Director: Wolfgang Reitherman

Wolfgang Reitherman was one of Disney’s Nine Old Men, the core animators of the studio’s first era, and became the sole director of its features after Walt Disney’s death. The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, The Aristocats and Robin Hood are all his.

His period is defined by economy. Xerography let the studio skip inking and the pencil lines stayed visible, which gave those films a scratchy look that later Disney management disliked and that has since been reappraised as a strength.

He also reused animation across films openly, most famously between Robin Hood and The Jungle Book, which was a budget decision that fans catalogue with some affection.