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Whitaker, Wetzel O. (1908-1985)

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1908 - 1985

Biographical History

Wetzel O. Whitaker (1908-1985) was a film director and administrator in California and Utah.

Wetzel Owen Whitaker was born on September 30, 1908, in Heber City, Utah, and was raised in Brigham City, Utah. In 1918, he and his family moved to Denver, Colorado, where he grew up.

Wetzel attended the Chicago Art Institute, and afterwards moved to St. Louis to work as a newspaper art director. He later moved to California where he had a successful career as an animator for Disney Studios. In 1952, he accepted a position at Brigham Young University to establish and head the BYU Motion Picture Studio. He led the studio until his retirement in 1974.

Wetzel and his brother, Scott Whitaker, were responsible for many iconic Latter-day Saint films such as "Johnny Lingo," "Pioneers in Petticoats," and "The Windows of Heaven." Wetzel received an honorary doctorate from Brigham Young University in 1971.

Whitaker passed away on November 1, 1985, in Murray, Utah.

Citation:
His Pioneering with film, between 1977 and 1985: t.p. (Wetzel O. Whitaker) leaf i (former head, Motion Picture Dept., Brigham Young Univ.) leaf ii (used forename nickname "Judge" in screen credits at Walt Disney)

Looking back, [1978]: t.p. (Wetzel O. Whitaker) [portrait] (Wetzel Orson Whitaker) p. 1 (born Heber, Wasatch County, Utah on September 30, 1908; 5 years old moved to Brigham City, Utah) p. 13 (moved to Denver, Colorado in the fall of 1918) p.23 (moved to California, February 1927) p. 30 (moved to Chicago and enrolled in the Chicago Art Institute; moved to St. Louis and worked as the art director for a newspaper) p. 38 (worked for Minz Studios and Disney Studios and moved to North Hollywood, California); p.56 (began a career at Brigham Young University in the Motion Picture Studio) p. 99 (retired from BYU Sept 1, 1974)

Wetzel O. Whitaker, website viewed 25 October 2011 (Wetzel O. Whitaker; Wetzel Orson Whitaker; also known as "Judge"; pioneer in LDS filmmaking; 1952 established film studio at Brigham Young University; head of the LDS Motion Picture Studio; died November 1, 1985 in Murray, Utah)

Mormon Wiki, Judge Wetzel Whitaker, via www, April 26, 2024 (Wetzel received an honorary doctorate from Brigham Young University in 1971) https://www.mormonwiki.com/Judge_Wetzel_Whitaker

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

And should we die / a Brigham Young University production ; produced and directed by Wetzel O. Whitaker ; screenplay by Scott Whitaker, 1966

 Sub-Series — Reel 28: Series 2 [Barcode: 31197233634291]
Identifier: UA 5625 Series 2 Sub-Series 15
Scope and Contents

Film was released in 1966, and was produced by Brigham Young University Motion Picture Department. The film depicts the persecution of Latter-day Saints in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution and the death of two Church members for not denying their faith. The collection has one copy on a film reel. Dated 1966.

Dates: 1966
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / UA 5625, David Kent Jacobs collection on Mormon films / David Kent Jacobs collection of films

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