Born in Tacoma, WA. Producer, director and production manager at Disney who joined Walt Disney right after the birth of Mickey Mouse (1929). Sharpsteen worked as an animator on a few cartoons (1929-1933), and from 1934 directed many of the Disney shorts. His feature film credits begin as a sequence director for Disney's first feature release, SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937). As production supervisor for FANTASIA (1940), he also worked uncredited as a producer and director. He also directed PINOCCHIO (also 1940) and DUMBO (1941), and he was production supervisor for FUN AND FANCY FREE (1947), CINDERELLA (1950) and ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951). When the studio entered the live action short subject arena, Sharpsteen produced or directed several of their best films: He was Disney's associate producer for THE LIVING DESERT and BEAR COUNTRY (both 1953), THE VANISHING PRAIRIE (1954) and THE AFRICAN LION and MEN AGAINST THE ARCTIC (both 1955). In 1956, he became producer for such films as SECRETS OF LIFE (1956), PORTUGAL (1957), WHITE WILDERNESS and AMA GIRLS (both 1958). He directed WATER BIRDS (1952, also writer), SWITZERLAND (1955), LAPLAND (1957) and MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP (1959). His last Disney credit is as director of MICKEY MOUSE DISCO (1979). He was declared a Disney Legend in 1998.  Nominated for Short Subjects (Live Action Subjects) 1957: PORTUGAL - Producer  Documentary (Features) 1958: WHITE WILDERNESS - Producer  Documentary (Shorts) 1958: AMA GIRLS - Producer 3 nominations, 2 Awards