William Cottrell

William Cottrell

“Born 1906 South Bend, Ind., of English parents. Learned to speak English in 1910. Went abroad in 1920. Sentenced to salt mines in Siberia for soaping royal wind shield of Czar Nicholas’ carriage. Escaped to California in 1923. Attended Occidental College in 1920. Awarded consistent freshman medal 1926, ‘27, ‘28, which included a paid vacation at Lincoln Heights, the third year. Two years behind the crank at Disney’s camera and has never been in focus yet.” -published in the June 20, 1931 edition of The Motion Picture Daily Bill Cottrell, nicknamed “Uncle Bill” by his colleagues, was the first president of what is today known as Walt Disney Imagineering, the design and development arm of the Company. During the planning and construction phases of Disneyland, Walt relied heavily on Bill’s creativity, wisdom, and foresight to make his dream come true. Fellow Disney Legend Marvin Davis once said, “It was Walt who said, ‘Let there be Disneyland,’ like the good Lord said, ‘Let there be a world.’ But it was Uncle Bill who was Walt’s counselor and right-hand man.” Born in 1906 to English parents in South Bend, Indiana, Bill graduated from Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, where he studied English and journalism. After working for a time on George Herriman’s Krazy Kat comic strip, he was offered a job working cameras at The Walt Disney Studios in 1929. He soon moved into the Story department and contributed ideas for shorts, including Who Killed Cock Robin? Fellow Legend Joe Grant recalled, “Bill was a great fan of Gilbert and Sullivan and you will see elements of that, such as the jury box chorus, in Who Killed Cock Robin?” Bill went on to direct the Wicked Witch and Evil Queen sequences in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and contributed to story on Pinocchio. In 1938, he married Lillian Disney’s sister, Hazel Sewell. In 1941, Bill and Hazel joined Walt Disney and a small group of artists on a goodwill tour of South America on behalf of the United States Government. The trip inspired The Three Caballeros and Saludos Amigos, for which Bill also helped develop story. Bill later contributed to Victory Through Air Power, Melody Time, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan. During the 1950s, he carried his interest in story over to WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering), where he helped develop storylines and dialog for such Disneyland attractions as Snow White’s Adventures. Bill was also keen on nomenclature. As former senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering John Hench recalled, “He was a talented writer and helped shape how we referred to events and attractions at Disneyland. For instance, he encouraged us to quit using the term ‘ride’ and to refer to attractions as an ‘experience,’ which is exactly what they are—‘an experience.” Among his many contributions to Disney, Bill helped develop the popular Zorro television series and, in 1964, was named president of Retlaw Enterprises, the Walt Disney family corporation. He held that position until 1982, when he retired after 53 years of service. A lifelong fan of Sherlock Holmes, Bill’s idea for a movie about an animal detective inspired the 1986 animated feature The Great Mouse Detective. Bill Cottrell passed away on December 22, 1995, in Burbank, California.

  • Title: William Cottrell
  • Popularity: 5.627
  • Known For: Writing
  • Birthday: 1906-11-19
  • Place of Birth: South Bend - Indiana - USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: Uncle Bill, Bill Cottrell
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William Cottrell Movies

  • 1948
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    The Naked City

    The Naked City

    7.179 1948 HD

    After a former model is drowned in her bathtub, Detective James Halloran and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon attempt to piece together her murder.

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  • 1940
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    Pinocchio

    Pinocchio

    7.1 1940 HD

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  • 1941
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    The Reluctant Dragon

    The Reluctant Dragon

    6.6 1941 HD

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  • 1953
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    Peter Pan

    Peter Pan

    7.2 1953 HD

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  • 1936
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    Thru the Mirror

    Thru the Mirror

    7.2 1936 HD

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  • 1934
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    The Grasshopper and the Ants

    The Grasshopper and the Ants

    6.5 1934 HD

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  • 1955
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    Music Land

    Music Land

    6 1955 HD

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  • 1952
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    The Little House

    The Little House

    6.576 1952 HD

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  • 1936
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    More Kittens

    More Kittens

    5.618 1936 HD

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  • 1935
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    Three Orphan Kittens

    Three Orphan Kittens

    6.554 1935 HD

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  • 1934
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    The Goddess of Spring

    The Goddess of Spring

    6.2 1934 HD

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  • 1934
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    The China Shop

    The China Shop

    6 1934 HD

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  • 1934
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    Camping Out

    Camping Out

    6.4 1934 HD

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  • 1933
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    The Night Before Christmas

    The Night Before Christmas

    6.606 1933 HD

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  • 1935
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    Who Killed Cock Robin?

    Who Killed Cock Robin?

    6.7 1935 HD

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  • 1936
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    Three Little Wolves

    Three Little Wolves

    6.63 1936 HD

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  • 1936
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    Toby Tortoise Returns

    Toby Tortoise Returns

    6.173 1936 HD

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  • 1936
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    The Country Cousin

    The Country Cousin

    6.3 1936 HD

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  • 1935
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    Pluto's Judgement Day

    Pluto's Judgement Day

    6.57 1935 HD

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  • 1935
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    Water Babies

    Water Babies

    5.7 1935 HD

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  • 1935
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    The Tortoise and the Hare

    The Tortoise and the Hare

    6.7 1935 HD

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  • 1935
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    The Robber Kitten

    The Robber Kitten

    6.2 1935 HD

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  • 1934
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    Peculiar Penguins

    Peculiar Penguins

    5.69 1934 HD

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  • 1938
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    Wynken, Blynken & Nod

    Wynken, Blynken & Nod

    6.5 1938 HD

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  • 1938
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    Moth and the Flame

    Moth and the Flame

    5.813 1938 HD

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  • 1936
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    Three Little Wolves

    Three Little Wolves

    6.63 1936 HD

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  • 1938
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    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

    7.1 1938 HD

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  • 1944
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    The Three Caballeros

    The Three Caballeros

    6.288 1944 HD

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  • 1951
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    Alice in Wonderland

    Alice in Wonderland

    7.2 1951 HD

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  • 2004
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    Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6

    Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6

    8.8 2004 HD

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  • 1942
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    Saludos Amigos

    Saludos Amigos

    5.81 1942 HD

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  • 1942
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    Aquarela do Brasil

    Aquarela do Brasil

    7.1 1942 HD

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  • 1938
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    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

    7.1 1938 HD

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