#the Seven Cinderellas Old Hollywood

[princesssarisa]

"Faerie Tale Theatre" Posthumous Reunion: The Stars' Final Resting Places

Some people might think I'm obsessed with death. A minor hobby of mine is to research celebrities' final resting places, via the website Find a Grave and the YouTube channel Hollywood Graveyard. And I like perusing themed guides to famous graves. For example, Hollywood Graveyard's videos themed to Christmas, Halloween, the cast and crew of The Wizard of Oz, cast and crew members of The Twilight Zone, etc., or Find A Grave's "Posthumous Reunion" pages for famous movie and TV show casts, sports teams, etc.

I decided to create a similar guide for the cast of Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre. Sadly, all too many stars of that cult classic series are no longer with us. Here's a guide (with links to Find a Grave pages) to the various places where those stars are buried, in case anyone here might like to visit a few someday.

@ariel-seagull-wings, @thealmightyemprex

Aughaval Cemetery – Westport, Ireland

*Joseph Maher (Narrator, Cinderella/Sultan, Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp)

Blue Grass Memorial Gardens and Mausoleum – Nicholasville, Kentucky, USA

*Harry Dean Stanton (Rip van Winkle, Rip van Winkle)

Eternal Hills Memorial Park – Oceanside, California, USA

*Karen Black (The Sea Witch, The Little Mermaid)

Fairview Cemetery – Linden, Michigan, USA

*Max Wright (Prince Heinrick, The Dancing Princesses)

Fir Grove Cemetery – Ada, Oregon, USA

*Bridgette Andersen (Gretel, Hansel and Gretel)

Forest Cemetery – Circleville, Ohio, USA

*Conchata Ferrell (Mother, Thumbelina)

Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills – Los Angeles, California, USA

*Carrie Fisher (Thumbelina, Thumbelina)

*Fred Willard (Paul Pig, The Three Little Pigs)

*Brock Peters (The Ogre, Puss in Boots)

*Pat McCormick (King Fredrico, The Princess and the Pea)

Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery – Houston, Texas, USA

*Shelley Duvall (series creator and hostess/The Miller's Daughter, Rumpelstiltskin/Rapunzel, Rapunzel/voice of the Nightingale, The Nightingale/Snow White's Mother, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

Genola Rural Cemetery – Los Angeles, California, USA

John P. Ryan (Hendrick Hudson, Rip Van Winkle)

Green Hill Cemetery – Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA

*James Noble (King Rupert, Cinderella)

Hillside Memorial Park – Culver City, California, USA

*Leonard Nimoy (The Evil Magician, Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp)

*Dick Shawn (The Emperor, The Emperor’s New Clothes)

Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Los Angeles, California, USA

*Paul Reubens (Pinocchio, Pinocchio)

Holy Cross Cemetery – Culver City, California, USA

*Chris Penn (Will Tussenbrook, Rip Van Winkle)

Lake Lawn Park Cemetery and Mausoleum – New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

*Severn Darden (Farmer Silas, The Princess Who Had Never Laughed)

Lincoln Cemetery – Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, USA

*Jean Stapleton (The Giantess, Jack and the Beanstalk/The Fairy Godmother, Cinderella)

Mount Shasta Memorial Park – Mount Shasta, California, USA

*Brandis Kemp (Mama Bear, Goldilocks and the Three Bears/voice of Nadine Wolf, The Three Little Pigs)

Mount Sinai Memorial Park – Los Angeles, California, USA

*Frances Bay (Granny, Little Red Riding Hood)

*Georgia Brown (Maggie, The Emperor’s New Clothes)

Mountain View Cemetery – Oakland, California, USA

*Jack Fletcher (The Wizard, Rumpelstiltskin)

Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery – Hillside, Illinois, USA

*George Kirby (The King, Puss in Boots)

Polizzi Generosa Cemetery – Palermo, Sicily, Italy

*Vincent Sciavelli (The Priest, Pinocchio)

Riverside Cemetery – Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA

*Art Carney (Morty, The Emperor’s New Clothes)

Riverview Cemetery – Hamilton, Montana, USA

*Hoyt Axton (The Ranger, Goldilocks and the Three Bears)

Rose Hills Memorial Park – Whittier, California, USA

*Keye Luke (Imperial Doctor, The Nightingale)

Saint Charles Cemetery – East Farmingdale, New York, USA

*Ray Sharkey (Grand Vizier, Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp)

Saint Peter Churchyard – Blackland, Wiltshire, England

*David Hemmings (Narrator, Thumbelina/The Reindeer, The Snow Queen)

Saint Voldoldymyr Ukrainian Cemetery – Oakville, Ontario, Canada

*Gregory Hines (Edgar, Puss in Boots)

Valley Oaks Memorial Park – Los Angeles, California, USA

*Stephen Furst (Peter Pig, The Three Little Pigs)

Westwood Village Memorial Park – Los Angeles, California, USA

*Eve Arden (The Stepmother, Cinderella)

*James Coburn (The G**sy, Pinocchio)

*Doris Roberts (Mother Pig, The Three Little Pigs)

*Tim Conway (The Mayoral Candidate, Rip Van Winkle)

*Frank Zappa (Attila, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*Lu Leonard (Mrs. Toad, Thumbelina)

*Gena Rowlands (The Witch, Rapunzel)

William Henry Lee Memorial Cemetery – Los Angeles, California, USA

*Beatrice Straight (Queen Veronica, The Princess and the Pea)

Cremated, Ashes Held Privately or Scattered

*Robin Williams (Prince Robin, The Tale of the Frog Prince)

*Hervé Villechaize (Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin)

*Christopher Reeve (The Prince, Sleeping Beauty)

*Treat Williams (Prince Andrew, The Little Mermaid)

*Brian Dennehy (King Neptune, The Little Mermaid)

*Klaus Kinski (The Beast, Beauty and the Beast)

*Roddy McDowell (Narrator, Rapunzel)

*Christopher Lee (King Vladimir, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*Dana Hill (Princess Amanda, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*Vincent Price (The Magic Mirror, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs/Narrator, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*David Warner (The Innkeeper, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*Jeff Corey (Father, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*Jack Riley (Sexton, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*Ned Beatty (The King, Rumpelstiltskin)

*Roy Dotrice (Peter Vanderdonk, Rip Van Winkle/The King, The Dancing Princesses)

*Zelda Rubinstein (Old Woman, The Dancing Princesses)

*Burgess Meredith (Mr. Mole, Thumbelina)

*Lee Remick (The Snow Queen, The Snow Queen)

*Lance Kerwin (Kai, The Snow Queen)

*Linda Manz (The Robber Girl, The Snow Queen)

*René Auberjonois (King Ulrich, The Tale of the Frog Prince/King Boris, Sleeping Beauty)

*Sally Kellerman (Queen Natasha, Sleeping Beauty)

*Barrie Ingham (Finance Minister, The Emperor’s New Clothes/Tutor, The Princess Who Had Never Laughed)

*Richard Libertini (King Murray, Sleeping Beauty)

*Alex Karras (Papa Bear, Goldilocks and the Three Bears)

*Katherine Helmond (Jack’s Mother, Jack and the Beanstalk)

*John Vernon (Father, Little Red Riding Hood)

*Mako (Gardener/Minister, The Nightingale)

*Billy Curtis (Barnaby, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

*Rae Allen (Aladdin’s Mother, Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp)

*Howard Hesseman (The King, The Princess Who Had Never Laughed)

*Jackie Vernon (Phlegmatic Jack, The Princess Who Had Never Laughed)

*Albert Hague (Nicholas Vedder, Rip Van Winkle)

*James Earl Jones (Genies of the Lamp and the Ring, Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp)

Donated to Medical Science

*Ian Abercrombie (The Royal Cobbler, The Dancing Princesses)

Unknown (Not Publicly Revealed or No Information Online)

*Carl Reiner (Geppetto, Pinocchio)

*Alan Arkin (Bo, The Emperor’s New Clothes)

*Peter Risch (Bruno, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs/Herald, Puss in Boots)

*Lou Carry (Bertram, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

*Stephen Elliott (Father, Beauty and the Beast)

[cecilereads]

25 sapphic books + summary <3

1. She Gets the Girl - Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

Alex and Molly don’t belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly’s hidden crush as their paths cross the night before classes start, they realize they might have a common interest after all.

2. Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malinda Lo

Lily comes across an ad for the titular Telegraph Club in the newspaper and then discovers that one of her classmates, Kath, has been to the nightclub

3. The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon

Queen Sabran the Ninth's power in Inys is tenuous; she has yet to produce an heir to the throne and the Nameless One threatens to awaken again. Ead Duryan is an outsider from the South who acts as a lady-in-waiting and protector to Sabran, but is loyal to the secret mage society of the Priory, which has its own view of the history of Cleolind, the Mother, and Sir Galian, the Deceiver. Meanwhile, Lord Arteloth Beck, close friend of Sabran, is banished from Inys on a futile quest by those who seek to weaken the queen.

4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid

An old Hollywood actor Evelyn Hugo is determined to secure an A-List spot in the industry by doing whatever it takes to get there. While attempting to complete her rise to stardom, she marries seven husbands and outlives them all.

5. This is How You Lose The Time War - Max Gladstone

Red and Blue are change agents who work for rival time traveling agencies–Blue for the Garden, a vast organic consciousness. Red works for the Agency, a Technotopia. While traveling to different “strands” of history and time to change history, they start to write each other letters…

6. I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuiston

High school senior Chloe Green seeks to uncover why Shara Wheeler, the most popular girl in school, vanished on prom night soon after kissing Chloe.

7. We Are Okay - Nina Lacour

Marin lost her mother when she was 3 in a surfing accident. Her grandfather raised her and she grew up near that same beach in San Francisco. After her grandfather dies, Marin leaves for New York without talking to anyone or retrieving any of their possessions from their house. For months, she refuses to respond to or contact anyone from California. When Mabel comes for a visit after 4 months of silence, it’s time for them to reconnect with each other again.

8. One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures. But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

9. The Falling in Love Montage - Ciara Smyth

A chance encounter at an end-of-term house party will change Saoirse's life in more ways than she could have ever imagined.

10. She Who Became the Sun - Shelley Parker-Chan

Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.

11. Cinderella is Dead - Kalynn Bayron

Set in the town Mersailles, where every girl lives in fear of the day she is chosen by the King to attend the ball, it follows a girl who is determined to destroy the cruel rules she's been forced to follow called Sophia.

12. This Poison Heart - Kalynn Bayron

A teenager explores her magical connections to greenery and gods. Briseis Greene is a Black high schooler with magical powers that she hides from most people save her adoptive mothers, Thandie and Angie. She has an innate connection to plants and is even able to grow them from seeds using just her mind and hands.

13. Everything Leads to You - Nina Lacour

Finding an old letter written by a recently deceased movie star, Emi and Charlotte become swept up in the mystery of his life. The letter leads them to Ava, who lives in a shelter for teens. Emi is drawn to this talented and beautiful girl who could help Emi get over her ex-girlfriend and first true love.

14. Late to the Party - Kelly Quindlen

A girl who can capture someone's essence in a painting struggles with finding her own. Atlanta senior Codi and her friends, Maritza and JaKory, are restless and feel like they've missed out on the full teenage experience—living boldly and taking risks.

15. She Drives Me Crazy - Kelly Quindlen

After an embarrassing loss to her ex-girlfriend in their first basketball game of the season, seventeen-year-old Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person: her nemesis, Irene Abraham, head cheerleader for the Fighting Reindeer.

16. Something To Talk About - Meryl Wilsner

A showrunner and her assistant give the world something to talk about when they accidentally fuel a ridiculous rumor in this debut romance. Hollywood powerhouse Jo is photographed making her assistant Emma laugh on the red carpet, and just like that, the tabloids declare them a couple.

17. Who I Was With Her - Nita Tynda

17-year old Corinne her girlfriend, Maggie, suddenly dies in a car accident. But because both girls were still in the closet, nobody knew that they were in a relationship. We follow Corinne as she tries to deal with this loss while nobody knows what Maggie meant to her.

18. Sweet and Bitter Magic - Adrienne Tooley

A witch cursed to never love meets a girl hiding her own dangerous magic, and the two strike a dangerous bargain to save their queendom.

19. Crier’s War - Nina Varela

Ayla is a human servant of the Automae—a race of artificial humans that have become the ruling class. After her family is murdered by Automae, Ayla plans to kill the sovereign's daughter, Lady Crier.

20. Malice - Heather Walter

Alyce is a Grace, a group of magical girls who create potions and charms for all paying customers of the kingdom. But she is not like the other Graces. They call her the Dark Grace and she is feared for her dark magic. Princess Aurora is kind, gracious, and pure, and she is destined to be the future queen of Briar. When Alyce and Aurora meet, the unlikeliest of relationships begins to flourish.

21. Written in The Stars - Alexandria Bellefleur

After a disastrous blind date, Darcy Lowell is desperate to stop her well-meaning brother from playing matchmaker ever again. Love—and the inevitable heartbreak—is the last thing she wants. So she fibs and says her latest set up was a success. Darcy doesn’t expect her lie to bite her in the ass…

22. Mistakes Were Made - Meryl Wilsner

Cassie Klein and Erin Bennett meet at a bar and have a casual one-night stand. It's fine until the next morning when Cassie goes to breakfast with her best friend, Parker, only to realize they're meeting Parker's mom, Erin, the same Erin from the previous night.

23. Just Might Work - Katia Rose

As a self-proclaimed ‘cosmically guided matchmaker,’ she’s played every card in the deck trying to set Dane up with the perfect match she’s found. The problem? The ‘perfect’ match is Evangeline Hudson. Dane and Evangeline rent rooms in Dane’s eccentric aunt’s house, but that’s where their similarities end. Dane is a drifter who freewheels from one odd job to the next, and Evangeline is an overachieving undergrad with a ten year plan so detailed it reads like an autobiography.

24. Some Girls Do - Jennifer Dugan

Morgan, an elite track athlete, is forced to transfer high schools late in her senior year after it turns out being queer is against her private Catholic school's code of conduct. There, she meets Ruby, who has two hobbies: tinkering with her baby blue 1970 Ford Torino and competing in local beauty pageants, the latter to live out the dreams of her overbearing mother.

25. Read Between The Lines - Rachel Lacey

Rosie Taft is living her best life. She owns and operates her late mother’s independent bookstore in New York. Books are her life, and one of her true joys is finding just the right book for each of her patrons. She’s created quite a little community revolving around book clubs and author signings. The only thing missing from her life is a partner who will sweep her off her feet like the ones in the romance novels she loves reading.

[marciabrady]

i was tagged by @maureenoharra to list seven of my comfort films (which i'll be presenting in alphabetical order)! thank you for including me! 💕💕💕

CINDERELLA

i literally don't have words to explain how much this film means to me, how relatable it is on a personal level, how many times i've had no one and nowhere to turn to, only to be guided through every rough patch and hardship by and with this movie. ilene woods was such a gift to this word and i think her legacy is this movie. the energy and complexities she fills cinderella with, the subtle nuance to lady tremaine and all the innerworkings on her mind, the romance with the prince and the love and light the fairy godmother fills cinderella's world with after so many years of abuse and neglect and tragedy. it really does make you feel like dreams can come true and, even if you're an orphan with no one and nothing in the world, you're still capable of being seen as a person, of having nice things- of experiencing joy. i could go on for so much longer but i really do want to try to be somewhat brief with all of these entries

FATHER'S LITTLE DIVIDEND

this might be an unexpected one on my list, but just go with it. i love elizabeth taylor and spencer tracy is top of the top and of course old hollywood is an interest of mine so how could i not love this? it feels like a breath of fresh air and the way it's shot allows me to experience this family and story as though i were a resident in the neighborhood. i love how simple, yet complex it is, and how it allows me to breath and all the contributions it has to the worldbuilding. it has enough greatness to it to really be marked by old hollywood but it's also simple and hidden enough to be like an old friend you only hang out with one on one. hard to further explain its vibe, but it's like the last week of school where the future of summer is right before you- almost tangible- and the late spring air is caressing and you still have enough work where you're not overwhelmed, but have a sense of purpose and the peace is almost greater than it will be when you're actually on vacation

THE GLASS SLIPPER

while leslie isn't my cinderella, i think she plays a great character but she isn't the main draw of this film for me. i love how thoughtful the writing is and how the universe is one that's so real- no one person is all good and no one person is all bad. there's themes to it and lines that i've literally been thinking about for over ten years and still have new takeaways from every day. i think the stepsisters, particularly, have such a charm to them and i love how society functions in this film. this is one of the few cinderella adaptions where i feel like the costuming was done INCREDIBLY well and i love all the interiors and, again, i just love living in this universe and there's something about it that's just easily inhabitable to me

THE LITTLE MERMAID

this movie helps me so much when i feel like an outsider and no one will ever understand me and when i'm just alienated and think i don't have any resources or people around me that will ever be able to accept me. it makes me feel validated and allows me the ability to connect to who i truly am, despite whether or not others like those parts of me, and to not feel shame or be bad- or, concurrently, to allow myself to be that person and be seen in spite of that shame. it's also so much fun and so heartwarming and so energetic and deep and, again, really not enough good things i can say

SLEEPING BEAUTY

the connection i feel to aurora is something that could never be understated. i feel represented in a way i can't explain watching the film, seeing all of her actions and the decisions she makes and how she feels about life and the people around her and the animals and of love. the central theme of love and romance is such a fulcrum of my nature and aurora gives hope to us all who've craved for a human longing and connection that's real and warm and intimate and i love how it's given weight, instead of being mocked and sneered at the way contemporary disney movies do. the score of this movie is so many things and kindles so many beautiful feelings and thoughts and colors in me and there isn't a part of this movie i think is weak or doesn't fail to endlessly captivate me. also- the idea of your true love never being lost to you, even when you put your duty and family before them, and how the truest of partners would battle a dragon for you...life changing. but also the bond with the fairies and how they literally gave her supernatural gifts from birth and how even this captivating, endlessly fascinating princess still pined for companionship but in a mature way and was able to respect her elders and love them and appreciate them but also be intuitive enough and so tied into herself to know she wanted more and i PROMISED i wouldn't make this too long but let me take this moment to say MARY COSTA. i mean, humanity really peaked with her

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

this film speaks to me on a fundamental level and i think is capable of reaching anyone who has a modicum of humanity left in them. i think it's beyond brilliant and will never be surpassed as a triumph of filmmaking, regardless of the medium. the character of snow white and everything adriana caselotti contributed to her is one of the greatest credits to mankind and the artistry that we fill this earth with. from her singing to the way she moves to how she speaks and reasons, literally everything about this character is so unique and intriguing and grimhilde has such an energy and a power to her voice and her backstory to the point where even thinking about her feels interactive. the prince provides one of the most heartwarming romances and i love how much the animals and dwarfs love snow white and this film to me is my grandmother distilled i just love the music and the plotline and the characters and it really does drive straight to your heart the way that's so effective and strong and powerful

THE WOMEN

what is a better safe space than a project that has only women? even the dogs weren't men and something about that makes me feel sooo much better instantly. i love how it scratches the itch all humans have for gossip and tea and whatnot, but without doing it in an anxiety inducing way or ever creating something that truly feels mean spirited. joan crawford is SO great as crystal, i mean her acting isn't wooden or dated at all and it's so natural, especially when compared to the film's lead (who ngl is lowkey fun to side against). i think rosalind was THE character actress and is so funny in every way you can possibly think of, the character of flora is such a charming hidden gem, and i think lucille watson has great lines. i love how chockfull the script is of clever one-liners and the acting pulls it off SO PERFECTLY, giving zingers and shading is literally as effortless to them as breathing and it's even more refreshing in the over curated era of tiktokers and late night shows where everyone's trying to be a comedian. i love the slice of life characters, like the house staff, and it's just perfect

[mccraecook99]

Happy 100th Anniversary,Disney! 🏰 💫 ✨

Yesterday,100 years ago,Walt Disney and his brother,Roy launched a animation studio on October 16th,1923,after experimenting with a few projects,Walt had a dream that eventually all started with a mouse named Mickey,who became a cultural phenomenon thanks to Steamboat Willie when it was released on 1928 and was followed by other Disney cartoon icons such as Donald Duck and Goofy,then later would go on to create the world’s first fully animated feature,Snow White and The Seven Dwarves in 1937,which it’s success kickstarted Walt Disney Animation Studio as the true forefather of animated features and Walt and later,his studio after his death in 1966, would go on create so many timeless animated feature films all the way to this day with memorable classics like Pinocchio,Fantasia,Dumbo,Bambi,Cinderella,Alice In Wonderland,Peter Pan,101 Dalmations,The Jungle Book,The Little Mermaid,Beauty and The Beast,Aladdin,The Lion King,Mulan,Tarzan,Lilo and Stitch and modern ones like The Princess and The Frog,Tangled,Wreck-It-Ralph,Frozen,Big Hero 6,Zootopia,Moana,and Encanto,Disney would also experiment with movies combining both live-action and animation like the controversial Song of The South(1946) and Mary Poppins(1964) and even he begin to make the jump to live-action films started with Treasure Island(1950),which the company had also continued to this day. 

After Walt’s death in 1966,his company would grow to become not one of the biggest film companies in Hollywood,but the best in media with theme parks(such as Disneyland,the happiest place of earth that Walt opened in 1955 and Walt Disney World,which opened in theme parks),having several subsidiaries like Pixar(the studio that godfathered computer-animation thanks to Toy Story and created so many memorable computer-animated flicks like Monster’s Inc,Finding Nemo,The Incredibles,Cars,Ratatouille,Wall-E,Up,Inside Out,Coco,Soul,Luca,and Turning Red) and Marvel Studios(home of the Marvel Cinematic Universe),streaming services(Disney+ and Hulu),and television(ABC and Disney Channel). 

Despite Disney having been it’s up’s and downs in the entertainment industry recently(mostly due to it’s hit-or-miss trend of live-action remakes of their beloved animated films that was started by their live-action department thanks to Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland and Bob Chapek nearly bringing the company down to the ground during his short tenure as CEO from 2020-2022),they are still a beloved entertainment company who gives us magical storytelling(both animated and live-action),iconic and beloved characters(such as Mickey Mouse,Donald Duck,Goofy,Snow White,Buzz Lightyear,Jack Sparrow,Mary Poppins,Stitch,Elsa,Rapunzel,Cinderella,Ariel,Maleficent,Wreck-It-Ralph,and Moana),amazing theme parks and live stage shows,and great quality content(including Walt Disney Animation Studios,Pixar,Marvel Studios,Star Wars stuff,and Disney’s television animation unit,famous for giving us animated shows on the Disney Channel,Disney+,and Disney Junior). 

The new recent Walt Disney Animation Studios,Once Upon A Studio I’ve watched yesterday on ABC was truely a love-letter to the magical legacy that Walt Disney started 100 years ago and very happy seeing all of the Disney animated characters I’ve grown up with over the years getting together for a huge group photo really warms my heart and I really loved the emotional scene where Mickey thanks his old buddy,Walt for starting this 100-year old legacy that the studio continued to this day. 

Happy 100 Years of Wonder,Disney! Thank you for continuing Walt Disney’s magical legacy he brought to the studio that started out with a mouse 100 years ago and still continuing to make people’s dreams come true to this day and still keep moving forward to explore new ideas and try new things. ✨💫🏰

[mi4012indranathralapanawa]

From Humble Beginnings to Animation Greatness

The top 3 greatest animators of all time. (according to my point of view)

And the list is -

Walt Disney

Hayao Miyazaki

Chuck Jones

The real reason why I chose these animators on my list is that Each of these animators made significant contributions to the art form and has a unique style and approach to animation.

So let's get into Deep

Walt Disney. The Man Behind the Magic

Walt Disney is a name that is synonymous with animation and entertainment.

We all know who is he but I'll explain who is he to our new generation. The creator of Mickey Mouse, Disneyland, and countless beloved films, Disney's impact on the world of animation is immeasurable. In this article, we will explore his childhood, his journey to becoming an animator, and some of his most famous animations.

Early Life

Walt Disney was born on December 5th, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a contractor, and his mother was a homemaker. The family moved to Marceline, Missouri when Walt was four years old, and it was here that he developed a love for drawing and storytelling. Disney's father would often take him to see vaudeville shows and traveling circuses, which inspired his early works.

Journey to Becoming an Animator

Disney dropped out of high school at the age of 16 and joined the Red Cross to serve in World War I. When he returned from the war, he worked as a commercial artist, creating advertisements and cartoons for newspapers.

In 1923, he moved to Hollywood with his brother Roy, and they started the Disney Brothers Studio. The studio initially produced a series of cartoons featuring a character named Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, which became popular. However, Disney lost the rights to the character and was forced to create a new one.

Disney and his team then created Mickey Mouse, who made his debut in Steamboat Willie in 1928. The film was an instant success, and Disney went on to create numerous other characters, including Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto

Famous Animations

Disney's impact on the world of animation is immeasurable. His films have entertained generations of people and have become a part of our cultural fabric. Some of his most famous works include Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty.

Disney was a pioneer in the use of sound and color in animation. He was also the first to create a full-length animated feature film with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Disney's legacy extends beyond his films and characters. He also created Disneyland, which opened in 1955 and revolutionized the theme park industry.

My opinion

Walt Disney was a creative genius whose impact on the world of animation and entertainment is immeasurable. From his humble beginnings in Missouri to his journey to becoming one of the most influential animators of all time, Disney's story is one of determination, creativity, and innovation. His films and characters have brought joy to millions of people around the world and will continue to do so for generations to come.

Hayao Miyazaki: The Master Storyteller of Animation

Hayao Miyazaki is a name that needs no introduction in the world of animation. He is a visionary storyteller whose films have captured the hearts of audiences around the globe. With his unparalleled creativity, attention to detail, and powerful storytelling, Miyazaki has become one of the most influential animators of all time. His films transport us to magical worlds where we encounter unforgettable characters and explore timeless themes. From the whimsical wonderland of My Neighbor Totoro to the epic adventure of Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki's films continue to inspire and enchant us with their beauty and depth.

Early Life

Hayao Miyazaki was born on January 5th, 1941, in Tokyo, Japan. His father was the director of Miyazaki Airplane, a company that made parts for airplanes. Miyazaki grew up during a time of great change in Japan, with the aftermath of World War II and the country's economic growth and modernization.

Journey to Becoming an Animator

Miyazaki's interest in animation began at a young age. He was an avid reader of manga, and he often drew his own comics. He studied political science and economics at Gakushuin University but eventually decided to pursue a career in animation.

Miyazaki's first job in the animation industry was at Toei Animation, where he worked on the TV series Wolf Boy Ken.

He later joined Studio Ghibli, which he co-founded with Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki. Miyazaki's first film as a director was The Castle of Cagliostro, but it was his next film, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, that established him as a visionary storyteller.

Famous Animations

Miyazaki's impact on the world of animation is immeasurable. His films have won numerous awards and have become classics of the genre. Some of his most famous works include My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle.

Miyazaki is known for his attention to detail, his imaginative worlds, and his focus on character development. His films often explore themes of nature, humanity's relationship with technology, and the importance of empathy and compassion. Miyazaki's films have inspired countless artists and filmmakers, and his influence can be seen in the works of animators around the world.

My opinion

Hayao Miyazaki is a master storyteller whose impact on the world of animation is immeasurable. From his humble beginnings in Tokyo to his journey to becoming one of the most influential animators of all time, Miyazaki's story is one of perseverance, creativity, and passion. His films have touched the hearts of millions of people around the world and will continue to inspire and captivate audiences for generations to come.

Chuck Jones: The Animation Legend Who Brought Laughter to the World.

Chuck Jones was a visionary animator whose work has become iconic in the world of animation. His unique and innovative approach to animation has left a lasting impact on the art form, inspiring generations of animators and filmmakers. Jones' ability to create characters with depth and nuance, and his distinctive style of humor, have made his animations some of the most beloved and iconic works in animation history. Whether you're a fan of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, or any of his other creations, one thing is for sure: Chuck Jones' work is truly timeless and will continue to captivate audiences for many years to come

Early Life

Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was born on September 21, 1912, in Spokane, Washington. His family later moved to Hollywood, where he grew up surrounded by the burgeoning movie industry. Jones' love for art and animation was fostered by his parents, who were both artists themselves.

Journey to Becoming an Animator.

Jones began his career in animation in 1932, working for Ub Iwerks, a former animator for Walt Disney. He later joined Warner Bros. Studios, where he became one of the most influential animators of all time.

Jones' early works were marked by their experimentation with style and form, and his animation style was quickly recognized for its unique and innovative approach.

Famous Animations.

Jones' impact on the world of animation cannot be overstated. His work on Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons has become iconic, and his characters have become beloved classics. Some of his most famous works include What's Opera, Doc?, The Rabbit of Seville, and One Froggy Evening.

Jones is known for his distinctive style of humor and his ability to create characters with depth and nuance. His animations often explored timeless themes such as the relationship between predator and prey, the struggle for power, and the complexity of human emotions. Jones' work has inspired generations of animators and filmmakers, and his influence can be seen in works ranging from The Simpsons to Toy Story.

My opinion.

Chuck Jones was a master of animation whose legacy will continue to inspire and entertain audiences for generations to come. His contributions to the world of animation have been immeasurable, and his influence on the art form will be felt for many years to come. His animations are a testament to his creativity, humor, and ability to capture the human experience in ways that are both profound and entertaining. Jones' impact on the world of animation will continue to be felt for many years to come, and his work will always be celebrated as some of the greatest animated works of all time.

conceptualizing story angles about every animator and how I can narrate them in a creative manner.

So here are two-story angles on how to narrate Walt Disney's story in a creative manner:

The Magic of Imagination: This story angle would focus on the power of Walt Disney's imagination and creativity. It could explore how his love for drawing and storytelling sparked his interest in animation, and how he used his unique vision to create some of the most beloved characters in animation history. The story could also delve into the creative process behind some of his most famous works, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Fantasia. Additionally, the story could highlight how Disney's imagination and creativity went beyond animation and influenced other areas of entertainment, such as theme parks and television.

2. The Man Behind the Mouse: This story angle would focus on the personal life of Walt Disney and how his experiences and struggles shaped his career and legacy. It could explore his upbringing, including his early love for drawing and his struggles with poverty, and how these experiences influenced his creative work. The story could also delve into his personal life, including his marriage and family, and explore how his relationships with those around him impacted his work. Additionally, the story could examine the challenges and setbacks he faced throughout his career and how he overcame them to become one of the most influential figures in the entertainment industry.

Now let's talk about two-story angles on how to narrate Hayao Miyazaki's story in a creative manner:

The Art of Storytelling: This story angle would focus on Hayao Miyazaki's skill as a master storyteller. It could explore how his early experiences in manga and animation inspired him to become a storyteller, and how he honed his craft over time. The story could also delve into the themes and motifs that are prevalent in his work, such as environmentalism, the power of nature, and the struggle between good and evil. Additionally, the story could examine how Miyazaki's storytelling has influenced other artists and storytellers, and how his works have resonated with audiences across the globe.

The Animator's Journey: This story angle would focus on Hayao Miyazaki's personal and professional journey as an animator. It could explore his early career in animation, including his work on popular television shows, and how he eventually became a director and founder of Studio Ghibli. The story could also delve into the production process behind some of his most famous works, such as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, and how he approached the animation of characters and environments. Additionally, the story could examine the challenges he faced throughout his career, including his struggles with depression and the pressures of running a successful animation studio.

Unfortunately, I cant add more images to this article cause of this site's rules.

Now now we can talk about two-story angles on how to narrate Chuck Jones's story in a creative manner:

The Art of Comedy: This story angle would focus on Chuck Jones' contribution to the world of comedy through his iconic cartoons. It could explore how Jones' love for humor and his experience in animation led him to create some of the most memorable and influential cartoons in history. The story could also delve into the comedic techniques and timing that Jones used in his works, as well as the inspiration he drew from other comedians and artists. Additionally, the story could examine how Jones' humor and style have influenced other animators and comedians over the years.

The Animator's Vision: This story angle would focus on Chuck Jones' unique vision as an animator and artist. It could explore his early experiences in animation, including his work with Warner Bros., and how he developed his signature style over time. The story could also delve into the themes and motifs that are present in Jones' work, such as the importance of friendship and the struggle between good and evil. Additionally, the story could examine the challenges he faced throughout his career, including the pressures of creating successful cartoons and his personal struggles with depression.

So I hope you guys learned something from my post

Comment if you have any questions, Thank you

[christmasfavoritetimeofyear]

This is a fun and festive old Hollywood Christmas portrait with a flirtatious pin-up style, 1938.  The press  snipe reads:  These lovelies, 'The Seven Cinderellas' of Paramount's  'Artists and Models Abroad,' are, left to right: Mary 'Punkins' Parker,  Dolores Casey, Joyce Mathews, Marie De Forest, Yvonne Duval, Sheila  Darcy and Gwen Kenyon.  

[classic-laugjhing-hollywood]

Jobyna Ralston (born Jobyna Lancaster Raulston, November 21, 1899 – January 22, 1967) was an American stage and film actress. She had a featured role in the first Oscar-winning film, Wings in 1927, but is perhaps best remembered today for her on-screen chemistry with Harold Lloyd, with whom she appeared in seven movies.

Ralston was born in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, on November 21, 1899 to Joseph Lancaster Raulston and Sarah E. Kemp Raulston. She was named after famed entertainer of the time, Jobyna Howland. She had a younger brother, Edward Angus (born 1905). Ralston's mother, a portrait photographer, carefully groomed her daughter for a show business career.

At the age of nine she gave her first stage performance as Cinderella during the grand opening of the Wilson theatre/Opera House in 1909. Around 1915, Ralston attended acting school in New York. She later danced chorus and sang in Broadway productions, her first being Two Little Girls in Blue. This production marked her Broadway debut, when she was 21. Comedian Max Linder saw her on stage and persuaded her to go to Hollywood, where she appeared in a number of his films. She also co-starred in Humor Risk (1921), the fabled lost comedy short film that was to be the film debut of the Marx Brothers. Soon director Hal Roach began to star the actress in one-reel comedies. She abandoned the stage for the screen in 1922 when her mother's health began to decline, and she needed to make more money to help pay the medical bills.

In 1923, she was named by the film industry as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars. This award was given every year to the top up and coming female stars. This same year she starred with silent comedian Harold Lloyd in Why Worry?, and for the next five years appeared in six of Lloyd's feature films as his leading lady. It is for these performances and her onscreen chemistry with Lloyd that she is best remembered today. She would start the trend for romantic comedies with Girl Shy (1924).

As a freelance actress, Ralston co-starred with Richard Arlen, in the first Oscar-winning film, Wings (1927). She had a feature role in the film, which also featured Clara Bow, Gary Cooper, and Buddy Rogers. She would star in eleven more motion pictures, among them Special Delivery (1927) co-starring Eddie Cantor. Her film career ended after two early talkies when she became a mother. Her last talkie, Rough Waters (1930), found her acting with Rin Tin Tin.

Ralston was married twice, the first time to childhood beau John Campbell, the second in 1927 to actor Richard Arlen, whom she had met on the set of Wings. They had one child, actor Richard Arlen Jr. The family appears together in Hollywood on Parade # A-4. Ralston and Arlen divorced in late 1946.

During the last five years of her life Ralston suffered from rheumatism and had a series of strokes. She died in 1967 from pneumonia at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California. She was 67 years old.

[vivaciouslady]

thank you to my dear @marilyn-monroes-jeans for tagging me in this ❤️

MUSIC

• favorite genre: this is so difficult because i listen a a lot of different things but probably 1930s-1950s standards, golden age musicals, or just whatever taylor swift is currently doing

• favorite artist(s): julie andrews, john denver, taylor swift, ginger rogers, soccer mommy, one direction (i yearn for the good old days), tchaikovsky, debussy

• favorite song: once again i have a TON but my favorite songs of all time is probably Farewell Andromeda by John Denver (the live version from An Evening With John Denver) and You’ll Be Reminded of Me (from Vivacious Lady) by Ginger Rogers

• most listened to song recently: either August by Taylor Swift or Old Cape Cod by Patti Page (both have the best end of summer in new england energy)

• song stuck in your head currently: the theme from Come September (1961)

• five favorite lyrics (not in any particular order):

- “Welcome to my evening, the closing of the day. You know I can try a million times never find a better way to tell you that I love you and all the songs I play are to thank you for allowing me inside your lovely day” Farewell Andromeda by John Denver

- “my house of stone, your ivy grows, and now i’m covered in you” Ivy by Taylor Swift

- “and when your heart is broken in two you’ll be reminded of me and i’ll be laughing… you’ll be reminded of me” You’ll Be Reminded of Me by Ginger Rogers

- “It's a bite of the apple, the touch of your lips. I'm stuck in the bathroom and sick over it” Scorpio Rising by Soccer Mommy

- “Birds love and bees love and whispering trees love, and that's what we both should do” He Loves and She Loves from Funny Face (1957), the original and the Julie Andrews Cover

radio or your own playlist | solo artists or bands | pop or indie | loud or silent volume I slow or fast songs | music video or lyrics video | speakers or headset | riding a bus in silence or while listening to music | driving in silence or with radio on

BOOKS

• favorite genre: classics and fantasy

• favorite book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen or Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

• favorite author: Jane Austen

• favorite book series: Nancy Drew (but if you want an answer that’s more of an actual contained series i’d have to say Throne of Glass by Sara J. Maas)

• comfort book: The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem

• the perfect book to read on a rainy day: We We’re Liars by E. Lockhart, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, or Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

• favorite book characters: Anne Shirley, Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and Nancy Drew

• five quotes from your favorite book(s) that you know by heart:

- “That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me. She meant to bestow a gift. When I cried inconsolably through my first hour of life, my tears were her inspiration. Shaking her head sympathetically at Mother, the fairy touched my nose. ‘My gift is obedience. Ella will always be obedient. Now stop crying, child.’ I stopped.” Ella Enchanted

- “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” Pride and Prejudice

- “You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.” Pride and Prejudice

- “He loved me. He'd loved me as long as he he'd known me! I hadn't loved him as long perhaps, but now I loved him equally well, or better. I loved his laugh, his handwriting, his steady gaze, his honorableness, his freckles, his appreciation of my jokes, his hands, his determination that I should know the worst of him. And, most of all, shameful though it might be, I loved his love for me.” Ella Enchanted

- “There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.” Pride and Prejudice

hardcover or paperback | buy or rent | standalone novels or book series | ebook or physical copy | reading at night or during the day | reading at home or in the nature | listening to music while reading or reading in silence | reading in order or reading the ending first | reliable or unreliable narrator | realism or fantasy | one or multiple POVS | judging by the covers or by the summary | rereading or reading just once

TV & MOVIES

• favorite genre: for films it has to be rom-coms or just anything old hollywood in general (i know that’s not a genre) and for TV i like dramas and comedies

• favorite movie(s): Vivacious Lady (1938), The Sound of Music (1964), Stage Door (1937), and The Dream Lady (1918)

• comfort movie(s): (I have so many i’m sorry this isn’t even all of them) Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging (2008), Ever After (1998), BBC’s Pride and Prejudice (1995, yes I know this is a miniseries), Funny Face (1957), Summer Magic (1963), The Parent Trap (1961), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Curly Top (1935), The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), Come September (1961), Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), Cinderella (1997), Sense and Sensibility (1995), The Last Jedi (2017), and all my favs

• movies you watch every year: White Christmas (1954), Auntie Mame (1958), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), Legally Blonde (2001), and literally all of my comfort movies (if i’m being honest all of these are comfort movies as well i’m a mess)

• favorite tv shows: Derry Girls, Downton Abbey, New Girl, The Julie Andrews Hour, Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl (original), The X-Files, Criminal Minds, Sex Education, M*A*S*H, and The Haunting of Bly Manor

• most rewatched tv show: I think Derry Girls and Gossip Girl are probably tied for this one

• ultimate otp: oh my god obviously jamie and dani 🥺 (but also mary/matthew and mulder/scully my loves) EDIT: HOW DID I FORGET JEAN MAITLAND AND TERRY RANDALL OH MY GOD I WAS ONLY THINKING ABOUR TV BUT THEY ARE MY OTP

• five favorite characters:

from tv shows - Mary Crawley, Dana Scully, Fox Mulder, James Maguire, Orla McCool

from movies - Francey Brent/Morgan, Danielle De Barbarac, Maria von Trapp, Mame Dennis, Mia Thermopolis

bonus: Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from the 1995 adaptation because it’s technically not a movie or tv show it’s a miniseries

tv shows or movies | short seasons (8-13 episodes) or full seasons (22 episodes or more) | one episode a week or binging | one season or multiple seasons | one part or saga | half hour or one hour long episodes | subtitles on or off | rewatching or watching just once | downloads or watches online

oh wow okay that was so long!! i’m (no pressure) tagging: @retrodame @johnsonshildy @norashelley @chantalstacys @glamourofyesteryear @lickingyellowpaint <3 (sorry if you have already done this tag)

[themoonlightarchive]

Happy Tuesday, y’all!

It’s time for another Tuesday TBR where I share some books I’ve recently added to my TBR on Goodreads! I know it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. But that just means there are more books to talk about since I have no self control when it comes to adding things to my TBR.

Honey Girl (Morgan Rogers)

“With her newly completed PhD in astronomy in hand, twenty-eight-year-old Grace Porter goes on a girls’ trip to Vegas to celebrate. She’s a straight A, work-through-the-summer certified high achiever. She is not the kind of person who goes to Vegas and gets drunkenly married to a woman whose name she doesn’t know…until she does exactly that.”

I’m trying to expand my romance reading habits to include things that aren’t heterosexual. I honestly don’t know why I haven’t done this before considering that I’m not heterosexual. Maybe it’s because I don’t really see a lot of options out there but it seems like that’s starting to change. I’m so excited to read this book. I’ve heard so many good things about it. Plus the cover is just beautiful.

Bright Ruined Things (Samantha Cohoe)

“Forbidden magic, a family secret, and a night to reveal it all...”

I actually requested an ARC of this from Netgalley and have been putting off reading it for a while. I don’t know why I never actually added it to my TBR since I really want to read it. I’m not usually a fan of historical fiction but I’m always willing to give something a try if it sounds good, especially if the cover is pretty like this one. I’ll probably be reading it in July!

She Drives Me Crazy (Kelly Quindlen)

“After losing spectacularly to her ex-girlfriend in their first game since their break up, Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person: her nemesis, the incredibly beautiful and incredibly mean Irene Abraham. Things only get worse when their nosey, do-gooder moms get involved and the girls are forced to carpool together until Irene’s car gets out of the shop. ”

I’m weak for sports romance, mostly hockey but I’ll give anything a go. It’s so strange too since I don’t really like any sports aside from volleyball. This book sounds like it has it all. Sports, enemies to friends to lovers, fake dating, and WLW. I can’t wait to read it!

Call Down The Hawk (Maggie Stiefvater)

“The dreamers walk among us . . . and so do the dreamed. Those who dream cannot stop dreaming – they can only try to control it. Those who are dreamed cannot have their own lives – they will sleep forever if their dreamers die. And then there are those who are drawn to the dreamers. To use them. To trap them. To kill them before their dreams destroy us all. ”

Okay so I’m really upset with myself that I never knew that this book existed until recently! Ronan Lynch is my favourite character from The Raven Cycle, aside from Blue Sargent. I have always found his story and his abilities so interesting. I clicked “add to tbr” faster than I ever have before when I saw that this series follows Ronan. I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on a copy.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Taylor Jenkins Reid)

“Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life.”

I’ve been hearing about this book a lot but I haven’t really been interested until I started seeing it on BookTok. I’ve heard it’s heartbreaking and that’s really all I need to know. I love having my heartbroken by a book. I’m not sure I’ll get around to reading it but I’m looking forward to it.

Sweet & Bitter Magic (Adrienne Tooley)

“A witch cursed to never love meets a girl hiding her own dangerous magic, and the two strike a dangerous bargain to save their queendom.”

This is another book that I heard of from BookTok. Most of the time, I’m not interested but this one caught my attention. It’s got magic, witches, WLW, and romance. Sign me up. Plus, that cover! It’s just wow.

A Touch of Darkness (Scarlett St. Clair)

“After a chance encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead and the terms are impossible: Persephone must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever.”

I’ve heard mixed things about this book but I think I’m going to definitely give it a try. I love Greek mythology, especially Hades & Persephone. I even have a tattoo based on their story.

Cinderella Is Dead (Kalynn Bayron)

“It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.”

I love retellings of classic fairy tales and this one sounds soooo good! I love the cover and I can’t wait to read it.

[princesssarisa]

Snow White Winter: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937 Disney animated film)

To say that this groundbreaking animated classic needs no introduction is a vast understatement. Not only is it one of the most iconic of all fairy tale adaptations, but it's one of the most important movies in the entire history of cinema. The One that Started It All. The first full-length animated feature ever produced in Hollywood. It created a new cinematic genre that dominates family film to this day, and it was the key stepping-stone in transforming the Walt Disney Company from a mere cartoon studio into the towering multimedia giant it is now. Every earlier adaptation of Snow White seems chiefly significant as a forerunner to this one and every later version stands in its shadow. Since 1937, it's come to define the tale of Snow White in popular culture, and understandably so.

To outline the details that sets this Snow White apart from the original Grimms' tale is probably unnecessary for anyone, but for completeness' sake I'll do it. As in the 1916 silent film that Walt Disney saw as a teenager, Snow White is forced by her cruel stepmother to work as a scullery maid like Cinderella. As she fetches water from the castle well, her singing attracts the attention of the passing Prince, and love at first sight ensues. In the forest after the Huntsman spares her life, Snow White meets a throng of adorable forest animals who lead her to the seven dwarfs' cottage and become her constant companions. Instead of eating the dwarfs' food a la Goldilocks, Snow White and her animal friends clean their messy house, and from then on she becomes the dwarfs' mother figure, curing them of their untidy habits. As for the dwarfs, they all have distinct personalities and comic business, reflected by their names: Happy, Dopey, Grumpy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful and Doc. Both of the Queen's first two attempts to kill Snow White from the Grimms' tale – the suffocating bodice lace and the poisoned comb – are cut, leaving only the poisoned apple, which she entices Snow White to taste by claiming it's a magic "wishing apple" that will make all her dreams come true. Directly after her "victory," however, the Queen meets her end, as the dwarfs chase her to the edge of a cliff, where a lightning bolt plunges her to her doom. And the finale borrows a page from Sleeping Beauty, reviving Snow White from her "sleeping death" not by shaking the piece of apple from her throat, but with Love's First Kiss from her Prince.

Now of course this picture is a product of its time, and some of its aspects can be criticized and even mocked by today's standards. Snow White's characterization, with her high-pitched coloratura soprano voice (Adriana Caselotti) and sugary cutie-pie demeanor, is clearly the product of a pre-feminist Hollywood, and her ever-present bevy of animal friends have become a classic "Disney Princess" cliché. The animators weren't used to drawing realistic humans either (though they'd made enormous improvement since their first attempts), so Snow White and her all-too-underdeveloped Prince are both slightly doll-like figures compared to the lively, fluid dwarfs and animals. And because the studio was still used to the format of shorts, several lengthy scenes are just showcases for comic gags, without advancing the plot.

But none of the film's flaws make it unworthy of its revered status. For starters, it's a physically beautiful movie. With its luxurious colors and textures, the hand-drawn, three-strip Technicolor animation has lost none of its visual appeal. And the characters are just as vividly written and acted as they are drawn. Snow White is a likable heroine despite her portrayal's old-fashioned aspects, and her animal friends are adorable. The wicked Queen (voiced by Lucille La Verne) is still one of Disney's most sinister villains, both in her natural icy beauty and as the hideous witch she becomes in her "old peddler woman" disguise. And all seven dwarfs are memorable and endearing, especially the mute, childlike Dopey with his slapstick humor, and the dynamic Grumpy (Pinto Colvig), whose arc of resisting Snow White's charms at first but ultimately learning to love her is both funny and touching.

Enhancing the film's effect is the fact that Disney produced it for families, not just children, and took its darker side seriously. Scenes of innocent sweetness and broad comedy are balanced by notoriously spine-chilling sequences: for example, Snow White's terrified run through the dark forest, in which she imagines monstrous faces glaring from every tree, or the Jekyll and Hyde-like transformation of the Queen into the Witch via magic potion in her eerie laboratory. Nor is sadness avoided. The scene of the dwarfs weeping around Snow White's bier is still as poignant as ever, and in 1937 it astonished Hollywood by proving that cartoon characters could move audiences to tears.

Nor should we forget the iconic songs by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey, which so many of us have known by heart since childhood, and which set a high standard for all Disney musicals to follow: "I'm Wishing," "One Song," "With a Smile and a Song," "Whistle While You Work," "Heigh-Ho," "The Dwarfs' Washing Song," "The Silly Song," and of course "Someday My Prince Will Come."

Other versions of Snow White might be more strictly faithful to the Grimms' tale than this one, but none can even come close to this film's cultural impact. It was and is an artistic phenomenon.

@ariel-seagull-wings, @superkingofpriderock

[nudne]

i saw your tags about asking you for book recs and i wanted to ask: what books with wlw romance do you recommend? all genres are great, i just need some good stories with gay girls in them 💕 love u!

finally my time to shine! also i do want to say that most of these are written by women of colour, and you should look these authors up and pick up their other books! a good deal of them are also lesbian or bisexual 😌

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron. YA Cinderella retelling with a Black lesbian main character! It's 200 years after Cinderella's death, and her story is being used by the tyrannical king to basically force women to attend a ball where they are 'chosen' as wives, in a parody of Cinderella's story. Our MC Sophia has had enough!

You Should See Me In a Crown by Leah Johnson. YA with a Black main character! Liz wants to leave her small town but in order to do that she needs to win prom queen to get a scholarship. But maybe her competitor for prom queen is kinda cute...? 🤔

The Falling In Love Montage by Ciara Smyth. Two girls go on a summer of montage-worthy dates and plan to break it off cleanly at the end of the summer- no broken hearts, no mess. Except maybe they develop feelings...? 👀

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus. I just made a post about this so I'll just paste what I said about it here! This tells the stort of a Trinidadian girl, Audre, sent to live in Minneapolis after her mum catches her having sex with a girl. There she meets Mabel, who is questioning her own sexuality and the two become friends and maybe more? A super sweet YA Black girl romance!

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera. Juliet, a self-described Puerto-Rican baby dyke from the Bronx, just came out to her family, and is leaving for the summer to be an intern in Portland to this hippy white woman. What follows is an exploration of Juliet's own identity, of intersectional feminism, LGBT issues, race and the need for spaces exclusively for women of colour. Just an excellent book.

Disoriental by Négar Djavadi. I haven't read this YET (it's waiting on my shelf) but I've heard so many incredible things. It's written by a French-Iranian woman and translated into English (I think we should all be reading more translated fiction). I don't think I can do the description justice, so please please look it up. It's not a romance per say, but I do think it's an incredibly important stort and the MC is bisexual afaik.

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan. 17 year old Rukhsana tries her best to love up to her parents expectations, but when they catch her with a girl, she is sent to Bangladesh to 'straighten her out'. Only through reading her grandmother's old diaries is she able to gain some perspective. Now she realises has to fight for her love, but can she do that without losing everyone she loves?

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert. Another book on my TBR that I've heard great things about. Suzette comes home to LA from her boarding school, and doesn't want to go back. All her family and friends are in LA, and her stepbrother has just been diagnosed with Bipolar and needs her support. But Suzette finds herself falling for the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette has to confront her past mistakes and help Lionel before he does something to hurt himself.

Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. Now, I wasn't sure if I should recommend this but ykw? I will, cause it's an AMAZING series. It's a space opera with sword fighting and necromantic lesbians and a locked house murder mystery... in space. And with lesbians. There's 2 books out of 3 out now and while there's no romance (hopefully YET) it's just an incredibly well thought out and hilarious book. The narration is *chef's kiss*

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I just finished this book this week and Y'all 😤 This book tells the story of Evelyn Hugo, a Cuban-American and an Old Hollywood star known for her beauty and scandal after scandal. Now in her late 70s, she is giving one last interview to an unknown journalist, Monique Grant, who she doesn't seem to be connected to... But as we learn about Evelyn's life, we find out that maybe things weren't as they seemed? And we learn what really ties her to Monique. The fact that I'm recommending it here may be a bit of a spoiler 😂 Evelyn is bisexual, and she ACTUALLY SAYS THE WORD.

Honorary mention to N.K. Jemisin's The Broken Earth trilogy and The City We Became (this is the first book in her new series). Jemisin is just... a master at what she does. Both of these series are sci-fi / urban fantasy, with excellent modern social commentary. Her character work is phenomenal and they're all incredibly diverse (she has bisexual and lesbian main characters in both series, plus characters of different races and orientations that are always thoughtfully and respectfully crafted). READ HER.

[timeless-hollywood-classics]

Rhonda Fleming (born Marilyn Louis; August 10, 1923 – October 14, 2020) was an American film and television actress and singer. She acted in more than 40 films, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, and became renowned as one of the most glamorous actresses of her day, nicknamed the "Queen of Technicolor" because she photographed so well in that medium.

Fleming was born Marilyn Louis in Hollywood, California, to Harold Cheverton Louis, an insurance salesman, and Effie Graham, a stage actress who had appeared opposite Al Jolson in the musical Dancing Around at New York's Winter Garden Theatre from 1914 to 1915. Fleming's maternal grandfather was John C. Graham, an actor, theater owner, and newspaper editor in Utah.

She began working as a film actress while attending Beverly Hills High School, from which she graduated in 1941. She was discovered by the well-known Hollywood agent Henry Willson, who changed her name to "Rhonda Fleming".

"It's so weird", Fleming said later. "He stopped me crossing the street. It kinda scared me a little bit -- I was only 16 or 17. He signed me to a seven-year contract without a screen test. It was a Cinderella story, but those could happen in those days."

Fleming's agent Willson went to work for David O. Selznick, who put her under contract.[5][6] She had bit parts in In Old Oklahoma (1943), Since You Went Away (1944) for Selznick, and in When Strangers Marry (1944).

She received her first substantial role in the thriller, Spellbound (1945), produced by Selznick and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. "Hitch told me I was going to play a nymphomaniac", Fleming said later. "I remember rushing home to look it up in the dictionary and being quite shocked." The film was a success and Selznick gave her another good role in the thriller The Spiral Staircase (1946), directed by Robert Siodmak.

Selznick lent her out to appear in supporting parts in the Randolph Scott Western Abilene Town (1946) at United Artists and the film noir classic Out of the Past (1947) with Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas, at RKO, where she played a harried secretary.

Fleming's first leading role came in Adventure Island (1947), a low-budget action film made for Pine-Thomas Productions at Paramount Pictures in the two-color Cinecolor process and co-starring fellow Selznick contractee Rory Calhoun.

Fleming then auditioned for the female lead in a Bing Crosby film, a part Deanna Durbin turned down at Paramount in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949), a musical loosely based on the story by Mark Twain. Fleming exhibited her singing ability, dueting with Crosby on "Once and For Always" and soloing with "When Is Sometime". They recorded the songs for a three-disc, 78-rpm Decca album, conducted by Victor Young, who wrote the film's orchestral score. Her vocal coach in Hollywood, Harriet Lee, praised her "lovely voice", saying, "she could be a musical comedy queen". The movie was Fleming's first Technicolor film. Her fair complexion and flaming red hair photographed exceptionally well and she was nicknamed the "Queen of Technicolor", a moniker not worth much to her as she would have preferred to be known for her acting. Actress Maureen O'Hara expressed a similar sentiment when the same nickname was given to her around this time.

She then played another leading role opposite a comedian, in this case Bob Hope, in the The Great Lover (1949). It was a big hit and Fleming was established. "After that, I wasn't fortunate enough to get good directors", said Fleming. "I made the mistake of doing lesser films for good money. I was hot – they all wanted me – but I didn't have the guidance or background to judge for myself."

In February 1949, Selznick sold his contract players to Warner Bros, but he kept Fleming.

In 1950 she portrayed John Payne's love interest in The Eagle and the Hawk, a Western.

Fleming was lent to RKO to play a femme fatale opposite Dick Powell in Cry Danger (1951), a film noir. Back at Paramount, she played the title role in a Western with Glenn Ford, The Redhead and the Cowboy (1951).

In 1950, she ended her association with Selznick after eight years, though her contract with him had another five years to run.

Fleming signed a three-picture deal with Paramount. Pine-Thomas used her as Ronald Reagan's leading lady in a Western, The Last Outpost (1951), John Payne's leading lady in the adventure film Crosswinds (1951), and with Reagan again in Hong Kong (1951).

She sang on NBC's Colgate Comedy Hour during the same live telecast that featured Errol Flynn, on September 30, 1951, from the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood.

Fleming was top-billed for Sam Katzman's The Golden Hawk (1952) with Sterling Hayden, then was reunited with Reagan for Tropic Zone (1953) at Pine-Thomas. In 1953, Fleming portrayed Cleopatra in Katzman's Serpent of the Nile for Columbia. That same year, she filmed a western with Charlton Heston at Paramount, Pony Express (1953), and two films shot in three dimensions (3-D), Inferno with Robert Ryan at Fox, and the musical Those Redheads From Seattle with Gene Barry, for Pine-Thomas. The following year, she starred with Fernando Lamas in Jivaro, her third 3-D release, at Pine-Thomas. She went to Universal for Yankee Pasha (1954) with Jeff Chandler. Fleming also traveled to Italy to play Semiramis in Queen of Babylon (1954).

Fleming was part of a gospel singing quartet with Jane Russell, Connie Haines, and Beryl Davis.

Much of the location work for Fleming's 1955 Western Tennessee's Partner, in which she played Duchess opposite John Payne as Tennessee and Ronald Reagan as Cowpoke, was filmed at the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California, (known as the most heavily filmed outdoor location in the history of film and television). A distinctive monolithic sandstone feature behind which Fleming (as Duchess) hid during an action sequence, later became known as the Rhonda Fleming Rock. The rock is part of a section of the former movie ranch known as "Garden of the Gods", which has been preserved as public parkland.

Fleming was reunited with Payne and fellow redhead Arlene Dahl in a noir at RKO, Slightly Scarlet (1956). She did other thrillers that year; The Killer Is Loose (1956) with Joseph Cotten and Fritz Lang's While the City Sleeps (1956), co-starring Dana Andrews, at RKO. Fleming was top billed in an adventure movie for Warwick Films, Odongo (1956).

Fleming had the female lead in John Sturges's Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) co-starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, a big hit. She supported Donald O'Connor in The Buster Keaton Story (1957) and Stewart Granger in Gun Glory (1957) at MGM.

In May 1957, Fleming launched a nightclub act at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. It was a tremendous success. "I just wanted to know if I could get out on that stage – if I could do it. And I did! ... My heart was to do more stage work, but I had a son, so I really couldn't, but that was in my heart."

Fleming was Guy Madison's co star in Bullwhip (1958) for Allied Artists, and supported Jean Simmons in Home Before Dark (1958), which she later called her favorite role ("It was a marvellous stretch", she said).

Fleming was reunited with Bob Hope in Alias Jesse James (1959) and did an episode of Wagon Train.

She was in the Irwin Allen/Joseph M. Newman production of The Big Circus (1959), co-starring Victor Mature and Vincent Price. This was made for Allied Artists, whom Fleming later sued for unpaid profits.

Fleming travelled to Italy again to make The Revolt of the Slaves (1959) and was second billed in The Crowded Sky (1960).

In 1960, she described herself as "semi-retired", having made money in real estate investments. That year she toured her nightclub act in Las Vegas and Palm Springs.

During the 1950s, 1960s, and into the 1970s, Fleming frequently appeared on television with guest-starring roles on The Red Skelton Show, The Best of Broadway, The Investigators, Shower of Stars, The Dick Powell Show, Wagon Train, Burke's Law, The Virginian, McMillan & Wife, Police Woman, Kung Fu, Ellery Queen, and The Love Boat.

In 1958, Fleming again displayed her singing talent when she recorded her only LP, entitled simply Rhonda (reissued in 2008 on CD as Rhonda Fleming Sings Just For You). In this album, which was released by Columbia Records, she blended then-current songs like "Around The World" with standards such as "Love Me or Leave Me" and "I've Got You Under My Skin". Conductor-arranger Frank Comstock provided the musical direction.

On March 4, 1962, Fleming appeared in one of the last segments of ABC's Follow the Sun in a role opposite Gary Lockwood. She played a Marine in the episode, "Marine of the Month".

In December 1962, Fleming was cast as the glamorous Kitty Bolton in the episode, "Loss of Faith", on the syndicated anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. In the story line, Kitty pits Joe Phy (Jim Davis) and Peter Gabriel (Don Collier) to run against each other for sheriff of Pima County, Arizona. Violence results from the rivalry.

In the 1960s, Fleming branched out into other businesses and began performing regularly on stage and in Las Vegas.

One of her final film appearances was in a bit-part as Edith von Secondburg in the comedy The Nude Bomb (1980) starring Don Adams. She also appeared in Waiting for the Wind (1990).

Fleming has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.

Fleming worked for several charities, especially in the field of cancer care, and served on the committees of many related organizations. In 1991, her fifth husband, Ted Mann, and she established the Rhonda Fleming Mann Clinic for Women's Comprehensive Care at the UCLA Medical Center.

In 1964, Fleming spoke at the "Project Prayer" rally attended by 2,500 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The gathering, which was hosted by Anthony Eisley, a star of ABC's Hawaiian Eye series, sought to flood the United States Congress with letters in support of mandatory school prayer, following two decisions in 1962 and 1963 of the United States Supreme Court, which struck down mandatory school prayer as conflicting with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Joining Fleming and Eisley at the rally were Walter Brennan, Lloyd Nolan, Dale Evans, Pat Boone, and Gloria Swanson. Fleming declared, "Project Prayer is hoping to clarify the First Amendment to the Constitution and reverse this present trend away from God." Eisley and Fleming added that John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Roy Rogers, Mary Pickford, Jane Russell, Ginger Rogers, and Pat Buttram would also have attended the rally had their schedules not been in conflict.

Fleming married six times:

Thomas Wade Lane, interior decorator, (1940–1942; divorced), one son

Dr. Lewis V. Morrill, Hollywood physician, (July 11, 1952 – 1954; divorced)

Lang Jeffries, actor, (April 3, 1960 – January 11, 1962; divorced)

Hall Bartlett, producer (March 27, 1966 – 1972; divorced)

Ted Mann, producer, (March 11, 1977 – January 15, 2001; his death)

Darol Wayne Carlson (2003 – October 31, 2017; his death)

Through her son Kent Lane (b. 1941), Rhonda also had two granddaughters (Kimberly and Kelly), four great-grandchildren (Wagner, Page, Lane, and Cole), and two great-great-grandchildren.

She was a Presbyterian and a Republican who supported Dwight Eisenhower during the 1952 presidential election.

Fleming died on October 14, 2020, in Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, California, at the age of 97. She is interred at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California.

[introvertguide]

Saving Private Ryan: Hollywood’s Who’s Who of White Male Actors Between 25- and 50-Years-Old from the 90s

After rewatching Saving Private Ryan (1998), I realize that there is a true parade of great actors that only Spielberg could have pulled together. The director likes to keep his movies historically accurate and the army was still segregated at the time, so it would have been predominantly white male soldiers that landed on the beach at D-Day*. Due to the focus in the film, there was a casting call for actors who could play the part of a white soldier between 20 and 40. The result is extraordinary. I want to make a list and see if you can remember where each of these actors shows up:

*Let it be noted that there was an all black battalion that landed (the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion) and I invite people to learn more about them at https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/protecting-beaches-balloons-d-day-and-320th-barrage-balloon-battalion

Tom Hanks: One of the main characters searching for the titular Private Ryan. Hanks was perhaps the biggest actor of the early 90s with Philadelphia, Apollo 13, Forrest Gump, and Toy Story. I had grown up with this man being a comedic actor so I was always shocked when he played a serious role. This movie wrecked me and it was largely due to the part of this man. 

Matt Damon: Not going to spoil anything, but know that Damon’s character is important. Fresh off of Good Will Hunting (1997), this role basically cemented Matt Damon as part of the Hollywood elite. He would go on to be part of the rebooted Ocean’s franchise as will as the action drama Bourne trilogy. He is on the walk of fame and this role is part of the reason why.

Vin Diesel: This was actually a major acting breakthrough for Vin Diesel. He is part of one of the most intense scenes during the search for Private Ryan. Diesel had only been in his self produced movie, Strays, at this point. He actually became known for his tough voice, which was eventually used as the character of Riddick and in the Fast and Furious films. Diesel is now considered one of the sexiest men alive and a major theatrical draw.

Edward Burns: Another actor that had only done personal projects before this film, Burns had written, directed, and starred in The Brothers McMullen (1995) and She’s The One (1996). Burns was actually accused of selling out somewhat since he was known more for his independent projects. He continued to act in romance roles as well as make indie films. 

Tom Sizemore: Well...although Mr. Sizemore does a good job playing a “tough” in films like Born on the Fourth of July, Heat, Black Hawk Down, and Pearl Harbor, it has become apparent that he will take just about any role offered to him. He has since played in some of the most horrible films I have ever seen. It has also become apparent that he had substance abuse problems and was accused of domestic abuse. Back in the 90s, however, he was the man to call to play a tough as nails soldier.

Giovanni Ribisi: Never really a leading man, Ribisi was perfect for an ensemble cast. The characters he plays tend to either be dumb or sneaky while pretending to be dumb. What can I say, he has a certain look and sound that translates to “unintelligent.” American audiences knew him from TV shows Friends and My Two Dads as bumbling. His role in Saving Private Ryan was exactly what I expected as well.

Ted Danson: This one came out of nowhere. Danson had played Sam on Cheers in the 80s and was dealing with some issues in the 90s. He had cheated on his wife with Whoopi Goldberg and then done a strange movie promotion for Made in America where he dressed up in black face. He was actually not very popular in the late 90s and this was a first step (being part of a widely recognized ensemble cast) to getting back into Hollywood’s good graces.

Nathan Fillion: Since this is Tumblr, I probably don’t need to tell who this is, but I generally have to explain a little background in real life. Fillion is a nerd culture icon due to his role in the show Firefly and the film Serenity. He was also in perhaps the greatest internet series, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, of all time. His small and rather funny part in Saving Private Ryan was really his big break since he had only been known for a role in the soap opera One Life to Live until that time.

Paul Giamatti: One of my favorite actors from his roles in Sideways, American Splendor, Cinderella Man and 12 Years A Slave, Giamatti had pretty much done small character roles before Saving Private Ryan. Thinking about it, this was a small character role as well. But after this he went on to be an Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actor.

Adam Goldberg: More of an all around artist, Goldberg is a character actor, filmmaker, musician, and photographer. He plays a slick talking soldier that gets into the absolute worst situation in a scene that I sincerely cannot watch. Well, I have seen it but generally find myself busily looking elsewhere on my last couple of watches.

Barry Pepper: This man is a very interesting actor for me because he has been in some of my favorite movies (The Green Mile, Saving Private Ryan, We Were Soldiers, and True Grit). He has also been in some of the worst movies ever made including Battlefield Earth, Seven Pounds, and The Lone Ranger. He plays a very interesting religious sniper and he seriously rains down the pain from above. Pepper’s good roles outweigh his bad ones (and his role in Battlefield Earth is hilarious) and this movie is great.

Bryan Cranston: This was back when Cranston was just an unknown character actor, long before he was Walter White on Breaking Bad and even before he was Hal on Malcolm in the Middle. He shows up at the very beginning for about 30 seconds and was cast more for his authoritative voice than his acting chops.

This is truly an ensemble cast since there really could be no lead. The follow up show called Band of Brothers really focuses on the idea that these soldiers all had to be strong and any weak link could result in extensive casualties. Saving Private Ryan is an intense film with many powerful roles. I talked to my mom after she watched with my dad and she really emphasized that it was a good movie. I agree with her completely. 

[dweemeister]

Movie Odyssey Retrospective

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

There is an abandoned building at 1127 E 31st St. in Kansas City, Missouri. That 1922 building, made up of red brick and mortar, would have met the wrecking ball long ago, if not for its historical value. For one year, it housed the Laugh-O-Gram Studio, founded by Walt Disney and the first job in animated film for several people who would become instrumental in shaping the American animation industry. Alongside Disney, the Laugh-O-Gram staff included:

Ubbe “Ub” Iwerks, who co-created Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit with Walt. Ub stayed with the Disney studios as an animator or special effects specialist through Mary Poppins (1964);

Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising, who founded Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies with Warner Bros. in the 1930s under producer Leon Schlesinger, later moving to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM);

and Friz Freleng, who joined Harman and Ising and Warner Bros and MGM as principally a director, while introducing or developing most of the central Looney Tunes characters.

All of these figures would shape the environment for animated talkies into the midcentury. But Laugh-O-Gram could not survive the financial obstacles that led to the studio’s closure after only a year. Go back and watch the Laugh-O-Gram shorts and you will find imaginative, rowdy stories paired with movements as fluid as animators not named Winsor McCay (1914’s Gertie the Dinosaur, 1918’s The Sinking of the Lusitania) could draw in the early 1920s. Laugh-O-Gram’s last film, Alice’s Wonderland (1923), was never released commercially to the public and – considering its hybrid of animation and live-action footage – demonstrates the influence McCay had over Disney and his fellow animators.

Later in 1923, Walt submitted Alice’s Wonderland to Margaret Winkler, whose Winkler Productions was the leading animated short film distributor of the time. Winkler had just fallen out professionally with Pat Sullivan, the co-creator of Felix the Cat. Needing a quick replacement and charmed by the animated frenzy surrounding the hybrid animation/live-action Alice, Winkler signed Walt Disney and his Laugh-O-Gram team (including child actress Virginia Davis) to produce the Alice Comedies short film series (1923-1927, including 1923’s Alice’s Wonderland) in Hollywood. These films, Disney’s first taste of commercial triumph, shared little resemblance to Lewis Carroll’s novels Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, except for the curiosity of the title character and the fantastical situations she might find herself in. After the end of the Alice Comedies series and the formation of Walt Disney Productions (now Walt Disney Animation Studios), Walt wished to adapt Carroll’s books – which he had been familiar with since his childhood in Missouri – into a feature film. Outside forces delayed the project, including the box office failure of Paramount’s live-action Alice in Wonderland (1933) and the creative and fiscal burdens that his studio had to bear during World War II.

During this time, Walt resigned himself to the fact that any animated adaptation of Carroll’s novels, more interested in illogic and wordplay than any sensible storytelling, would not reach the artistic heights of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). His long wait to adapt Alice in Wonderland as a feature film would end in 1951, with the film co-directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske. A stellar voice cast, mixture of storybook and unusual animation, and an acceptance of its own absurdity make Alice in Wonderland one of the best non-Golden Age Disney animated features.

Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) is a child, probably ten years of age give or take. She is one of the youngest protagonists in Disney’s animated canon and a rare human female lead without monarchical ties or aspirations. Her story is simply a fantastical dream of her subconscious’ creation. Thus, freed from the limitations and expectations of the “real world”, Alice in Wonderland – and the novels it was adapted from – is an episodic series of nonsensical encounters of the various characters that inhabit Alice’s Wonderland. This posed a dilemma for the Disney animators and the army of writers on the film. How does one make Alice, whose only notable characteristics include her naïveté and incurable curiosity, a more interesting character than what Lewis Carroll wrote? With the animators and writers finding no answer, Disney’s Alice is just as reactive (as opposed to proactive) as Carroll’s characterization for her. Inane things happen to and around her, infrequently because of her own initiative; anyone expecting the studio’s first female lead to write down names, possess a sharp wit, and kick ass might need to recalibrate said expectations given the source material.

This discourse wades into questions about literary fidelity in cinema – no standard formula exists for how literature should be adapted to a film. To adapt Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass as faithfully as possible would be to invite structural and tonal chaos. Carroll’s numerous poetic asides, extremely abrupt (and, to me, exhausting) tonal shifts, and his near-complete dedication to exposition whenever nonsense is not present does not make for a digestible film. The Alice in Wonderland that audiences have enjoyed since 1951 presents its developments far out of any Carroll’s narrative order. The tone and individual moments remain Carroll-esque, but, upon release, British critics savaged the film for degrading Carroll’s best-known works (more on this later). Yet by my judgment and familiarity with Carroll’s books (which, to reiterate, are not concerned about character development) Disney’s animated version is the best cinematic adaptation in line with the Carroll’s artistic intentions.

Alice in Wonderland is best seen as a quasi-Disney package film filled with one-upmanship in its animation. A distracted Walt was barely aware of day-by-day developments during production, and thus did not rein in some of the animated excess Alice in Wonderland is now justly acclaimed for. For the second consecutive entry in the Disney animated canon, Mary Blair’s concept art (1950’s Cinderella, 1953’s Peter Pan) is principally responsible for what the background animators would adopt. In the bookend scenes outside Wonderland, the lush, foliage-filled backgrounds recall her work during Disney’s package era, and are easily the most “realistic” backgrounds since the inimitable Bambi (1942). Once the film descends into Wonderland, the background animators, attempting to convert her concept art into cel animation, attempt (but fail to) replicate the characteristic flatness of her concept art.

But for everything else integral to Blair’s artwork – the lack of straight lines, highly stylized architectural and natural features, and detonation of colors – the background animators (who would be assigned specific scenes) faithfully render her style as closely as they can without completely making Alice in Wonderland a modernist phantasmagoria. The film is an overload of colorful experimentation. Just choose from any one of the scenes involving the White Rabbit’s house, the Caterpillar’s toadstool hideaway, the tea party, or the Queen of Hearts’ domain and one is subject to a visual cacophony of inspired production design and artistic audacity. It can be overwhelming, but Wonderland’s locales represent some of the greatest examples of settings-as-character in almost all of animated cinema.

Alice’s Wonderland, however, is nothing without the characters that dwell within. Some of the most impressive character designs of Disney’s mid-century animated films appear in this film, thanks mostly to two of the “Nine Old Men” – Ward Kimball (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1971’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks) and Frank Thomas (1940’s Pinocchio, 1977’s The Rescuers) – and Norm Ferguson (“Dance of the Hours” in 1940’s Fantasia, 1953’s Peter Pan). Because of the sheer number of characters that Thomas and Kimball designed and directed on this film (and this is not even mentioning several other fellow directing animators), I will focus on two specific characters of theirs.

For Norm Ferguson, he is the sole directing animator of the Walrus and the Carpenter, the characters from the eponymous segment imparted to Alice by Tweedledee and Tweedledum (itself an adaptation of Carroll’s “The Walrus and the Carpenter” poem within Through the Looking-Glass). As a study of differences, the designs of both characters give their personalities away even if one were to mute the audio or view a still image. The Carpenter – scrawny, scruffy, and short – telegraphs his dimwittedness and gullibility from his opening moments on-screen. Adding to that visual characterization is that he shares a voice actor, J. Pat O'Malley, and a squeaky, honky timbre with Tweedledee and Tweedledum. O’Malley also voices the Walrus, but adjusts his delivery to a throaty bass, interspersed with the coughing one expects from a chain-smoker, let alone a chain-smoking walrus. The Walrus – appropriately rotund (as walruses should be) with a kitschy suit – is a charming fellow, but beneath that charm are his occasional all-knowing smirks that belie selfish intentions. Ferguson’s clashing character animation for both, in addition to the morbid comedy of “The Walrus and the Carpenter”, are a brilliant complement the abridged poem used in the scene. Alice in Wonderland would be Norman Ferguson’s penultimate film with the studio before his retirement due to complications with diabetes.

With Alice in Wonderland, Frank Thomas is the directing animator for the movie’s antagonist for the second straight Disney animated feature. The techniques and artistry used for Cinderella’s Lady Tremaine and the Queen of Hearts – voiced deliciously (and boisterously) by Disney regular Verna Felton (Dumbo’s Mrs. Jumbo and the Elephant Matriarch, Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother) – could not be any more different. Where Lady Tremaine was heavily rotoscoped in her movements and facial expressions, there is nothing realistic about the Queen of Hearts’ physicality. As a buxom bundle of waving limbs, she has arguably the most fleshy and expressive face in a 1950s Disney animated feature. In that face, in Felton’s iconic voice acting, we find a crazed monarch who desperately needs to see a therapist to contain her volcanic temper. Thomas’ character design sells the Queen of Hearts’ mood swings – perfunctory courteousness, egomania, pettiness, and bloodlust (“Off with his head!”). Thus, she becomes Disney’s closest analogue to the uptight and pretentious narcissists that the likes of Bugs Bunny or, to a lesser extent, Daffy Duck might have brought down to size in a Looney Tunes short film. How fortunate that the Queen of Hearts only appears in Alice in Wonderland’s concluding stages; an entire film dedicated to her (please do not pass this hypothetical along to a Walt Disney Company executive) would be a wearisome indulgence.

The last masterstroke of character design is thanks to Ward Kimball. Kimball, shortly about to revert his focus from feature animation to television and the Disney theme parks, was the principal designer of the Cheshire Cat. The wide-grinning Cheshire Cat, voiced by Sterling Holloway (Kaa in 1967’s The Jungle Book, the original voice of Winnie the Pooh), is a distinctive swirl of purple and pink stripes, his yellow eyes giving off a blazing glare. As opposed to the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat – no more or less peculiar than any other inhabitant of Wonderland – rarely stands on his hind legs. Instead, he prefers to perch himself, stomach-first, and limit his non-facial physical movements. With Holloway’s mellifluous voice acting, the physics-bending Cheshire Cat is not the sort to be vengeful or unleash verbal fire and brimstone. But with his capabilities of troublemaking for his own personal entertainment, he is the least predictable and perhaps most dangerous character of all. Depending on the viewer, the Cheshire Cat can be seen as a darkly comic figure and/or the film’s greatest source of malevolence, however restrained.

After watching Alice in Wonderland more than most Disney animated films over the course of my lifetime, I still struggle over how to categorize Kimball’s magical cat. Certainly, Cheshire Cat is an antagonist, but do his actions place him in the pantheon of Disney villains? Reading Carroll’s books and noting – however circuitously – Cheshire Cat helps Alice become “unlost”, perhaps being considered a trickster will suffice.

The soundtrack to Alice in Wonderland contains the greatest number of songs (sixteen from a potential thirty) in the entire Disney animated feature canon. That is partly due to the length of these compositions – clocking in, in several instances, at just under or over one minute – and that more than a handful of these songs are adaptations (partial or complete) of a Lewis Carroll poem. Disney hired a battalion of Tin Pan Alley composers and lyricists to pen/adapt songs around Carroll’s poems, but just over half of the songs were composed by Sammy Fain (“Secret Love” in 1953’s Calamity Jane, “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing” from the 1955 film of the same name) set to Bob Hilliard’s (“Civilization”, also known as “Bongo, Bongo, Bongo (I Don’t Want to Leave the Congo)”) lyrics. Among their mostly original compositions, Fain and Hilliard are responsible for the title song, “In a World of My Own”, and “Painting the Roses Red”, among several other earworms utilizing Carroll’s poetry.

Debatably Alice in Wonderland’s ultimate earworm is the original song “A Very Merry Un-birthday” by Mack David, Al Hoffman, and Jerry Livingston (the trio also composed “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo in 1950’s Cinderella). Because of this song’s affiliation with a certain ride at the Disney theme parks, you, the reader, might already be very familiar with the song’s melody without ever watching Alice in Wonderland. Sung raucously by the Mad Hatter and March Hare (incredible voice acting by Ed Wynn and Jerry Colonna, respectively) alongside Alice, the “unbirthday song” is even more jaunty, celebratory, and devilishly catchy than “Happy Birthday” itself. With this lengthy soundtrack, Alice in Wonderland’s songs completely overshadow and are referenced across Oliver Wallace’s (the notorious title song and score to 1942’s Der Fuehrer’s Face, 1963’s The Incredible Journey) score. For such a riotous and absurd movie, the film contains an equally riotous and absurd soundtrack to empower all of its nonsense.

The qualities that have made Alice in Wonderland treasured by many (including yours truly) today are the exact same ones that British literary and film critics took issue with in 1951. This Alice eviscerates Lewis Carroll’s literary vision and it is too “American”, these critics wrote. Walt Disney, years removed from his namesake studio’s Golden Age animated features (an era where he might have considered the words of academic and critics), now could not care less.

Walt’s distaste for academic and critics in the second half of his career began after musical and film critics pilloried Fantasia (1940). But his disdain for such individuals was fully realized after their response to the innovative and controversial Song of the South (1946) – which Walt intended as a hurrah for the American folklore that colored his childhood. Even upon Song of the South’s release, protesters and picketers decried the film for sentimentalizing the lives of black people in the immediate postbellum American South. “The master-and-slave relation is so lovingly regarded in your yarn,” New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther wrote, “… that one might almost imagine that you figure Abe Lincoln made a mistake. Put down that mint julep, Mr. Disney.” Disney took this wave of criticism over Song of the South personally, and convinced himself that supposedly communist enemies from rival studios and hostile sociopolitical circles were inflaming these attacks against his films and his studio. How dare these people, Walt must have thought, tell the inventor of Mickey Mouse and the man who gave Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising, and Friz Freleng their first jobs in animated cinema what he could or could not do artistically. Walt Disney could justly say he laid the foundation for American animated cinema in Kansas City – before Burbank, before the overcrowded studio in Hyperion – all those years ago, which must have fueled his pride and dismissal of his naysayers.

In an earlier decade, Walt – especially when noting that Carroll’s work was integral to his start in animated film in the 1920s – might have publicly lashed out to the polarized response that met Alice in Wonderland. Now, Walt had compartmentalized his feelings. And as Alice in Wonderland made its way through theaters, a long-gestating animated feature featuring a canine romance was finally moving forward. Another film, made possible due to the windfalls from Cinderella, had just been greenlit, and would not see completion until decade’s end.

Although not successful in its theatrical run, Alice in Wonderland became the first Disney film to rejuvenate its reputation in the popular mindset through television. TV became widespread in the United States and Britain after the Second World War and, with it, Walt Disney would use the medium to broadcast his older films, to alter popular perceptions of his own persona and personal history, and to employ idealized images and storytelling in telling the story of his namesake studio. Removed from the cultural discourse dominating airwaves and headlines in the early 1950s, viewers in the decades following Alice in Wonderland’s release can now appreciate the film’s role in the Disney animated canon. Alice in Wonderland is a demented classic that, because of its narrative-unfriendly content, has influenced few films following it. The film adjusts Lewis Carroll’s books in ways that pay homage to his writing, but also to chart a colorful course for viewers and Disney fans as cinematically as possible.

My rating: 9/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

This is the twenty-first Movie Odyssey Retrospective. Movie Odyssey Retrospectives are reviews on films I had seen in their entirety before this blog’s creation or films I failed to give a full-length write-up to following the blog’s creation. Previous Retrospectives include The Kid (1921), Cinderella (1950), and The Sound of Music (1965).

[niksixx]

Taking Vince to Disney World

Requested: By an Anon! This Anon requested this request for the rest of the Crüe boys, so Mick and Tommy will be posted next week!

Pairing: The Dirt! Vince Neil x Reader

Description: You take Vince to Disney World, duh.

Warning: Lots and lots of happiness after reading

*Picture is NOT mine. Found on Google. Credit to the owner.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh my God, something tells me Vince would LOVE Disney World!!

After the Girls, Girls, Girls tour, you decided that Vince deserved some relaxation for how hard he worked on the album.

So, you surprised him with a trip to Disney for his birthday, and his eyes would light up so much like he was an eight-year-old kid on Christmas morning.

He couldn’t sit still on the plane ride.

And he wouldn’t shut up either.

“My girl is taking me to Disney World. Isn’t she great?”

“You think we could have sex in Animal Kingdom?”

“Vince, are you kidding me right now?”

“Well we go at it like animals at home, what’s the difference?”

The first thing he did when you arrived at your resort, The Polynesian Village Resort, was buy a Goofy hat with floppy ears. (LMAO imagine !!!)

He’d be smiling the whole seven days you were there!!

He’d have a new character shirt for each day you were at the parks.

“We need matching shirts next time.”

Vince loved his camera so he’d be snapping random pictures of you in front of the Castle.

Hollywood Studios was his favorite park!

He’d make every single ride a competition.

“I am going to beat your ass in Toy Story Mania.”

“I bet I can scream louder than you on Space Mountain…well, that might be wrong. You’re pretty loud in bed.”

Goofy freaked out when he saw Vince’s hat.

“Quick, babe, take a picture.”

Vince wanted to be the first one in the park and the last to leave.

“Vin, we went on Tower of Terror nine times already.”

“Let’s make it ten.”

You had Mickey popsicles every. single. day.

Vince would also want to sit down on Main Street and watch all the parades.

“Did Buzz Lightyear really wink at you in front of me?”

“I think Cinderella is checking me out.”

“Prince Eric needs to keep his eyes on his own girl.”

“I have better hair than Pocahontas, right?”

Even Vince had a great time on the safari ride.

“Ha, that giraffe looks like Tommy.”

You spent an entire day at Downtown Disney shopping for some new clothes to bring home.

“Look at this little princess dress,” Vince cooed. “I hope we have our own little princess one day.” (REST IN FUCKING PEACE MY HEART.)

[bloodline-rpg]

CHARLIE CONNERY  // 26 // HUMAN

❝ I've got nothing left to prove Cause I've got nothing left to lose. See me bare my teeth for you. Who, who are you?❞

_______________________________________________________________________

BIOGRAPHY

Uncle Steve always had the best stories. When she was little, Charlie had loved it when he’d come by their house because she knew his visit meant a bedtime story she’d not soon forget. Sure he smelled sort of stale and her mom (his sister) often accused him of being an alcoholic, but he was interesting and didn’t treat her like a baby – and at seven years old, that’s what Charlie found most important. Wolves, Charlie, werewolves. That’s how the story started. She sat wide-eyed, hugging the stuffed Balto toy that Uncle Steve had brought her. It smelled sort of like cigarettes and old beer, but at the moment she didn’t care. He wove a tale of people that transformed into beasts on a full moon, losing control of themselves and becoming feral. They were dangerous, monstrous, but only during a full moon. You’d never even know if you met one on a normal night he swore. Three years later, Charlie’s parents were killed in a car accident and she was sent to live with her Uncle Steve. She clung to the stories of wolves, the idea of being able to change, to lose yourself even just for a night. It became a story she requested often, better than the fairytales because happily ever afters weren’t satisfying endings at the moment. Her uncle didn’t stop drinking and magically become a competent step-parent. She didn’t have a Cinderella moment where things magically turned around. Life for the next several years was just…hard. Charlie had to grow up quickly and learn to take care of not just herself, but her uncle. Deep down, she knew her uncle cared about her, but he clearly cared about vodka more. She worked hard to try and gain his attention and affection to no avail and when she was eighteen, she moved out for good. Throughout her adolescence, she began to wonder if the stories Steve told her could have any ring of truth. She began to do research on werewolves, finding everything from Teen Wolf to Native American lore to old Hollywood horror. Surely some of the legends had to have a hint of truth, right?  She studied animal sciences and researched wolves. Their packs, the structure of their families, it was what she’d always been looking for. The social aspect, the way they didn’t neglect members of their pack. God, she’d kill to belong to a real family again.  Eventually, Charlie took a job at a wolf sanctuary in Pennsylvania. It was a long shot, but what else could she do? Maybe someday one of the rescued animals would be human in the morning. It was ridiculous how hard it was to find them. And then the witches were exposed. Magic was real and the whole world knew it. Charlie was ecstatic. Witchcraft didn’t really appeal to her, especially since witches were being hunted, but if they existed then the odds were werewolves and other supernatural creatures did as well. She renewed her search, traveling the country in the guise of visiting other preserves and rescues, but really searching for a place she might belong. She tried everything she could think of to get turned…she drank rainwater from the footprint of a wolf, she let a suspiciously large wolf at the preserve bite her (and had the scars to prove it.), she hung out with wolves on the full moon, nothing worked. It took far longer than she would have liked, but she finally found them. And they were everything she hoped they’d be. She hadn’t intended to lie, she’d meant to ask them to make her one of them, to explain her desires, but…things sort of spiraled. They saw the scar of the bite and made assumptions and then she discovered that they weren’t allowed to turn her. So she lied. No one in her life had accepted her as quickly and easily as this pack of wolves. Surely she could figure out how to get one of them to turn her before the next full moon. She had to. Now that she’d found them she’d do anything to be allowed to stay.

______________________________________________PERSONALITY/TRAITS

Charlie is someone who’s used to putting herself second. She worked her whole adolescence to earn her uncle’s love, to get him to act like they were a real family and it never worked. Regardless, this has made her something of a caretaker. She tends to show love with actions – cooking, cleaning, doing things for others in order to show affection and hopefully gain some in return. If she makes herself valuable, people will want her, right? She’s also definitely a romantic. Not just with relationships, though that’s definitely part of it, but with ideals as well. Her desires to be a werewolf are not hampered by thinking about the consequences of such a transformation. While she realizes things might be complicated, she also ultimately believes it’ll just work out. While ultimately good-natured, she has a tendency to jump in headfirst and get herself into trouble because she has no plan of retreat, no backup plan if things go awry. Her impulsiveness and insecurity lead her to put herself into situations that are not necessarily healthy or smart.

DETAILS

STATUS: TAKEN [ORIGINAL CHARACTER]

Related bios: n/a

Species/Family info: Human

Faceclaim: Dominique Provost Chalkley