Wetzel Orson "Judge" Whitaker was an American animator and director and the main Mormon filmmaker from about 1951-1974. Most of the films he was involved in, such as The Windows of Heaven, Johnny Lingo, and Pioneers in Petticoats, were made in cooperation with his brother, Scott Whitaker. The two of them ran the Brigham Young University motion picture studio during this time which received the 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. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago and then was Art Director for the St. Louis Times. In the 1930s, he moved to California, where he worked many years for Walt Disney.
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 picture studio in 1974.
Animation Filmography[]
- Officer Duck (1939)
- Donald's Dog Laundry (1940)
- Mr. Duck Steps Out (1940)
- Put-Put Troubles (1940)
- Donald's Vacation (1940)
- The Reluctant Dragon (1941)
- Chef Donald (1941)
- Donald's Snow Fight (1942)
- Donald Gets Drafted (1942)
- The Vanishing Private (1942)
- Sky Trooper (1942)
- Donald Duck and the Gorilla (1944)
- Donald's Off Day (1944)
- The Cold-Blooded Penguin (1945)
- The Clock Watcher (1945)
- No Sail (1945)
- A Knight for a Day (1946)
- Make Mine Music (1946)
- Lighthouse Keeping (1946)
- Straight Shooters (1947)
- Bootle Beetle (1947)
- Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
- Melody Time (1948)
- Tea for Two Hundred (1948)
- Honey Harvester (1949)
- All in a Nutshell (1949)
- The Greener Yard (1949)
- Slide, Donald, Slide (1949)
- Lion Around (1950)
- Cinderella (1950)
- Food for Feudin' (1950)
- Bee at the Beach (1950)
- Chicken in the Rough (1951)
- Corn Chips (1951)
- Alice in Wonderland (1951)
- Lambert the Sheepish Lion (1952)
- Peter Pan (1953)
- Mickey Mouse Disco (1980)
Gallery[]
Judge Whitaker working on Peter Pan
Character Gallery[]
White Rose
