Bagheeeeera!!!!

 

The Jungle Book

Released:  October 18, 1967

This past week I was excited to learn about a scene with Bagheera and Baloo from Disney's The Jungle Book.  If you are not aware, Andreas Deja, Disney Legend and master animator, also publishes a regular blog on animation and related topics.  On September 20, 2022 he posted a story about the scene where Bagheera comes to the aid of Baloo after King Louis's monkey friends kidnap Mowgli.   I was excited to see the animation drawing images he shared as they were drafted by another Disney Legend and one of Disney's Nine Old Men, Milt Kahl.   He posted a series of 30 sequential rough drawings of Bagheera from this scene.  I love seeing sequential animation drawings and learning who and how they are created. 

So, up for this week's post is a Bagheera drawing numbered 27 from this same sequence, but 10 frames before his first pictured drawing numbered 37.  It is always exciting to learn new things about art in your collection.  I have had this drawing in the collection for a number of years and particularly love this piece.  Milt Kahl beautifully drew one of my favorite animals, cats.  Check out Andreas Deja's post here to learn more about this scene as well.

If you get a chance to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum exhibit on the Jungle Book this summer, you will discover a great section on Milt Kahl and his ability to draw cats and in particular Bagheera.

                            Original Production Drawing, graphite and red pencil on 16 field animation paper

                            Artist:  Milt Kahl

                            Acquired:  July 27, 2010

Original film frame, copyright Walt Disney Company

Saludos Amigos!

Happy 79th Anniversary!

Released: August 24, 1943

This past week was the 79th anniversary of Walt Disney's seventh animated feature film, "Saludos Amigos."   The film had its world premiere on August 24, 1943 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil with the a subsequent release starting in Boston and the rest of the US later on February 6, 1943.  To commemorate the film, I thought I would share my only piece of animation art from the film, a wonderful production background an the Andean mountain landscape and village from the intro to the Penguin sequence.  I love this 12 field background because of the train theme and painting's overall subject.  It really stands out on its own as a wonderful little storybook painting.  If you watch the film, you will notice that the train was not originally in the painting and was added later by the studio for when they gave the painting away.  This painting reminds me of the scene from Dumbo when Casey Junior is singing & traveling in the film.   I love all things with trains!

Original Production Background, gouache on 12 field heavyweight paper

Artist: Various Studio, unknown

Acquired:  November 12, 2006

More wonderful details are also revealed on the backside of the painting.  Complete with production markings, the backgrounds appears to be filmed for the intro sequence on September 4, 1942.  I have never been able to make out the signatures, but it might suggest that studio artist, Art Riley had a hand in this painting somehow.  Art Riley is credited with layout and background on this film and it is very likely that he worked on this scene.  More research will have to be done to determine that!

So happy 79th anniversary to Saludos Amigos!