Newport Beach Film Festival Offers Rare Disney Shorts Served Up with Expert Commentary
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Discussion of the next short, Lorenzo, began with background on legendary Disney story man Joe Grant. Grant wrote Dumbo, Lady and the Tramp (his dog was named Lady), and contributed to all the early Disney studio films. After several years away from the Studio, he returned to work on Beauty and the Beast and many following films until his death in his 90s. He presented his ideas for the night�s film in an �insidious� way, according to Hahn. �He would start pinning these drawings of blue cats up in the hallways and above the urinals in the men�s room.� When asked what they were, he denied any knowledge. When director Mike Gabriel had some free time between projects, Lorenzo was born. The story, of a cat tormented by his own tail, would be set to tango music. (�A logical conclusion,� according to Hahn.)
The tango, Bordoneo y 900 was recorded by The Big Tango Orchestra in France. The art direction was based on neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the tango was created. A combination of hand drawn and computer animation, the entire work was keyed to hand drawn paintings. Director Mike Gabriel anded up creating all the backgrounds, which in turn directly inspired the character design.
Lorenzo is the tale of a tail. A big blue cat, self satisfied, and immensely proud is thrown into a tailspin when his fluffy tail is bewitched by an evil, tailless, black cat. The tail forces Lorenzo into a passionate tango, until, in despair, the hapless feline turns on it. He tries to drown his tail in a fountain; he lashes it to a wall with tape; he even ties it to the railroad tracks. After electrocuting the tail (and simply losing his fur in the effort), the evil cat again appears, bearing a large shiny knife. At the suggested pantomime of his tailless nemesis, Lorenzo lops off his tail, only to find it remains his devoted dance partner.
The last short of the evening was a tribute to Mickey Mouse�s 80 birthday. (�Still older than me!� said Roy.) In introducing the film, Hahn said, �Man! Talk about unseen shorts.� Runaway Brain was created by Chris Bailey in 1995, and originally released with A Kid in King Arthur�s Court. Asserted Hahn, �It is an amazing piece of work, starring Mickey Mouse. And what better way to end the night than with a little tip of the hat to Mickey, who started all this.� Bossert described it as a �troubled little short.� Created by the after hours group, it was mostly done in Paris, but eventually returned to Los Angeles. �It was around the time there was some turmoil at the studio, which happens from time to time,� said Hahn. As the audience chuckled, Roy looked up at the ceiling and noted, �Wow. What a concept!�
Hahn then reminded the crowd that Jeffrey Katzenberg had just left the studio, following the death of Frank Wells. He then asked Bossert to reveal an �amazing, tiny piece of trivia� from the film. It seems that the animators, feeling the double loss, had hidden something in the film. Most viewers are aware that �Dr. Frankenollie,� the mad scientist of the film, was named in tribute to legendary animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. After Mickey rings the bell at Frankenollie�s house, a trap door opens, plunging him into a steep, narrow tunnel. Leaves and papers swirl past. Among them is a pink slip, and on that pink slip the initials �J.K.� �It was just a fun little thing we threw in there, �cause Jeffrey left the company,� concluded Bossert. �So that�s your trivia for tonight, just between us,� added Hahn. �Does he know?� queried Roy.
Hahn introduced the short with the words, �Mickey Mouse as you�ve never seen him before, here�s Runaway Brain.� The short film finds Mickey in need of a quick $999.99 to placate Minnie. Answering a newspaper ad placed by the nefarious Dr. Frankenollie, Mickey�s brain is switched with that of an evil, giant Julius the Cat. As the �evil� Mickey menaces Minnie, the �good� monster attempts her rescue. All ends well after the pair fall into some power lines, restoring them to their normal selves.
In their parting comments, Roy noted, �It�s really fun to see all this stuff again.� As he added, �We should probably do it again next time,� the crowd whooped and cheered. He mused about shorts from the 50s and 60s that hadn�t been on the big screen in a long time. As the trio suggested other titles, Roy concluded, �We could do this for the next ten years,� eliciting another round of applause from the appreciative crowd. Don Hahn closed the evening, �I have to say, you guys are an unbelievable audience. We are the front people for hundreds of great, great artists back at the studio, and on behalf of them, Dave, Roy and myself, thank you to the festival and to all of you for coming tonight.� There was rousing applause as the event came to a satisfying end.
Related Links
- LP Lotion: Complete video and pictures of the panel discussion
- Newport Beach Film Festival Official Site
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-- Article, video and pictures by Doug Marsh
-- Posted May 16, 2008