What Was Disney's First Animated Film?
Many people know Who Framed Roger Rabbit as the first fully animated feature film, but what many don't realize is that it wasn't actually Disney's first animated movie! That distinction goes to The Tale of King Pippin, which was released in 1934 just one year before Roger Rabbit came out!
Not only did King Pippin predate Roger Rabbit by two years, it also features some pretty major characters we now recognize from the kingdom!
It even has its own little theme song with lyrics you can read here!
So why have most people forgotten about this movie? Well, it didn't do very well at the box office and almost got completely erased from history until quite recently when it was rediscovered and restored.
Now there are several versions of the movie available for everyone to watch, re-watch, or study for any kind of animation class! This article will talk more about the movie and how it relates to the world of cartoons today.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
In 1908, filmmaker Walt Disney produced his first cartoon movie: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is considered to be one of the greatest animated films ever made.
Snow White and the seven dwarfs follows the story of beautiful princess Snow White (voiced by acclaimed actress Marnie McPhail) who lives with her fairy godmother (Mary Parham), Queen Aurora (Kathryn MacInnes), King Philip (Robert Powell) and Prince Charming (William Demattys). One day, while out walking in the forest, Princess Snow meets some dwarves. The eight-year-old girl quickly falls for the handsome young man named Dopey.
But when she learns that he does not believe in marriage or romance, she dumps him and runs off into the woods. There she encounters the remaining six dwarf men, who convince her to let them take care of her. As time passes, they grow close to each other and even develop romantic feelings towards each other.
When word gets back to the queen that there are no signs of royalty, including no sunsets, she sends a search party to find out what has happened to the missing person.
Lady and the Tramp
In 1934, just one year after Walt Disney himself was hired at Universal Studios, he directed his first animated feature film! He chose to make what some consider to be his masterpiece with the help of writer William Hanna and artist Robert Brodie.
The duo came together in 1932 when they both worked for Hal Roach-owned Leon Schlesinger Productions (now known as Schlessinger Films). Both men had done work for the company before being asked by Roach if they wanted to create their own production studio. They agreed and got permission from Roach to form their own unit within the company.
Brodie left later that same year but stayed working for Roach until 1935 when he was given his own producing deal. The two made their first team up while creating shorts for Schlessinger.
Their short, titled Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad, is about a dog who tries to teach his three puppies how to swim. While it may not seem like much now, back then this was a big feat. It won them many accolades including an Academy Award for Best Short Subject.
After leaving Schlessinger, the pair moved onto another company, Ub Iwerks Studio where they would come up with the concept for Lady And The Tramp.
The Jungle Book
More than half a century later, what was once considered to be kids’ entertainment is now recognized as an integral part of popular culture that has spawned several new sub-genres and franchises. In fact, some would say it has become too mainstream and corporateized.
Many people complain about how much merchandise there is featuring characters from animated films, and how companies use film properties for marketing purposes instead of creating original content. This shift towards more commercialization is sometimes referred to as the death of cinema.
However, this doesn't mean all hope is lost! There are still plenty of ways we can celebrate the art form of animation while also sticking to our budget constraints.
In this article, you will find out which movie made its director/writer his first big break in the business before moving onto other projects such as A Bug's Life and Ratatouille. You'll learn why it is one of Disney's most beloved movies and why it should not be missed when watching classic or current Disney movies.
Beauty and the Beast
Many people consider The Lion King to be the very first feature length film ever made, but that is not quite true. That movie was actually released in 1994, almost 20 years ago! Before that, there was an animated short called Beauty and the Beast. While it does not count as a full-length movie, this video is worth your time to watch.
Beauty and the Beast tells the story of a beautiful young woman named Belle who lives with her father in a small village. One day she meets a handsome prince while out walking on the beach. He asks if she would like to go inside and have some tea with him, and when she agrees he takes her up on his invitation.
Once they are seated together at a table, however, the prince starts telling her about himself. He says that he comes from a powerful family, and that he will inherit the throne one day. But he never seems truly happy, so everyone else around him gets jealous and angry. This makes him unhappy, which makes them unhappy, and you get a cycle.
He suggests that she marry him instead, because no one else could make him happier than he already is. When she agrees, he pulls a gun out and threatens to kill both of them unless she stays married to him forever. Luckily for us, she finds another way to break this cycle.
Many people refer to this movie as a classic, and it definitely belongs in that category.
The Lion King
Many children grew up watching The Lion King, an animated movie that has become very popular over time. It is set in Africa with characters such as Mufasa (father), Simba (young lion) and Timon (monkey).
The story revolves around young prince Simba who dreams of becoming king one day. He learns how to be his own person and learn from past mistakes while trying to reach this goal.
There are many themes in the film including family love, friendship, loyalty and respect. These qualities can be learned and given at any age. The main message of the film is to always strive to be your best self and treat people the way you want to be treated.