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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Original Production Drawing of Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice from "Fantasia," 1940


Original production animation drawing of Mickey Mouse in green and graphite pencil, production numbers lower left and numbered C69 lower right, and used during the production of the "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" sequence of "Fantasia," 1940, Walt Disney Studios; Very minor paper loss to left edge; Size - Mickey Mouse: 3 3/4 x 2 3/4", Sheet 10 x 12"; Unframed.


"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" was initially going to be a "Silly Symphonies" short and be a venue for a comeback role for Mickey Mouse, who had declined in popularity. However, it was eventually included in the full length feature film "Fantasia," in 1940. The Disney version of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is based on the 1797 poem by Goethe of the same name. Mickey Mouse takes the role of the apprentice and the only real change from the original poem occurs when the Sorcerer is stern and angry with the apprentice after he saves him from a spell gone horribly wrong.


Close up of the Mickey Mouse drawing.

In 1935 a young animator, born in Los Angeles, named Fred Moore gave Mickey his first makeover. Earlier animators had drawn the mouse as a series of circles, which limited his movement. Moore gave him a pear-shaped body, pupils, white gloves, and a shortened nose; all of which added to make the World's most famous mouse a lot cuter. Moore animated Mickey Mouse for the 1938 short "The Brave Little Tailor," which was to be the last significant appearance of the "pie-eyed" Mickey. For "Fantasia," 1940 the "pie-eyes" were gone and Moore's complete transformation of Mickey Mouse for the film continues to be his official look up to this day.


Close up of the production stamp.


Close up of the production number.

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice," is perhaps Mickey Mouse's most well known role (despite the fact that he never utters a single word), and as such it was the only 1940 segment that was added to the later film "Fantasia, 2000." Original production drawings and cels of the character are extremely rare and highly collected and this drawing is a wonderful eyes open image of the character. This drawing is from the scene when Yen Sid comes down the stairs and sees that the room below is filled with water. Mickey had created a spell, using Yen Sid's magical hat, that had caused the brooms to animate, filling pails with water, and quickly flooding the room. Yen Sid waves his hands, breaks the spell, and causes the water to vanish. Mickey, worried about the Sorcerer's reaction to his almost disaster, timidly returns the hat, the broom, and picks up two buckets to begin again to carry water. This drawing was used just has Yen Sid takes the broom from Mickey.

To view the scene which this drawing was used to create, click on the short video below:

Monday, June 29, 2015

Original Production Drawings In Graphite and Colored Pencils of Captain Hook from "Peter Pan," 1953


Original production drawing of Captain Hook in red, pink, teal, blue, and graphite pencils from "Peter Pan," 1953; Numbered 39 in pencil lower right; Size - Captain Hook 9 1/4 x 6 1/2", Sheet 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.


"That cursed Peter Pan. Making a fool out of me. Oh! My head!” - Captain Hook.

Captain James Bartholomew Hook was animated by legendary Frank Thomas and voiced by Hans Conried. Conried was also the voice of George Darling, which is consistent with the roles of "Peter Pan" for the stage. I remember seeing Conried acting on "I Love Lucy" where he played an English tutor as well as playing the character Wrongway Feldman on "Gilligan's Island." His voice was so distinctive and so memorable that he was perfect for the role of Captain Hook; as he had a wonderful way of conveying both the rough gruff pirate role as well and the sly calculating villain. 


Close up of the Captain Hook production drawing.


Close up of the production number.

Frank Thomas's first sketches of Captain Hook were much more menacing than the final product. Walt Disney felt the character was going to be too frightening for children and so Thomas toned down his drawings. The result is a wonderful character with comic overtones, and is one of the most favorite male villains in the Disney film world. Also of note is that Captain Hook has also made more appearances in visual media than any of the Disney film Villains combined!


Original production drawing of Captain Hook in red, pink, teal, blue, and graphite pencils from "Peter Pan," 1953; Numbered 25 in pencil lower right with animation ladder center right; Size - Captain Hook 9 1/4 x 5 1/2", Sheet 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.



Close up of the Captain Hook production drawing.


Close up of the animation ladder and the production number.

After battling Peter Pan at Skull Rock, Captain Hook loses the fight and his chased off by the crocodile Tic Toc. Hook ends up back on the "Jolly Roger," with a hot water bottle on his head, his feet in a warm bath tub, and a blanket around his body. He says, "That cursed Peter Pan. Making a fool out of me. Oh! My head!” This pair of drawings is from that scene and they are extremely detailed. Both show Hook with his eyes and mouth open, are very large being over nine inches in height, and are completed in graphite with colored pencil shading and highlights.

To view the scene which these drawings were used to create, click on the short video below:

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Original Production Drawing of the Blue Fairy from "Pinocchio," 1940


Original production drawing in graphite pencil of the Blue Fairy from "Pinocchio," 1940; On watermarked five peg hole paper and stamped with production numbers lower right; Numbered 27 in pencil lower right; Size - Blue Fairy 8 x 3 3/4", Sheet: 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.


    “As I live and breathe... A fairy!” 
    ―Jiminy Cricket upon witnessing the Blue Fairy for the first time

In a story meeting for the upcoming film "Pinocchio" on January 12, 1939, Walt Disney stated that the Blue Fairy was to "give the appearance of loveliness... (but not look like) a glamour girl." The early model sheets and preliminary sketches reflect this idea, depicting the character as an ethereal beauty with swirling, billowing clothes and loose, unkempt hair (to reflect the fact that the fairy has literally flown into the scene). At some point in development, the design was changed to a less ethereal figure with human proportions. This final version of the character, with her glittery dress, solid hair, and more human proportions, suggested the inspiration of Jean Harlow (the American actress and sex symbol of the 1930's who was dubbed the "Blond Bombshell") and thus ultimately resembling the 'glamour girl' Walt Disney had initially tried to avoid. However, Disney seemed pleased with this version of the character, whose newly-found sexual allure worked on both Jiminy Cricket and the male animators working on the film, who reportedly whistled on first seeing a color test of the Blue Fairy. 


Close up of the Blue Fairy drawing.

Jack Campbell's animation of the Blue Fairy closely followed live-action footage of Marge Champion (who was also the performance model for Snow White) under the direction of Hamilton Luske. The Blue Fairy, was the only female character (besides Cleo the fish) in the film "Pinocchio" and was voiced by Evelyn Venable, an American actress. Evelyn was also the model for the first ever Columbia Pictures Torch Lady.

Oskar Fischinger, a famous abstract filmmaker from Germany, who had been hired by Disney primarily to help with "Fantasia's" opening sequence of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. The segment consisted of live-action of the orchestra playing the piece, illuminated by abstract light patterns set in time to the music and backed by stylized and superimposed shadows. Fischinger went on to be responsible for animation of the Blue Fairy's magic, including the effects surrounding her when she first enters Geppetto's workshop and the beams of light eminating from the Blue Fairy's wand. 


Close up of the production, sequence, and scene number stamp as well as the individual sheet pencil production number.

This drawing is an absolute perfect image of the Blue Fairy. Her mouth and both eyes are open, her pair of wings are visible, as is her wand (with a little bit of shading for the magic around the star). In addition, her flowing gown is drawn beautifully tied at the waist by a sash.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Original Production Drawing of Chernabog with Matching Fog Effects from the "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence of "Fantasia," 1940


Original production animation drawing of Chernabog in blue, red, purple, and graphite pencil, numbered 57 lower right together with the matching fog effects drawing in blue, red, and graphite pencil, numbered c-57; Both used during the production of the "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence of "Fantasia," 1940; Size - Chernabog: 11 1/2 x 8", Fog effects: 8 1/2 x 10 1/4", Both sheets 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.


In 1940 Walt Disney took a huge risk with his third full length feature film "Fantasia." The film consisted of eight animated segments each set to the soundtrack of a different classical music piece, but with no dialog. The soundtrack was recorded using multiple audio channels and reproduced with, what Disney called Fantasound; a pioneering sound reproduction system that made "Fantasia" the first commercial film shown in stereophonic sound. The development of Fantasound led to what is now known as surround sound. This drawing set for sale is from the famed, "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence.


Chernabog production drawing showing the full sheet.


Close up of the original production drawing of Chernabog.

From Disneyvillains.wikia:
"The idea for Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria's Devil was conceived by German artist Heinrich Kley who once sketched a pen and ink drawing of a gigantic demon forcing workers out of a factory by blocking the chimney. Albert Hurter, inspired by this drawing and others like it by Kley, drew various sketches of a huge, winged devil tossing handfuls of souls into a volcano. Hurter's sketches also included studies of Chernabog's hands as his flailing minions attempt to clamber onto his fingers for safety; this imagery is used in a scene in the final film. After Hurter's initial sketches, Kay Nielsen established the final appearance of Chernabog and his world in a series of detailled pastel illustrations, as well as a model sheet for the character. Chernabog was then created as a real model, to be used as reference by (animator Vladimir) Tytla during animation. For live-action reference, Wilfred Jackson, the director of Night on Bald Mountain, shot footage of actor Bela Lugosi (famous for his portrayal of Universal's Dracula), to be studied by Tytla. However, Tytla was not satisfied with Lugosi's performance, finding it not to be the way he felt the character would move. As a result, after Lugosi left, Tytla shot live-action footage of Jackson (a skinny man), directing his movements according to his intentions for the character. Jackson later recalled that his hands were also filmed in close-up as reference for Chernabog's hands as he manipulated the flames."


Close up of the production number for the Chernabog drawing.

Tytla would also draw in total darkness, except for the fluorescent light under his animator's light box which lit his face in a spooky and shadowy way. The great Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston have said, "No one but Tytla could have given Chernabog the odious, predominantly animal mentality which made him so fearsome." In his 1983 book "Walt Disney's Fantasia," author John Culhane wrote of Night on Bald Mountain: "The great strength of this segment is that its personification of evil in Vladimir Tytla's animation of Chernabog, the Black God or Satan, was and remains today the highest point yet achieved in the art of animation." Chernabog has always been included in the pantheon of great Disney villains. He is the best representation of pure evil; and most agree the he is also animator Vladimir Tytla's greatest triumph!


Matching Fog Effects production drawing showing the full sheet.


Close up of the original production drawing of the Fog Effects.

This pair of drawings is truly exception! Chernabog is boldly drawn with both arms visible and he is peering down in front of him with both of his large wings seen behind him. Both of his eyes are open, his horns and even his fingernails are wonderfully drawn. Also included is the matching fog effects drawing which has the partial outline of Chernabog drawn onto sheet, in order to show exactly how the fog will envelope him. A wonderful matched pair of drawings, very rare for this character.


Close up of the production number for the Fog Effects drawing.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Original Production Cel of Dumbo the Flying Elephant from "Dumbo," 1941


Original hand painted and hand inked production cel of Dumbo over a Courvoisier air brush background from "Dumbo," 1941; WDP stamp lower right; Size - 7 x 7 1/2", Image 4 x 3 1/4"; Unframed.


“Dumbo, the 9th wonder of the 'univoise'! The 'woild's' only flying elephant!”
―Timothy Q. Mouse

The Walt Disney full length feature film "Dumbo," released in 1940, introduced to the world one of the greatest characters in the Disney pantheon, Dumbo the flying elephant! Dumbo was the only character in the film who never uttered a single word, and yet he is one of the most remembered Disney stars. All of his feelings were conveyed through body movements and facial expressions. The extraordinary animation skill needed in order to do this with a human, but in this case a baby elephant, can not be underestimated.

The Disney Studio animation artists were still fairly new to feature animation, having only started in 1937 with "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The film prior to "Dumbo" was "Fantasia," with one of the most successful sequences being "Night on Bald Mountain." Here again, the main character Chernabog, a huge winged devil, sitting on top of a mountain, commanding the undead below, and never uttering a single word; made a huge impression on the viewing public.


Close up of the Dumbo production cel.

The Disney animator Vladimir "Bill" Tytla created the devil-giant for "Fantasia's" "Night on Bald Mountain," and for the next film he was given the task of animated the film's star, Dumbo. He said:  

"I gave him everything I thought he should have," said Tytla. "It just happened. I don't know a damn thing about elephants. It wasn't that. I was thinking in terms of humans, and I saw a chance to do a chracter without using any cheap theatrics. Most of the expressions and mannerisms I got from my own kid. There's nothing theatrical about a two-year-old kid. They're real and sincere- like when they damn near wet their pants from excitement when you come home at night. I've bawled my kid out for pestering me when I'm reading or something, and he doesn't know what to make of it. He'll just stand there and maybe grab my hand and cry... I tried to put all those things in Dumbo."


Close up of the Courvoisier (WDP - Walt Disney Production) stamp, lower right.

This is an exception cel of Dumbo from the point in the film when he is the most happy! It is seen in the very end of the film; Dumbo is flying, wearing his googles, with the crows following behind him. He hoovers in the air and then slowly lands on his mother's trunk, who is located on the back of caboose at the end of the Casey Jr. train.

To view the scene which this cel was used to create, click on the short video below:


Thursday, June 25, 2015

Original Production Drawing of Sunflower the Centaurette from "The Pastoral Symphony" segment of "Fantasia," 1940


Original production animation drawing of Sunflower The Centaurette in red and graphite pencil, production numbers lower left and numbered 11 lower right; and used during the production of the "The Pastoral Symphony" sequence of "Fantasia," 1940, Walt Disney Studios; Size - Sunflower: 6 x 5 1/2", Sheet 10 x 12"; Unframed.


"The Pastoral Symphony" segment from Walt Disney's full length feature film "Fantasia," 1940 uses the 6th symphony in F, Op.68 by Ludwig van Beethoven as it's soundtrack. The symphony that Beethoven named "The Pastoral," is said to be one of the few pieces of music he ever wrote that tells a definite story. Beethoven was a great nature lover, and with this symphony he paints a musical picture of a day in the countryside. However, Walt Disney has taken Beethoven's musical score and set it as a backdrop to a fantastical mythological environment.

Disney's "The Pastoral Symphony" segment of "Fantasia" utilized expert color styling in order to depict a mythical ancient Greek world of centaurs, pegasi, the Gods of Mount Olympus, fauns, cupids, and other legendary creatures of classical mythology. The segment, directed by Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, and Ford Beebe; tells the story of mythological creatures gathering for a festival to honor Bacchus, the God of wine.


Close up of the Sunflower Centaurette drawing.

In the prelude to the Bacchus festival, centaurs and centaurettes begin to congregate. The centaurettes spend time bathing and grooming and are always serenaded and tended to by musical instrument carrying cupids. Soon a herd of centaurs arrive onto the scene. After a while the centaurs and centaurettes begin to pair off, and each pair moves away from the others to share a moment alone. They delight in a stolen kiss, dip their hooves into the slow running stream, lay on the grass, or play on a tree swing. Eventually they, along with the other creatures, walk towards a nearby temple.


Close up of the production numbers stamp.

Fred Moore, one of Walt Disney's most brilliant animators, supervised the animation of this scene. This is a extremely rare original production drawing of Sunflower. Sunflower was animated as part of the centaur/centaurette sequence of "The Pastoral Symphony" segment. The hair styles of Sunflower changed with each of her separate appearances throughout the segment. She is first seen shining the hooves of one the Centaurettes and then scrubbing it with a cattail (in this her first appearance she has four braids with four ribbons in her hair). Next, she is seen putting flowers on another Centaurette's tail, which whacks her in the face and the flowers fall off; and she starts putting the flowers back on, after the other Centaurettes look through a tree at the Centaurs (this is her second appearance and she has two braids with two ribbons as well as a large sunflower on her head). She is next seen following another Centaurette while holding a flower bridle that the Centaurette is wearing (her third and final appearance she has two braids with two small sunflowers on them).


Close up of the individual production number.

Although Sunflower appeared in the original release of "Fantasia" and in several re-releases, all scenes with her have been removed from the film for all releases of the film since 1968; due to her being a racial stereotype. The facial features, hair styling, she appears to be half donkey rather than horse, and her subservient role to the other Centaurettes all contribute to this conclusion. This is a very rare drawing of Sunflower as she places flowers into the tail of another Centaurette. Both eyes are open, she is wearing a sunflower in her hair, and she is full figure.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Original Production Drawing of a Centaurette from "The Pastoral Symphony," sequence of "Fantasia," 1940


Original production animation drawing of a Centaurette in red, green, and graphite pencil numbered C67 lower right; and used during the production of the "The Pastoral Symphony" sequence of "Fantasia," 1940, Walt Disney Studios; Size - Centaurette: 6 x 4", Sheet 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.


"The Pastoral Symphony" segment from Walt Disney's full length feature film "Fantasia," 1940 uses the 6th symphony in F, Op.68 by Ludwig van Beethoven as it's soundtrack. The symphony that Beethoven named "The Pastoral," is said to be one of the few pieces of music he ever wrote that tells a definite story. Beethoven was a great nature lover, and with this symphony he paints a musical picture of a day in the countryside. However, Walt Disney has taken Beethoven's musical score and set it as a backdrop to a fantastical mythological environment.


Close up of the Centaurette.

Disney's "The Pastoral Symphony" segment of "Fantasia" utilized expert color styling in order to depict a mythical ancient Greek world of centaurs, pegasi, the Gods of Mount Olympus, fauns, cupids, and other legendary creatures of classical mythology. The segment, directed by Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, and Ford Beebe; tells the story of mythological creatures gathering for a festival to honor Bacchus, the God of wine.

In the prelude to the Bacchus festival, centaurs and centaurettes begin to congregate. The centaurettes spend time bathing and grooming and are always serenaded and tended to by musical instrument carrying cupids. Soon a herd of centaurs arrive onto the scene. After a while the centaurs and centaurettes begin to pair off, and each pair moves away from the others to share a moment alone. They delight in a stolen kiss, dip their hooves into the slow running stream, lay on the grass, or play on a tree swing. Eventually they, along with the other creatures, walk towards a nearby temple.

Fred Moore, one of Walt Disney's most brilliant animators, supervised the animation of this scene. In this wonderful original production drawing of a Centaurette, she is standing full figure with her head tilted, eyes close, and her hands are behind her back. She has bows in her hair and strung flowers around her chest and waist.


Close up of the production number.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Original Production Drawing of Brudus the Centaur from "The Pastoral Symphony" segement of "Fantasia," 1940


Original production animation drawing of Brudus The Centaur in red, green, and graphite pencil numbered 46 lower right, and used during the production of the "The Pastoral Symphony" sequence of "Fantasia," 1940, Walt Disney Studios; Size - Brudus: 7 1/2 x 9", Sheet 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.


"The Pastoral Symphony" segment from Walt Disney's full length feature film "Fantasia," 1940 uses the 6th symphony in F, Op.68 by Ludwig van Beethoven as it's soundtrack. The symphony that Beethoven named "The Pastoral," is said to be one of the few pieces of music he ever wrote that tells a definite story. Beethoven was a great nature lover, and with this symphony he paints a musical picture of a day in the countryside. However, Walt Disney has taken Beethoven's musical score and set it as a backdrop to a fantastical mythological environment.


Close up of the Brudus the Centaur drawing.

Disney's "The Pastoral Symphony" segment of "Fantasia" utilized expert color styling in order to depict a mythical ancient Greek world of centaurs, pegasi, the Gods of Mount Olympus, fauns, cupids, and other legendary creatures of classical mythology. The segment, directed by Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, and Ford Beebe; tells the story of mythological creatures gathering for a festival to honor Bacchus, the God of wine.

In the prelude to the Bacchus festival, centaurs and centaurettes begin to congregate. The centaurettes spend time bathing and grooming before the appearance of the centaurs. After a while the centaurs and centaurettes begin to pair off, including the very beautiful Melinda (a blue with blonde haired centaurette with flowers in her tail) and Brudus (a purple and blue centaur with black hair). They are also serenaded by musical instrument carrying cupids, and are soon drawn to one another. Brudus kisses Melinda and they, along with the other creatures, walk hand in hand towards a nearby temple.

Fred Moore, one of Walt Disney's most brilliant animators, supervised the animation of this scene. In this wonderful original production drawing of Brudus, he is standing full figure with his eyes and mouth open and his arms outstretched.