Walt's Windows - Tommy Tucker's Tooth

When reading Leslie Iwerks and John Kenworthy’ s The Hand Behind the Mouse: An Intimate Biography of the Man Walt Disney Called “The Greatest Animator in the World” numerous animated short films are mentioned that many are not familiar with. I found that it was helpful and enriched my reading experience to reference these short films, with many of them available for viewing online.



The following is the most well-known short from Ub Iwerks’ and Walt Disney’s Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City:

The ten minute short Tommy Tucker’s Tooth from 1922, is a traditional black and white silent movie, with cards narrating the text and dialogue. It is an educational film, that combined live action and animation. I was surprised how little animation there was. But the scenes that blend live action and animation, though simple in our current day, were likely an interesting challenge for Iwerks.


Remember, brush your teeth get a job!

Between Books - The Hand Behind the Mouse

Pretty much everyone in the United States and many throughout the world has heard the name Walt Disney.  And many would associate him with his most iconic character Mickey Mouse.  And while Disney must be given much of the credit for the development of Mickey Mouse’s character and promotion, the Mouse was actually designed by another man, Ub Iwerks.  Iwerks was a key partner for the success of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse even though for most fans who have been delighted by Mickey Mouse on screen, Iwerks is largely invisible.

Leslie Iwerks and John Kenworthy in The Hand Behind the Mouse: An Intimate Biography of the Man Walt Disney Called “The Greatest Animator in the World” attempt to inform readers to the achievements of Disney’s master animator.  Iwerks met another young artist, Walt Disney, at the Pesmen-Rubin Art Studio in Kansas City.  The two men would then be linked together as they moved onto the Kansas City Film Ad Company and started their own production company in the Laugh-O-Gram Studio.  With the bankruptcy of their young endeavor the two men would separate with Walt Disney relocating to California and Iwerks obtaining salaried work as an artist.  With contracts for cartoons in hand, Disney requested his friend join him at the Disney Brothers Studio to animate the Alice Comedy series, originally a Laugh-O-Gram product.  Later, Iwerks would be the lead animator for the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon series.  When Charles Mintz took control of the series from Disney, Iwerks who was one of the few animators to stay with Walt Disney.  It was Iwerks that Disney looked to for the creation of a new replacement animated star.  Iwerks drew a number of character designs including frogs, cows and horses.  But it was a mouse that Walt Disney was drawn to, a mouse that would become Disney’s most popular character Mickey Mouse.  In 1930, Iwerks would leave Disney and start his own cartoon studio, The Iwerks Studio.  While Iwerks continued to push innovation, the Flip the Frog and Willie Whopper cartoon characters never found a profitable audience.  The Iwerks Studio would eventually close and after completing contract work for Looney Tunes, Iwerks would return to Disney employment.  But Iwerks would never again primarily be an animator.  Instead Iwerks would place his formidable mind against the challenge of special effects in both animated and live action films.  His work would even be seen outside of Disney production in films like Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.  Iwerks would also contribute to Disney’s theme park projects, developing the camera for the Circarama, later named Circle-Vision, films.  Iwerks would continue to work for Disney, challenged by interesting visual challenges, until his death in 1971. 

My first question when picking up The Hand Behind the Mouse was would this book be fair and balanced?  It is a Disney Editions book, but co-written by Ub Iwerks’ granddaughter.  So would the legacy of Walt be lessened in discussing Ub, and likewise would the publisher push for an overly positive depiction of Walt Disney.  The first potential conflict was Mickey Mouse.  We have all heard stories of Walt Disney creating Mickey Mouse on the train ride back from New York after losing Oswald.  Iwerks and Kenworthy’s version of this tale is that Disney asked Iwerks to work up several character models for him to choose from for his new animation star.  Walt Disney selected the mouse!  The book, and Disney company history, supports the view that the model of Mickey Mouse was fully Iwerks’ effort.  But the book also makes it clear that the financial and critical success of the mouse was due to the efforts of Walt Disney.  Iwerks drew the mouse, but Disney made him a star!  The second source of conflict was Iwerks and his departure from the studio.  The book discusses the tension that Iwerks felt in the studio as his efforts were downplayed but Disney’s were applauded.  But the authors do not paint Disney as the “bad guy.”  Instead they show him to be hurt by the desertion of a long-time friend and trusted partner.  The book presents the situation as something that happened but does not point fingers at the split.  Additionally, the book shows that despite Disney keeping his distance initially, he was excited for Ubwerks’ return and the ability to use his skills and intellect in his productions. 

One incident that this book helped illuminate for me is Disney losing the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.  Iwerks and Kenworthy present this issue largely without commentary.  But they do discuss the creation of the rabbit, which makes it clear that Oswald was not 100 percent the intellectual property of Disney or Iwerks.  In fact it was representatives from Universal who suggested a rabbit and the name Oswald for a series they would distribute but Disney would produce.  These facts make it appear that Disney was very much a contractor, who was fulfilling a request not generating exclusively owned content.  In a time where intellectual property laws were in question, it is easy to see how Disney legally would not fight the transfer of Oswald to another studio.  Walt Disney just would not have had a leg to stand on.   

I really enjoyed The Hand Behind the Mouse!  And I would highly recommend it.  I got a glimpse into early animation, the early Disney studio, and the man who created our beloved Mousey leader.  The book was highly readable, with me having a hard time to put it down.  The only thing that slowed me down was the summaries of animated shorts I was not familiar with, much like a baseball book describing game action you did not actually witness.  But many of these shorts are easily available to the reader.  You may have missed this title and it is well worth your while pick it up this well researched and well written book. 

Dreaming Disney - Orlando Attractions Magazine

As you know, I’m a reader.  I read books, magazines, blogs, tweets, statuses and etc., especially if they are about Disney.  I currently contribute to one Disney focused magazine and have contributed to another in the past.  So I am somewhat familiar with Disney periodicals.  Therefore, I have been familiar with Orlando Attractions Magazine, I follow the Attractions twitter account, but I have never picked up a copy of the magazine.  One can only read and subscribe to so much!  And with covers that sported non-Disney parks and attractions I have felt pretty safe not picking up a copy.  And from a distance it was difficult to tell the difference between Orlando Attractions Magazine and travel magazines that one can pick up for free in hotel lobbies. 

Recently, I decided I had to give Orlando Attractions Magazine a try due to a feature article on the Hatbox Ghost of the Haunted Mansion.  With a classic Disney attraction and a beloved fan boy topic, the time had come to purchase a copy. 

So, here is what I found.

My first uniformed comparison had been to travel magazines that you can pick up when you go to a tourist city.  I would say Orlando Attractions Magazine outshines this type of travel magazine.  The articles are informative, but do not have the urgency to sell the dinner show, attraction, or park being profiled.  For me I was most excited to find an article on Sonny Eclipse, one of my favorite Audio-Animatronics, which I did not even realized was included until it arrived.  And I was surprised to see that the author of this profile was Simon Veness of The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner.  I did enjoy the article on the Hatbox Ghost, due to my love of history and the attraction.  Orlando Attractions Magazine is likely the only magazine that will enter my library that has information about the WhirlyDome!    

The contents do include a fare amount of news and coming events for parks around Orlando.  And some of the articles, like “Skipper Ben’s Top Ten” highlight attractions from across Florida parks, including the Walt Disney World Resort.  Additionally there is a hotel report, which was for me shocking in not being about a Disney property hotel!  Though luckily for me the featured restaurant in this issue was one on Disney property.  There are also some “fun” content such as cartoons and games.

For me the real value is covering attractions beyond the Disney property.  I am trying, reluctantly trying, to become more familiar with the theme park landscape in general and the content about non-Disney attractions, hotels and dining does fit that bill.  But there is still enough Disney content to make sure I am not completely lost in its pages. 

So what to do, what to do?  Orlando Attractions Magazine is quarterly and has a reasonable subscription price.  The next issue appears to be filled with New Fantasyland content and I definitely want to take in as much New Fantasyland as I can get my hands on.  At the least I believe I will purchase the next issue, but may wait until then to decide if I will subscribe.  There is always a risk two covers from now may have a wizard on it, and I just do not know how I feel about that yet!      

Between Books - The Art of Meet the Robinsons

I thought I had the perfect plan.

I had never read or reviewed an “Art of” book.  And I love Meet the Robinsons.  So I thought the fairest way for me to a review an “Art of” book was to review The Art of Meet the Robinsons by Tracey Miller-Zarneke.  The book had to be a instant delight for me, it could not fail.  Instead I discovered I may not know what to think of “Art of” books. 

The Art of Meet the Robinsons is a short book that highlights concept art from the movie.  This art ranges from story sketches, color studies, concept art, and full paintings.  There is smattering of commentary explaining artistic choices and intent in character and setting design. 

The good of the book is the art.  It is the intended highlight of the book, and it is more impressive than the text.  Honestly I would have enjoyed more art mostly due to my love of the movie.  But I really loved some of the details you do not get a good glimpse of in the movie like the Robinson Industries posters.  There are also some interesting facts that I did not know including the fact that director Steve Anderson was an orphan like Lewis and that Lewis originally was to see a monorail when Wilbur gave him a tour of Future City, Walt Disney would have been proud.  But again,  I am the guy who could have used more.

“More” may be how I would summarize how I felt in general.  I wanted more art and I definitely wanted more background.  And I wanted more pages, there are only around 60.  I wanted to spend more time in the book, but with it being so short it was a quick dive into the world of Lewis and Wilbur.  I wanted the book to appear more like an adult book.  I easily could put this volume on my shelf next to children’s storybooks and it would look like it was at home!  I wanted more discussion on the design of Todayland, actually I wanted some since there was none other than art.  Though this book is no longer in print I would really felt disappointed if I paid the original suggested retail price of $17.99 for this volume because I wanted so much more.

I feel like either I do not understand “Art of” books and their nature yet, and if this is a representative sample I am going to struggle through these.  Or maybe this book demonstrates a problem that I have felt with Disney when it comes to Meet the Robinsons, a feeling that this film has been treated as second class.  I was introduced to Lewis, Wilbur and the Man with Bowler Hat at a meet and great at Disney-MGM Studios, yeah it has been that long ago!  I had no idea what their names were!  And I had to be dragged to the movie, which I knew nothing about and was sure would be horrible.  I just do not believe Disney in the midst of a transition after purchasing Pixar put a lot of effort into promoting the movie with its original release.  I wonder if the company in transition limited the resources available to author Tracey Miller-Zarneke, limiting what The Art of Meet the Robinsons could have been.  Sure the volume has samples of great artwork, but I just wanted more.

Mousey Movie Review - Wreck-It-Ralph

Headline: I like Wreck-It-Ralph.  I really like it a lot.  And I think you will like it too.  Go see it.   

As you can pick up from the trailers, Wreck-It-Ralph is a very traditional Disney story of belonging and identity.  Ralph, voiced by John C. Reilly, is a video game villain and after 30 years finds himself struggling with the fact that he is not “nice” and is generally an outsider even in his own game.  He is constantly overshadowed by the hero and namesake of his game Fix-It-Felix Jr., a hero loved by the citizens of his game the Nicelanders.  Ralph goes on a quest to prove himself, a quest which requires that he leave his game.  On this journey of discovery he meets characters from other games including want to be racer Vanellope von Schweetz and Sergeant Calhoun the tough squad leader from a first person shooter game.  Will Ralph find his identity or will his actions cause mortal harm to the inhabitants of one or more of the games in the arcade?    

Here are my thoughts on this great movie, other than the fact that I love it:

·         A man of character:  In many ways Tron, which I dislike, and Wreck-It-Ralph share the same basic concept with “programs” playing out their lives inside computers.  But the important difference for me is that Wreck-It-Ralph very quickly establishes characters that I care for and understand.  Many have seen segments of the villain group therapy sessions in the trailers.  Yes, this scene is funny.  But in the trailer you see only parts of the segment, one that effectively and quickly makes us understand Ralph’s problem, Ralph’s character, and Ralph’s pain.  I really credit the writers by helping us understand and come to care for Ralph at this quick pace, it becomes easy for the audience to enter into the story and cheer for Ralph in his struggles.  We care about the story because we care about Ralph! 

Wreck-It-Ralph and Vanellope, Two Great Characters

   

·        Retro:  Let us be honest.  A big reason a lot of adults will be seeing Wreck-It-Ralph is the cameos of video game characters we grew up on.  There are a ton of cameos, though not everyone you may hope for.  I am not going to even pretend to be able to provide an exhaustive list of cameos, there are just too many.  But if you are coming through the door for the retro experience, be warned this movie almost entirely takes place in three environments created for the movie; Fix-It-Felix Jr., Hero’s Duty, and Sugar Rush.  And honestly, I am okay with it.  Since the animators and writers were not chained to the expectations the audience has about their favorite childhood video games they can focus instead on character, story and having fun with their backgrounds and scenery without angering fan boys.  And they do play; watch for the stylized movements of the Nicelanders.  So be warned, you will not be viewing a movie that is in Frogger or Super Mario Brothers.  But I believe using fictional video games was a better choice.   

·         I want to go there!:  Let me admit I am not a serious gamer, despite my attempts at casual game reviews from the Disney fan perspective.  I have played a iOS version of Fix-It-Felix Jr.  It passed some time, but honestly it is repetitive and I lost interest in a few days.  I would probably never play Hero’s Duty on a consistent basis.  I do not think I would be good at it.  For me the original game found in Wreck-It-Ralph that I want to play is Sugar Rush.  This racing game seems super fun with bonuses that are candy and ice cream.  I want to play this game so bad.  One can play on the Wreck-It-Ralph website.  But I want to play it on a device so I do not have to be chained to a computer.  I would not think it would be that hard to adapt games like MarioKart for this purpose.  Please someone put Sugar Rush on a game console or mobile device! 

·        Cartoon Violence:  Parents beware, there is some violence in this offering.  This violence is typically character fist fights.  However, some of these confrontations seem really severe.  I was taken aback by this, but as I thought about it the fights are really no more violent than the climatic fight at the end of Lion King.  However, the key difference is in Wreck-it-Ralph, the characters in these fights are human looking, where in Lion King we can explain the violence off as a part of the circle of life.  This is also a heavy story that may be too much for young viewers.  Death is a topic discussed in depth, well the video game version of death.  There are action violence sequences especially in Hero’s Duty that will remind you of action movies.  And there is one act of violence, yes I use a strong word for this, that got the intended desire of an emotional reaction from me.  Yes, Wreck-it-Ralph made my eyes sweat!

Along with violence there is a lot of bathroom humor.  It is humorous bathroom humor, but it is potty talk.  If you have a kid that is copier and tends to model bad behavior, you might want to pass for a few years. 

 

·        Pixarization: With Pixar and Disney Animation operating separately it is easy to compare the two units.  Both have their successes, but today many who view the two production units would not be afraid to state that Pixar is currently in the lead.  In many ways Wreck-it-Ralph is an outcome of this unofficial competition.  The story is good, Pixar good.  It uses computer generated animation, the style that Pixar for all intents and purposes invented.  This film is so very very far from the look of Cinderella and The Little Mermaid and looks stylistically more like a Toy Story (honestly the story somewhat mimics replacing toys with video games).  One of the reasons that Pixar has had so many story homeruns is the use of the Pixar Brain Trust, some of Pixar’s best and most experienced minds.  If you watch the credits carefully you will notice that the Brain Trust was consulted.  But so was a Disney Story Trust, which I assume is Disney Animation’s response to this highly successful consultative tool.  Yes, Disney Animation is learning from its sibling Pixar.  And we are benefiting as an audience for this mimicing.  

·         Who Knew, Ralph Did!:  Listen carefully, because I heard a Darth Vader breathing homage.  And to think Wreck-it-Ralph was released the same week that Disney purchased Lucasfilm!  If you look closely you may find another shout out to Disney’s newest business unit. 

·         End Cards:  The end credits are really fun.  So sit down for a bit when the movie ends.  The credits include the characters in a number of situations, including funny ones.  Additionally the music played over the credits include theme songs for the games found within the movie, and these got a few giggles out of me.  In fact, I like it enough the Between Wife purchased me the soundtrack.  There is a post credit scene, which those of us familiar with the Avengers Initiative are familiar with.  However, this scene is only seconds long, cannot really be called a scene, and really adds nothing to your experience. 

Okay, I have already spilled the beans.  I love Wreck-It-Ralph and I think it will appeal to both male and female, young and old viewers.  I have kind of forgotten about Brave.  And while I raved about the animation in Brave, I always knew I was watching a cartoon.  In Wreck-It-Ralph I forgot I was watching a cartoon as the production team had me focused on the story not on the animation.  Come for the nostalgia, but stay for the story.    

Dreaming Disney - Vader's Day at Disneyland

I just cannot resist this video.  I know it’s a commercial.  I know they are trying to get me to spend money.  But I think it is a perfect formal introduction of Darth Vader to the Disney family!

I guess I am not the only one who will rewatch this a few times. 

Oswald Opines - Disney Purchases Lucasfilm

It is likely by now you have read through many news outlets that Disney acquired Lucasfilm today through a cash and stock purchase.  As a Disney fan I cannot be more excited!  Star Wars, as we first knew it was one of the first movies I remember seeing in the theater and dominated my play as a kid.  And though I walked away from serious fandom as a young adult, Star Wars was always there to entertain me when needed.  As a father I have been able to rediscover the Star Wars universe with my children.  I honestly could not be more excited about what Disney may do with the Lucasfilm properties, especially Star Wars.

Bob Iger and George Lucas Make History

The following are my first thoughts, before we know much of the details of this deal and Disney’s plans (other than to make buckets and buckets of money):

·         Feature Films: Star Wars Episode VII was revealed with the announcement of this acquisition for 2015.  And it has been confirmed what many of us initially assumed, Star Wars comes in threes!  Story treatments have already been developed for a full new trilogy.  Kathleen Kennedy will be executive producer for these new films, with George Lucas consulting.  This will effectively be the first time that canon will be developed outside of Lucas’ full creative control.  

But there are opportunities for other films.  Captain America: The First Avenger director Joe Johnston started his career at Lucasfilm.  He would like to helm a Boba Fett feature.  Fett is special to Johnston as he designed the bounty hunter’s armor.  With his success for Disney in the Avengers franchise (along with the cult favorite The Rocketeer), maybe Disney would green light this dream project.  So maybe there are other films in the hazy future. 

Of course other franchises other than Star Wars will be impacted.  The Indiana Jones property could see new films in the future.  But I believe other potential projects will be killed.  To me as a complete outsider I believe this seals that a John Carter trilogy will never happen.  Why would Disney invest in a Star Wars like franchise when they own Star Wars?   Despite the fact that the original Edgar Rice Burroughs books inspired Lucas, one of the chief complaints was critics felt the Disney film was a copy of Lucas’ franchise.

One thing I wonder about is 3D.  We got Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace last winter.  But I have really not heard any news about Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.  At one time they talked about a yearly release plan.  Does Disney shelf this as results with the first release were good but not great.  Or do they use their experience, that includes winning the weekend war with 3D animation rereleases, and continue to give us the 3D releases? 

I also think it is important to call out that in the personal history of both Walt Disney and George Lucas is a shared thread of improving the technology of movie making.  Along with the movie franchises Disney now owns Industrial Light and Magic, Skywalker Sound and Lucasfilm’s other business holdings.  I hope the Mouse continues to respect the genius of both men and support technology improvements, which enriches our viewing experiences.

·        Theme Parks: Lucas has been working with Disney for decades to provide theme park attractions globally.  In fact he has stated he believes Star Wars should have a theme park but he lacked the finances to afford building a park on par with Disneyland and other Disney parks.  And this deal means Disney fans will see more Lucas in the parks.  I believe the park that will benefit the most in the United States will be Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando.  The area around Star Tours is ripe for a Stars War Land.  Past rumors have included the Cantina (but can you eat with Greedo) and an expanded Jedi Training Academy (which Orlando really does need).  But what other treasures could there be in store other than shopping experiences?  

At the Disneyland Park to me the possibilities are more limited.  Star Tours is there, along with a large shop.  But would anyone really want to remove Space Mountain for a Star Wars themed coaster?  Though I admit a seasonal overlay  for May 4^th would be really awesome.  Additionally, would they remove Autopia for a Pod Racer or Speeder course?  I hope not, since it’s really the only opening day attraction still there in Tomorrowland.  Innoventions would be an ideal location for something Star Wars.  But I personally would prefer to bulldoze that and put either the Stark Expo or an Iron Man coaster in its place! 

Of course, another gate would also be a possibility now.  A new theme park in Anaheim has been rumored for years, with the latest version of the rumor being Marvel Superhero Park.  I still think that has more of a possibility today, as Disney really needs to do something with their Marvel properties also. 

I also believe this means Star Wars Weekends will continue with no hitches.  I would say they would only be better in the future with Disney having contacts in house.  But honestly, the cooperation on these events has been pretty good so I do not know how they could even be done better.  But maybe, this could mean an opening for a California version of the event.  Or maybe meet in greets with Star Wars characters will happen all year round.

This acquisition will also keep the presence of Indiana Jones firmly in place in both U.S. resorts.  Indiana Jones keeps getting lost in this deal, but as good as Star Tours is Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye is just as good and for some guests better. 

Can we officially get rid of Avatarland now?  Disney owns Star Wars, can guarantee that future movies will come out and it is a better property.  Can this door be closed?

One open question I have is what does this mean for the Legoland family of parks?  They have developed Star Wars themed attractions.  Will their contracts allow them to keep them?  Will Disney?  Disney has a working relationship with Lego, liscensing for example the Pirates of the Caribbean Lego game but will this relationship continue?

·        Television:  I am a big fan of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.  But I think fans can acknowledge that it probably has only two more seasons beyond this one at the most.  The stories are simply getting closer and closer to Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.  One of my thoughts when coming to terms with this is what happens to supervising producer Dave Filoni.  Filoni is a Star Wars fan, a skilled storyteller, and one of the few to have had Master Star Wars classes with Lucas.  Disney understands story and values storytellers.  Could Filoni become a John Lasseter for Star Wars animation?  I hope so.  At the last Star Wars Celebration they showed to fans that had kids samples of a show called Young Jedi.  This program would feature Ahsoka as a mentor to younger padawans.  And it is just the sort of thing that sounds Disney!  It easily could find a home on Disney XD.  Maybe reruns of Star Wars: The Clone Wars could find a home there too, as we have seen with some Marvel animated titles.   And they have done a nice job with original animated title in Disney XD like Ultimate Spider-Man.  It is a match made in heaven! 

Of course Star Wars Detours needs a home.  Honesty Cartoon Network I did not want you to have it.  The channel may be claiming to be reviving Saturday morning cartoons.  But what I have seen in the last year is taking prime time programming like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Young Justice and hiding it.  Even my DVR is confused!  But Star Wars Detours would look fantastic on the Disney Channel playing in a block with Gravity Falls.

Then there are all the other possibilities.  Could Droids and Ewoks show up on Disney Junior?  Does ABC Family in the future have trilogy marathons?  How about a Young Indiana Jones reboot?  Now that is something that would look really good on Disney XD!  

·        Everything Else:  This is a big deal.  These are big rich companies so a lot of thoughts come to mind.  Some of the other misscelanous include such thoughts as will there be a Mickey/Pixar/Muppets/Star Wars/Marvel crossover of some type.  My guess is maybe someday but not quickly.  To date there has only been one Disney/Marvel crossover and that was the Avengers and the elves from Prep & Landing.  Will Star Wars comics return to Marvel?  Will Disney Publishing take over the Expanded Universe?  I think those two will be tied to what current contracts allow and if licensing is more profitable than full production for Disney.  It is not like Disney is recognized as a publisher of science fiction novels.   And we will get the original theatrical releases on Blu Ray?  First of all, Disney has shown willingness to listen to creative voices in the past.  And George Lucas is not just a Disney fan, he’s part owner now.  So I am guessing that until Lucas gives the green light, that would be a no! 

Honestly, I am still stunned.  This came out of nowhere, but is also something I have thought for years would be a great idea.  This may be a bigger day than Disney’s purchase of Marvel.  As one tweet I saw earlier said, Princess Leia is now a Disney Princess!