Thelma Keane, who was in the inspiration for the mother in the “Family Circus” comics, has passed away. Her husband, Bil, created the comic and Thelma managed the business, in addition to providing inspiration and a whole bunch of children. One of their sons, Jeff,… Read More »Condolences to the Keane Family
Via Youtube: The music video for my song ‘Alice’, an electronic piece of which 90% is composed using sounds recorded from the Disney film ‘Alice In Wonderland’. (via Kottke)
(Editors note: I’m the process of writing the review for the recent re-release of “The Three Caballeros” and “Saludos Amigos” on DVD. That DVD has a wonderful extra that just skims the top of Walt’s famous 1941 trip to Latin America. It has always left me wanting to know more about that trip. Now “Walt & El Grupo” has answered that call. I hope they’re able to bring it out to Central Florida for a screening sometime soon.
I want to thank Leo Holzer for sending in this great article about what sounds like an exciting new documentary concerning a very critical moment in Walt’s career. “Walt & El Grupo” is premiering at the San Francisco International Film Festival on Saturday, April 26, 2008. – John)
“Walt & El Grupo”
By Leo N. Holzer
Special to The Disney Blog
The loss of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and the birth of Mickey Mouse in 1928. The creation and release of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937. The development of Disneyland and its opening in 1955.
All of these were important and challenging periods for Walt Disney and his company.
But there was another time when life as Walt Disney knew it would forever change, both personally and professionally. The year was 1941, months before Pearl Harbor, when Walt and his studio were embroiled in labor unrest with an animators’ strike and challenged by the shrinking international box office returns as the war in Europe expanded.
It’s this period of Walt Disney’s life — and the “godsend” he found with a U.S.-government-sponsored working trip to Central and South America — that documentary filmmaker Ted Thomas (“Frank and Ollie”) explores in his new film, “Walt & El Grupo.”
If you’re planning on attending this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival starting this week, you’ll get to enjoy twenty-seven different animation programs. One of these is Roy E. Disney and Don Hahn with some rarely seen Disney animation and experimental films.
Leslie Iwerks will also be showing her documentary, The Pixar Story.
Michael J. Ruocco writes the excellent animation blog “For The Birds.” He recently finished a three-part series that provides visual proof on how Disney’s animators reused animation footage multiple times over the years. For instance, you may have thought that Bambi’s mother was killed early… Read More »Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Disney Animator’s caught reusing footage
The Walt Disney Studios has issued a long tribute to Disney Legend Ollie Johnston’s life in the form of the traditional press obituary. It contains many deserved and heart felt tributes from luminaries in the very field Johnston helped define as well as details of Johnston’s richly lived life. Roy E. Disney, John Lasseter, Glen Keane, Andreas Deja and John Canemaker all have tributes.
Some very sad news to impart tonight. Jenny Lerew and a host of other animation sites are paying tribute to Ollie Johnston, who died today at the age of 95 in Sequim, Washington. Our deepest condolences to his family and friends. Ollie was the last… Read More »Ollie Johnston, last of Walt’s Nine Old Men, Disney Animator dead at 95
I’m flipping through my Sam’s Club flyer yesterday and came across this full page listing for the “Disney/Pixar Animation Lover’s Dream Vacation”. It gives special behind the scenes access to the lucky purchaser while helping a good cause with a donation to Juvenile Diabetes Research… Read More »The Ultimate Disney/Pixar Animation Tour could be yours