The Blairs at Walt Disney Productions

The Blairs at Walt Disney Productions

By Tom Arndt

During some research, I ran across the name Preston Blair, author of Cartoon Animation, and animator on Fantasia. At that same moment I flashed to the other famous Blair name at Disney; Mary Blair.

‘Hey’, said my brain, are they related? Hurrying over to The Internet Motion picture Data Base (Imdb.com), I discovered that Mary Blair was Preston Blair’s brother-in-law. Her husband was Lee Blair. Her name was Mary Robinson

According to Imdb Lee Blair won a gold medal for the U.S. in the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles in watercolor painting. (This is an Olympic competition?)

His earliest animation seems to be in-betweening for Shamus Culhane on Flip’s Lunch Room (1933), produced by Ub Iwerks.

Later he worked with Harman and Ising at MGM on the Bosco films during 1938.

Mostly uncredited at the other studios through the 30’s, Lee Blair got a job and a credit on Donald’s Dog Laundry (1940) at Disney. During the late 30’s and 40’s he has more credits as an art designer.  He was an art supervisor along with Mary Blair on Saludos Amigos in 1942.  That was Mary’s earliest screen credit according to Imdb.

Imdb does not have a record of when Lee and Mary were married.

According to Imdb, Lee worked as a writer in later years as Lee Blair Scott. In 1960 he has a writing credit for the Untouchables TV series

Preston Blair died April 19, 1995 (age  87)

Mary Blair died  July 6, 1978  (age 66)

Imdb does not have a record of when Lee Blair Died.