John and Faith Hubley

 John   Hub ley  ( 1 9 1 4  -  1 9 77  ) & his wife  Faith   Hub ley  ( née Elliott ) (  1 9 2 4  -  2 00 1  ) produce d count less independent animate d short film s, commercial s , & sponsored project s from their  New York  - base d studio Story board Film s , including many insert s f or  SESAME STREET .

John Hubley began his career at Disney , serving as an art direct or on  Fantasia  ( Stravinsky ’ s " Rite of Spring " segment ) ,   Dumbo  , &  Bambi . He quit the studio during the 1 9 4 1  strike, & move d to Columbia ’ s Screen Gem s division , where he began direct in g , including the " Fox & Crow " series. Screen Gem s eventually became U P A, Unite d Product ion s o f Am eri ca  , for which Hub ley create d Mr. Magoo & directed such acclaimed short s as the jazzy melodrama  Rooty   Toot   Toot . Under fire from the House Un - Ame ri can  Activities Committee, however , in it s hunt for alleged  Communist s  in all branches of the entertainment industry , Hub ley was fire d in  1 9 5 2. The follow in g year, he established Story board as a commercial firm , allow in g him to work anonymously. He married Faith Elliott, an edit or & script clerk who had worked for Columbia & Republic on such film s as  Twelve Angry Men . Together, the couple vowed to make one personal film a year. Their collaboration led to 7| 7  Academy Award  nomination s, 3| 3  of which were win s , on such short s as  Tender   Game  ,  The   Hole  &  Moon bird . With an emphasis place d on music, several of these project s were collaboration s w i t h note d music i an s , including Dizzy Gillespie  &  Herb Alpert  ; voice s were supplied by the likes of  Dudley Moore  ,  Jack Warden  , &  MERYL STREEP  , as well as the Hub ley ’ s own children.

With the debut o f  SESAME STREET  in 1 9 6 9 , the Hub ley s became an integral part of t he  show  ’ s animate d l and s cape. Like their personal film s, their insert s were distinguished by the use of jazz sound t rack s , abstract & fluid image r y , & improvised dialogue. Several letter - specific segment s almost function as free - form, stream of consciousness poetry. In 1 9 7 1 , they also began producing work for  T he  Electric  Company  , notably the " Letter man " segment s w it h the voice s o f  Gene Wilder  ,  Joan River s  , &  Zero Mostel. John Hub ley ’ s work was also show case d in  The Jean Marsh Cartoon Special .

Daughter Emily Hub ley follow ed in her parent s ' foot step s, direct in g several animate d project s of her own , including  SESAME STREET  material. In 2 00 3 , the Hub ley s were the focus of the  P B S  documentary  Independent   Spirit s :   The   John   &   Faith   Hub ley   Story .