I just got an e-mail from E. Roberts, a JHM reader who really loves his Platinum Edition “Aladdin” DVD. E wrote to say:
My favorite “extra feature” on this 2-disc set has to be Eric Goldberg’s pencil tests for the Genie. You know, those two brief scenes that Goldberg animated to cuts from Robin Williams’ “Reality … What a Concept” album?
I have to know: Did Disney really use this footage to try & sell Robin on the idea of playing the Genie? I mean, those scenes are great & all. But they’re so short. I kind of find it hard to believe that animating Williams’ “I’d like to talk you about schizophrenia” bit and his “We’ve used these words in a sentence” riff was enough to convince a super star like Robin to come on board this project.
Well, believe it or not, E. But those brief clips really were what closed the deal for Williams. As soon as Robin saw that second head coming popping up out of the Genie’s shoulder, he reportedly burst out laughing, then turned to “Aladdin” ‘s directors — Ron Clements & John Musker — and supposedly said “I’m in.”
And — given that this once-kept-under-tight-lock-and-key clip has finally made its way out of WDFA’s vaults — Disney animation fans are now asking: As other recent Disney animated films recieve the Platinum Edition” treatment, can we expect to see other animated “auditions” to pop up on upcoming DVDs?
Because — I’ll tell you, folks — the one that I’d really love to see is the animated version of Jack Nicholson that Musker & Clements had Andreas Deja put together for their “Hercules” pitch to the superstar. The way I hear it, this short sequence was animated to a piece of dialogue that Ron’n’John pulled out of Jack’s 1992 hit, “A Few Good Men.” During which Nicholson’s Col. Nathan Jessup tells another character in that film: “Take caution in your tone, Commander. I’m a fair guy, but this f***ing heat is making me absolutely crazy.”
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to see & hear that particular piece of dialogue coming out of the mouth of an animated Jack Nicholson? Particularly a Jack-as-Hades, seated on his throne in the Underworld?
Well, where this story gets interesting is — as Ron’n’John are pitching Nicholson on the picture, Jack spies a drawing of Phil. You know, Philoctetes? Hercules’ over-the-hill satyr trainer? This concept painting showed Phil lounging at poolside, resting in the arms of a lovely tree nymph. Nicholson reportedly turned to “Hercules” ‘s helmers, waggled his eyebrows over his ever-present sunglasses and said: “Now this looks like a really interesting character. How about I play him?”
Sadly, Jack wound up playing neither character. Though Jack was said to be definitely interested in voicing a role for “Hercules” (Here’s an interesting bit of trivia for all you animation buffs out there. Nicholson’s very first job in the film industry? Working as a messenger boy from MGM’s animated shorts unit. Strange but true. Anyway … ), the Mouse and the superstar were never able to come to terms over what Jack might get paid to play in this picture. Nicholson’s representatives supposedly asked for a fee significantly north of $10 million. Disney responded by offering an amount that was a 10th of what Jack’s agents were asking for. Which is why Nicholson (albiet reluctantly) passed up his chance to lord over the Underworld.
Once Jack was (literally) out of the picture, Musker & Clements searched high & low for a suitable Nicholson replacement. For a while, John Lithgow was “Hercules” ‘s designated Hades. But the “Third Rock from the Sun” star didn’t really have the sleazy-yet-sinister quality that Ron’n’John wanted for this role. Once Lithgow was let go, the directing team auditioned a number of A list actors for this part (Including Captain James T. Kirk himself, William Shatner!) before Musker & Clements finally hired James Woods to fill Hades’ smokin’ sandals.
Speaking of the Lord of the Dead … Much of “Hercules” ‘s comic relief comes from Hades abusing his minions, Pain and Panic. Disney animation fans can probably quickly name the two comic performers who voiced these roles: stellar stand-up Bobcat Goldthwait as the portly Pain and “Max Headroom” himself, Matt Frewer, as the always-frazzled Panic.
But how many of you know that — if Ron’n’John had had their way — Hades would have actually had two stand-up stars on his staff. Bobcat would still have played Pain, while the constantly-kvetching Richard Lewis would have provided neurotic vocals for Panic.
Interesting casting idea, don’t you think? Sadly, Lewis wasn’t really interested in doing animation. Which is how Frewer finally won this role.
Yeah, filling those sidekick parts in Disney’s animated films can sometimes be pretty tough. I mean, look at all the problems that Kevin Lima & Chris Buck had when they were trying to find just the right performer to portray Terk, Tarzan’s furry best friend in Disney Feature Animation’s Summer 1999 release.
Kevin & Chris thought they had found the perfect person to play Terk: Stand-up sensation Chris Rock. But Rock was actually said to be pretty offended when Lima & Buck offered him this part.
Why for? Well, the way Chris saw it … For Walt Disney Feature Animation to offer this Emmy award winning African-American performer the role of a gorilla (in a film that — even though it was set in Africa — didn’t feature an appearance by a single African!) somehow bordered on racism.
Understandably, Kevin & Chris were said to be shocked when Rock offered this explanation as to why he was taking a pass on the part of Terk. Out of concern that offering this role in “Tarzan” might offend other African American stars, Lima & Buck then reportedly decided to go another way with this animated character. Which is how talk show host Rosie O’Donnell wound up playing Tarzan’s best friend.
(By the way … It should be probably be pointed out here that — while Chris Rock may have found it demeaning to be asked to play a gorilla — that doesn’t mean that the star of “Bigger & Blacker” turned his back on any other animation gig that came his way. After all, Chris was perfectly happy to voice the title character in Warner Feature Animation’s 2001 release, “Osmosis Jones.” Rock is also said to be doing a bang-up job with Marty the Zebra in Dreamworks/PDI’s “Madagascar” [Which is currently slated to hit theaters in May 2005]. So it’s pretty obvious that this guy likes working in animation. Just don’t ever make the mistake of asking him to play a gorilla! Anywho … )
Speaking of Chris Rock … Chris Rock’s mentor — Eddie Murphy — of course voiced the role of Mushu in WDFA’s 1998 release, “Mulan.” But how many of you know that Eddie was NOT Disney’s first choice for the diminutive dragon? Earlier on in the production, the film’s directors — Tony Bancroft & Barry Cook — toyed with the idea of hiring “My Cousin Vinnie” star Joe Pesci to voice Mulan’s sidekick. Then — when Pesci didn’t pan out — Tony & Barry gave some thought to hiring “Frasier” star David Hyde Pierce to put a somewhat finicky spin on this ridiculous reptile.
But then word came down from on high (How high? The Team Disney Burbank building, to be exact) that Michael Eisner had had a brainstorm. Disney’s CEO thought that the star of 1984’s “Beverly Hills Cop” (FYI: That Paramount Pictures release — which made Murphy a movie star — was one of the very last projects that Eisner greenlit before leaving Paramount to go run Walt Disney Productions) would be the perfect performer to voice Mushu.
So — just as they did with Robin Williams & Jack Nicholson — the animators working on “Mulan” prepped a brief Mushu audition piece to show Eddie by using a cut that they pulled off Murphy’s debut stand-up album. (Though — if I’m remembering correctly — Tom Bancroft, the animator who was actually assigned this project, had a really hard time finding a single section of that recording that wasn’t loaded with swears. Anyway …)
Eddie was said to be really impressed with the Mushu audition scene that Tom created. Which is why he eventually agreed to take on the role. But — in the end — Disney Feature Animation staffers were said to be not all that impressed with Eddie’s work ethic.
How come? Well — the way I hear it — Murphy kept blowing off recording sessions for this film. Once — when “Mulan” was in the middle of crunch-time (literally weeks away from being released) — Eddie supposedly skipped out on one previously scheduled session in order to take his family to Tahiti for a vacation.
This might explain why — when you look over the cast listing for “Mulan II” — you’ll see that virtually every member of the film’s original vocal cast (Ming-Na as Mulan, B.D. Wong as Shang, Pat Morita as the Emperor, Harvey Fierstein as Yao, Gedde Watanabe as Ling, Jerry Tondo as Chien-Po, Soon-Tek Oh as Fa Zhou, June Foray as Grandmother Fa et al) has returned to work on this direct-to-video sequel. Everyone except Eddie Murphy, that is. Mushu’s role in this “Mulan” follow-up (Which is due in stores on February 1, 2005) is now being voiced by a Murphy soundalike, Mark Moseley.
And Eddie’s somewhat problematic reputation — at least in animation circles — is still following him around. How do I know? Well, how many of you saw that recent “Father of the Pride” episode where Murphy’s character from “Shrek” — Donkey — made a protracted cameo appearance? Some industry insiders are suggesting that this particular episode of that NBC sitcom was actually an elaborate in-joke that the folks at Dreamworks played on Eddie.
How so? Well, in this episode of “Father of the Pride,” Larry the Lion is desperate to get Donkey to make an appearance at his son’s school. How desperate? So desperate that he stuffs the “Shrek” star in a burlap sack and kidnaps him. Only once he gets home & opens the sack, Larry finds that he didn’t really kidnap Donkey. What the Las Vegas lion nabbed instead was Donkey’s lookalike stunt double, Jamie.
And — given that Donkey’s stunt double actually has more dialogue in this episode of “Father of the Pride” than the real Donkey does — Well, I’ll let you folks be the judge as to whether the gag that Dreamworks’ writers were trying to put across here was really on Mr. Murphy.
Your thoughts?