Sleeping Beauty

History and Review Written By Michael J. Ruhland












Year Released:1959
Michael's Movie Grade:D

                                                      History
Never before had there been a Disney animated feature that Walt Disney was less involved in. At the time Sleeping Beauty was being made, Walt had his hands completely full. He was also working on television shows, Live action movies, and most of all Disneyland. Much of Disney's animation department at this time felt the lack of presence of Walt. Many of them felt they needed to do what Walt wanted, but many felt they had no idea what he would want them to do. They were so used to having Walt so involved with the making of these films, that making Sleeping Beauty would be a completely different experience and in some ways a more challenging one.

The idea of doing Sleeping Beauty as an animated feature started in 1950. A little work was done around this time but nothing major. In 1954 the project would be on hiatus for two years. This was because much of Disney's animation department was transferred over to start working on Walt's new project a little place called Disneyland. Work on Sleeping Beauty would resume in 1956. Over the next three years the majority of work on the film would done.

This film's production designer, Eyvind Earle would work on Sleeping Beauty's Castle for Disneyland. Also helping design this castle was Herb Ryman, who had been an art director for such Disney animated features as Fantasia, Dumbo, The Three Caballeros and Victory Through Air Power. At this time he would only be working on Disneyland, so he would not work on the Sleeping Beauty film. This castle was originally going to be Snow White's Castle, but it was changed to Sleeping Beauty Castle to advertise the upcoming film. The castle would be complete in 1957, two years before the film was released.

As work on this Sleeping beauty was being done the costs of the film greatly multiplied. The film would end up costing six million dollars, making it the most expensive animated film made up to this time.

The supervising director of Sleeping Beauty would be Clyde Geronimi. Clyde Geronimi had previously been one of the directors for Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Make Mine Music, Melody Time, and Victory Through Air Power, as well as many great Disney cartoon shorts. 

Much of the problems with making this film came from the story department. They found the story to similar to Snow White and Cinderella. Because of this they worked really hard not to make the story of this film seem like the studio repeating itself, but much of the story department found this an extremely difficult job.

The layout artists however found work on Sleeping Beauty much more exciting. Much of the look of the film was inspired by a trip layout designer, John Hench took to a medieval art show.

Like earlier animated features many animators were cast by characters. Marc Davis would be the supervising animator for Maleficent, Ollie Johnson would be the supervising animator for the three good fairies, Milt Kahl would be the supervising animator for Prince Philip and so forth. One animator who worked on this film briefly is of note. This animator would be Chuck Jones, famous for his Looney Tunes work and later How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Chuck worked at Disney while the Warner Brothers cartoon studio was closed for five months during 1953. He was not happy with not having the same creative freedom he had at Warners and went back there as soon as the studio reopened.

Sleeping Beauty did not do well with either critics or audiences, both of whom felt that this film was below the par set by previous animated Disney features.

                                                             Review
One of Disney's weakest animated features.

The biggest fault of this film is the characters. I simply do not feel any connection to any of these characters. The biggest problems are definitely with Princess Aurora and Prince Philip. These characters seem like bad parodies of Disney characters instead of actual Disney characters. On top of that they have little to no personality to speak of. This is also just as true of the two kings as well. The Three good fairies have a bit more personality but even then not much. I never felt I got to know those characters beyond little quirks. Despite the popularity of Maleficent (I know lots of people will agree with me on this) in this movie she comes off as just a standard movie villain and nothing more. She is in fact a much better character in the Kingdom Hearts video games.

On top of this the film has no excitement or danger in it. I know many people will take that comment as a point about how no action happens until near the end of the movie. However that is not my problem. My problem actually is the action scene towards the end. For how strong Maleficent is this end battle feels to easy. The good fairies and Philip don't seem to be at danger at any point in this battle. In a sense I am never worried or afraid for these characters during this scene. As a result of this the whole climax is just boring. It is shocking that the people who previously brought us the terrifying Pleasure Island sequence from Pinocchio or the thrilling forest fire scene from Bambi could make this such a boring scene.

The film does have some good points though. Once Upon a Dream is a delightful song that I really enjoy hearing. Though she is not the best written character, Marc Davis' animation of Maleficent is excellent. Sadly however the good points of this film are heavily overshadowed by it's weak points.

This film is proof that even great filmmakers can bring us less than great films at times. So if you want to watch a classic animated Disney princess film Snow White and Cinderella are much better. Luckily in the history of Disney animation a film like Sleeping Beauty is an exception rather than a rule.

                                                        Film Credits
Supervising Director: Clyde Geronimi
Sequence Directors: Eric Larson, Wolfgang Reitherman, Les Clark
Based off the classic fairy tale by Charles Perrault
Writers: Erdman Penner, Joe Rinaldi, Winston Hibler, Bill Peet, Ted Sears, Ralph Wright, Milt Banta
Voices: Mary Costa (Princess Aurora/Briar Rose), Eleanor Audley (Maleficent), Taylor Holmes (King Stefan), Bill Shirley (Prince Phillip), Verna Felton (Flora), Barbara Jo Allen (Fauna), Barbara Luddy (Merryweather), Bill Thompson (King Hubert), Candy Candido(Goon), Pinto Colvig (Goon), Bob Amsberry (Goon), Dal McKennon (Owl), Marvin Miller (Narrator)
Producer: Walt Disney
Songwriters: Erdman Penner, Jack Lawrence, Sammy Fain, Ted Sears, Winston Hibler
Choral Arrangements: John Rarig
Music Editor: Evelyn Kennedy
Editors: Roy M. Brewster, Jr., Donald Halliday
Production Supervisor: Ken Peterson
Production Designers: Don DaGradi, Ken Anderson
Character Designer: Tom Oreb
Color Artist:   Eyvind Earle
Effects Animators: Dan MacManus, Jack Boyd, Joshua Meador, Jack Buckley
Special Effects: Ub Iwerks, Eustace Lycett
Sound Artist: Robert O. Cook
Supervising Animators: Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, John Lounsbery.
Background Artists: Frank Armitage, Al Dempster, Bill Layne, Dick Anthony, Richard H. Thomas, Thelma Witmer, Walt Peregoy, Ralph Hulett, Fil Mottola, Anthony Rizzo
Layout Artists: McLaren Stewart, Don Griffith, Basil Davidovich, Joe Hale, Jack Huber, Tom Codrick, Erni Nordli, Victor Haboush, Homer Jonas, Ray Aragon
Animators: Hal King, Blaine Gibson, Ken Hultgren, George Nicholas, Henry Tanous, Hal Ambro, John Sibley, Harvey Toombs, Bob Youngquist, John Kennedy, Don Lusk, Bob Carlson, Fred Kopietz, Eric Cleworth, Ken O'Brien

                                                      Resources Used
The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
The Animated Movie Guide by Jerry Beck (contributing writer: Martin Goodman)
The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland by The Imagineers
https://www.bcdb.com/cartoon-characters/32-Sleeping-Beauty#animators

-Michael J. Ruhland

Tonka

History and Review Written By Michael J. Ruhland
















Year Released:1958
Michael's Movie Grade: B+

                                      History
Tonka was originally planned to be a five part episode of the Disneyland TV show. However as production moved along it was decided that Tonka should be instead be released as a single feature film. This film was directed and written by Lewis R. Foster. Foster had directed some fantastic Laurel and Hardy shorts (including their first talkie Unaccustomed as We Are), he would also direct the films El Paso and The Brave and the Bold. However he would probably be better recognized as a writer, writing for such films as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and The More the Merrier. He was already working at Disney at this time directing and writing for their Zorro TV show.

Westerns had by this time proven to be some of Disney's greatest moneymakers. Starting with the studios work with Davy Crockett, these films soon became a major part of Disney's output. Starting with Old Yeller, these films were become more dependent on drama and less on action. Like  The Light in the Forest, Disney's last feature length western this film deal with race relations between whites and American Indians. This is a subject that would not have been seen in the earliest Disney westerns.

This is the first pf Disney's feature length westerns not to feature actor Fess Parker. Fess Parker when he started at Disney as Davy Crockett was getting leading roles in the all of the Disney westerns. However starting with Old Yeller he had begun getting smaller roles. He did not like these smaller roles and also felt like he was being typecast. When offered a very small role in Tonka, Parker left Disney.

Much of the scenes at the Indian camp were filmed in Oregon at The Warm Springs Indian Reservation, many of the resident of this reservation appeared in the film or worked as advisors.

Tonka fared very well with critics, but I am unfortunately not able to find much information on how it did at the box office.

                                                           Review

Excellent film. Brisk, and fun movie though not lacking in depth either.

The best thing about this film is something the Disney studio excels at and this film is proof as to that fact. This is creating a very believable and charming relationship between humans and animals. The relationship between White Bull and Tonka is very moving, and is always charming. Both the writing and the acting (both human and horse) is just fantastic, and there could have not possibly been better chemistry between  these two.

Once again the treatment of a subject as serious as race relations is treated with the upmost respect. This film never talks down to it's audience and treats both sides with much respect. The only exception is this film's version of General Custer, who unfortunately here is just a rather bland villain. With how well this film did the other characters, you think they could have done this one better.

An excellent film, that is very entertaining, but also has a good message, which is for the most part done very well.

                                                       Film Credits
Director: Lewis R. Foster

Writers: Lewis R. Foster, Lillie Hayward

Based on a book by David Appel

Cast: Sal Mineo (White Bull), Philip Carey (Capt. Miles Keogh), Jerome Courtland (Lt. Henry Nowlan),  H.M. Wynant (Yellow Bull), Joy Page (Prairie Flower), Britt Lomond (Gen. Custer), Rafael Campos (Strong Bear), Herbert Rudley (Captain Benteen), Sydney Smith (Gen. Alfred Howe Terry), John War Eagle (Sitting Bull), Gregg Martell (Cpl. Korn), Slim Pickens (Ace), Robert 'Buzz' Henry (Lt. Crittenden), Jim Alderman (Cavalryman), Larry Baxter ( Cavalryman), Charles Biles (Cavalryman), Larry Ditmore (Cavalryman), Chuck Fite (Cavalryman), Wayne Houston (Cavalryman), Karl Kleint (Cavalryman), Robert Patrick (Cavalryman), William "Red" Reynolds ( Cavalryman), Gard Safley (Cavalryman), Jim Smith (Cavalryman), Frank Stoul (Cavalryman), Henry Welch (Cavalryman), C.R. Yount (Cavalryman), George Bernier (Ace's Man), Tom Bride (Ace's Man), Hugh Porter (Ace's Man), Rod Rosebrook (Ace's Man), Walt Smead (Ace's Man), Claude Brennan (Officer), Pat Castor (Officer), Alvin Grimes (Officer), W.C. Yeomans (Kellogg), Monroe Carlson (Maj. Marcus A. Reno), Stan Frank (Indian), Harold Green (Indian), Johnny Guerin (Indian), Chester Von Pelt (Indian), Leland Thompson (Indian), Alba Shawaway (Indian), Eddie Little Sky (Spotted Tail), Wallace Lee Hug (Child), Ed Saluskin (Scout), Levi Von Pelt (Child), Peggy Jaques (Pioneer), Renee Jaques (Pioneer), Al Wyatt Sr. (Trooper), Clem Klink (Dignitary), Dallas Quick (Dignitary), Conrad Well (Orderly)

Producers: Walt Disney, James C. Pratt

Music: Oliver Wallace

Songwriters: George Burns, Hazel George

Cinematographer: Loyal Griggs

Editor: Ellsworth Hoagland

Art Director: Robert Emmet Smith

Set Decorators: Oliver Emert, Emile Kuri

Makeup Artists: Pat McNally, Ruth Sandifier, Hedy Mjorud, William Woods

Production Manager: John Grubbs

Assistant Directors: Horace Hough, Herb Hirst, Mickey McCardle

Painters: Harry Bogart, Eldon Hall, Peter Ellenshaw, William Powley, Albert Whitock

Propmen: Stuart Brown, Charles Chrisman, Wilward Marty, Jim Trenor, Lou Wildley

Effects Artists: Clarence Burke, Max Luttenburg, Charles Sprugeun, Edwin Tillman

Cameramen: Judd Curtis, Harry L. Underwood

Assistant Cameramen: Dick Kelly, Bob McGowan

                                                          Resources Used

The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin

The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney by Michael Barrier

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052300/?ref_=tttr_tr_tt

http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Tonka

-Michael J. Ruhland 

White Wilderness

History and Review Written By Michael J. Ruhland


























Michael's Movie Grade:B
Year Released: 1958

                                                History
This True Life Adventure used 11 photographers. 5 of these photographers had previously worked for Disney nature documentaries (Lloyd Beebe, Herb Crisler, Lois Crisler, James R. Simon, Tom McHugh) but for the rest working for Disney was new (Hugh A. Wilmar, Dick Bird, William H. Carrick, Cecil Rhode, Rickard Tegströ, Carl Thomsen). Some of those new to Disney would continue to work for Disney (Hugh A. Wilmar would for instance also work on The Jungle Cat), but for most of them this was their frist and last time working for the studio. These photographers spent nearly 3 years getting the footage for this documentary. Some of the photographers were dubbed specialists and sent on their own assignments. For instance Hugh A. Wilmar shot footage of the polar bears, Herb and Lois Crisler shot footage of wolves and caribou, James R. Simon worked on footage of lemmings and Llyod Bebe shot footage of the caribou and oxen. This film includes some of the earliest film footage to be shot in Antarctica.

Like the previous True Life Adventures this film was directed by James Algar, who started work at Disney as an animator, he also directed The Sorcerers Apprentice segment in Fantasia. White Wilderness includes much of the same crew that worked on previous Disney nature documentaries including producer Ben Sharpsteen (another person who started working at Disney as an animator, he also was the supervising director for Pinocchio, and Dumbo), and narrator Winston Hibler.

The lemming suicide scene was actually faked. The particular lemmings that appear in the film, not only don't commit suicide, but also don't even migrate.

This film received mixed reviews from critics, however it was a big hit at the box office, and won an academy award for best documentary, and was nominated for best music.

                                                               Review
Quite good nature documentary.

The photography in this film is absolutely incredible. Every scene is just lovely to look at. Much of the footage, leaves an audience in awe, wondering how the photographers could get these beautiful images.

Again I am not a fan of the narration or comedy of this series. Here though it is much less distracting than it is in earlier Disney nature documentaries. The problem really is that the humor and narration are just unfunny, and unnecessary.

This film features probably one of the best scores of the True Life Adventures. Unlike many previous True Life Adventures, the score here complements the action rather than distracts from it. While during some of the comedy scenes the score can still get distractedly comedic, unlike other True Life Adventures this is much rarer in White Wilderness. More often then not in this film the score represents the majesty of nature than the comedic parts of this film.

Overall a quite well made film.

                                                               Film Credits
Director: James Algar
Writer: James Algar.
Narrator: Winston Hibler
Producers: Walt Disney, Ben Sharpsteen
Music: Oliver Wallace, Evelyn Kennedy, Clifford Vaughan
Photographers: Lloyd Beebe, Herb Crisler, Lois Crisler, James R. Simon, Hugh A. Wilmar, Dick Bird, William H. Carrick, Tom McHugh, Cecil Rhode, Rickard Tegström, Carl Thomsen
Editor: Norman R. Palmer
Production Manager: Erwin L. Verity
Special Effects: Ub Iwerks
Effects Animators: Joshua Meador, Art Riley
Sound Artist: Robert O. Cook
                                                                      Resources Used
The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052389/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/White%20Wilderness

-Michael J. Ruhland