Faith Hubley was an
animatorAn animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
, known for her experimental work both in collaboration with her husband
John HubleyJohn Hubley was an American animation director, art director, producer and writer of traditional animation films known for both his formal experimentation and for his emotional realism which stemmed from his tendency to cast his own children as voice actors in his films.- Biography :Hubley was...
, and on her own following her husband's death.
Biography
Born as Faith Chestman to Sally and Irving Chestman, Hubley grew up on the west side of Manhattan in the 1920s and 1930s. She spoke little about her childhood, except that her behavior became somewhat of a burden to her parents. She left home at age 15 to work in the theater and adopted the name Faith Elliott. Aged 18, she moved to Hollywood, starting as a messenger at
Columbia PicturesColumbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
. She subsequently worked as a sound-effects and music editor, and then script clerk for
Republic PicturesRepublic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
. She later worked as a script supervisor (
12 Angry Men) and editor (
Go, Man, Go; with the
Harlem GlobetrottersThe Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
).
Faith and John Hubley were married in 1955. They founded
Storyboard Studios as an independent animation studio, vowing to make one independent film a year. They collaborated on 21 short films, up until John Hubley's death during open-heart surgery in 1977.
At that time they were working on the
DoonesburyDoonesbury is a comic strip by American cartoonist Garry Trudeau, that chronicles the adventures and lives of an array of characters of various ages, professions, and backgrounds, from the President of the United States to the title character, Michael Doonesbury, who has progressed from a college...
television cartoon,
A Doonesbury SpecialDoonesbury is a comic strip by American cartoonist Garry Trudeau, that chronicles the adventures and lives of an array of characters of various ages, professions, and backgrounds, from the President of the United States to the title character, Michael Doonesbury, who has progressed from a college...
. Faith Hubley, with
Garry TrudeauGarretson Beekman "Garry" Trudeau is an American cartoonist, best known for the Doonesbury comic strip.-Background and education:...
and
Bill LittlejohnWilliam Charles Littlejohn was an American animator and union organizer. Littlejohn worked on both animated shorts and features from the 1930s through to the 1990s...
, completed the special despite the doubts of
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
executives. The Hubleys won Oscars for their shorts:
MoonbirdMoonbird is a 1959 short animation by John Hubley and Faith Hubley "...in which Two Boys have an Adventure in the Middle of the Night..." as they sneak out and try to catch a Moonbird and bring it home. The film was animated by Robert Cannon and Ed Smith...
(1959),
The HoleThe Hole is a 15-minute animated film by John Hubley and Faith Hubley that won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1962.The film uses improvised dialogue from Dizzy Gillespie and George Mathews as two construction workers at work in the bottom of a hole on a construction site...
(1962) and
A Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Double Feature (1966); they also received Oscar nominations for
Windy Day,
Of Men and Demons,
Voyage to Next and
A Doonesbury SpecialDoonesbury is a comic strip by American cartoonist Garry Trudeau, that chronicles the adventures and lives of an array of characters of various ages, professions, and backgrounds, from the President of the United States to the title character, Michael Doonesbury, who has progressed from a college...
.
Hubley was often regarded as simply an assistant to John, who was always credited as director on their films. However her many solo projects established her as a significant film creator in her own right. She began her first solo project,
W.O.W. (Women of the World), after being diagnosed with cancer in 1975.
Between 1976 and 2001, she completed 24 further solo animated films. Her films often feature
abstractAbstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
imagery and
non-linearNonlinear narrative, disjointed narrative or disrupted narrative is a narrative technique, sometimes used in literature, film, hypertext websites and other narratives, wherein events are portrayed out of chronological order...
stories; many draw on themes of
mythologyThe term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
and
indigenousIndigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
art. She was also a painter, with her works being exhibited in galleries in Europe and the United States.
Awards
Faith Hubley received honors from the
CannesThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
,
VeniceThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
,
LondonThe BFI London Film Festival is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, , currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute...
, and
San FranciscoSan Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in the Americas. Organized by the San Francisco Film Society, the International is held each spring for two weeks, presenting an average of 150 films from over 50 countries...
film festivals.
She won fourteen
CINECINE is a consortium formulated to depict American life and thought realistically for a global audience. CINE recognizes and fosters the highest quality of non-theatrical film and video production through its semi-annual film competitions....
Golden Eagle awards, and received honorary doctorates from the
University of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
,
Columbia CollegeColumbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
, and
Hofstra UniversityHofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
. Her 1981 animated film "
Enter LifeEnter Life is an 8-minute animated film from 1982 about the earliest origin of life, or abiogensis on earth. Directed by Faith Hubley of Hubley Studios, the film traces a possible course of development, according to contemporary theory, of organic compounds, amino acids and early cellular...
" can be seen at the
Smithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
's
National Museum of Natural HistoryThe National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
, as part of the Early Life exhibit. In 1995, the
National Gallery of ArtThe National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
presented a retrospective program of her works.
Death
Faith Hubley died in 2001, aged 77, in
New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, from cancer, 26 years after her initial diagnosis.
Family
John and Faith Hubley had four children: Mark Hubley, animator Emily Hubley, musician
Georgia HubleyGeorgia Hubley is an American percussionist and is one of the founding members of the alternative-rock band Yo La Tengo.She is married to the group's other founding member, Ira Kaplan. They would often see each other in record shops and at the same shows...
, and Hamp Hubley. Their children's voices were featured in a number of their films.
With John Hubley
- Harlem Wednesday (1957)
- Tender Game (1958)
- Moonbird
Moonbird is a 1959 short animation by John Hubley and Faith Hubley "...in which Two Boys have an Adventure in the Middle of the Night..." as they sneak out and try to catch a Moonbird and bring it home. The film was animated by Robert Cannon and Ed Smith...
(1959)
- Children of the Sun (1960)
- Of Stars and Men
Of Stars and Men is a 1964 animated film from the Hubley family of animators, based on the 1959 book of the same name by astronomer Harlow Shapley, who also narrates...
(1961)
- The Hole
The Hole is a 15-minute animated film by John Hubley and Faith Hubley that won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1962.The film uses improvised dialogue from Dizzy Gillespie and George Mathews as two construction workers at work in the bottom of a hole on a construction site...
(1962)
- The Hat (1963)
- A Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Double Feature (1965)
- Urbanissimo (1966)
- The Cruise (1966)
- Windy Day (1967)
- Of Men and Demons (1968)
- Zuckerkandl
Zuckerkandl is the name of:* Amalie Zuckerkandl* Bertha Zuckerkandl , journalist, author* Emil Zuckerkandl , anatomist* Emile Zuckerkandl , biologist, physiologist...
(1969)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("Imagination E", 1969)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("O Song", 1969)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("Polar Bear & Exit", 1970)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("Small V", 1970)
- Eggs (1970)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("F for Football", 1971)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("Baby Fantasy", 1971)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("Birds 1-20", 1971)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("Penguin Rhythms", 1971)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("Hungry M", 1971)
- Dig (1972)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("Letter S", 1972)
- Cockaboody (1973)
- Voyage to Next (1974)
- People, People, People (1975)
- Everybody Rides the Carousel
Everybody Rides the Carousel is a 1975 independent animated film about the stages of life. It was directed by John Hubley and written and produced by Hubley and his wife Faith...
(1976)
- A Doonesbury Special
Doonesbury is a comic strip by American cartoonist Garry Trudeau, that chronicles the adventures and lives of an array of characters of various ages, professions, and backgrounds, from the President of the United States to the title character, Michael Doonesbury, who has progressed from a college...
(1977)
Solo
- W.O.W. (Women of the World) (1975)
- Second Chance: Sea (1976)
- Whither Weather (1977)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("Catch the Kitty", 1977)
- Step by Step (1978)
- Sky Dance (1980)
- The Big Bang and Other Creation Myths (1981)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("Vitamin V", 1981)
- Enter Life
Enter Life is an 8-minute animated film from 1982 about the earliest origin of life, or abiogensis on earth. Directed by Faith Hubley of Hubley Studios, the film traces a possible course of development, according to contemporary theory, of organic compounds, amino acids and early cellular...
(1981)
- Starlore (1983)
- Hello (1984)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("Bedtime Noises", 1985)
- The Cosmic Eye (1985)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("Telephone Cat", 1986)
- Time of the Angels (1987)
- Yes We Can (1989)
- Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
("S-Snake", 1989)
- Who Am I? (1989)
- Amazonia (1990)
- Upside Down (1991)
- Tall Time Tales (1992)
- Cloudland (1993)
- Seers and Clowns (1994)
- Rainbows of Hawai'i (1995)
- My Universe Inside Out (1996)
- Beyond the Shadow Place (1997)
- Africa (1998)
- Witch Madness (1999)
- Our Spirited Earth (2000)
- Northern Ice, Golden Sun (2001)
External links