Ollie Johnston: A Celebration of Life - 8/19/2008 at the El Capitan Theatre
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Roy Disney appeared on the screen, along with Ollie and Mary Alice O�Connor, �the fairy godmother of Burbank.� In a black and white image, Ollie peered at a maquette of Pinocchio. As Kirkland was taking the photo, he recalled, Ollie talked to the small statue, saying, �Pinocchio, I haven�t spoken to you in a long time. Have you been a good boy?� The two of them cracked up when they noted that the base of the maquette still bore a label reading �Return to Model Department.�

Kirkland said that Pinocchio was the first film he saw. When he asked his mother how it was done, she simply replied, �Drawings.� Of his picture showing Ollie with a laptop computer with an image of Bambi, Kirkland recalled that he said, �My friend Frank animated this scene.�

Charcoal study of Frank Thomas by Ollie Johnston
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Numerous photos of Ollie�s early student drawings were included. Most were dated in the early 1930s. All showed a high level of artistry. At one point in those early years, Ollie was producing a painting a day. Among the many drawings was a charcoal identified as Master Sergeant Frank Thomas, serving as an animator at Fort Roach. �As a series of Dalmatian drawings filled the screen, Kirkland observed, �Almost to the end, Ollie loved to draw.�

The photos provided a chronicle of Ollie�s later years. Kirkland would explain what he was saying as some of the images were captured. Two, taken in his office, showed him clasping his hands to his heart, as he explained that an animator had to feel the character, and that it all came from the heart. Another showed him holding a color portrait of Walt Disney. Ollie said, �I loved the guy. Without him, none of this would have happened.�

There was a tender study of Ollie and Marie. As it filled the screen, Kirkland murmured, �Magic to the end of their lives.� There was also a photo of Ollie in the Oval Office, receiving his National Medal of Art.

During a visit with Howard Green and John Lasseter, Kirkland captured a series that showed Ollie dozing off on Lasseter�s shoulder. On Kirkland�s final visit, Ollie told him, �I�ve been lucky.� Kirkland replied, �Why do you think that is?� �Because,� Ollie said, �I�ve been honest.�

The final speaker for the night was John Lasseter. He spoke of the photos that had just been shown, mentioning that it was the last time he had seen Ollie Johnston. He remembered how Ollie had slowly leaned over, fallen asleep, then, after about ten minutes, stirred, woke up and looked around. Lasseter smiled and said, �Hi Ollie. It�s John Lasseter.� Ollie replied, �Yes, you are.� Lasseter grinned as he said, �It was great.�

A visit with John Lasseter�
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�turns into a brief nap
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Lasseter spoke of his generation of animators, saying, �We were lucky, but we didn�t know it.� Because the Nine Old Men could do it all, Disney didn�t hire new animators in the 60s and through to the 70s. But then came the realization that there would be no one to carry on after they were gone. In 1975, Eric Larsen began a training program. Lasseter spoke warmly of the great teachers who came out of retirement to share their skills. Eager young artists studied and studied Disney�s classic films. They were also excited about new Hollywood films, films like Star Wars. When they arrived at Disney, they were not always embraced by the studio, but they were all embraced by the Nine Old Men.

When Lasseter arrived at the studio in 1975, it was to work on The Fox and the Hound. He was close to the other new guys, but also drew close to Ollie. He would show him his drawings for Ollie�s advice and encouragement. Mentorship took place, Lasseter recalled, in the room where Frank and Ollie were working on their book. In this sanctuary there were no studio politics, just teaching and learning the principles of animation. �Animation as we know it today owes a great debt of gratitude to Frank and Ollie because of that book,� he concluded.

Although Lasseter would become involved with the new field of computer animation after leaving Disney, he still stayed in touch with Frank and Ollie. Eventually, he invited them up to see the work he was doing. When the pair arrived at LucasFilm, they came in like gods. At the time, the tools used to create computer animation were so specialized that they were kept in a separate room. Frank and Ollie were led in to view the work stations, and shown how to use the tablets to draw. As he watched his line drawings appear on the screen, Ollie exclaimed, �I wish I was young again.� Lasseter was assured that they saw the potential in what they were doing, and embraced the new technology.

As the first traditionally trained animator to work with computers, Lasseter understood it wasn�t about technology, but about character and story. He applied these basic principles to the short film The Adventures of Andre and Wally B. After it was shown to great positive reaction, someone asked Lasseter what software program was used to make it so funny.

When the technology was sufficiently advanced, Lasseter called Frank and Ollie to ask them to give lectures in animation. He also asked if their book, The Illusion of Life, could be used as a textbook. They readily agreed.

At an early conference on new technologies, a question was raised: Would computer animation ever approach the level of the classic Disney films? The answer that was given was that this would be true when it could portray pathos. After finishing Red�s Dream, Lasseter invited Frank and Ollie to a screening. Afterward, they came to him and said, �That was the first computer animation that we�ve seen with pathos.� It was a deeply meaningful moment for Lasseter. He added, �Their mentorship continues to this day at Pixar and at Disney.�

Lasseter then admitted that he caught his train enthusiast bug from Ollie. He loved Ollie�s model trains, and had a very memorable visit to the Deer Lake Park and Julian, where Ollie operated his Marie E. narrow gauge engine. As part of that wonderful day, Ollie let Lasseter run the engine.

Years later, after participating in Diane Disney Miller�s documentary film about her dad, Lasseter met up with Ollie at the premiere. During their conversation, Lasseter asked how the Marie E. was doing. Ollie replied, �I had to sell the property. I�m too old.� He was most saddened to relate that the new owners had no interest in running the train, and it would likely just sit. Lasseter, knowing he had just bought property in Sonoma, looked over at his wife. She nodded. (A nod she regrets to this day, Lasseter joked.) �Ollie,� he asked, �Do you think this guy would want to sell the train?� Ollie eagerly replied that it would be great if he could buy it. And so, Lasseter found himself the owner of Ollie Johnston�s beloved Marie E.