Issue 12 – Index of selected articles

Issue 12 – Spring 1985 Highlights of British animation 1985 The Year of Animation was officially launched on 24th January 1985 at the National Film Theatre in London with a special showing of Highlights of British Animation 1899 – 1974. David Jefferson reports on the proceedings. Disney Animator Ollie Johnston Ollie Johnston is one of … Read more

Highlights of British animation 1985

The Year of Animation was officially launched on 24th January 1985 at the National Film Theatre in London with a special showing of Highlights of British Animation 1899 – 1974. David Jefferson reports on the proceedings. The “Year of Animation” was officially launched on 24th January at the National Film Theatre in London with a … Read more

Highlights of British animation 1985 – Page 2

So what of the films on the programme? It opened with the opening titles of Bob Godfrey’s film “Great”. What a rumbustious and colourful film this is with many of the big names in British animation working on it. It tells the story of inventor Isambard Kingdom Brunel and won an Academy-award. As a complete … Read more

Highlights of British animation 1985 – Page 3

“Dustbin Parade” – 1942 from Halas and Batchelor was made to encourage the right attitude in war time. As someone who hated the way Britain’s were roused to war fervour during the Falklands crisis I found this film rather disturbing. The main character, a friendly little bone, is in effect being asked to commit suicide … Read more

Disney Animator Ollie Johnston

Ollie Johnston is one of the legendary Nine Old Men of the Disney studios. He has worked on all the Disney feature films from Snow White to Fox and the Hound. Father Robert Murphy conducted the following interview with him in January 1981 at the Disney studios. If, as Cinderella once sung, “A dream is … Read more

Disney Animator Ollie Johnston – Page 2

MURPHY: Is part of that too that there were lots of people working on it? JOHNSTON: Yes, definitely. Back on Pinocchio there were four of us working on the character of Pinocchio. You were cast only on that character Walt thought you could do the best. After the war, the animation was divided by blocks … Read more

Disney Animator Ollie Johnston – Page 3

MURPHY: What was the first picture you worked on? JOHNSTON: “Pluto’s Judgement Day” or “Mickey’s Garden”. The first animation I did was on “Mickey’s Elephant”. I did a few sequences on “Snow White” but basically I worked as an assistant to Fred Moore. MURPHY: Did you work on “Fox and the Hound”? JOHNSTON: Yes, I … Read more

Disney Animator Ollie Johnston – Page 4

MURPHY: In your biography notes, special attention is given to how you could perceive a character or a story point and see it through. Any examples jump to mind where this happened? JOHNSTON: Well, Prince John in “Robin Hood”; Baloo in “Jungle Book”; the owl in “Sword in the Stone”; Mr. Since; Trusty and Scotty … Read more

Disney Animator Ollie Johnston – Page 5

MURPHY: And you do appreciate that! I can go back now and appreciate the finer qualities of a film I missed the first few times. John Tibbetts and I both agree that “Pinocchio” is probably the best of the Disney features. JOHNSTON: That’s because of all the hand-crafting. The economic factors forced a change from … Read more