pure beauty 1

the beauty of traditional painted backgrounds in traditional animation of the past – a lost art!

most of these pan backgrounds have been recreated, I used DVD’s and BlueRay’s. in many cases the originals are lost.

© walt disney enterprises, inc
© columbia/UPA © john hubley storyboard prod.
© MGM © WB

early bird

the recreated backgrounds are from the 1942 MGM short THE EARLY BIRD DOOD IT. it was the second cartoon TEX AVERY directed at MGM, animated by IRV SPENCE, PRESTON BLAIR, ED LOVE and RAY ABRAMS.

it is very interesting to compare the backgrounds of the different studios around that time. the recreated pan below is from disney’s THE PRACTICAL PIG, released three years earlier in 1939. painted in the same watercolor technique typical for that time, the backgrounds reveal big differences in painting skills as well as in layout composition and more sophisticated camera moves. the entertainment value though is much higher in the AVERY-shorts ( in my opinion ).

© MGM
© disney enterprises, inc

pans

the longer recreated pans below are from two disney shorts and one from MGM, all beautifully painted in the traditional watercolor- technique.

FARMYARD SYMPHONY, 1938 disney silly symphony

TUGBOAT MICKEY, 1940 disney mickey mouse short

YANKEE DOODLE MOUSE, 1943 MGM tom+jerry short

© disney enterprises, inc
© MGM

style 7

the following six recreated longer background pans are from shorts of three major studios, DISNEY, WARNER BROTHERS and MGM. it’s interesting to compare the different styles and painting techniques – watercolor and gouache.

1 DISNEY – 1936 DONALD AND PLUTO
2 DISNEY – 1937 DON DONALD
3 MGM – 1940 HOME ON THE RANGE
4 DISNEY – 1940 FIRE CHIEF
5 WB – 1948 BACK ALLEY UPROAR
6 WB – 1948 BUGS BUNNY RIDES AGAIN

© disney enterprises, inc
© MGM
© WB

moments 7

TURNER PICTURES released in 1992 a very well done documentary WHEN THE LION ROARS, the history of MGM. six hours on a three VHS tape set. the following mosaic with forgotten memories from the early days of filmmaking is my inspiration for the weekend.

© TURNER pictures/MGM