Leisure Industry Mourns Filmtechnology Pioneer Don Iwerks

(eap) US entrepreneur and Disney legend Don Iwerks passed away on 9 July at the age of 96. Born on 24 July 1929, he was the son of animator and fellow Disney legend Ub Iwerks. Like his father, Don pursued a career at Walt Disney Productions, today known as The Walt Disney Company, where he contributed to numerous film productions and technical developments.

His professional achievements included co-developing the 360-degree Circle-Vision camera, which was first used in the “Circarama, U.S.A.” attraction when Californian Disneyland Park opened in 1955, as well as designing and developing innovative film technology for the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair. Iwerks was also involved in the technical implementation of the 3D film and in-theatre effects for “Captain EO” and in building the projection system for the “Star Tours” attraction. In recognition of his innovations in large-format and simulated film technologies, he received the Gordon E. Sawyer Award.

After a 35-year career at Disney, Don Iwerks co-founded Iwerks Entertainment, Inc. with Stan Kinsey in 1985. The manufacturer of giant-screen theatres and theme park attractions based on 3D projection technology was acquired by SimEx, Inc. in 2002 and continues to operate today under the name SimEx-Iwerks. The Iwerks name thus remains present in the international leisure and entertainment industry.

Don Iwerks is survived by his wife Betty, his sons John and Larry, and his daughter Leslie Iwerks. As a documentary filmmaker, Leslie Iwerks has devoted part of her work to preserving her family’s legacy and Disney history. Her most recent documentary, “Disneyland Handcrafted”, explores the construction of Disneyland Park in Anaheim. ■