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Don DaGradi

1911 – 1991

American screenwriter

Film director Screenwriter Concept artist
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About Don DaGradi

Lived 1911 – 1991 (aged 80). Don DaGradi was an American film director, screenwriter, concept artist, layout artist and film producer.

Don DaGradi (March 1, 1911 – August 4, 1991) was an American writer for Disney who started out as a layout artist on 1940s cartoons including "Der Fuehrer's Face" in 1943. He eventually moved into animated features with the film Lady and the Tramp in 1955. He also worked as a color and styling or sequence consultant on many other motion pictures for Disney. His greatest achievement was for his visual screenplay for Mary Poppins in 1964 for which he shared an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay with Bill Walsh. Don DaGradi died August 4, 1991, in Friday Harbor, Washington. He was named a Disney Legend posthumously, only months after his death. DaGradi lived in Friday Harbor, WA with his wife Betty and two children.

In the 2013 film Saving Mr. Banks, DaGradi is portrayed by actor Bradley Whitford.

Filmography Dumbo (1941) - production designer The Olympic Champ (1942) (short) - layout artist How to Fish (1942) (short) - layout artist Der Fuehrer's Face (1942) (short) - layout artist Victory Vehicles (1943) (short) - layout artist Victory Through Air Power (1943) (documentary) - art direction How to Be a Sailor (1944) (short) - layout artist The Three Caballeros (1944) - layout artist Duck Pimples (1945) (short) - layout artist Hockey Homicide (1945) (short) - layout artist Make Mine Music (1946) - layout artist Fun & Fancy Free (1947) - layout artist The Legend of Johnny Appleseed (1948) (short) - layout artist The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) - color and styling Cinderella (1950) - color and styling The Brave Engineer (1950) (short) - layout artist Alice in Wonderland (1951) - color and styling Susie the Little Blue Coupe (1952) (short) - story Peter Pan (1953) - color and styling A Story of Dogs (1954) - special art work Lady and the Tramp (1955) - story Adventures in Fantasy (1957) (TV) - layout artist Four Fabulous Characters (1957) (TV) - layout artist Sleeping Beauty (1959) - writer Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) - special art styling Pollyanna (1960) - sequence consultant Kidnapped (1960) - story sketches The Parent Trap (1961) - sequence consultant The Absent Minded Professor (1961) - sequence consultant Son of Flubber (1963) - writer Mary Poppins (1964) - writer Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. (1966) - writer Blackbeard's Ghost (1968) - writer The Love Bug (1968) - writer Scandalous John (1971) - writer Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) - writer

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Disney Legends
Also known as
Don Da Gradi, Donald DaGradi, Donald Da Gradi, Donald "Don" DaGradi

People in Don DaGradi's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Don DaGradi's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Don DaGradi?

American screenwriter (1911-1991)

When was Don DaGradi born?

Don DaGradi was born on 1 March 1911 in New York City.

When did Don DaGradi die?

Don DaGradi died on 4 August 1991 in Friday Harbor.

What was Don DaGradi's occupation?

Don DaGradi was a film director, screenwriter, concept artist, layout artist and film producer.

What nationality was Don DaGradi?

Don DaGradi was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Don DaGradi

· Wikidata: Q444392

· DBpedia: Don DaGradi

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Don DaGradi. https://biography.guide/don-dagradi/

MLA: "Don DaGradi." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/don-dagradi/.

Chicago: "Don DaGradi." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/don-dagradi/.

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