Originally Posted By Doobie This topic is for discussion of the May 16 article: The Fabulous Disney Babe at <a href="News-ID112670.asp" target="_blank">http://LaughingPlace.com/News-ID112670.asp</a>.
Originally Posted By actingforanimators More! I want more! When you can't be there, at least you can count on reporting that makes you feel like you were there. Wait...I WAS there! So why don't I feel as fabulous? Dang! What IS her secret?!!! (hmmm...suddenly I'm struck with a concept for a new Disney exclusive fragrance!) Thanks, Michelle! ;-) r.
Originally Posted By MouseBear Salutations Michelle, I have known who Frank and Ollie were for some time. However, I was introduced to who they really are in the wonderful short film "Frank and Ollie". I now know that in addition to their important contributions to animation they are good people. It is too often true that men who make great contributions in a field neglect their family and friends. "Frank and Ollie" makes it clear that these men (like Walt Disney) made time for their family and friends. Their example, as well as their work, should inspire us all. Thanks for sharing more about these excellent people, Lee
Originally Posted By Squeakitysqueak This is a copy of an email I sent to the Yahoo group for the now defunct Disney Institute Animation Event (DIAE) which I attended in 2001& 2002....... "I found out about it only two weeks before it happened at www.animated-movies.com [a site I highly recommend.] The lecture at the Academy of Arts and Sciences cost merely five dollars- it's just that I lucked out and had FF miles.I flew in to LA from Wisconsin at 5pm and flew out at 1am. I acted like I was at a DIAE lecture and maneuvered my way up to the first few rows.It was set up like a Jeff Kurtti (DVD producer for the Disney Platinum series and Host for three of five DIAE's)lecture (velvet curtains,cushy chairs yet with mikes that worked consistently and those gold Oscar statues on the side.) The first three rows were for us common folk and the next ten were for the special guests... many of whom I recognized because of the animation events and Disney DVD's. Eric Goldberg (Genie, Gershwin segment of Fantasia 2000) walked up while I was waiting as well a limo with Bob Newhart. Behind was Bob Gerr- the inventor of the monorail, Dave Smith- Ask Dave from Disney archives in Disney Magazine,Ward Kimball's Widow, Alice Davis- Marc Davis widow and costume designer for It's a small world and Pirates..,Tony Baxter-imagineer designer for Star Tours, and Richard Sherman of The Sherman brothers ( Mary Poppins need I say more?). I recognized Pete Doctor, Andrew Stanton from my Pixar DVD's. Glen Keane, Andres Deja, John Lasseter, Don Hahn, were all behind us. They were trying to hold the seats for Jeffery Katzenberg, and Leonard Maltin to sit next to us but they chose to sit elsewhere. The special guests alluded to in the program were Peter Blair (voice of Thumper), Catherine Beaumont ( voice of Wendy, Alice), Dick Jones ( Voice of Pinocchio), Lisa Davis( voice of Anita),and the voice of Mowgli ( I couldn't take notes fast enough.) Also present at this event if you can believe it - was the live action Alice from those Disney's shorts that were made even before Mickey Mouse was born ! During the panel discussion of new animators that were mentored by F & O, Brad Bird (Iron Giant and soon The Incredibles) was the most hilarious . He energetically could rattled off his favorite F & O segments from Disney history. And broke bat on a "guy" that was being touted as the next Walt ( he didn't say who but I guessed.. Don Bluth).This "guy" told the younger animators at the time that he knew that he mastered some techniques of animation and wanted to see what they could do, Brad contrasted that with Frank Thomas always approaching his craft with great humility and never feeling satisfied that he has mastered it. Brad Bird even put Frank and Ollie in a scene in Iron Giant ( train derailment scene) but maybe you already know this. Andreas Deja and Glen Keane pulled out archival pencil drawings of the honored animators and appropriately gushed in admiration and awe. This segment could have gone on forever but I was getting anxious because I needed to leave by 11:30 pm to get the rental car back in time to fly out at 1 am. John Canemaker did another classy job honoring two of Disney's 9 Old Men. And finally after almost 3 hours at 11pm they brought out the guests of honor Frank and Ollie. Although a little slower than in the documentary that was made a few years ago and both confined to wheelchairs, they still were vibrant and full of good stories. They spoke till 11:30pm Leonard asked us not to leave to see the final film clip but I had a plane to catch . I didn't like Glen Keane's expression while I ran out like "how dare you... they just asked you to stay in your seats". But I had work the next day.... in Wisconsin. I'll never know If autographs were ever obtained by the crowd with all those animating celebrities. Yet Frank and Ollie have a web site to get theirs. www.frankanollie.com it's an instead of and because Ollie didn't want it to look like frank an dollie .com. I hope this satisfied your curiosity." Did any of these celebrities sign autographs?
