My Past is Catching Up with Me...

Ha! The feature film Valhalla had its premiere in 1986. It was the reason for my move from Holland to Denmark. Now I find that at this address, one can buy cells from this production, signed by the director, Peter Madsen. Funny, though - I animated the scene with the kid and the sword, my A. Film business partner Karsten Kiilerich animated the scenes with Thor "..when NOT to use it!"

Compare the poster that is for sale to the one on the page that I linked to first. Peter redid the poster completely in bright colors, as the distributor didn't think they could sell the film with the more subdued one. There is a world of difference: we all still love the original one!

Not much artwork still exists from this production, and not only because it was Xeroxed using a Canon NP10 cold copier, so the lines chip of the cells. Actually, most artwork was sent to the garbage dump when the owner of the rights, Danish distributor Metronome (then owned by musician and music producer Bent Fabricius-Bjerre, a.k.a. Bent Fabric of "Alley Cat" fame), merged with Swedish Sandrew around 1997. This is the only fact that was censored out of my short (13 minute 21 second) "Making Of" documentary which made it onto disc 2 of the Valhalla Special Edition DVD of 2003...

Prod. CM22 - The Duck Hunt

Directed by Burt Gillett, released 01/28/1932.
Animated by Johnny Cannon, Dave Hand - with Andrew Hutchison and Gerry "Jerry" Geronimi, Norm Ferguson, Jack King, Ben Sharpsteen - with Chuck Couch and Harry Reeves, Frenchy de Tremaudan, Rudi Zamora and Dick Lundy. 8,791 drawings...

Went and saw the Kay Nielsen exhibit here just north of Copenhagen, on its last day. WOW! A truly amazingly gifted artist. And lots of art to look at! The good folks at the museum were justly humbled by the fact that there was no catalog. The only comfort they offered was the fact that there will be a book by Colin White about Nielsen, which was supposed to be issued during the exhibit. It will be available in English from London and Chicago, the Danish page says, and I just checked, it is planned to come out around - maybe just after - Christmas. The Danish publisher will distribute it in the US also. [Nov. 2009: date now shows as February 2010.]
[Jan. 2011: date now March 2011.]
This was the Disney room, with ten lovely items on loan from the ARL and a private collector, from Fantasia (with a clip running on video), Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty (image taken with my cell).

Prod. CM19 - The Beach Party

Directed by Burt Gillett, released 11/04/1931.
Animators: Dick Lundy, Dave Hand, Norm Ferguson, Tom Palmer, Jack King, Gerri Geronimi, Frenchy de Tremaudan, Ben Sharpsteen. Hand and Sharpsteen seem to have coached a number of junior animators and assistants: Sizzle (?), Tat (?) Frank Kelling, Chuck Couch, Joe D'Igalo, Andrew Hutchinson, Hardie Gramatky, Jack Cutting, Marvin Woodward, Charles Byrne(s) and Harry Reeves. These were exiting times: the films got better for so did the people making them! But the core was this small group of a few key men...
Good thing Frank Kelling didn't live in Denmark - in Danish, a Kelling is an old hag... Say, does anyone know more about Sizzle and Tat?

[Update from comments posted and sent to me: Sizzle was Cecil Surrey as found in previous postings, and Tat was Daniel Tattenham, a one-time animation studio head, see here.]

Prod. CM16 - Blue Rhythm

Directed by Burt Gillett and released 08/18/1931.
A plethora of animators, most only doing a single scene:
Joe d'Igalo, Les Clark, Tom Palmer, Frenchy de Tremaudan, Dick Lundy, Jack Cutting, Frank Tipper, Norm Ferguson, Cecil Surr(e)y, Charles Byrne(s), Johnny Cannon, Hardy Gramatky, Jack King, Ed Benedict, Rudy Zamora and Harry Reeves. A great little film that is on the Disney Treasures DVD "Mickey Mouse in Black and White".
I have never been so busy, folks! Therefor I have a very VERY erratic posting schedule! Remember to check Didier's blog for Silly Symphonies drafts, which are copies of documents in the Disney Archives. And remember to get J B Kaufmann and Russell Merritt's book Silly Symphonies! They have used all known drafts and put this info (condensed) in their very interesting book!

Prod. UM27 - The Dognapper

Directed by Dave Hand and animated by Marvin Woodward, Hardie Gramatky, Dick Lundy, Johnny Cannon, Gerry Geronimi, Bob Wickersham and Bill Roberts.
Released 11/17/1934, this final draft is dated 9/19/1934.By special request.
The form of this draft, with 23 lines per sheet, is a bit different than the later one with 10 lines. Its data has not been entered as originally intended, but it does reflect in form the earlier hand-written drafts, with the screen footage indicated on the left of the scene number...

Prod. RM10 - Polar Trappers

This draft is called The Arctic Trappers, dated 1/11/1938. Directed by Ben Sharpsteen, released as Polar Trappers 6/17/1938. Animation by Art Babbitt, Al Eugster, (Vin?) Hoskins, Ed Love, Woolie Reitherman, Shamus Culhane, Bob Wickersham, one scene by Stan Quackenbush and effects including Cornett Wood.

Prod. UM42 - Moving Day

Another very well known short film, released 06/20/1936 and one production number up from Thru the Mirror, Moving Day was directed by Ben Sharpsteen and animated by Paul Allen, Al Eugster, Marvin Woodward, Woolie Reitherman, Art Babbitt and Fred Spencer, with a duck scene by Don Towsley and two effects scenes by Cy Young. This second draft is dated 2/4/1936.
Ol' Peg Leg Pete's first appearance in color, and with two legs, too!

Gee, I've been busy... Not only with work, but also performing songs from Russell Schroeder's great book Disney's Lost Chords at the NFFC convention in Anaheim and in the Hyperion Bungalow on the Disney Studio lot! What great songs these are, and what fun to perform these on the property where they were written some 60 years ago...

Before that, after Annecy, I visited Washington DC, and saw the Once Upon a Time Walt Disney exhibition in Montreal, which was GREAT. Though I often find the European premise far-fetched, the art was astounding! Caught a few shows in New York, incl. a MUCH improved Mary Poppins (I saw the very first performance in Bristol and one in London, too) and my favorite, The Drowsy Chaperone - the most fun I ever had (though I liked the original "Man in Chair", who may be back when the touring company gets to L.A., much better). When it is near you, go and see it!

Anyway, in case you were wondering why I have not posted much, well, sorry, I have been busy!

Getting in at the ground floor

More from Børge Ring:

Walt Disney's Hyperion studio kept check on the output not only of each department but of each individual working in there. Department heads kept books answering questions like "Is he or she a companyman?" The books were bound and stored for statistic use.

Pretty and devoted Elisabeth Nerbovig.....you can find a picture of her in a publication by one of (what Shamus Culhane called) the Bernard Berensons of animation where she is painting a "live" wooden marionet of Pinochio, built to aid the animation......was a young girl who applied for a job in ink and paint.

She was accepted on proof for one week. On friday she got paId and was given a slip that told her whether or not to return on Monday. This proof period of one week with pay and slip was steadily renewed on and on for 7 (seven) years.
Then she was abruptly hoisted inside and made head of the department. "It was weird" she said "to sit there and read your own dossier over a seven year period."

She loved the studio and at one time she and Ub Iwerks shared one temporary "emergency office" and one telephone in a long aisle upstairs under the loft with curly wooden shavings on the floor, during one of the many rebuilds of the cramped Hyperion quarters.
Tingeling went the phone. "It's for you, Ub."

Snow White in REAL danger...

This insight just in from my old mentor Børge Ring:

"Oh you thundering fools. Why don't you stop this madness?
Cannot you see that we shall all be destroyed by it?"

This was the text on a anonymous handwritten note tacked up on a message board in Walt Disneys studio some time during the last hectic months of finishing Snow White. Nerves were on end. All of Hollywood and half the staff of Disney's own studio did NOT believe in the success of a cartoon that had the length of a live-action feature. Thus a blast of stark diffidence i­n a "public" place in the studio was highly unwanted at that instant.

Dave Hand promptly took a grafologist by the arm and had him compare the note with whatever handwritten material by personel could be found in the administrative department.
The author of the note was identified. It was a young assistant and he sat terrified before the man who had directed "Pluto's Judgement Day." Dave did not fire him. Instead he explained to him calmly and carefully what influence "pranks" would add under the circumstances.
Thoroughly briefed the guy staggered back to his lightbox.

A more prominent "non believer" was Frank Churchill, the film's composer. He had moved from Disneys studio to a clinic to be cured of alcoholism after having finished the creative part of his job. He had bet Dave Hand a hundred dollars that the project would flop.
A couple of months after Snow White's stormy success a cured Churchill drove to the Disney Studio, walked into Daves office and laid a 100 $$ note on the table before him.

"What did you do with the note?" I asked,
"I had it framed and hung on the wall" said Dave.

Prod. 2725 (2016) - La Pinata (Seq. 6/7/8)

Of the fhe final three sequences of The Three Caballeros, the first two, both featuring Carmen Molina (Zandunga and Jesusita - The Cactus March - draft dated 10/24/1944) were directed by Norm Ferguson with layout by Ken Anderson and animation by Les Clark and Fred Moore.

The last sequence (Finale, draft date 9/13/1944) was directed by Gerri Geronimi, layout by Hugh hennesy and Charles Philippi. Animation by Fred Moore and Don Patterson, effects by George Rowley...This concludes the draft for The Three Caballeros!
78 pages in all, I think - click the label for the rest!
Happy Independence Day!

Prod. 2725 (2016) - La Pinata (Seq. 4 & 5)

Solamente una Vez (You Belong to My Heart) and Montage, two sequences from prod. 2725, part of The Three Caballeros.
You Belong to My Heart is certainly a very well-known song.

Directed by Norm Ferguson, assisted by Larry Lansburgh, with layouts by Ken Anderson and Bob Cormack.
Animation by John Lounsbery and Les Clark, effects by George Rowley, Josh Meador and John McManus.
This draft dated 10/24/1944...

Børge on Charlie Brown

This just in from Børge Ring. It is not a Disney item, but fun, nonetheless:

William Littlejohn animated Lucy and Snoopy for Melendez on the PEANUTS series and recounted:

"At one time Charles Schultz (the author of the comic strip) complained: "You guys make a mistake when you animate Charlie Brown. You change the placement of his nose when his head turns from profile to front view!"
"No Charlie...the change is YOURS!"
"Ah...come on fellers, I know my own characters!"

They invited him down to the studio, set him up in the attic at a lightbox and said: "Draw a Charlie Brown in profile and one where he looks into the camera. Then draw three stages in between the two where his head turns."

At 7 o'clock that evening, when everybody was having beers and playing pool, a tired Schulz came down the stairs, jacket slung over the shoulder. He stopped briefly to say: "OK, you guys. You win..."

Prod. 2725 (2016) - La Pinata (Seq. 3) (II)

At last! The rest of Seq. 3 of Prod. 2725, La Pinata, which is part of The Three Caballeros. Animators for these scenes are Ward Kimball, Don Patterson, Milt Neil and Hal King. Yes, there are a few gaps...More info on my whereabouts these last weeks to follow soon!

Where is Alberto's Page?

The great pages of Alberto Becattini, to which I link (see on the right side) have not been accessible for quite some time. Does anyone know if they will be back?

[NEWS: The page is back! Thanks for letting me know, David N.!]

Børge on Chaplin on Acting

My old mentor Børge Ring asked me to convey this message:

>>If you are one of those who likes well animated acting you will enjoy the following statement made by arguably the greatest actor of them all: Charlie Chaplin.
He said: "I build a scene of a number of poses, preferably melodramatic ones. Once these are established, the more mechanically you go from one to the other the stronger is the end result."

Sounds familiar?<<

Prod. UM6 - Klondike Kid - Mosaic

Based on my posting of the draft of the 1932 Mickey short Klondike Kid, Jeff Watson sent me these mosaics to post here, and we can only say Thanks, Jeff!