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Thursday, February 21, 2019

Original Production Animation Drawing of Mulan from "Mulan" 1998


Original production animation drawing of Mulan in red and graphite pencils and used during the production of "Mulan" 1998, Walt Disney Studios; Dialog word 'Polite' upper sheet edge; Numbered 164 in red pencil lower right; Animation ladder upper right; Size - Mulan: 5 1/2 x 6", Sheet 10 1/2 x 12 1/2"; Unframed.

"My duty is to my heart." - Mulan

"Mulan" 1998 is an animated musical action adventure and the 36th full length feature film produced by Walt Disney Pictures, and it was released on June 19, 1998 by Buena Vista Pictures. The film was based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, story by Robert D. San Souci, screenplay by Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, and Raymond Singer. Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, Miguel Ferrer, and BD Wong are the main voice cast in the English version while Jackie Chan provided the voice of Captain Li Shang for the Chinese dub of the film. "Mulan" was a commercial success, grossed $304 million worldwide, received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations, and won several Annie Awards including Best Animated Feature.


Close up of the original production animation drawing of Mulan.

Development for the film began in 1994, when several animation supervisors were sent to China to acquire artistic and cultural inspiration. The story is a combination of a manuscript by Robert D. San Souci based on the Chinese poem "The Song of Fa Mu Lan," other Asian-themed legends and stories, and the integration of a Scottish folk tale character of a dragon or "Mulan." The film takes place in China during the Han dynasty and centers around Fa Mulan, the daughter of the aged warrior Fa Zhou, who disguises as a man in order to take her father's place during the battle against the Hun invasion.

Mark Henn was the supervising animator for the film's main character, Mimi Chan performed the motion capture of her martial arts moves, Ming-Na Wen provided the speaking voice, and Lea Salonga provided the singing. Mulan is the only Disney Princess to be of East Asian descent and not to be born of royalty or marry a prince.

This is a rare and absolutely spectacular original production animation drawing of Mulan from her first appearance in the film. She is eyes open, with a calligraphy brush tucked in her hair just above her left ear. She is holding a pair of chop sticks that are being used to pick up grains of rice. A perfect image and a great addition to any art collection from the Walt Disney Renaissance period of animation!

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Friday, February 15, 2019

Original Production Animation Drawing of Quasimodo from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" 1996


Original production animation drawing of Quasimodo in red and graphite pencils and used during the production of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" 1996, Walt Disney Studios; Production numbers lower sheet edge; Numbered Q29 in red pencil lower right; Animation ladder upper right; Size - Quasimodo: 7 x 6 3/4", Sheet 10 1/2 x 12 1/2"; Unframed.
"...Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower lives the mysterious bell ringer. Who is this creature? What is he? How did he come to be there?" - Clopin

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" 1996 is an animated musical drama and the 34th full length feature film produced by Walt Disney, and it was released on June 21, 1996 by Buena Vista Pictures. The film was based on the novel of the same name written by Victor Hugo. The story centers around Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame cathedral, and his struggle to gain acceptance into Parisian society. The film was directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, music by Alan Menken, songs by Menken and Stephen Schwartz, and stars Tom Hulce as the voice of Quasimodo and Demi Moore as the voice of Esmeralda. Supporting casts includes Tony Jay, Kevin Kline, Paul Kandel, Jason Alexander, Charles Kimbrough, David Ogden Stiers, and Mary Wickes in her final film role. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was a commercial success and grossed over $325 million worldwide, becoming the fifth highest-grossing release of 1996. The film received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for Menken's musical score.


Close up of the original production animation drawing of Quasimodo.

Quasimodo supervising animator was James Baxter. Baxter had worked previously on "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' and had assisted in animating Ariel for "The Little Mermaid." He became the supervising animator of Rafiki in "The Lion King" and then the youngest (age 23) Disney supervising animator of a major character when he animated Belle in "Beauty and the Beast." Very few people in history have advanced so quickly and Baxter is an expert in both the technical and artistic aspects of animation. By the time he was in charge of Quasimodo, Baxter had become an extremely skilled and master animator, and his abilities really shine through the character.

Tom Hulce (an American actor, singer, and producer most known for his Academy Award nominated portrayal of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in "Amadeus," 1984) provided the voice of Quasimodo and it was his final theatrical performance before retiring from acting. The character was the third Disney male protagonist to have a single voice actor for both the speaking and singing voices; the others being Beast from "Beauty and the Beast" and John Smith from "Pocahontas."

This is a rare and absolutely spectacular original production animation drawing of Quasimodo from the end of the "Topsy Turvy" song sequence. The song was led by Clopin, who is the host of the Festival of Fools event, and at the end of the performance Quasimodo is crowned the King of Fools. In this drawing Quasimodo is eyes and mouth open, wearing the crown, king's robe, and holding the royal sceptre in his right hand. A perfect image and a great addition to any animation art collection!

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Thursday, February 14, 2019

Original Production Animation Cels of Dr. H. Hoovey and Whos with Musical Instruments from Dr. Seuss "Horton Hears A Who!," 1970


Original hand painted production animation cels of Dr. H. Hoovey, and three cels of Whos with Musical Instruments from Dr. Seuss "Horton Hears A Who!," 1970, Chuck Jones Enterprises; Three Musical Instrument cels are set on their key master production background; Production numbers in ink lower right cel corners and top edge of the background; Size - Dr. H. Hoovey: 4 1/2 x 6 3/4", Image 9 1/4 x 12 1/2", Background 10 1/2 x 15 3/4"; Unframed.

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

"Play anything neighbor, just make yourself known!" - Dr. H. Hoovey

Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones (1912 – 2002) was an American animator, filmmaker, cartoonist, author, artist, and screenwriter; and is best known for his work on the Warner Bros. Cartoons, Looney Tunes, and Merrie Melodies shorts. He wrote, produced, and/or directed many classic animated cartoon shorts, that all of us remember, starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, PepĂ© Le Pew, Porky Pig and many other star Warner Bros. characters.


Original production animation cel of Dr. H. Hoovey.

After his career at Warner Bros. ended in 1962, he started Sib Tower 12 Productions and began producing cartoons for MGM; including a new series of Tom and Jerry shorts. Also at MGM, in collaboration with Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss), he created one of his most famous films; the television adaptation of Dr. Seuss' "How The Grinch Stole Christmas!" Chuck Jones later started his own studio, Chuck Jones Enterprises, where he created several one-shot specials and would periodically work on Looney Tunes related projects.


Original production animation cel of Musical Instruments.


Original production animation cel of Whos with Musical Instrument.


Original production animation cel of Musical Instruments.

Chuck Jones was nominated for an Academy Award eight times and won three; receiving awards for the cartoons "For Scent-imental Reasons," "So Much for So Little," and "The Dot and the Line." He received an Honorary Academy Award in 1996 for his work in the animation industry. The famous film historian Leonard Maltin praised Jones' work at Warner Bros., MGM, and at Chuck Jones Enterprises. In Jerry Beck's "The 50 Greatest Cartoons," ten of the entries were directed by Jones, with four out of the five top cartoons being Chuck Jones shorts.

"Horton Hears a Who!" is a television animated special that was originally aired on CBS on March 19, 1970. The film was directed and produced by the legendary animator Chuck Jones. It was based on the Dr. Seuss book of the same name and was a follow up to Jones's successful adaptation of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" The film contains songs with lyrics by Seuss and music by Eugene Poddany, who had previously written songs for the Seuss' book "The Cat in the Hat Song Book." "Horton Hears a Who!" stars the voice talents of Hans Conried (Narrator, Horton, and Dr. H. Hoovey), Chuck Jones (Junior Kangaroo, Vlad Vladikoff (renamed Whizzer McKwoff), JoJo, several male Whos), June Foray (Jane Kangaroo, Birds, several female Whos), the musical group The Mellomen as the voices of the Wickersham Brothers, and the MGM Chorus as the Citizens of Whoville.


Original master production background.


Close up of background production numbers.


Close up of background production numbers.

"Horton Hears a Who!" is about an elephant named Horton who discovers a microscopic community of intelligent beings called Whos, who are so small that they live on a speck of dust. Because of Horton's excellent hearing, only he can hear them and decides he will try and keep them safe from all the dangers they may face. However, the other animals around him thinks that he has gone crazy and decide to take actions for his own good. The story revolves around Horton's struggle to save the Whos from impending tragedy and against all odds.

This is a wonderful hand painted production background with it's key original hand painted production cels of Whos playing musical instruments in order to make noise to save their planet. The key setup can be seen when Dr. Hoovy says to the Whos "All noises are needed, refined or absurd." The Dr. Hoovey cel is from the scene when he is running and waving his arms yelling to the Whos "Play anything neighbor, just make yourself known!" An extremely rare original background with multiple cels from the key scene of the film when the Whos are yelling "We're here, we're here!" This would make a great addition to any animation art collection!

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Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Original Production Animation Cel of King Louie and Mowgli from "The Jungle Book," 1967


Original hand painted production animation cel of King Louie and Mowgli from "The Jungle Book," 1967, Walt Disney Studios; Set on a lithographic background; Numbered 132 in ink lower right corner; Walt Disney seal lower left corner; Size - King Louie & Mowgli: 8 1/4" x 9 1/4", Image 9 1/2" x 14"; Unframed.

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

"I Wanna Be Like You!" - King Louie

"The Jungle Book," 1967 was the nineteenth animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Productions and inspired by Rudyard Kipling's book of the same name. The film was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, it was to be the last film that was worked on by Walt Disney, as he passed away during its production. The film follows Mowgli, a feral child raised in the Indian jungle by wolves, as he encounters Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear; who try and convince him to leave the jungle before the villainous tiger Shere Khan finds him. Voice actors include: Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, George Sanders and Louis Prima; as well as Disney regulars such as Sterling Holloway, J. Pat O'Malley, Verna Felton, and the director's son, Bruce Reitherman, as the voice of Mowgli.

"The Jungle Book" was released on October 18, 1967, with noted acclaim for its soundtrack that featured eight original songs: seven by the Sherman Brothers and one by Terry Gilkyson. Longtime Disney collaborator Gilkyson was the first songwriter to complete several songs which followed Kipling's book closely; however Walt Disney felt that the works were too dark. The only piece of Gilkyson's work which survived to the final film, was his very upbeat song "The Bare Necessities." The Sherman Brothers were then brought in to do a complete rewrite. Disney frequently brought the composers to the storyline sessions, and asked them to "find scary places and write fun songs" that fit into the story and advanced the plot. The popular success of the film in undoubtedly due to both the music and songs, that were primarily written by the Sherman Brothers.


King Louie and Mowgli original production animation cel without the background.

Wolfgang Reitherman began working for Walt Disney in 1934, along with future Disney legends Ward Kimball and Milt Kahl. Reitherman worked on various 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 was the co-producer. Beginning with 1961's "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," "Woolie", as he was called by friends, served as Disney's chief animation director. In addition to "101 Dalmatians," Reitherman directed "The Sword in the Stone" (1963), "The Jungle Book" (1967), "The Aristocats" (1970), "Robin Hood" (1973) and "The Rescuers" (1977).

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, including Mowgli in "The Jungle Book," Christopher Robin in "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree," and Wart in "The Sword in the Stone." Not only did Bruce Reitherman provided the voice of Mowgli in "The Jungle Book," but he also acted out certain scenes as live action reference for the animators. The character of Mowgli was animated by quite a few animators, however Milt Kahl set the final design and the majority of Mowgli's scenes were animated by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. 

 
Close up of the Walt Disney seal.

King Louie is the king of all primates in the Indian jungle and craves nothing more than to be a man. He somehow learns that a Man-Cub (Mowgli) is in the jungle on his way to the Man Village. Louie sends his monkey minions to capture the boy, which they do bringing him to King Louie. Using the musical number "I Wanna Be Like You" and promising Mowgli that he will be able to stay in the jungle for as long as he wants; Louie asks him to reveal the secret to man's "Red Flower" (fire). This cel is from one of the most famous scenes in "The Jungle Book" film; King Louie (voiced by Louis Prima) singing "I Wanna Be Like You!"

King Louie is an original character from Walt Disney, as orangutans are not native to India (only the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia). In addition, King Louie never existed in Rudyard Kipling's original novel and was likely named after his late voice actor, jazz singer Louis Prima. Before Louis Prima got the part, the iconic musician legend Louis Armstrong was first considered for the role. However, Prima got the role instead of Armstrong; possibly to avoid controversy that would surround casting an African American as an ape.

This is one of the finest cels of Mowgli (The Man-Cub) and King Louie that I have ever seen! Both characters are eyes open and they are in a dynamic and action filled pose from the "I Wanna Be Like You!" song scene. This cel is from the beginning of the song when King Louie says "I wanna be a man, mancub. And stroll right into town. And be just like the other men. I'm tired of monkeyin' around!" A large and impressive image and a great addition to any Walt Disney animation art collection!

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Original Production Animation Cel of Baloo The Bear from "The Jungle Book," 1967


Original hand painted production animation cel of Baloo The Bear from "The Jungle Book," 1967, Walt Disney Studios; Set on a lithographic background; Size - Baloo: 7 1/4 x 3 3/4", Image 10 3/4 x 10"; Unframed.


"Look for the, bare necessities.
The simple bare necessities.
Forget about your worries and your strife."
- Baloo The Bear 

"The Jungle Book," 1967 was the nineteenth animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Productions and inspired by Rudyard Kipling's book of the same name. The film was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, it was to be the last film that was worked on by Walt Disney, as he passed away during its production. The film follows Mowgli, a feral child raised in the Indian jungle by wolves, as he encounters Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear; who try and convince him to leave the jungle before the villainous tiger Shere Khan finds him. Voice actors include: Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, George Sanders and Louis Prima; as well as Disney regulars such as Sterling Holloway, J. Pat O'Malley, Verna Felton, and the director's son, Bruce Reitherman, as the voice of Mowgli.

"The Jungle Book" was released on October 18, 1967, with noted acclaim for its soundtrack that featured eight original songs: seven by the Sherman Brothers and one by Terry Gilkyson. Longtime Disney collaborator Gilkyson was the first songwriter to complete several songs which followed Kipling's book closely; however Walt Disney felt that the works were too dark. The only piece of Gilkyson's work which survived to the final film, was his very upbeat song "The Bare Necessities." The Sherman Brothers were then brought in to do a complete rewrite. Disney frequently brought the composers to the storyline sessions, and asked them to "find scary places and write fun songs" that fit into the story and advanced the plot. The popular success of the film in undoubtedly due to both the music and songs, that were primarily written by the Sherman Brothers.

Baloo, which means "bear" in Hindi, is one of the most beloved characters in the Disney pantheon. He is an obese blue-gray sloth bear, with large white claws. Aside from King Louie, Baloo is the only animal character to walk on two legs in the film. He also resembles Little John from Disney's "Robin Hood," who were both voiced by Phil Harris. Harris also provided the voice of Thomas O'Malley from Disney's "The Aristocats." Baloo and Little John perform the same dance moves with King Louie in "The Jungle Book" and with Lady Kluck in "Robin Hood." A little know fact is that Walt Disney was used as a reference for the animators for the dance moves seen when Baloo is first introduced in "The Jungle Book."

Baloo was animated by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Ollie Johnston animated the first introduction of Baloo but Frank Thomas soon took over the character and, unlike so many other animators; was known for doing most, if not all of the rough drawings for his entire scene.

The Disney animator Andreas Deja wrote the following:
"This is actually not that unusual, since Frank usually contributed most or all of the drawings for any of his scenes. Other animators would often use a moving hold for calm moments, which involved only two key drawings with lots of in-betweens provided by the assistant. But Frank seems to always have something going on, even in the most subtle acting patterns. Something is always moving, things don’t come to a stop. As a result of producing so many drawings for a given scene, Frank could not focus on gorgeously designed poses or expressions. So his drawings by themselves might not look too intimidating to an animation student or professional, but watching them in motion is a whole other potato. The characters come to life in such a believable way, they breath, they move with weight, and they have real thoughts. In other words, they have a soul."


Baloo the Bear original production cel without the background.

This is a wonderful full figure, eyes open, and smiling image of Baloo The Bear. He is an impressive seven inches tall, a great piece from Walt Disney's full length feature film "The Jungle Book," and a fantastic addition to any animation art collection!

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Original Production Animation Drawing of Pocahontas from "Pocahontas," 1995


Original production animation drawing of Pocahontas in graphite and brown pencils from "Pocahontas," 1995, Walt Disney Studios; Numbered 27 lower right; Size - Pocahontas: 7 1/4 x 9", Sheet 11 3/4 x 17"; Unframed.


"Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?" - Pocahontas

"Pocahontas" 1995 is an animated musical drama and the 33rd full length feature film produced by Walt Disney, and it was released on June 23, 1995 by Buena Vista Pictures. The film was loosely based on the life of the Native American woman Pocahontas and portrays a fictionalized historical encounter with the Englishman John Smith and the settlers of Jamestown. The film was directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg, musical score by Alan Menken, songs by Stephe Schwartz, and stars Irene Bedard as the voice of Pocahontas and Mel Gibson and the voice of John Smith. Supporting casts includes David Ogden Stiers, Russell Means, Christian Bale, Billy Connolly, and Linda Hunt.


Close up of the original production animation drawing of Pocahontas.

Pocahontas is the only Disney protagonist to be based on an actual historical figure, rather than a traditional fairy tole or folktale. She is also the only Disney Princess to have a tattoo, which is located around her right bicep. Pocahontas was designed by Glen Keane, who also served as lead animator, and the character was modeled after her Native American voice actress Irene Bedard (along with the historical Pocahontas as well as super models Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington). Judy Kuhn provided Pocahontas's singing voice. It is interesting to note that Bedard would go on to portray Pocahontas's mother in the New Line Cinema 2005 film, "The New World."

One of the great scenes of the film is when Pocahontas sings "Colors of the Wind;" which explains to one of the new settlers, John Smith, the beauty and importance of the nature and how to show respect for the planet. "Colors of the Wind" was composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and won the 1995 Oscar for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe in the same category, and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Movie. The song is absolutely beautiful and represents the Native American viewpoint that the Earth is a living entity, and that mankind is connected to everything in nature. Due to the the song's popularity, many versions exist, it has been covered by multiple artists, and translated into many languages.

This is an absolutely spectacular original production animation drawing of Pocahontas from when she first encounters John Smith. She is a very large nine inches long drawing accomplished in graphite and brown pencils, eyes open, and her hair is blowing in the misty wind. A perfect image and a great addition to any animation art collection!

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Original Production Animation Drawing of Br'er Rabbit from "Song of the South," 1946


Original production animation drawing in red, blue, green, and graphite pencils of Br'er Rabbit from "Song of the South," 1946, Walt Disney Studios; Numbered 33 in graphite pencil lower right; Size - Br'er Rabbit: 7 x 4 1/4", Sheet: 10 x 12"; Unframed.

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

"Everybody's got a laughing place, a laughing place to go." - Br'er Rabbit

"Song of the South" from 1946 is a live-action/animated musical film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It was based on the Uncle Remus stories collected by Joel Chandler Harris. Harris created the character of Uncle Remus in 1876 and began writing the Uncle Remus stories as a serial series to, in his words, "preserve in permanent shape those curious mementoes of a period that will no doubt be sadly misrepresented by historians of the future." President Teddy Roosevelt said of Harris, "Presidents may come and presidents may go, but Uncle Remus stays put. Georgia has done a great many things for the Union, but she has never done more than when she gave Mr. Joel Chandler Harris to American literature."

"Song of the South" was Disney's first feature film using live actors, who provided a framework for the animated segments throughout the film. The character of Uncle Remus, who was presumably a former slave, was played by James Baskett. The film includes several folk tales of the adventures of anthropomorphic Br'er Rabbit and his enemies, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. The film's song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" won the 1947 Academy Award for Best Song and is used often by both Disney and in popular culture. The film also inspired the Disney theme park water log attraction, "Splash Mountain."

Close up of the original production animation drawing of Br'er Rabbit.

Because of the film's depiction of black former slaves and of race relations in Reconstruction-Era Georgia; the film has been controversial since its original release. A number of critics, both at the time of its release and in later decades, have described the film as racist. Consequently, "Song of the South" has never been released in its entirety on home video in the United States.

Br'er Bear is slow-witted (compared to Br'er Fox and Br'er Rabbit) and prone to violence when provoked. He is gullible which leaves him open to being tricked repeatedly by Br'er Rabbit, even when he accompanies the more sly Br'er Fox. He may be one of the most cruel and heartless of all the Disney villains. Br'er Bear was animated by Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, and Eric Larson and was voiced by Nicodemus (Nick) Stewart, who was an American television and film actor. Stewart was best known for his role as Lightnin' (Willie Jefferson) on the "Amos and Andy" television show.

Br'er Fox is the fast talking sly fox who is always trying to trick and trap poor Br'er Rabbit. Br'er Fox was animated by Marc Davis and Ollie Johnston and was voiced by James Baskett; who also was the star of the film portraying Uncle Remus. In recognition of his warm portrayal of the famous black storyteller, Baskett was given an Honorary Academy Award; making him the very first black male performer to receive an Oscar. Br'er Rabbit was also animated by the great Walt Disney animators Marc Davis and Ollie Johnston. Johnny Lee (an African-American singer, dancer and actor) provided the voice of Br'er Rabbit. When Lee had been called to do promotion for the film, James Baskett filled in as the voice of Br'er Rabbit for "The Laughing Place" segment.

This is an extremely rare original production drawing of Br'er Rabbit from "The Laughing Place," segment of "Song of the South." The story of "The Laughing Place" is that  Br'er Rabbit has been caught by both Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. Br'er Rabbit escapes by agreeing to show his captors his 'laughin place,' which turns out to be a hidden bee hive. This drawing is from the scene when Br'er Rabbit (who is tied up with rope by Br'er Fox) spots a bee hive hidden by shrubs and says to Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear, "There is the laughing place, right through there." As Br'er Bear rushes into the bushes, Br'er Rabbit looks on and smiles. Walt Disney animator Ken O'Brien supervised this scene and this is a rare and large image of any eyes and mouth open Br'er Rabbit. Original animation artwork from "Song of the South" is rare to market, and this is a stand out piece for any vintage Disney animation collection!

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Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Original Production Animation Drawing of Thumper from "Bambi," 1942


Original hand painted and hand inked production animation cel of Thumper over a Courvoisier air brush background from "Bambi," 1942, Walt Disney Studios; WDP stamp lower right; With original Courvoisier Galleries label; Size - Thumper: 2 3/4 x 2", Image 7 x 8 1/2"; Unframed.

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

"Hiya, Bambi. Watch what I can do. Come on, it's all right. Look. The water's stiff." - Thumper

"Bambi," 1942 is a full length animated film by Walt Disney Studios and based on the book "Bambi, A Life in the Woods" by Austrian author Felix Salten. The film was released by RKO Radio Pictures on August 13, 1942. "Bambi" received three Academy Award nominations: Best Sound (Sam Slyfield), Best Song (for "Love Is a Song" sung by Donald Novis), and Best Original Music Score. In June 2008, the American Film Institute presented a list of its "10 Top 10" (the best ten films in each of ten classic American film genres) and "Bambi" placed third in the animation category. In December 2011, "Bambi" was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.


Close up of the original production animation drawing of Thumper.

The story centers on Bambi, a white-tailed deer, his parents (the Great Prince of the forest and his unnamed mother), his animal friends Thumper (a pink-nosed rabbit), Flower (a skunk), and his childhood friend and future mate, a doe named Faline. Walt Disney wanted all of the animals to be more realistic and expressive than those in "Snow White". He had Rico LeBrun, a wildlife animal painter, come into the Disney Studios to lecture to the animators on the structure and movement of animals. The animators went on excursions to the Los Angeles Zoo and Walt Disney set up a small zoo at the Disney Animation Studio with animals such as rabbits, ducks, owls, skunks, and a pair of fawns aptly named Bambi and Faline; so that the artists could see first-hand animal movement. Animator Marc Davis created the final design of Bambi by incorporating LeBurn's realistic study of deer anatomy but exaggerating the character's face by making his proportions baby-like; including a short snout and big expressive eyes.

"Bambi" was Walt Disney's favorite film he ever made, and it is not too surprising given his love of nature films. The special effects, particularly the water, and the lush hand painted backgrounds create a wonderful environment that allows the viewer to be totally immersed into the film. Combined with a great story of friendship and complete success in the creation of characters; the film is able to provide amazing feelings of both happiness and sadness, as the viewer watches Bambi grows up from fawn to deer.

Thumper (whose name is derived from his common habit of thumping his hind left foot), is Bambi's first and closest friend. He is a young, comical rabbit; and a well-known inhabitant of the forest who takes Bambi "under his wings" and teaches him the ways of the forest. Thumper was voiced by 4-year-old Peter Behn. With Behn's voice added to the film; suddenly the vivacious bunny character was expanded from him having only minor role, to playing a much more significant lead. In addition, the film underwent a major plot change with the theme of friendship front and center. The character of Thumper was initially designed by animator Marc Davis and was brought to life by several animators including: Frank Thomas, Milt Kahl, Eric Larson, and Ollie Johnston. Thumper was not only voiced by Peter Behn (young Thumper), but by Tim Davis (young adult Thumper) and Sam Edwards (adult Thumper).

This is a wonderful original production animation drawing of Thumper from the very famous snow/ice scene. Bambi awakens to find his first snow covered forest. The pond has frozen over, and his bunny friend Thumper assures him it's safe and he says, "Hiya, Bambi. Watch what I can do. Come on, it's all right. Look. The water's stiff." Thumper lifts his left back paw, races down the snow covered hill, and slides cross the ice covered pond. Bambi follows and slips and slides across the frozen pond. This is a great full figure, eyes and mouth open drawing of Thumper rendered in red and graphite pencils. His paw is raised and he is ready to run down the snowy hillside. A beautiful and rare piece of vintage Walt Disney original production animation that is perfect for any art collection!

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Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Original Production Animation Cel of an Indian Girl from "Peter Pan," 1953


Original hand inked and hand painted production animation cel of an Indian Girl from "Peter Pan," 1953, Walt Disney Studios; Set over a lithographic background; Size - Indian Girl: 8 1/4 x 5", Image 9 x 9"; Unframed.

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

"When did he first say 'Ugh'? Hana mana ganda. In the Injun book, it say when first brave married squaw he gave out with head big 'ugh' when he saw his mother-in-law." - The Indian Chief

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.

The Indian Chief is Tiger Lily's father and the leader of the Indians of Neverland. He was voiced by Candy Candido, who was an American radio performer, bass player, vocalist, and animation voice actor. He is best remembered for his famous line, "I'm feeling mighty low." Candido voiced many characters for Disney including: the Wolf's roars in "Peter and the Wolf," one of Maleficent's goons in "Sleeping Beauty," Shere Khan's roars in "The Jungle Book," the Captain of the Guard in "Robin Hood," Brutus and Nero in "The Rescuers," the deep voiced prisoner in the Haunted Mansion attraction, Fidget the peg-legged bat and a Reprobate in the Pub in "The Great Mouse Detective," and Bear growls (along with Clarence Nash) in "The Fox and the Hound." The Indian Chief was animated by veteran Walt Disney animator Ward Kimball.

From Walt Disney animator Andreas Deja (who animated Jafar):
"The Indian Chief was Kimball's main contribution to the film. What fantastic animation! So inventive (as usual). I remember thinking about this character frequently when animating dialogue scenes with Jafar. It's so much fun to come up with weird mouth shapes, as long as they work with the dialogue reading and the character's personality."


Original production animation cel of an Indian Girl without the background.

In the film when John Darling, Michael Darling, and the Lost Boys are out hunting Indians; they end up being captured by them instead. They are bound and taken to the Native Camp and brought before the Indian Chief. He believes that they have kidnapped his daughter Tiger Lily (who was actually kidnapped by Captain Hook and Mr. Smee), and he orders that they be burned at the stake if Tiger Lily doesn't return home by sunset. Fortunately, Peter Pan rescues Tiger Lily at Skull Rock and returns her safely home, just in time. The Indian Chief sets the boys free and makes them Honorary-Indians; he also names Peter Pan Chief Little Flying Eagle.

The Indian Chief and an Indian chorus sing the song "What Made the Red Man Red?", which explains the following: Why does he ask you, "How?", When did he first say, "Ugh!", and What made the red man red? (The song is very controversial due to the racist stereotypes of Native Americans). This is a very rare original production animation cel of an Indian Girl from the part in the song: "When did he first say 'Ugh'? Hana mana ganda. In the Injun book, it say when first brave married squaw he gave out with head big 'ugh' when he saw his mother-in-law." This is a very large image of this rare character from song "What Made the Red Man Red?" A beautiful piece of vintage Walt Disney animation artwork from the classic full length feature film "Peter Pan!"

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Original Production Animation Cel of Donald Duck from "Steel and America," 1965


Original hand painted production animation cel of Donald Duck from "Steel and America," 1965, Walt Disney Studios; Set on a lithographic background; With original Art Corner Certificate sticker verso; Size - Donald Duck: 4 x 4 1/2", Image 9 x 12"; Unframed.

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

"One of the greatest satisfactions in our work here at the studio is the warm relationship that exists within our cartoon family. Mickey, Pluto, Goofy, and the whole gang have always been a lot of fun to work with. But like many large families, we have a problem child. You're right, it's Donald Duck." - Walt Disney

Donald Duck, the hot-headed anthropomorphic duck, was created by Walt Disney. His theatrical debut was in the short "The Wise Little Hen," in 1934.  Donald's fiery temper combined with his humorous manner of speech (which was performed by his original voice actor Clarence "Ducky" Nash) has earned the famous Duck numerous Academy Awards, more film appearances (over 150 shorts and films) than any other Disney character, and a popular series of comic books.


Original production animation cel of Donald Duck without the background.

"Steel and America" is an educational short released by Walt Disney Productions on May 5, 1965. It was directed by Les Clark, produced for the American Iron and Steel Institute, and released in 16mm format. The film was used to promote the steel industry and combined live action sequences with animation. "Steel and America" traced the history of the steel industry and follows the manufacturing process from raw iron ore to finished products. Donald Duck portrays a steelworker and the film run time is twenty-five minutes.


Original backing board and Art Corner Certificate sticker.


Close up of the original Art Corner Certificate sticker.

This is a fantastic original production animation cel of Donald Duck. He is full figure and using a bellows to heat a kiln that is being used to melt a bar of iron. This cel was originally sold through Art Corner Gallery, located inside Disneyland, and included is the backing board with the original Walt Disney Art Corner gold label. A wonderful piece from a rare Disney film and this would be a great addition to any Disney animation art collection!

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