Wetzel Whitaker
Encyclopedia
"Judge" Wetzel Orson Whitaker (1908–1985) was a prominent Mormon filmmaker. Most of the films he was involved in, such as The Windows in Heaven
, Johnny Lingo and Pioneers in Petticoats
, were made in cooperation with his brother Scott Whitaker. The two of them ran the BYU Motion Picture Studio during this time, receiving commission from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to make films.
Whitaker was born in Heber City, Utah and grew up primarily in Utah
and Colorado
. His nickname came from his brother calling him "Judge", comparing him to the local justice of the peace
. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago
and became the Art Director for the St. Louis Times. In the 1930s he moved to California
, where he worked many years for Walt Disney
as an animator.
From 1953 on, Whitaker directed the BYU Motion Picture Studio. In 1971 he was given an honorary doctorate by BYU and he retired from his work at the motion picture studio in 1974. Judge was succeeded by Jesse Stay, his Assistant Director.
The Windows of Heaven (film)
The Windows of Heaven is a 1963 film about LDS Church President Lorenzo Snow. The film follows the leader as he tries to resolve the churches mounting debt and the struggles of the Mormon settlers suffering through drought...
, Johnny Lingo and Pioneers in Petticoats
Pioneers in Petticoats
Pioneers in Petticoats is a 44-minute film produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was commissioned for the centennial of the founding of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association. In it, the main character, Abigail Harper, is chosen as the local president of the...
, were made in cooperation with his brother Scott Whitaker. The two of them ran the BYU Motion Picture Studio during this time, receiving commission from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to make films.
Whitaker was born in Heber City, Utah and grew up primarily in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. His nickname came from his brother calling him "Judge", comparing him to the local justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
and became the Art Director for the St. Louis Times. In the 1930s he moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he worked many years for Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
as an animator.
From 1953 on, Whitaker directed the BYU Motion Picture Studio. In 1971 he was given an honorary doctorate by BYU and he retired from his work at the motion picture studio in 1974. Judge was succeeded by Jesse Stay, his Assistant Director.
Animator
- Officer Duck (1939)
- Donald's Dog Laundry (1940)
- Mr. Duck Steps OutMr. Duck Steps OutMr. Duck Steps Out is a Donald Duck cartoon made by The Walt Disney Company. The film was released on June 7, 1940 and featured the debut of Daisy Duck. The short was directed by Jack King and scripted by Carl Barks.-Synopsis:...
(1940) - Put-Put Troubles (1940)
- Donald's Vacation (1940)
- The Reluctant DragonThe Reluctant Dragon (film)The Reluctant Dragon is a 1941 American combined live action and animated film produced by Walt Disney, directed by Alfred Werker, and released by RKO Radio Pictures on June 20, 1941...
(1941) - Chef Donald (1941)
- Donald's Snow FightDonald's Snow FightDonald's Snow Fight is an animated short film featuring classic cartoon character Donald Duck in a boisterous snowball fight with his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. It was released in 1942 by Walt Disney Productions and is also known as Snowball Wars....
(1942) - Donald Gets DraftedDonald Gets DraftedDonald Gets Drafted is a 1942 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The cartoon has Donald Duck being drafted into the U. S. Army during World War II and follows his introduction to military life. The film was directed by Jack King and...
(1942) - The Vanishing PrivateThe Vanishing PrivateThe Vanishing Private is a 1942 animated cartoon by the Walt Disney Studios, starring Donald Duck in the World War II years.-Plot:Donald Duck is doing some camouflage painting on a cannon. He paints the cannon with yellow, green, and red stripes with black dots. Sergeant Pete sees it, scolds Donald...
(1942) - Sky TrooperSky TrooperSky Trooper is a 1942 animated cartoon by Walt Disney Studios starring Donald Duck during the World War II years.-Plot:Donald Duck is in trouble and is peeling potatoes. He wants desperately to fly, so he cuts a potato to look like an airplane. He threw it, and it caught Sergeant Black Pete's cap...
(1942) - Fall Out Fall InFall Out Fall InFall Out Fall In is a Walt Disney cartoon starring Donald Duck. It was released on April 23, 1943 by RKO Radio Pictures. The film's title is a reference to a military command meaning to create an organized formation of soldiers at regular intervals. "Fall Out" is the command given to dissolve the...
(1943) - Donald Duck and the GorillaDonald Duck and the GorillaDonald Duck and the Gorilla is a Donald Duck Cartoon originally released in 1944. It stars Donald Duck along with his three nephews; Huey, Dewey and Louie and Ajax, the Gorilla...
(1944) - Donald's Off Day (1944)
- The Cold-Blooded Penguin (1945)
- The Clock Watcher (1945)
- No Sail (1945)
- A Knight for a DayA Knight For A DayA Knight for a Day is a 1946 Disney short film starring Goofy. Directed by Jack Hannah, this 7-minute animated comedy short was written Bill Peet, with Oliver Wallace composing the original music score.-Releases:...
(1946) - Make Mine MusicMake Mine MusicMake Mine Music is an animated feature produced by Walt Disney and released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on August 15, 1946. It is the eighth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series....
(1946) - Lighthouse Keeping (1946)
- Straight Shooters (1947)
- Bootle Beetle (1947)
- Fun and Fancy FreeFun and Fancy FreeFun and Fancy Free is a 1947 animated feature produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures on September 27, 1947. It was one of the "package films" that the studio produced in the 1940s...
(1947) - Melody TimeMelody TimeMelody Time is a 1948 animated feature produced by Walt Disney and released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on May 27, 1948. Made up of several sequences set to popular music and folk music, the film is, like Make Mine Music before it, the popular music version of Fantasia Melody Time is a 1948...
(1948) - Tea for Two HundredTea for Two HundredTea for Two Hundred is a 1948 American animated short film directed by Jack Hannah. Part of the Donald Duck film series, the film was produced in Technicolor by Walt Disney Productions and released to theaters by RKO Radio Pictures on December 24, 1948. The cartoon stars a picnicing Donald Duck who...
(1948) - Honey Harvester (1949)
- All in a Nutshell (1949)
- The Greener Yard (1949)
- Slide, Donald, Slide (1949)
- Lion Around (1950)
- CinderellaCinderella (1950 film)Cinderella is a 1950 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the fairy tale "Cendrillon" by Charles Perrault. Twelfth in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film had a limited release on February 15, 1950 by RKO Radio Pictures. Directing credits go to Clyde Geronimi,...
(1950) - Food for Feudin' (1950)
- Bee at the Beach (1950)
- Chicken in the Rough (1951)
- Corn Chips (1951)
- Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland (1951 film)Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney and based primarily on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a few additional elements from Through the Looking-Glass. Thirteenth in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was released in New...
(1951) - Lambert the Sheepish LionLambert the Sheepish LionLambert the Sheepish Lion is a Disney animated short film that was released in 1951.The 8-minute film focuses on Lambert, a lion that is mistakenly left with a flock of sheep by a stork. Lambert lives his life thinking he is a sheep until he is forced to defend the flock from an attack by a hungry...
(1952) - Peter PanPeter Pan (1953 film)Peter Pan is a 1953 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J. M. Barrie. It is the fourteenth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and was originally released on February 5, 1953 by RKO Pictures...
(1953) - Mickey Mouse DiscoMickey Mouse DiscoMickey Mouse Disco is an album released by Disneyland Records in 1979. A late entry in the genre of disco, Mickey Mouse Disco included disco-fied versions of Disney classics and Disney-fied versions of disco classics...
(1980)
Producer/Director
- Up in Smoke (1960)
- 'Til Death Do Us Part (1960)
- Worth Waiting For (1962)
- The Search for Truth (1962)
- Measure of a Man (1962)
- The Windows of HeavenThe Windows of Heaven (film)The Windows of Heaven is a 1963 film about LDS Church President Lorenzo Snow. The film follows the leader as he tries to resolve the churches mounting debt and the struggles of the Mormon settlers suffering through drought...
(1963) - Of Heaven and Home (1963)
- Bitter Wind (1963)
- Man's Search for HappinessMan's Search for Happiness (1964 film)Man's Search for Happiness is a 13-minute film produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It explains the role of the Plan of Salvation in our lives, with questions like "Who am I?", "Where did I come from?", and "Where am I going?" being explored.This film was produced by the BYU...
(1964) - How Do I Love Thee? (1965)
- And Should We Die (1966)
- Marriage: What Kind For You? (1967)
- Are You the One?: Choosing a Mate (1967)
- The Three Witnesses (1968)
- Worthy to Stand (1969)
- Pioneers in PetticoatsPioneers in PetticoatsPioneers in Petticoats is a 44-minute film produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was commissioned for the centennial of the founding of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association. In it, the main character, Abigail Harper, is chosen as the local president of the...
(1969) - Never a Bride (1969)
- Johnny Lingo (1969)
- Are You Listening? (1971)
- The Lost Manuscript (1974)
- Ancient America Speaks (1974)
- Cipher in the SnowCipher in the SnowCipher in the Snow is a short story written by Jean Mizer about the death of an ostracized teenager. It was later made into a short film by Brigham Young University in 1973.-Background:...
(1974)