Here is my first post on Chanticleer from 2012:
Sunday, March 17, 2024
From Cruella to Disneyland
Here is my first post on Chanticleer from 2012:
Monday, March 4, 2024
Ward Kimball 110
Thursday, February 15, 2024
A masterful Performance
This section from the 1938 short The Brave Little Tailor is often accredited to Fred Moore. Not so. Fred did work on later scenes where Mickey leaves the castle reluctantly, and when he is fighting the Giant.
But this extraordinary performance by Mickey in front of the King and Princess Minnie was animated by Frank Thomas. At the start of the film Mickey had proclaimed that he "killed seven in one blow". The audience knows that he was talking about flies, but everyone else believes he meant giants. And so this misunderstanding gets Mickey in trouble as he tries unsuccessfully to rectify the situation.
It is the level of acting, feeling of weight and appealing draughtsmanship that completely captivates me. Most of Mickey's previous (and later) performances had roots in vaudeville. Physical, broad gags that made the audience laugh and connect with his personality. But this is different. As close to an award winning performance as an animated character can get.
I had the good fortune to discuss these groundbreaking scenes with Frank Thomas years ago, when I asked him wether Walt Disney had any specific reaction to his work here. I was sure that Walt saw this as a new artistic breakthrough for Mickey, and that he possibly complimented Frank. But no, Frank did not remember any particular praise from the boss. Just the fact that he liked and approved those scenes. Then again ....Walt was not known or handing out compliments very often.
I came across these rough animation drawings just recently, and I am trying to find more. If I do I will of course post them here. Frank ended up doing just about every drawing for the animation, he had full control over the performance.
This is animation history worth studying.
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Joy
Can't tell you how happy I am about MUSHKA's musical success. Richard M. Sherman kicked off our musical journey years ago by contributing the film's melodious theme as well as a beautiful song.
Richard is the most inspirational, generous, down to earth genius you could ever meet.
The Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mushka
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Patrick Mate does Mushka
I just found out by accident that my friend Patrick Mate posted this illustration on his blog in November of last year. At that time we had a nice chat after the MUSHKA screening at CTN.
He added:
#1409 Bravo Andreas and Thank you!!!!!
I absolutely love it! Patrick is such an amazing artist. Always full of ideas, and he is comfortable in just about any graphic style. Here is a link to his gorgeous art:
https://patrickmate.blogspot.com
Monday, January 29, 2024
MacBadger Ruffs
You can't win them all. Recently Heritage Auctions offered this fine group of rough animation drawings of the character Angus McBadger from the 1949 film The Wind in the Willows. The auction item's description said that Bill Tytla drew these sketches and that they originate from the artist's estate.
The thing is...these are Milt Kahl drawings. This particular film was in and out of production during the early 1940s, and that's when Milt drew them. There is a short window of time between the start of animation on April of 1941 and the beginning of the Disney strike on May 29, 1941. It was then when Tytla left the studio. He must have saved these roughs by the "junior animator", presumably because he liked the vitality in Milt's sketches.
Anyway I did not end up with these terrific drawings, I was outbid. But if the current owner would like to publish them here on this blog, please, leave a comment.