumes thus far, with volume 5 due shortly (I believe). It’s a great series of interviews with artists who worked with or for Disney. The early volumes hit “the usual suspects”, but in volume 3 and 4 are interviews with artists who aren’t the nine old men :0). True, it only covers Disney history, but it’s a start, and you get the individual’s perspective on events, not the studio’s version.

It’s true that knowledge of the history of the industry is sorely lacking, but that’s for a different post.

I met Dave when I was a teenager in Santa Cruz. There was an animation screening at one of the community centers and Hilberman was there sitting with Lee Blair (Mary’s husband). Lee introduced me to him as “one of the guys who led the stike and started the animation union”. I was in awe because I thought he must be a cross between a communist and a mafia thug - impressions one tends to get from reading histories of the strike from Walt Disney’s point of view! I’m glad I had the chance to meet him (briefly).

My passion for animation stemmed from childhood when I had started making stop frame films with the family’s 8mm movie camera. I had been showing a range of animation in school and in a theater created in our barn, called the Above-the-Ground Theatre. My journalism teacher often took a couple of his interested students to sit in on film classes at San Francisco State. They were taught by John Fell, James Goldner and David Hilberman. These guys opened a new world to us. They also agreed to help with our little makeshift cinema and film production so it was only natural that I would decide to enter the Film Department at SFSU when I graduated from high school in 1966.

To learn there was an actual animation program was like going to heaven. Dave Hilberman was an inspiration. He didn’t dwell on his own past unless we showed a real interest and could coax him to tell stories. And, as has been reported above, they were fascinating.

But what I most remember was Dave (”Mr. Hilberman” soon became “Dave” to his students) taking considerable time to work with each of us on our projects from concept to storyboard, at the animation stand to editing and sound. He encouraged experimentation in style and technique but what has stayed with me and I quote him to young filmmakers regularly was, “It’s about the story.” He explained that non-linear works were fine and could be revelations. But if we wanted to convey a message we needed to work hard to develop a solid narrative. He emphasized that the story must be in place before we ever started filming. This frustrated some students. They wanted to get their drawings or clay figures in front of the camera thinking that was the most important element. But, he insisted, if you can’t hold your audience, they won’t be around long enough to see your visual accomplishments.

It is advice that holds today.

Last week I was telling some young people this very story and wondered how Dave was doing. A few days later Karl Cohen’s sad email arrived with answer.

David Hilberman will be missed.

I’m sorry I’m so late to post anything. I hope someone will catch this.

It’s funny that your impression from the point of view of Disney was that he was communist or a mafia thug. It was Walt Disney who hired the Mob to try and break up the strike.

Mr. Hilberman (perhaps he’d like to be called Dave.) Dave was part of a documentary called Walt Disney: Secret Lives. He was engrossing. He is joined by several folks who worked for Disney from the ink and paint department to animators.

I made a playlist to easy things up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXA2hWgvZKo

I’m all for getting these elder statesmen on file and recognized before they pass on.

Dave was my grandfather’s cousin and he was beloved by many.

I was trolling around Walt Disney’s Wikipedia page this past week when I read the “Walt Testifies before Congress” section below with a particularly troubling last sentence. Troubling because I don’t know why there isn’t any wikipedia-clad “evidence” to support Walt’s anti-semitism; Dave was pretty clear about Walt’s egregious comments and behavior even before the whole union flap.

Anyhow, read below:

After the 1941 strike of Disney Studio employees, Walt Disney deeply distrusted organized labor. In 1947, during the early years of the Cold War,[5] he testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee, where he branded Herbert Sorrell, David Hilberman and William Pomerance, former animators and labor union organizers, as Communist agitators. (All three men denied the allegations.) Disney implicated the Screen Actors Guild as a Communist front, and charged that the 1941 strike was part of an organized Communist effort to gain influence in Hollywood. However, no evidence has been discovered to support this.[citation needed]

Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that from 1941 until his death, he spied for the FBI on union activity in Hollywood, and illegally intimidated union activists.[6] Since Jews were prominent in the labor movement, some employees felt that Disney’s actions were motivated by anti-semitism. However, there is no evidence of this.[7][8]
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