Original Production Animation Drawing of Rabbit from "Winnie The Pooh and Tigger Too," 1974

Original production animation drawing of Rabbit in graphite pencil from "Winnie The Pooh and Tigger Too," 1974; Walt Disney Studios; Numbered 57 in pencil center and lower right; Animation ladder upper right; Size - Rabbit: 6 1/4 x 3 1/2", Sheet 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.

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"Oh, I've got a splendid idea! Now, listen. We'll take Tigger for a long explore, see? Someplace where he's never been, and we lose him there!" - Rabbit

"The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh," 1977 was composed of a series of featurettes Disney produced based upon the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne. Walt Disney wanted to introduce the public to the Pooh characters slowly over time and the released featurettes include, "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree," 1966, "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day." 1968, and "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too," 1974. For the full length film in 1977, extra material was added and used to link the three featurettes together. A fourth, shorter featurette was added at the end of the film and was based on the final chapter of "The House at Pooh Corner."

Close up of the original production animation drawing of Rabbit.

Wolfgang Reitherman began working for Walt Disney in 1934, along with future Disney legends Ward Kimball and Milt Kahl. The three worked together on a number of early classic Disney shorts and Reitherman worked on Disney feature films produced from 1937 to 1981, including "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (animating the Slave in the Magic Mirror) up to "The Fox and the Hound," where he served as the co-producer for the film. Beginning with 1961's "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," "Woolie" (as he was called by friends) served as Disney's chief animation director.

One of Reitherman's productions, the 1968 short "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day," won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. In addition, all three of Reitherman's sons — Bruce, Richard, and Robert provided voices for Disney characters. Bruce Reitherman was the voice for Christopher Robin in "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree."

Winnie The Pooh was animated by veteran Walt Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston and was voiced by Sterling Holloway. Halloway had a long and distinguished career with Disney and not only provided the voice for Winnie The Pooh, but the Cheshire Cat from "Alice In Wonderland," Kaa from "The Jungle Book," Roquefort from "The Aristocats," and many more characters! Rabbit was animated by the great Don Bluth and was voiced by Junius Matthews; a veteran radio actor who also voiced the owl Archimedes in the Disney film "The Sword In The Stone," 1963.

In "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too," Rabbit had become frustrated that Tigger had bounced him and in the process made a mess of his garden. So one day Rabbit concocted a plan to lose Tigger deep in the forest. On a very foggy morning Rabbit, Pooh, and Piglet take Tigger on an exploration into the Hundred Acre Wood. Unfortunately Pooh, Piglet, and Rabbit become lost as the ever excited Tigger bounds far ahead deeper into the woods. This drawing is from the part in the film when Pooh, Piglet, and Rabbit, no matter which direction they set off into the fog, circle back around to the find the same sand pit. A large image of Rabbit and an absolutely beautiful piece of animation art perfect for any collection!

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