Faith Hubley (née Faith Chestman) was born in 1924 in the Hell's Kitchen
area of Manhattan. She left home without completing high school to go
to Hollywood to pursue a career in filmmaking. She began as a messenger
at Columbia Studios, but eventually worked as a sound-effects and music
editor. During her time in California, she met John Hubley, an animator
with Disney Studios, whom she married in 1955. A pro-union political
activist, John was blacklisted from Disney. Thus began Faith's and
John's filmmaking partnership. Many of their films featured the voices
of their four young children.
They won their first Oscar for their film, Der große Vogel Mond (1959) in 1959. Their
second Oscar was for The Hole (1962) in 1962. The Hubleys were also lovers of
jazz, and several of their films feature the voice and music of
Dizzy Gillespie. They also contributed many animated segments to the legendary
and beloved children's shows Sesamstraße (1969) and The Electric Company (1971). Sadly, John died
during heart surgery in 1977. Faith, however, continued to make a new
animated film each year until her death from cancer in December
2001.
