Gary Goldman

Gary Goldman is a writer, director, and producer of animated features films. He famously became one of the "Disney Defectors" who left the company with Don Bluth to make their own animated features. In 1972, Goldman began working at Disney, where he met Bluth, working together on "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too." When Disney started offering the pair larger responsibilities in future productions, Bluth bought used animation equipment which he and Goldman used to experiment at home. Harboring objections with the direction of Disney's animation, they, along with animator John Pomeroy, ended up starting their own company, Don Bluth Productions. The success of their first production, the short "Banjo The Woodpile Cat," gave them the confidence to produce their first feature, "The Secret of NIMH," on which Goldman served as co-producer and directing animator. This was followed in 1986 by "An American Tale," a turn-of-the-century Jewish immigrant story told with mice, which touted Steven Spielberg as executive producer. It was the highest-grossing animated feature of its time, and before long, Spielberg reprised his executive producer role with the dinosaur feature "The Land Before Time" in 1988. Goldman co-directed the 1989 feature "All Dogs Go To Heaven" and claimed sole director's credit for "Thumbelina" in 1994. He has since directed four of Bluth's productions, including 2000's "Titan A.E.," a departure aimed for older audiences. He also worked on the groundbreaking animated video game "Dragon's Lair" in the early '80s, in addition to the game's various updates throughout the years.