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Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Original Production Animation Drawing of Brudus The Centaur From "The Pastoral Symphony" sequence of "Fantasia," 1940


Original production animation drawing of Brudus The Centaur in red, green, and graphite pencils numbered 92 lower right, and used during the production of "The Pastoral Symphony" sequence of "Fantasia," 1940, Walt Disney Studios; Size - Brudus: 7 1/2 x 5", Sheet 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.

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

"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. 


Close up of the production number.

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 mouth open and his left arm outstretched and gesturing. This is a large and detailed drawing of Brutus, who is one of the main characters from this Fantasia segment. An important and beautiful drawing, that is perfect for any animation art collection!

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Original Production Animation Drawing of Melinda The Centaurette From "The Pastoral Symphony" sequence of "Fantasia," 1940


Original production animation drawing of Melinda The Centaurette in red, green, and graphite pencils, production numbers lower left and numbered C-71 lower right; and used during the production of "The Pastoral Symphony" sequence of "Fantasia," 1940, Walt Disney Studios; Size - Melinda: 6 1/2 x 4", Sheet 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.

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

"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 Melinda The Centaurette production 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 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 number.

Fred Moore, one of Walt Disney's most brilliant animators, supervised the animation of this scene. In this wonderful original production drawing of Melinda The Centaurette, drawn with graphite as well as red and green pencils, she is standing full figure with her head tilted down, eyes closed, and her arms are folded behind her. She has bows in her hair and strung flowers around her chest and waist. This is a large and detailed drawing of Melinda, who is one of the main characters from this Fantasia segment. An important and beautiful drawing, that is perfect for any animation art collection!

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Original Production Animation Drawing of Nubian The Centaurette From "The Pastoral Symphony" sequence of "Fantasia," 1940


 Original production animation drawing of Nubian The Centaurette in green and graphite pencils, production numbers lower left and numbered A-6 lower right; and used during the production of "The Pastoral Symphony" sequence of "Fantasia," 1940, Walt Disney Studios; Size - Nubian: 6 3/4 x 4", Sheet 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.

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

"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 Nubian The Centaurette production 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 stamp.


Close up of the production number.

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 Nubian The Centaurette. A pair of Nubians (one carrying a jug of wine and the other carrying a fan) appear on either side of Bacchus (The God of Wine) as he enters the wine festival while riding on a small black Unicorn. Drawings of the Nubian Centaurettes are very rare. Their composition of half African female and half Zebra have resulted in their being seen as racial stereotypes; and Disney has censored their scenes for all "Fantasia" re-releases.

This is a full figure, eyes open, and large drawing of the Nubian. She is carrying a fan attached to a long pole and is accomplished in graphite and green pencils. An exceptionally detailed and rare drawing from the Walt Disney masterpiece of 1940, "Fantasia." An great and important piece of animation art history, perfect for any collection!

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Sunday, September 24, 2017

Original Production Animation Cel of Michael Darling from "Peter Pan," 1953


Original hand inked and hand painted production animation cel of Michael Darling from "Peter Pan," 1953, Walt Disney Studios; Set over a lithographic background; Size - Michael Darling: 5 1/2 x 5", Image 8 x 8 1/4"; Unframed.

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

Peter Pan: (CHUCKLING) "Well, all right, but you gotta take orders."
John: "Aye, aye, sir."
Michael: "Me Too." 
 
The author J. M. Barrie first used Peter Pan as a character in a section of the adult novel "The Little White Bird" in 1902. He returned to that character with his stage play entitled "Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up," which premiered in London on December 27, 1904. The play ran until 1913, and it was later adapted by Walt Disney for the animated feature film entitled, "Peter Pan," in 1953.

Milt Kahl was not very excited about his assignment for "Peter Pan." He had to animate both Peter Pan and Wendy Darling; two characters that had to be handled like real human beings and therefore would be a great challenge. “Peter was interesting in that you had to make him fly but after that was over he became a chore,” said Kahl. "Peter Pan's" supervising animator, Ron Clements, remembered that for years Milt Kahl resented the fact that animator Frank Thomas was assigned the character of Captain Hook instead of him. It is interesting to note that Peter Pan is one of the most interesting male protagonists of the early Walt Disney films because he is very heroic, opinionated, and has a zeal for life. Kahl’s animation of him totally embraces those characteristics as well as his great grace, expert timing, all combined with a very appealing artistic design.

Bobby Driscoll was the first actor Walt Disney ever put under contract, and was cast to play the lead character in the 1946 film "Song of the South." The film would introduce live action into an extensive animation based film. The film was very successful and turned Driscoll, and his co-star Luana Patten, into overnight child stars! The pair were even discussed for a special Academy Award as the best child actors of the year. Driscoll went on to appear in a large number of specials and to star in some of The Walt Disney Company's most popular live-action pictures of that period, such as "So Dear to My Heart" in 1948, and in the role of Jim Hawkins in "Treasure Island" in 1950. This last role earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1953, he served as animation model and provided the voice for the title role in "Peter Pan," Driscoll's last major success. Driscoll was cast opposite Disney's "Little British Lady" Kathryn Beaumont, who was in the role of Wendy Darling.

Michael Darling is the youngest of the three Darling children and the brother of Wendy and John. Both Michael and John, having been told by Wendy, believe that Peter Pan is a real person; and they both act out make-believe battles between Peter Pan and his villain Captain Hook in the Darling nursery.

Michael was animated by master Walt Disney artist, Ward Kimball. The voice of Michael was provided by Walt Disney director Hamilton Luske's young son, Tommy. Tommy also provided the voice for a young pansy flower in "Alice In Wonderland." This cel occurs when Peter Pan offers to take Wendy to Never Land, but she wants Peter to take John and Michael as well. The dialog for the scene is below:

Peter Pan: "Well, come on, Wendy. Let's go."
Michael: "Where are we going?"
Wendy: "To Never Land."
Michael: "Never Land!"
Wendy: "Peter's taking us."
Peter Pan: "Us?"
Wendy: "Of course, I-I couldn't go without Michale and John."
John: "Oh, I should like very much to cross swords with some real buccaneers."
Michael: "Yes and fight pirates too."
Peter Pan: (CHUCKLING) "Well, all right, but you gotta take orders."
John: "Aye, aye, sir."
Michael: "Me Too."

Well, come on, Wendy, let's go.
- Where are we going?
- To Never Land.
- Never Land!
- Peter's taking us.
- "Us"?
Well, of course. L-I couldn't
go without Michael and John.
Oh, I should like very much to cross
swords with some real buccaneers.
Yes, and fight pirates too.
Well, all right,
but ya gotta take orders.
- Aye, aye, sir.
- Me too.

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=peter-pan
Well, come on, Wendy, let's go.
- Where are we going?
- To Never Land.
- Never Land!
- Peter's taking us.
- "Us"?
Well, of course. L-I couldn't
go without Michael and John.
Oh, I should like very much to cross
swords with some real buccaneers.
Yes, and fight pirates too.
Well, all right,
but ya gotta take orders.
- Aye, aye, sir.
- Me too.

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=peter-pan
This is a very large and expressive cel of Michael Darling. He is full figure, eyes and mouth open, and saluting to Peter Pan. This is one of the nicest cels that I have ever seen of Michael, and is an outstanding work that is perfect for any animation art collection!

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Original Production Animation Cels of Flotsam & Jetsam from "The Little Mermaid," 1989


Original hand painted production animation cels of Flotsam & Jetsam from "The Little Mermaid," 1989, Walt Disney Studios; Set on a lithographic background; With Walt Disney Certificate; Disney seal lower left; Size - Flotsam & Jetsam: 6 x 6 1/2", Image 10 1/2 x 14 1/2", Frame 19 1/2 x 23 1/2"; Framed with a gold wood frame, two acid free mats, and plexiglass.

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

Ariel: "Who - who are you?"
Jetsam: "Don't be scared."
Flotsam: "We represent someone who can help you."
Jetsam: "Someone who could make all your dreams come true."

"The Little Mermaid," is an American animated musical fantasy film and the 28th film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures to theaters on November 17, 1989. The film was based on the Danish fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen, which tells the story of a beautiful mermaid princess who dreams of becoming human. The film was written, directed, and produced by Ron Clements and John Musker; with music by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. The voice cast includes: Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll, Samuel E. Wright, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, Buddy Hackett, and René Auberjonois.

There was more money and resources dedicated by the Walt Disney Studios to "The Little Mermaid" than any other Disney animated film in decades. Aside from its main animation facility in Glendale, California; Disney opened a satellite feature animation facility in Lake Buena Vista, Florida that was within the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park at Walt Disney World. Their first projects were to produce an entire Roger Rabbit cartoon short, "Roller Coaster Rabbit," and to contribute ink and paint support to "The Little Mermaid." Another first for Disney films of recent years, was the filming of live actors and actresses for motion reference material for the animators. Broadway actress Jodi Benson (who was predominantly a stage actress when she was cast) was chosen to play Ariel, and Sherri Lynn Stoner, a former member of Los Angeles' Groundlings improvisation comedy group, acted out Ariel's key scenes.


Close up of The Walt Disney Company seal.



Walt Disney Certificate.

The Little Mermaid's supervising animators included Glen Keane and Mark Henn on Ariel, Duncan Marjoribanks on Sebastian, Andreas Deja on King Triton, and Ruben Aquino on Ursula. Originally, Keane had been asked to work on Ursula, as he had established a reputation for drawing large powerful figures, such as the bear in "The Fox and the Hound," 1981 and Professor Ratigan in "The Great Mouse Detective," 1986. Keane however, was assigned as one of the two lead artists on the petite Ariel and oversaw the "Part of Your World" musical number. He jokingly stated that his wife looks exactly like Ariel "without the fins." The character's body type and personality were based upon that of Alyssa Milano, who was starring on TV's "Who's the Boss?". The effect of Ariel's hair underwater was based on footage of Sally Ride when she was in space; and scenes of Sherri Lynn Stoner in a swimming pool were used in animating Ariel's swimming. A challenge in animating Ariel were the colors required to show her in various changing environments, both under the sea and on land. By the end of the film, the animators required a total of 32-color models; not including costume changes. The sea-green color of her fin was a hue specially mixed by the Disney paint lab, and the color was named "Ariel" after the character.

Flotsam and Jetsam are a pair of slender green moray eels. Their eyes are odd and notable as one is yellow for one and the other opposite is white for the other. The eels are named after the phrase flotsam and jetsam which means "useless or disregarded objects". Flotsam and Jetsam speak in unison, they finish each other's sentences, and are constantly entwining their bodies. They can also merge their white eyes to form a single crystal ball; which creates a portal through which Ursula can view the outside world while still within her cave. Both eels were both voiced by Paddi Edwards, who also was the voice of Lucy the goose in "One Hundred and One Dalmatians: The Series" and Atropos the Fate in "Hercules."


Framed original production animation cels of Flotsam and Jetsam.

This is an absolutely perfect two cel setup of both Flotsam and Jetsam. Both of the eels are full figure, both eyes are open, and their mouths are open showing off their bottom row of sharp teeth. The cels are from the scene after Ariel's father, King Triton, destroys a statue of Prince Eric that was inside her secret grotto. After Triton, Sebastian, and Flounder leave; Ariel is lying at the bottom of the grotto when Ursula's two eels Flotsam and Jetsam appear. The dialog for the scene is below:

Flotsam: "Poor child."
Jetsam: "Poor, sweet child."
Flotsam: "She has a very serious problem."
Jetsam: "If only there were something we could do."
Flotsam: "But there is something."
Ariel: "Who - who are you?"
Jetsam: "Don't be scared."
Flotsam: "We represent someone who can help you."
Jetsam: "Someone who could make all your dreams come true."
Flotsam and Jetsam: "Just imagine -"
Jetsam: "You and your prince -"
Flotsam and Jetsam: "Together, forever. . . . "

When Flotsam and Jetsam tell Ariel that it is Ursula the Sea Witch who is the person who can "Make all her dreams come true," Ariel tells them no that she is not interested in their offer to help and asks them to leaver her alone. As the two eels slowly swim away, one of them flicks his tail and kicks over the broken off face of the destroyed Prince Eric statue. Ariel picks it up, looks at it, and says to the pair "Wait!" This cel is when Flotsam and Jetsam turn to face Ariel and say "Yeessssss?"

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Original Production Animation Drawing of Lady From "Lady and the Tramp," 1955


Original production animation drawing of Lady in graphite pencil from "Lady and the Tramp," 1955, Walt Disney Studios; Numbered 85 in pencil lower right and animation ladder lower right; Size - Lady: 4 1/2 x 5", Sheet 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.

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

"What is a baby? I just can't understand." - Lady

"Lady and the Tramp" (released on June 22, 1955) is a full length featured animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Buena Vista Distribution. The film was the 15th in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, and it was the first animated feature filmed in with the CinemaScope widescreen film process. The film was based on the story "Happy Dan, The Whistling Dog" by Ward Greene and tells the story of a female American Cocker Spaniel named Lady who lives with a refined, upper-middle-class family. Lady meets a male stray mutt named Tramp and they embark on many exciting and romantic adventures.

One evening in 1937, Disney storyman Joe Grant invited Walt Disney over to his house for dinner and ended up showed Disney a drawing he had made of his pet spinger spaniel, who was named Lady. Walt loved the drawing and suggested that Joe make a storyboard out of it; which he did and the plan was to create a new animated film, simply titled "Lady." The story that was pitched ended up being too simplistic to Walt Disney's taste, and the project was put on hold until about 20 years later.

Lady was wonderfully animated by the great Disney artist Ollie Johnston and she was voiced by Barbara Luddy. Barbara Luddy (1908 — 1979) was an American actress from Great Falls, Montana and she starred in silent pictures in the 1920s. She was also a prolific radio performer; known for her performances on the long running radio show "The First Nighter Program" which aired from 1936 until 1953.

However, Luddy is perhaps best remembered for her voice work in Walt Disney animated films; with her most memorable role being that of Lady from Lady and the Tramp.  She also performed in Sleeping Beauty (voice of Merryweather), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (voice of Rover), Robin Hood (voice of both Mother Church Mouse and the Mother Rabbit), and the Winnie-the-Pooh featurettes (Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too) all of which she provided the voice for Kanga.


Close up of the original production animation drawing of Lady.

This drawing is from the scene that occurs after Jim Dear and Darling's baby arrives. Lady is alone in the kitchen, when she hears the baby crying upstairs. Lady walks out of the kitchen and pauses in the doorway, looks upward and wonders to herself, "What is a baby? I just can't understand." Walt Disney animator George Nicholas supervised the animation of Lady in this scene. Nicholas began his career as an animator for Walter Lantz and then around 1940 he joined the Walt Disney Studios. He worked on many projects for Disney, receiving screen credit for his work in Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, and Sleeping Beauty.


Close up of the production number and the animation ladder.

This is an absolutely beautiful original production animation drawing of Lady. She is full figure, eyes and mouth open, centered on the animation peg hole paper sheet, and is five inches long. A large and  wonderful piece of vintage Walt Disney animation artwork.

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Friday, September 22, 2017

Original Production Animation Cel of Cinderella from "Cinderella," 1950


Original hand inked and hand painted production animation cel of Cinderella set on a lithographic background from "Cinderella," 1950, Walt Disney Studios; Numbered 21 in ink bottom right; Size - Cinderella: 6 x 5 1/2", Cel 12 1/2 x 15 1/4", Image 9 x 13"; Unframed.

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

"High above
Oh, sing sweet nightingale
Sing sweet nightingale, high" - Cinderella

The 1950 Walt Disney feature film "Cinderella" was based on the French version of the tale by Charles Perrault, entitled "Cinderella" and written in 1698. The film was the second in the series of great Princess films developed by Disney, the first being Snow White in 1937. The character of Cinderella is usually front and center in the pantheon of Disney Princess merchandise, perhaps because she is the only Princess not to be of a noble blood line who ended up marrying a Prince and becoming royalty.


Close up of the original production animation cel of Cinderella.

Cinderella was animated by both Marc Davis and Eric Larson, however the two animators had different perceptions of the character, with Davis preferring elegance and Larson opting for simplicity. This actually worked in the film's favor, resulting in Cinderella being a much more complicated character than her predecessor Snow White. As with other Disney films, the studio hired actress Helene Stanley to perform the live-action reference for Cinderella. She would later return to the studio for the characters of Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty," 1959 and Anita Radcliffe in "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," 1961.


The entire original production animation cel of Cinderella.

According to Christopher Finch, from his book "The Art of Walt Disney":
"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."


Production number on the original production animation cel of Cinderella..

About 400 women and girls auditioned for the voice role of Cinderella, but the role ended up going to Ilene Woods. Woods, who at the time worked on the radio and did not know anything about the audition, was asked one day by her colleagues Mack David and Jerry Livingston to sing a song from Cinderella. Without her knowledge, her recording was given by her friends to Disney Studios. After listening to the material Walt Disney immediately decided that he had found the voice with which to speak and sing the character of Cinderella and contacted Ilene.

The terrible singing of Drizella and Anastasia sends Lady Tremaine's wicked cat Lucifer scurrying from the upstairs music room to the downstairs entrance foyer, that is being scrubbed by Cinderella. As Lucifer plots to ruin the floor again, Cinderella begins to sing the song "Oh Sing Sweet Nightingale." This cel appears in the scene as Cinderella wrings our her cleaning rag over a backet of water and begins to sing. The song "Oh Sing Sweet Nightingale" was composed by Mack Davis, Jerry Livingston, and Al Hoffman; and the animation sequence is one of the most beautiful in the film. A wonderful full figure, eyes open original production cel of Cinderella, and a great piece of animation artwork from the Walt Disney vintage classic feature film!

To see the cel in the film, just click on the short video below:

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Original Production Animation Cel of Mad Madam Mim in Rhinoceros Form from "The Sword In The Stone," 1963


Original hand painted production animation cel of Mad Madam Mim in Rhinoceros form from "The Sword In The Stone," 1963, Walt Disney Studios; Numbered A6 in ink lower right; Size - Madam Mim: 8 1/4 x 10 1/2", Image 10 1/4 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.

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

"The Sword in the Stone," 1963 is the 18th full length feature film produced by Walt Disney and it was released on December 25, 1963 by Buena Vista Distribution. The film was based on the novel of the same name, that was first published in 1938. It was later republished in 1958 as the first book of T. H. White's tetralogy "The Once and Future King." It was to be the final Disney animated film released before Walt Disney's death on December 15, 1966. The songs in the film were written and composed by the Sherman Brothers, who would become very famous for their future work on later Disney films including; "Mary Poppins," 1964, "The Jungle Book," 1967, and "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," 1971.


Original production animation cel of Mad Madam Mim in Rhinoceros Form without the background.


Close up of the original production animation cel of Mad Madam Mim in Rhinoceros Form.
Madam Mim was the villain in the film and was voiced by Martha Wentworth, a veteran actress with a long radio history dating back to the 1920's. She was the voice of several Disney characters in "101 Dalmatians" including Nanny; and Mim was her final credited role. Madam Mim was animated by two of Disney's greatest animators Milt Kahl (who also designed the character, refining storyboard sketches from animator Bill Peet), and Frank Thomas. Kahl animated her first appearance in the film, her initial interaction with Arthur; while Frank Thomas oversaw her famous "Wizards' Duel" with Merlin.

Although Mim claims to be more powerful than Merlin, during her opening scene she does only minor tricks. When Merlin stops her from attacking Arthur she challenges him to a Wizard's duel which involves mutating into various forms in order to best your opponent. She states that she is "mad for games," and lays out the rules for her duel with Merlin.

MADAM MIM: "Now, rule one, no mineral or vegetable. Only animal. Rule two, no make-believe things like, pink dragons and stuff. Now, rule three, no disappearing."
MERLIN: "Rule four, no cheating."
MADAM MIM: "All right, all right."


Close up of the production number.

At the very start of the duel, Mim breaks her own rule by disappearing and proves she can not be trusted. During the battle, Mim's incredible shape shifting abilities almost give her the upper hand against Merlin. She turned herself into: an alligator, a fox, a hen, an elephant, a tiger, a rattlesnake, and a rhinoceros, all of which were colored pink and finally into an ugly, purple, fire-breathing dragon. She then asks Merlin (knowing that her rule stated no Pink Dragons), "Did I say no purple Dragons?" However, Merlin outsmarts her by transforming into a fictional germ called "Malignalitaloptereosis" that infects her with a chickenpox-like disease complete with red spots and a fever; effectively defeating her and illustrating the importance of knowledge over strength.

This is a large cel of Mad Madam Mim in Rhinoceros form. She is mouth open, has purple hair, bright pink body, and her brilliant green eyes are open. A rare and wonderful cel of one of Disney's most memorable contemporary villains!

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Original Production Animation Cels of a Faun, Three Birds, and Vines from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937


Original hand painted and hand inked production animation cels of a Faun, Three Birds, and Vines; Set over an airbrushed wood veneer Courvoisier background from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937, Walt Disney Studios; With original Courvoisier labels; Formally part of the San Francisco Museum of Art; Size - Faun: 3 1/2 x 2 1/2", Image 5 3/4 x 5 3/4", Mat 15 x 13"; Matted with original Courvoisier mat with Faun calligraphy title and WDE copyright embossing.

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

Development on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs began in early 1934, and by June Walt Disney announced to The New York Times the production of his first feature, to be released under Walt Disney Productions. Before Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Disney studio had been primarily involved in the production of animated short subjects in the Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies series. However, Disney hoped to expand his studio's prestige and revenues by moving into features, and he estimated that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs could be produced for a budget of $250,000 (this was ten times the budget of an average Silly Symphony).


Original hand painted and hand inked production animation cels of a Faun, Three Birds, and Vines with original Courvoisier mat.


Close up of the original Courvoisier mat with Faun calligraphy title.


Close up of the original Courvoisier mat with WDE copyright embossing.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was to be the first full-length cel animated feature in motion picture history, and as such Walt Disney had to fight to get the film produced. Both his brother and business partner Roy Disney, as well as his wife Lillian attempted to talk him out of it.  The Hollywood movie industry mockingly referred to the film, while is was in production, as "Disney's Folly."  Disney ended up having to mortgage his house to help finance the film's production, which would eventually ran up to a total cost of $1,488,422.74; an absolutely massive sum for a feature film in 1937!


Back of the original Courvoisier mat.

A large number of actresses auditioned for the voice of Snow White. Walt Disney listened to each audition in his office while the actress performed in another room, without any knowledge of the actress' appearance or reputation. This would insure that he would only judge based on the sound of the voice. According to later accounts, most of the voices Disney felt, did not sound young enough. Eventually, in September of 1935, Adriana Caselotti was chosen for the voice of Snow White. Caselotti was eighteen at the time and made her coloraturo soprano sound younger, knowing that the character was intended to be 14 years old. In recording sessions Caselotti found difficulty in the line, "Grumpy, I didn't know you cared"; instead of "didn't", Caselotti was only able to say "din". After rehearsing the line many times, Walt Disney eventually said "Oh, the heck with..." and "din'" remained in the final film.


Close up of the original Courvoisier labels and the back of the cels still tape sealed.

Snow White's design was supervised by Grim Natwick, an animator who had previously developed and worked on Betty Boop at Fleischer Studios. It is interesting to note that early designs for the Snow White resemble Betty Boop, and some appear to be caricatures of famous actresses of the time. As development continued, Snow White became more and more lifelike. Another animator, Hamilton Luske's first designs for Snow White depicted her as a slightly awkward, gangly teenager. However, Walt Disney had a different idea in mind; he wanted Snow White to be older, and more realistic-looking. This was achieved by the use of live-action references for the animators. Also, in order for Snow White to better relate onscreen to the seven Dwarfs, it was decided that her head be slightly larger than normal. In addition, the women in the animation studio's ink and paint department felt that Snow White's black hair was too unnatural and harsh, so they drybrushed whisps of light grey over the top of each and every cel.


Close up of the San Francisco Museum of Art labels.

This is an original cel setup as prepared by Courvoisier Galleries in conjunction with Walt Disney Animation Studios. The cels of the Faun, Three Birds, and the Vines are placed over an airbrushed wood veneer Courvoisier background. The cels are still sealed in their original Courvoisier mat, complete with the original Faun calligraphy title, and WDE (Walt Disney Enterprises) copyright embossing. In addition, the piece still retains it's Courvoisier labels and was formally part of the San Francisco Museum of Art permanent collection, with their labels still attached. An absolutely spectacular piece of vintage Walt Disney artwork from the first animated feature film ever created, perfect for any animation art collection!

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