Disney, ABC… and Segregation
In the 1950s Walt Disney agreed to produce the Disneyland television series for ABC – and whenever Disney released a new film, he often arranged for an ABC-Paramount theatre to premiere it.
Animation Anecdotes #382
Screenwriter Linda Woolverton said, “Adults will have something to chew on in Beauty and the Beast. That’s why animated films are so interesting to make.
Flip the Frog Restored: “A Chinaman’s Chance” (1932)
As a special treat this week, here is the first restoration we’ve made public: the *almost* finished clean up of A Chinaman’s Chance (1932), with the Celebrity Pictures titles.
Animating on Times Square: Douglas Leigh and Otto Messmer
This week in Mark Kausler’s closet we found a real piece of gold: a vintage reel of Otto Messmer animation that was originally shown as animated lights in Times Square.
“The Disney Afternoon” on Records – Part 1: The Music
The two-hour Walt Disney TV Animation programming block was introduced to syndication in 1990, bringing three existing series, a premiere and a new album.
The Exposure Sheet – Volumes #5 and #6
We continue our close look at Leon Schlesinger Productions, circa mid-March/early April 1939, with the fifth and sixth issue of their in-house newsletter, The Exposure Sheet.
The Toughest Critter West of the Alamo
Even though the song “Pecos Bill” did not make the charts at “Billboard”, it sees to have gotten”covered” more widely than any other song from Melody Time.
“Evil Toons” (1992)
Move over, Cool World! You weren’t the only R-Rated version of Roger Rabbit to appear in 1992. Here’s the one that was shot in eight days at the cost of $140,000.
Animation Anecdotes #381
In February 1991, Mongolia issued a series of commemorative stamps featuring The Flintstones to generate income through sales to people who would buy them – but never use them.
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and Blu-ray compilations and has lent his expertise to dozens of bonus documentaries and audio commentaries on such. Beck is currently on the faculty of CalArts in Valencia, UCLA in Westwood and Woodbury University in Burbank – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [Click Here]
