Jane Baer, a veteran animator whose credits included work on Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and the landmark film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, passed away on Monday at the age of 91.
Her close friend Mindy Johnson told Deadline on Tuesday that Baer died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Van Nuys, California.
Baer was born on October 30, 1934, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The daughter of an illustrator, she honed her artistic skills at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Her professional animation career began in 1955 when she joined Disney as an assistant animator on the studio’s classic Sleeping Beauty, working alongside the famed group of animators known as the “Nine Old Men.”
After Sleeping Beauty, Baer moved on to projects at other studios, contributing to Skyhawks and Speed Racer for Pantomime Studios and to Aquaman and Journey to the Center of the Earth at Filmation. She returned to Disney in 1975, where she lent her talents to films including The Fox and the Hound, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, and The Black Cauldron.
In 1984, Baer and her then-husband Dale Baer launched their own studio, Baer Animation. The independent studio became a prominent hand-drawn animation house, participating in beloved features such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid, The Prince and the Pauper, Rover Dangerfield, FernGully: The Last Rainforest, and The Swan Princess.
Baer’s work extended beyond feature films into advertising. She animated spots for brands including Coca-Cola, Pampers, and Charmin. Her commercial work earned industry recognition, including a Gold Award for Best Animation at the Houston International Film Festival for Charmin’s “Princess” spot and a Clio Award for Best Animation for Pampers’s “Disney Babies.”
She remained at the helm of Baer Animation until she retired in the early 2000s. Throughout her career she was active in industry organizations: she was a founding member of Women in Animation and belonged to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Animation Guild, and Women in Film.
Baer is survived by her son Michael and his partner Beth, as well as her brother and his family.
According to Variety, donations in her memory may be made to the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Los Angeles.
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