Original Production Animation Cels of Napoleon and Lafayette from "The Aristocats," 1970

Original hand painted production animation cels of Napoleon and Lafayette from "The Aristocats," 1970, Walt Disney Studios; Each cel set on a lithographic background; Napoleon cel numbered 33 in ink lower right; Lafayette with hand painted right leg & paw cel; Size - Napoleon: 6 1/4 x 10", Image: 10 x 14"; Lafayette: 5 x 6", Image: 6 x 14 3/4"; Unframed

To purchase this cel or to visit the Art Gallery, CLICK HERE!

Disney’s The Aristocats (1970) holds a special place in the studio’s history as the final animated feature personally approved by Walt Disney before his passing in December 1966. Although Disney did not live to see its completion, the film was ultimately released to theaters by Buena Vista Distribution on December 11, 1970. The production reflects the elegance, warmth, and humor that characterized Disney animation during this era, blending refined visual design with memorable comic performances. The voice cast included Eva Gabor as Duchess, alongside Hermione Baddeley, Phil Harris, Dean Clark, Sterling Holloway, Scatman Crothers, and Roddy Maude-Roxby, all of whom helped give the film its distinctive charm.

Based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Rowe, the film centers on a family of pampered aristocratic cats living in Paris in 1910. Madame Adelaide Bonfamille, their wealthy and affectionate mistress, adores her beloved cats—Duchess and her three kittens, Toulouse, Berlioz, and Marie. In one of the film’s pivotal scenes, Madame informs her elderly lawyer, Georges Hautecourt, that she intends to leave her vast fortune—her mansion, jewels, investments, and treasured possessions—to the cats. Only after their passing is the remainder to go to her butler, Edgar Balthazar. Upon overhearing this shocking arrangement, Edgar becomes consumed with greed and panic, fearing that the cats may outlive him and prevent him from ever inheriting the estate.

Driven by this selfish ambition, Edgar devises a scheme to remove the cats from the picture entirely. He secretly places sleeping tablets in their evening milk, causing them to fall asleep. Once unconscious, he places them in a covered basket and transports them far into the French countryside on his motorcycle, abandoning them far from Paris. This sequence sets the adventure in motion, eventually leading to their encounter with the charismatic alley cat Thomas O’Malley, who helps guide them home.

This wonderful pair of animation cels comes from one of the film’s most delightful comedic interludes involving the two farm dogs, Napoleon and Lafayette. These characters were both animated by legendary Disney animator Frank Thomas, whose expressive character work brings their personalities vividly to life. Originally intended for only a single scene, the dogs proved so entertaining that the filmmakers expanded their role to include a second memorable sequence in which Edgar returns to retrieve his lost umbrella and bowler hat. Their scenes add a distinctly rural comic energy to the film and provide some of its most quotable dialogue.

In this scene, the proud and self-important bloodhound Napoleon listens intently and announces, “Lafayette! Lafayette! Listen.” The nervous and somewhat dim-witted basset hound Lafayette dismisses the sound, replying, “Oh, shucks, Napoleon. That ain't nothing but a little old cricket bug.” Napoleon, however, confidently insists, “It’s squeaky shoes approachin’.” When Lafayette protests that “cricket bugs don’t wear shoes,” Napoleon sharply responds, “Hush your mouth.” The humor lies in the contrast between Napoleon’s stern certainty and Lafayette’s anxious confusion, a classic comic pairing that Disney executes beautifully through voice acting and animation.

The cel itself wonderfully captures this dynamic. Napoleon is shown reclining with a commanding, almost suspicious expression, emphasizing his role as the self-appointed guardian of the farmyard. Below him, Lafayette’s eager, slightly bewildered face perfectly conveys his loyal yet comic subordinate role. Together, these characters became fan favorites, and their chemistry was so successful that voice actors Pat Buttram and George Lindsey would later reunite in Disney’s Robin Hood (1973) and The Rescuers (1977).

From an animation history perspective, this cel setup is a wonderful example of Disney’s character acting at its finest—subtle expressions, strong posing, and impeccable comedic timing that continue to make The Aristocats a beloved classic. A fantastic pair of Walt Disney cels perfect for any animation art collection!

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Original hand painted production animation cels of the Fellowship of the Rings: Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Boromir, and Legolas from "The Lord of the Rings," 1978

Original hand painted production animation cels of the Fellowship of the Rings: Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Boromir, and Legolas from "The Lord of the Rings," 1978, Ralph Bakshi; Signed Ralph Bakshi in ink lower right; Production numbers in ink lower cel edges; Set on a lithographic background; Size - The Fellowship: 3 x 8 1/2", Image 9 1/2 x 12 1/2"; Unframed.

To purchase this cel or to visit the Art Gallery, CLICK HERE!

 

Ralph Bakshi (b. 1938) is a producer, animator, writer, actor, and painter; but is most known as a director of independent and adult-oriented animated and live-action films. He began his career at Terrytoons cartoon studio as a cel polisher, was eventually promoted to animator, and then director. In 1967 he moved to the animation division of Paramount Pictures and a year later started his own studio, Bakshi Productions. The debut feature film from the new studio was Fritz the Cat (1972) which was the first animated film to receive a X rated from the Motion Picture Association of America; it would go on to become the most successful independent animated film of all time. Between 1972 and 2015 he would direct ten feature films (six of which he wrote); the most famous being: Wizards (1977), The Lord of the Rings (1978), American Pop (1981), Fire and Ice (1983), and Cool World (1992). Bakshi was also involved in numerous television projects as director, writer, producer, and animator including: Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, Cool and the Crazy, and the anthology series Spicy City.

Ralph Bakshi was very familiar with J.R.R. Tolkien's writing very early in his career and had made several attempts to produce The Lord of the Rings as an animated film before finally securing funding from producer Saul Zaentz; in collaboration with distributor United Artists. Bakshi's film The Lord of the Rings would be based on Tolkien's books The Fellowship of the Ring and the first half of The Two Towers. The story follows a group of hobbits, elves, men, dwarves, and a wizard who form a fellowship on their quest to destroy the One Ring (made by the Dark Lord Sauron) and ensure it's destruction in Mount Doom. The screenplay was written by Peter S. Beagle (based on an earlier draft by Chris Conkling). The film features the voice talents of William Squire, John Hurt, Michael Graham Cox, and Anthony Daniels; and it was one of the first animated films to be shown in the Dolby Stereo Sound System.

Publicity for The Lord of the Rings heralded it as "the first movie painting" which was created by "an entirely new technique of film making." This was accomplished through the extensive use of rotoscoping, a technique whereby scenes are first filmed in live-action but then later traced onto animation celluloids. The result is a blend between traditional cel painted animation and live action sequences.

"I was told that at Disney the actor was told to play it like a cartoon with all that exaggeration. In Lord of the Rings, I had the actors play it straight. The rotoscope in the past has been used in scenes and then exaggerated. The action becomes cartoony. The question then comes up that if you're not going to be cartoony, why animate?... It is the traditional method of rotoscoping but the approach is untraditional. It's a rotoscope realism unlike anything that's been seen. It really is a unique thing for animation. The number of characters moving in a scene is staggering. In The Lord of the Rings, you have hundreds of people in the scene. We have cels with a thousand people on them. It was so complex sometimes we'd only get one cel a week from an artist. It turned out that the simple shots were the ones that only had four people in them." — Ralph Bakshi

This is a wonderful animation cel setup depicting one of the most iconic moments from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship’s desperate retreat from the Watcher in the Water and their entrance into the Mines of Moria. What makes this piece especially compelling is that it captures all nine members of the Fellowship together in motion, which is relatively uncommon and highly desirable in production animation artwork.

The cel setup shows the Fellowship rushing from right to left into the dark interior of Moria. Emerging from the doorway behind them is the twisting tentacle of the Watcher in the Water, whose attack forces them inside the mountain. The group appears to be arranged in a visually readable procession, with the hobbits Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took leading near the left, while Gandalf follows centrally in his blue robes carrying his staff, serving as the visual anchor of the composition. Around him are Aragorn and Boromir clustered defensively with Gimli and Legolas running in the rear. This arrangement beautifully conveys the urgency of the moment, with the hobbits being hurried to safety while the warriors guard the group from the pursuing threat.

The background is exceptional and contributes enormously to the mood of the scene. The interior of Moria is rendered in Bakshi’s signature palette of cool blue-greens and shadowy purples, creating a sense of ancient mystery and dread. Particularly striking are the staircase on the left, which hints at the labyrinthine passages ahead, and the ominous stone face carving that lends the hall a sense of dwarven grandeur and antiquity. The threshold behind the Fellowship, framed by the twisting tentacles of the Watcher in the Water, intensifies the drama by marking the transition from the immediate danger outside to the deeper, unknown darkness within.

From a collector’s standpoint, this is an especially strong cel setup because it combines all nine members of the Fellowship, a major narrative moment, a monster element, and a complete background within a single composition. Group shots featuring the entire Fellowship are particularly prized in Bakshi production art because they bring together the full ensemble cast in a single storytelling image. More than just a cel setup, this piece functions as a dramatic tableau—almost like a theatrical poster frame for the Moria sequence—capturing both motion and atmosphere in one memorable moment. A fantastic piece of film history and a standout for any animation art collection!

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Original Production Animation Drawing of Cinderella and Prince Charming From "Cinderella," 1950

 

Original production animation drawing of Cinderella, Prince Charming, and Two Birds in graphite pencil from "Cinderella," 1950, Walt Disney Studios; Numbered 8 in pencil lower right; Size - Cinderella, Prince Charming, & Two Birds: 4 1/4 x 4 1/4", Sheet 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.

To purchase this drawing or to visit the Art Gallery, CLICK HERE!

The 1950 Walt Disney feature film Cinderella was based on the French version of the fairy tale written by Charles Perrault in 1698. Released during a crucial rebuilding period for the studio, the film became Disney’s second great Princess feature, following the groundbreaking success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Over time, Cinderella has come to occupy a central position in the pantheon of Disney Princesses—perhaps because she stands apart from the others as the only Princess who does not begin her story with noble blood, yet ultimately ascends to royalty through kindness, perseverance, and inner grace rather than lineage.

Cinderella herself was animated primarily by Marc Davis and Eric Larson, two of Disney’s legendary “Nine Old Men,” each of whom approached the character from a distinct artistic perspective. Davis emphasized elegance, refinement, and classic beauty, while Larson favored a simpler, more approachable demeanor. Rather than conflicting, these contrasting interpretations complemented one another, resulting in a heroine of greater emotional depth and complexity than her predecessor, Snow White. As with many Disney features of the era, live-action reference was employed to ensure believable human movement. Actress Helene Stanley performed the live-action reference for Cinderella, later returning to the studio to model for Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Anita Radcliffe in One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961).

Christopher Finch, in his seminal book The Art of Walt Disney, describes the studio’s reliance on live-action reference during this period:

“Disney insisted that all scenes involving human characters should be shot first in live-action to determine that they would work before the expensive business of animation was permitted to start. The animators did not like this way of working, feeling it detracted from their ability to create character. The animators understood the necessity for this approach and in retrospect acknowledged that Disney had handled things with considerable subtlety.”

The casting of Cinderella’s voice was equally meticulous. Approximately 400 women and girls auditioned for the role, but it ultimately went to Ilene Woods. At the time, Woods was working in radio and was unaware she was even being considered. Friends and colleagues Mack David and Jerry Livingston asked her to sing a song from Cinderella and secretly submitted the recording to Disney Studios. Upon hearing it, Walt Disney immediately recognized the perfect voice for both the spoken and sung character and personally reached out to Woods, securing one of the most iconic vocal performances in animation history.

Prince Charming was animated by Eric Larson, who later admitted—according to animator Andreas Deja—that he felt some embarrassment over what he perceived as stiffness in the Prince’s performance. Despite this self-criticism, the character became a template for Disney Princes for decades to follow. Prince Charming was voiced by William Phipps, whose audition so impressed the studio that Walt Disney himself offered him the role. Phipps enjoyed a prolific career in classic science fiction films and westerns across both cinema and television. Interestingly, while Phipps provided the speaking voice, the singing voice for Prince Charming—most notably in the duet “So This Is Love”—was supplied by Mike Douglas, later famed as the host of The Mike Douglas Show.

A lesser-known piece of trivia is that the Prince’s name is never revealed within the film itself, nor is he ever referred to as “Prince Charming.” That designation appeared later in merchandise and subsequent adaptations. Historically, Prince Charming holds several distinctions: he was the first Disney Prince to perform a duet with his love interest, the first to be featured in an on-screen wedding celebration, and the first to dance with his heroine immediately after meeting her.

The wedding scene at the conclusion of Disney’s Cinderella (1950) is brief, almost understated, yet it carries significant emotional and thematic weight. Rather than functioning as a lavish spectacle, the scene serves as a visual and narrative resolution to Cinderella’s journey, emphasizing fulfillment, justice, and transformation.

Visually, the wedding is presented as a storybook image brought to life. The setting—a grand castle bathed in light, with flags waving and bells ringing—recalls the opening of the film, which begins with a fairy-tale book. This circular structure reinforces the sense that Cinderella’s story has reached its destined ending. The animation favors clarity and elegance over excess: Cinderella’s gown is refined rather than ostentatious, and the color palette is soft and luminous, underscoring purity, hope, and calm after conflict.

Narratively, the wedding scene confirms Cinderella’s identity and worth. By the time the audience reaches this moment, the tension surrounding the glass slipper and her recognition as the Prince’s chosen bride has already been resolved. The wedding does not introduce new drama; instead, it affirms that Cinderella’s inner virtues—kindness, patience, and resilience—have been rewarded. Importantly, the film avoids portraying the marriage as a sudden reward alone; it is framed as the natural conclusion of a bond already established at the ball.

The scene also functions as moral closure. The absence of the stepmother and stepsisters from the wedding imagery subtly reinforces the film’s ethical framework: cruelty and envy are excluded from the final harmony. Meanwhile, the presence of familiar supporting characters—such as the mice—adds warmth and continuity, reminding viewers of the personal relationships that sustained Cinderella before her transformation.

From a broader Disney perspective, the wedding scene exemplifies the studio’s early approach to romance and fairy-tale endings. It is idealized and symbolic rather than realistic, prioritizing emotional satisfaction over detail. The emphasis is not on the institution of marriage itself, but on the promise of happiness and belonging after hardship. As such, the wedding operates less as a social ceremony and more as a visual metaphor for Cinderella’s complete liberation—from servitude, isolation, and despair—into a life of dignity and joy. In its simplicity, the wedding scene encapsulates the film’s central message: dreams, when paired with goodness and perseverance, can come true.

This is a rare and wonderful drawing of Cinderella and Prince Charming from "Cinderella," 1950 which occurs in the climatic wedding scene at the end of the film. Cinderella is wearing her wedding gown and her veil is being carried behind her by a pair of flying birds; as she is holding hands with Prince Charming descended the stairs of the castle after being wed. A fantastic piece of vintage Disney artwork that is perfect for any animation collection!

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Original Production Animation Cel of Cruella De Vil from "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," 1961

Original hand painted production animation cel of Cruella De Vil from "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," 1961, Walt Disney Studios; Set on a lithographic background; With original Art Corner Certificate sticker verso; Size - Cruella De Vil: 8" x 4 1/2", Image 11" x 10"; Unframed.

To purchase this cel or to visit the Art Gallery, CLICK HERE!

"Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil, if she doesn't scare you; no evil thing will." - Roger

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (commonly known as 101 Dalmatians) is a 1961 full-length animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Productions. Adapted from Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel of the same name, the film stars Rod Taylor as the voice of Pongo and Cate Bauer as Perdita, with Betty Lou Gerson delivering an unforgettable performance as the glamorous yet villainous Cruella de Vil. Beyond its enduring story and characters, the film is especially notable for its innovative and distinctive animation style, which marked a pivotal turning point in the history of Disney animation.

The stylistic shift seen in 101 Dalmatians was born largely out of necessity. Disney’s previous animated feature, Sleeping Beauty (1959), was extraordinarily expensive to produce and suffered a significant financial loss at the box office. During its production, Walt Disney reportedly confided to animator Eric Larson, “I don’t think we can continue, it’s too expensive.” Since animation was the foundation of the Disney studio, Walt was determined to find a way to keep producing animated features while dramatically reducing costs.

A crucial breakthrough came from animator and technical innovator Ub Iwerks, who had been experimenting with Xerox photography as a tool for animation. By 1959, Iwerks had successfully modified a Xerox camera to transfer animators’ original pencil drawings directly onto animation cels. This revolutionary process preserved the spontaneity, energy, and individuality of the pencil lines while eliminating the labor-intensive hand-inking stage, resulting in significant savings of both time and money. The limitation, however, was that the process produced a scratchy black outline and lacked the refined elegance of traditional inked cels. Rather than disguising this constraint, 101 Dalmatians embraced it, giving the film its bold, graphic, and modern aesthetic.

Among the film’s most enduring achievements is the creation of Cruella de Vil, who—alongside Maleficent—ranks among the most beloved and iconic Disney villains. Both characters were animated by the legendary Marc Davis, one of Disney’s famed “Nine Old Men.” Cruella originated in Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel, but it was Davis’s visual interpretation that cemented her place in popular culture. Drawing from Smith’s characterization, Davis, with storyman Bill Peet, radically transformed Cruella’s appearance: making her razor-thin, exaggerating her oversized fur coat, and heightening her angular, almost predatory silhouette. Her long cigarette holder was modeled on one Davis himself used, adding an air of decadent affectation.

Davis also drew inspiration from larger-than-life Hollywood personalities such as Tallulah Bankhead, Bette Davis, and Rosalind Russell. As Davis later explained, Cruella’s movement was designed to be consistently unsettling—“like someone you wouldn’t like.” He further noted that part of her behavior was inspired by “one woman I knew who was just a monster—she was tall and thin and talked constantly. You never knew what she was saying, but you couldn’t get a word in edgewise.”

Completing the character was the electrifying voice performance by Betty Lou Gerson. Having previously worked with Disney as the narrator for Cinderella (1950), Gerson delivered a career-defining performance as Cruella de Vil. Her shrill, imperious delivery—particularly the now-iconic exclamation, “Anita, darling!”—has become deeply ingrained in Disney pop culture and remains instantly recognizable decades later.

This animation cel captures Cruella de Vil at her most quintessential: she is full figure, her right arm raised in a dramatic wave, eyes wide open, a wicked grimace curling across her face. She wears her classic mink coat and holds her cigarette and holder delicately in her right hand, embodying both elegance and menace. It is a superb example of Disney villain animation and a striking representation of the bold Xerox-era style. An exceptional addition to any Disney Villains collection or serious animation art collection.

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