Toon Tuesday: Disney's "B" Movie

Back in the 1960s, our morning was interrupted by a special meeting. It was held in a small conference room just off A-Wing in Disney's animation building. I honestly don't recall everyone in the meeting. But I do know that production boss Ken Peterson and Andy Engman were present.

Why this special meeting? Well, Disney's animation department was still recovering from the "failure" of "Sleeping Beauty" at the box office. Disney Studios, and Walt Disney in particular, began to explore the idea of producing less expensive films. Hardly a new idea, Hollywood studios had their A-list productions, along with other shows that became known as "B" movies. These were films produced at a lower cost and provided a training ground for up & coming actors and directors. Live-action produced "B" movies, why not animation?

Disney animation buffs probably remember that the hit film, "Dumbo" could easily be considered a "B" movie in spite of its classic status. Remember that "Dumbo" was produced during particularly rough times at the Disney studio. Picketers gathered outside the studio gates as the film was rushed to completion. Though "Dumbo" could boast of top studio talent in terms of story and art direction, its animation staff, with the notable exception of Ward Kimball, were Disney's second tier animators. Yet, "Dumbo" proved it could hold its own as a top animated movie even though it lacked a big budget and A-list animation talent. The running time barely qualifies "Dumbo" as a feature film, and Disney was pressed to add to the films length. But Walt hung tough, and this short little movie is still beloved by millions today.

By the arrival of the '60s, Disney movies were usually considered top tier motion pictures with large staffs and a considerable budget. However, the Old Maestro began rethinking this idea. There were also projects that did not necessarily require all the resources of  Disney Studios, and Ken Peterson actually had a list of stories Walt Disney considered exploring as low budget features.

You're probably wondering what stories were on Walt's list back in the 1960s, right? What were the movies that would compliment the big budgeted A-list feature films at Disney? Well, I wish I had taken better notes, because I can't remember all the stories Ken put on the table as possible feature films. However, I can tell you that one story was based on the Native American, "Hiawatha." This had been an idea Walt Disney had been thinking about for years. He probably intended to make the film back in the 1940s before the advent of World War II suddenly changed things. Another story on the table was a children's novel by Margery Sharp entitled, "The Rescuers."

You might be wondering what was the purpose of this morning meeting at the Disney studio. I'm only speculating, but I think the studio wanted to put to rest rumors of an animation department shut down. Clearly, Walt Disney still had stories to tell whether those stories proved to be big or small. I can tell you that after the disastrous "Sleeping Beauty" layoffs, this good news was extremely encouraging.

 This is the very same room where we had our meeting back in the  sixties. It's A-wing
on the first floor of the animation building.  That's Paul Hartley (father of actress,
Mariette Hartley) on the left. Animation boss, Ken Peterson is seated,
and Andy Engman is standing  next to him. Animation
Master Marc Davis is on the right.

The first "B" movie was underway. Writer/artist Bill Berg began developing "The Rescuers" as a feature film. Bill Berg had written and storyboarded the first program for Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. This show introduced color television and a wonderful new cartoon character, Professor Ludwig Von Drake. Berg worked in a large story room on the west side of A-Wings second floor. On occasion, we young artists made the trip upstairs to view progress on the story. Unlike most features that spend years in development, Bill quickly had his boards completed, and ready to show to Walt Disney.

As luck would have it, I was in A-Wing on the day of the big meeting. Of course, I would not be attending this important meeting, but I was close enough to hear the pitch through the closed story room door. Over an hour had passed and all appeared to be going well until the door opened, and the old guys walked out into the hallway. I moved toward the story room just in time to see the Old Maestro himself walk past me and down the hallway. The look on Walt's face, and his overall attitude told me all I needed to know.

 This cartoon drawing of Disney was inspired by the first "Rescuers" meeting back in the sixties.
I was at the door when Walt came storming  out. Though Walt didn't care for the story
pitch, this movie  resurfaced nearly ten years later, and was finally produced.

Walt Disney put feature storytelling back in the hands of the veteran, Bill Peet, and the idea of doing "B" features was never mentioned again. Oddly enough, "The Rescuers" would make its return to Disney animation nearly ten years later.

As I think back on that early morning meeting back in the sixties, I realize that crazy idea could have worked. Why not make a less expensive feature film? Not every story requires a big budget and a huge crew to tell effectively. In an era of bloated budgets, huge crews, and a schedule that seems like a lifetime, a little restraint might be just what animated filmmaking needs.

The Walt Disney studio never did produce their "B" movie, and I regret that the Old Maestro didn't give the idea more opportunity to prove itself. Such films could have been an opportunity to explore new story ideas and provide a training ground for young animation talent. It could have launched a new era of exploration and - - who knows - - they might have given us another "Dumbo."

Did you enjoy this look at a little-known aspect of animation history? Well, just so you know, Floyd Norman currently has three books on the market. Each of which feature this Disney Legend's infamous cartoons that take an affectionate look back at his time in Toontown.

These volumes include Floyd's original collection of cartoons & stories -- "Faster! Cheaper! The Flip Side of the Art of Animation" (which is available for sale over at John Cawley's cataroo.com) as well as Norman's two follow-ups to that popular paperback, "Son of Faster, Cheaper" & "How the Grinch Stole Disney." Which you can purchase by heading over to Afrokids.com.