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.
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
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