Rediscovering (Walt) Disney

Happy 84th Birthday to the one and only Mickey Mouse!

When you think about it, Belle  would  make an awesome Companion. Prints available at  Karen Hallion's Etsy Store .

http://www.youtube.com/user/vriosm

http://www.youtube.com/user/CartoonStation

  This 1989 special aired on the Disney Channel and tells the story of Walt Disney and the company that he built.

Disney.com/Wreck-It-Ralph

From Boxoffice Magazine , January 6, 1940. The first article announces the soon to be opened Walt Disney Co. Burbank Studios. In the second, Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is sited as one of the factors in a surge of animated features going into production. Click on the images to enlarge. And in related news...

The following was written in response to my critique of ' The Great Mouse Detective .' TonyWDA Jan 16, 2012 08:00 PM So because your three-year old daughter couldn't sit through a film that wasn't in the usual Disney convention -- something you should've looked into BEFORE watching it with her -- you think it's the worst of the animated feature canon? The Great Mouse Detective was a film made to break away from the traditional Disney fairy-tale formula, so don't judge it for something you wish it was as opposed to what it is: A tale of mystery in the tradition of Sherlock Holmes, NOT Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, told through artwork you should've given more credit for. Especially considering many of the people who'd worked on this film had yet to fully master their crafts. Your apathy towards the film's plot and characters is most likely the result of your disdain for the kind of story it's telling in the first place, so don...

Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, the Librarian of Congress each December names 25 films to the National Film Registry that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. Bambi (1942) One of Walt Disney’s timeless classics (and his own personal favorite), this animated coming-of-age tale of a wide-eyed doe’s life in the forest has enchanted generations since its debut nearly 70 years ago. Filled with iconic characters and moments, the film is filled with beautiful images, the result of extensive nature studies by Disney’s animators. Its realistic characters merged human and animal qualities in the time-honored tradition of folklore and fable, enhancing the movie’s resonating, emotional power. Treasured as one of film’s most heart-rending stories of parental love, Bambi also has come to be recognized for its eloquent message of nature conservation. Read more at THR.com

So Maddy pulled 'The Great Mouse Detective' off the shelf yesterday and said she wanted to watch it. Okay I thought, we hadn't watched it yet, she was interested (it's got cute mice right?) and I vaguely remember it was supposed to be good (had not seen it in, like, forever) so we popped it in and settled back... Well, what the H*** was that!?!? This supposed Disney Classic is by far the WORST Disney animated feature I have ever seen! Right from the get-go this movie is dark, violent and frightening. Then there are all the technical problems the most glaring of which is the sub-par animation that looked about as good as say, Disney's Gummi Bears or maybe Duck Tales . On second thought it wasn't even that good. The original songs are weak, uninspiring and in one instance damn near sexually explicit! The poor voice casting and the lack-luster script weren't helping either... Why is Uncle Scrooge disguised as a mouse? At times even I had trouble following...

Boxoffice Magazine 11/9/46 - Click on Image to Enlarge Song of the South is an 1946 animated film based on the Uncle Remus stories written by Joel Chandler Harris, which were based on African-American folk tales. The film have not been released on VHS in the U.S.A. and on DVD & Blu-Ray worldwide because of accusations of racism, but the film maintains a strong following with many Disney fans. It features the song Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, which won the Academy Award for Best Song and is still a popular favorite; James Baskett's performance as Uncle Remus won him a Honorary Academy Award in 1948. The film's animated segments inspired the popular Splash Mountain ride and the 8 main characters, Sally, Toby, Favers Brothers, Mrs Favers, Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, and Brer Fox are still frequently seen at the Disney Parks. However, because many children today have not seen Song of the South due to the fact it has not been released on home video in the United States, visitors to ...

Boxoffice Magazine 1/27/45 - Click on Image to Enlarge The Three Caballeros is the seventh full-length animated feature film in the Disney canon. It is a sequel to Saludos Amigos and like that film features Donald Duck and the Brazilian parrot Jose Carioca, as well as a new character, the Mexican Panchito Pistoles. Like its predecessor, the film was part of a good will effort for South America, however, it is considered to be less propagandist than Saludos Amigos . (via The DisneyWiki )

Boxoffice Magazine 7/3/43 - Click on Image to Enlarge Victory Through Air Power is a film that was produced during World War II based on a book of the same title by Alexander P. de Seversky that urged the US Government to put more resources into aviation for the war effort. It utilized both live-action and animation. (via DisneyWiki )

Walt Disney Animation Studios returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with "Winnie the Pooh," the first big-screen Pooh adventure from Disney animation in more than 35 years. With the charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical "bear of very little brain" and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Kanga, Roo—and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail. Hooray for the silly ol' bear! As much as I enjoyed "Bolt" and am looking forward to "Tangled", its a relief to see Disney still employing traditional, hand-drawn animation for feature films. I thought "The Princess and the Frog" was a beautiful movie and can't wait to see "Pooh" and hopefully " King of the Elves " will be along for its projected 2012 release. disney.com/pooh