Academy Award Best Visual Effects, Disney Legends Awards
William Samuel Cook "Peter" Ellenshaw (24 May 1913 – 12 February 2007) was an
Englishmatte designer and
special effects creator who worked on many
Disney features. Born in
London, he moved to
America in 1953.
Career & life
He first worked in matte painting for producer
Alexander Korda on such films as Things to Come (1936), and later on such
Powell and Pressburger productions as Black Narcissus (1947) assisting his mentor
W. (Walter) Percy Day. A few years later, while still based in Europe, he began to work for Hollywood studios. He worked for
MGM on Quo Vadis (1951), but his most extensive association was with Walt Disney Studios beginning with their first completely live action feature film, Treasure Island (1950). He went on to work on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and Mary Poppins (1964), for which he won an
Academy Award. He retired after his work on The Black Hole (1979), but contributed matte paintings for Dick Tracy (1990). both of which he collaborated with his son
Harrison Ellenshaw, also a renowned matte artist and effects designer.
After Peter Ellenshaw retired from the film business, he dedicated his life to his passion for painting. Numerous works were created, of both Disney and non-Disney themed subjects, which have been highly collected. He was named a
Disney Legend in 1993.[1]