The incredibly cool online animation thread

Post by **Jeroen** » September 22nd, 2007, 12:58 pm

I loved the Chernabog bit!!

btw, here are the original voices of Beauty and the Beast performing at the Academy Awards in 1992.

From the same show, Belle & Beast present the nominees for best animated short.

Post by **ShyViolet** » October 1st, 2007, 4:30 pm

Very cool J!!

Also, if anyone has ever wondered what Doogie Howser talking about animation would look like

, here ya go:

This is very very cool....you even get to see Wayne Allwine.

Post by **Jeroen** » October 2nd, 2007, 1:53 am

Nice

They did this before, same animation just different actors.
It was part of The Reluctant Dragon feature, with Robert Benchley taking the center stage.
It can also be found on the Walt Disney Treasures - The Chronological Donald DVD.

Post by **ShyViolet** » October 2nd, 2007, 2:26 am

Yeah, I had a feeling, since I could tell that was Clarence Nash not Tony Anselmo talking. Still...I really like this video, if I do say so myself!

J/K
(thanks for the info BTW

)

Post by **Jeroen** » October 2nd, 2007, 6:40 am

Still...I really like this video, if I do say so myself!

I like it as well and if you seen both versions, it's nice to compare one to the other.

Post by **Ben** » October 2nd, 2007, 8:01 am

Some fun points:

This sequence, since being originated with Benchley in The Reluctant Dragon as Jeroen said, has been used many times over in Disney programs: Hayley Mills was also shown this exact same footage in "Disney Animation: The Illusion Of Life" in 1981.

You'll notice the different looking animation stands...the new one is white/steel bordered while the original is the 1940s black rimmed.

I believe that, as a nice in-joke, that is Tony Anselmo!

I'm not quite sure, after the Donal sequence, why they're inking and painting "cels" from Beauty And The Beast - Disney features went to the CAPS system on The Rescuers Down Under and B&TB was fully colored this way. There were limited edition cels made for selling off, but this smacks of a little Disney magic here, making things look nice and cosy.

Funny to see them make a point of the "big names" behind the voices and most of them are "where are they now" file escapees. Plus it's so clear that, while Allwine's Mickey isn't bad, Bill Farmer absolutely rules covering Pinto Colvig's Goofy.

Post by **ShyViolet** » October 2nd, 2007, 5:30 pm

I wish they could still do stuff like this now....although IMHO it just wouldn't have the same impact strolling through a room like that and saying: "Here's all the computers the artists use to create the magic!"

Actually, I wish we could get a retrospective/promo like this again, PERIOD. Something that says: "Disney is great, Disney was great, and Disney will be great again!"

Disney really needs that now.

I believe that, as a nice in-joke, that is Tony Anselmo!

Oh wow...I was so sure it was Nash!

Post by **Ben** » October 2nd, 2007, 6:34 pm

No...Vi...the animator guy at the camera talking to Doogie...is Tony Anselmo.

The Duck's voice is Clarence Nash apart from the spluttering right at the end. That's Anselmo, but the main part of the track is lifted from The Reluctant Dragon.

Post by **ShyViolet** » October 2nd, 2007, 7:17 pm

Oh....now I get it.

Post by **Ben** » October 3rd, 2007, 9:01 am

Sure? Thought I lost you there for a sec...

Post by **ShyViolet** » October 3rd, 2007, 6:59 pm

Yup.

OK, hope I have this right, but I think that in 1991, that was the only existing footage of Walt doing Mickey.

I know that since then, didn't they find another very rare clip of him doing Mickey with the guy who played Pete for the cartoon "The Pointer"? I know it was on "Mickey Mouse in Living Color Volume 2".

Funny to see them make a point of the "big names" behind the voices and most of them are "where are they now" file escapees. Plus it's so clear that, while Allwine's Mickey isn't bad, Bill Farmer absolutely rules covering Pinto Colvig's Goofy.

I know right?

Back then "big names" in a Disney film didn't mean what it does today.

Not that those guys weren't GREAT in their roles and in some ways much better than the "big names" they get today. Cheech Marin and Bob Newhart were just what they could afford. Ditto Billy Joel, Bette Midler, Buddy Hackett, John Candy, etc....I miss those guys.

I love Bill Farmer and Wayne Allwine BTW!! Hope that after HTHUYHT comes out, they'll make more shorts with them!

(And Tony Anselmo too.)

Post by **Ben** » October 4th, 2007, 7:32 am

There was some footage found for the 1990s LaserDisc release of Fun And Fancy Free that included Walt performing as Mickey and Billy Bletcher as Pete, but this was for the cartoon "Mr Mouse Takes A Trip". However, the original soundtrack for the reel of film is lost so the sound was replaced with the final looped dialoue from the finished cartoon. So, while the pictures showed Walt performing as Mickey, the sound wasn't exactly true to the source.

So, in effect, that still is the only film of Walt performing as Mickey in a live environment.

Big names...saying that's all they could "afford" is a little insulting. At the time, Bob Newhart was a huge star, a stand-up comic with successful album sales and a hit weekly TV show. Landing him was a big deal, as were several other voices. Bette Midler? In the middle of a massive career comeback, selling out shows and having hit records again. Billy Joel? A massive name at the time. John Candy? One of the biggest comedy actors of the 1980s and a rare comedian whose name could "open" a film. Even the slightly faded Hackett and Marin were huge draws for their respective audiences.

In other cases, they simply didn't go after the biggest names for marquee value...they went for the right voices for the roles. Several big names were actually turned down for roles in Robin Hood because they might have detracted from the characters, already unique for being animals. Peter Ustinov and Terry-Thomas, granted were not huge "stars", but were household names, well respected and known for their previous roles.

To say these people were all Disney could "afford" is wrong...they were who were right for the roles. Nowadays, it's still not about who anyone can afford...it's about whose name on the poster will help the opening weekend. For the actors, they know that a few weeks easy work on an animated film translates into a lifetime of residual payments.

Post by **ShyViolet** » October 4th, 2007, 4:34 pm

Big names...saying that's all they could "afford" is a little insulting.

Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean it in an "insulting" way, just what I've heard, (just that Disney wasn't as big then so they often went for well-known but not "brand" names that would go good on a poster. Although, like you said, they probably had much more value at the time.)

Actually, I meant it more in a good way, since they chose people who actually fit the role (much better than the ones they choose today) even if it wasn't Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise or other people who carried the name but didn't have anywhere near the voice talent. (Yeah, Julia Roberts hadn't quite hit it big yet.

)

Bette Midler? In the middle of a massive career comeback, selling out shows and having hit records again.

I could be wrong but wasn't it Disney who was responsible for her comeback in the first place? (Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, Stella, Beaches...) I think I read that because she wasn't "hot" anymore when they brought her back, they purposely paid her less for those roles which was why she was generally more "affordable."

Of course she was and is extremely talented, which is why Disney hired her despite her career troubles.

Post by **Ben** » October 5th, 2007, 10:15 am

At the time, NO-ONE was picking superstar names to go on a poster for animated films. If anything, after the hit of The Jungle Book, Disney could have taken their pick of whoever they wanted for their films (which is how Eva Gabor and Bob Newhart ended up in The Rescuers...those were star names).

I don't get what you're saying about Mel, Julia and Tom. Mel did Pocahontas and Julia did Charlotte's Web, but that was very recent and way after her biggest successes. Tom - far as I know - has never done an animated voice.

Bette Midler...yep in the 1980s Touchstone needed name talent that was cheap. Midler, Dreyfuss, Nolte, Williams...all these guys were bargain basement and no-one else would touch them. Disney built them all back up, but by no means were they cheap! Midler semi-retired on the backend of the Beaches movie and soundtrack sales alone. She could pick and choose again. The reason she was in Oliver And Company was because they wanted branded name singers for the project: quite afar from the fact she was on a Disney contract, she wound up in the film because she was right for the showgirl part and filled the requirement of being a mega-successful name. By the time Oliver & Co came out, her comeback had been assured and then she did make a good name on the poster.

What value does Pearbo Bryson have now? Even Demi Moore? You don't think in 20-30 years from now people will be saying "hey, that Seinfeld was sure funny back at the time of Bee Movie".

Everyone has their day.

Post by **ShyViolet** » October 5th, 2007, 5:46 pm

At the time, NO-ONE was picking superstar names to go on a poster for animated films. If anything, after the hit of The Jungle Book, Disney could have taken their pick of whoever they wanted for their films (which is how Eva Gabor and Bob Newhart ended up in The Rescuers...those were star names).

Oh, OK. I think this clears up a lot of what was confusing me....there's just been a really strong "myth" that in the mid/late 80s "Disney couldn't afford" big names.....which I guess was never the truth, just the "assumed truth"--the case with a lot of "Disney myths", and "half-truths" past and present.

With Mel Gibson, I erroneously thought that the only reason he was in Pocahontas was 'cause by then Disney was "bigger" than they were in say, 1987, but I guess they could have gotten him back then too--if they'd wanted him, which they didn't. With Julia and Tom, I didn't actually mean them specifically, but people in the A-list like them. But like you said, they weren't A-list yet in 1987 (well, maybe Tom kinda was with Top Gun and all) and aren't really all that A-list now anymore.

Funny about Tom and animation though--he was actually supposed to be in that Simpsons ep with Bart and his bigger brother "Tom"--hence the name. They were really looking for Cruise to do the part, but he declined, which is why Phil Hartman did it instead. )

Bette Midler...yep in the 1980s Touchstone needed name talent that was cheap. Midler, Dreyfuss, Nolte, Williams...all these guys were bargain basement and no-one else would touch them. Disney built them all back up, but by no means were they cheap!

Another dart in the "Disney was cheap back in the 80's" myth. Although, weren't they more or less known for paying people somewhat less than other studios?