Original Production Animation Cel of Marie from "The Aristocats," 1970

Original hand painted production animation cel of Marie from "The Aristocats," 1970; Walt Disney Studios; Numbered 57 in ink lower right; Set over a lithographic background; Size - Marie: 4 x 4 1/2", Image: 10 3/4 x 12 1/4"; Unframed.

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"Now, dear, you go to the piano... run along... both of you." - Duchess

"The Aristocats," 1970 is an animated feature film produced and released by Walt Disney Productions.  This was the last film project to be approved by Walt Disney himself, as he died in late 1966, before the film was finally released to theaters by Buena Vista Distribution on December 11, 1970. "The Aristocats" featured the voice talent of Eva Gabor, Hermione Baddeley, Phil Harris, Dean Clark, Sterling Holloway, Scatman Crothers, and Roddy Maude-Roxby.

The film is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Rowe, and centers around a family of aristocratic cats. After the mistress's butler kidnaps them (to gain his mistress' fortune which was intended to go to the cats) an unlikely alley cat acquaintance helps them escape and be returned to their home.

Original production animation cel of Marie without the background.

Duchess is a long-haired purebred white Turkish Angora cat with blue eyes (shining like sapphires) and wearing a gold and jeweled collar that is studded with diamonds. She is the mother of three kittens; Marie, Berlioz, and Toulouse and her owner is the aristocratic Madame Adelaide Bonfamille. Duchess was voiced by Eva Gabor who was a Hungarian-born American socialite and actress. Robie Lester who was an American Grammy-nominated voice artist and singer, provided the singing voice for Duchess.

According to veteran Walt Disney animator Andreas Deja:
"Duchess was animated by quite a few artists, I would say that Ollie Johnston did some of the nicest scenes, educating the kittens etc.. Frank Thomas came up with good acting scenes as well, when Duchess meets O'Malley for the first time, and when she says goodbye to him at the end of the movie. Milt Kahl set her basic design based on Ken Anderson's drawings."

Close up of the original production animation cel of Marie.

Marie is a slender white Turkish Angora kitten, and the only female of Duchess's three kittens. She is a hopeless romantic and daydreamer, with her two most famous lines in the film being "Ladies do not start fights, but they can finish them!" and "How romantic!" Marie frequently is seen lost in her daydreams and tends to sigh often and deeply. Unfortunately she is somewhat danger-prone, as she is consistently in harm's way throughout the film; including a perilous fall off of a railway bridge and into a stream. Marie was wonderfully voiced by Liz English.

Close up of the production number. 

This is a large and wonderful image of Marie. She is from the scene just before Edgar delivers warm milk that he had laced with sleeping tablets to Duchess and her kittens. Duchess sends Marie and Berlioz to practice their "scales and arpeggios." Duchess says, "Now, dear, you go to the piano... run along... both of you." Marie, with her head tilted back and nose in the air, prances haughtily in front of her brother to the piano. Just a beautiful original production animation cel of Marie, perfect for animation animation art collection!

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