D23 Presents Destination D: 75 Years of Disney Animated Features - Day 1
Page 3 of 3
THE GREATEST DISNEY ANIMATION YOU NEVER SAW
As the afternoon wound down, producer Don Hahn and head of special projects Dave Bossert offered a light-hearted presentation of “The Greatest Disney Animation You Never Saw.” While some in the audience knew some of the pieces presented, it was quite a treat to see material that had, in many cases, not been seen since it was initially released.
The session began with “Back to Neverland,” which was a premiere attraction at the Disney-MGM Studios animation tour. In it, an avuncular Walter Cronkite led rising young comic Robin Williams through the animation process. Following this was the first of a series of very rare Disney-produced television commercials. A campaign spot for Eisenhower featured a catchy jingle and simple animation. Others seen throughout the presentation included Jiminy Cricket for American Motors, Alice in Wonderland for Jello, Roger Rabbit for Diet Coke, a 1990s spot for Mickey’s Magix cereal, as well as spots for Peter Pan Peanut Butter.
Following the first “commercial” of the afternoon, the Roger Rabbit short Tummy Trouble was shown. This was followed by another theme park piece, the pre-show for Cranium Command from the Wonders of Life pavilion at Epcot. Following another commercial, the crowd was treated to rare footage of Walt Disney performing the voice of Mickey, synchronized with the soundtrack of the short for which it was filmed.
After the Jello spot, an excised scene from Who Framed Roger rabbit was shown. In it, a nosy Eddie Valiant is taken from the Ink and Paint Club and given a “Tooneroo” in Toontown. This involved fitting him with a grotesque animated pig head, which he removes back in his office with turpentine and a brisk shower. The scene then led into his close encounter with Jessica Rabbit.
By far the oddest item of the afternoon was the original pitch for the Pomp and Circumstances section of Fantasia 2000. Charged with including the selection at the personal request of Michael Eisner, an elaborate procession was planned to feature virtually every character from the Disney film catalogue, with a special emphasis on the Princesses and their escorts. As they made their stately way to the center of a storybook setting, they were greeted by supporting characters, menaced (briefly) by the Disney villains, and then presented with their own “bundles of joy” by Doc Stork and his cohorts. As the music faded, Hahn observed that the Noah’s Ark sequence finally selected for the film was a great improvement.
After another commercial piece, a fascinating piece of video was shown, in which animator and director Eric Goldberg reconstructed a pitch for a past Disney project, Hiawatha. It was interesting to note how much of the material would eventually find its way into Pocahontas. The seminar finished with a crowd-pleasing selection, the complete Zip-a-dee-doo-da sequence from Song of the South.
ANIMATING THE DISNEY PARKS
Following a break, the final panel of the day commenced. Moderator Becky Cline welcomed Imagineers Tony Baxter, Tom Morris and Eddie Sotto for Animating the Disney Theme Parks. The group discussed the influence of Disney’s animated films on the theme parks, particularly through the participation of noted Disney animators.
Tony Baxter led off with an appreciation of Claude Coats. Recalling him as a mentor, Baxter illustrated his studio legacy with images of Pinocchio, Peter and the Wolf, and Alice in Wonderland. Coats’ background styling was put to work in creating the atmosphere of such classic theme park attractions as Rainbow Caverns, Primeval World, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion. Along the way he touched on his collaborative work with Mary Blair, and the famous “Rock Candy Mountain” that never made it into Disneyland.
Eddie Sotto presented an appreciation of Herb Ryman. Sotto referred to the artist as a great place maker. He also claimed that Ryman was his “Yoda.” He recalled that Ryman would amuse young designers by passing on one of Walt Disney’s sage pieces of advice: “Just make something everyone will like.” Ryman, of course, was the creator of the first “over all” map of Disneyland, a piece that drew on all his considerable talents.
Tom Morris cited an influential book, The Art of Animation by Bob Thomas. In it he learned of the great Disney animators, many of whom would go on to create the Disney theme parks. Among them were Marc Davis, Ken Anderson, X Atencio, and Ward Kimball. A special place was reserved for John Hench, a background artist and animator whose influence on the Disney theme parks spanned a longer period than any other. In addition, there was special mention of Hench’s creation of the “official” portraits of Mickey Mouse, so familiar to Disney fans. It was pointed out that while Mickey’s first portrait placed him in a corner of Walt’s office, his second was backed up with an early rendering of Epcot. And, in this way, the influence of Disney animation on the Disney theme parks was brought full circle.
AN EVENING WITH DICK VAN DYKE AND THE VANTASTIX
Following a generous dinner break, the first day ended on a high note with a stage presentation by Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix. The lively theater presentation consisted of mostly familiar tunes, sung in close harmony by Van Dyke’s quartet. As an unexpected surprise, Van Dyke’s wife joined the musical crew for several numbers.
SCREENING: WALT & EL GRUPO—THE DIRECTOR’S CUT
For those who hadn’t gotten enough of Disney animation for one day, following a short break there was an exclusive screening of a special director’s cut of Walt & El Grupo. The 2009 documentary traced the 1941 trip through Latin America taken by Walt Disney and a hand picked group of animators. This definitive version is not available on DVD.
Related Links
Discuss It
Discuss this article on the LaughingPlace.com Discussion Boards
-- Posted August 28, 2012
-- Text and Pictures by Doug Marsh