Friday, August 19, 2011

THE ANIMATED RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY (1977, John Canemaker)


Canemaker, John. The animated raggedy Ann & Andy: An Intimate Look at the Art of Animation Its History, Techniques, and Artists[Uncorrected Proof], New York, [no ed] , 1977

PDF / 83.5 MB / Eng / 127 pages / 0672523299 / 978-0672523298

Richard Williams Raggedy Ann & Andy is one of the most beautiful animation feature-lenght ever made. Sadly, nowadays it's almost forgoten. Anyway, someone (TheThiefArchive) upload this movie to the tube, it's a very nice restoration, so if you didn't watch it, why don't you take a look at this...

This one was the first book by John Canemaker and one of the very first of animation criticism. That's why before examining RA&A, John explains all the production steps involved in a comercial animation. The story sketches; The storyboard; Design and Layout; Soundtrack Recordings; Key and Pose animation; Rough Animation and Cleaning; In between; Ink and Paint; photography; print.

Chapters on the life and career of:

- Johny Gruelle, the creator of the Raggedy Ann & Andy original book series.

- The canadian animator, director and genius behind this movie, Richard Williams. Multiple quotes from Dick, some of his letters during the production, and final comments about any aspect of the movie.

- Top class master animators and some young talents (young, back in the day):
Cornelius "Corny" Cole (really a Designer, Art); Arthur Babbitt (The Disney legend; here with 69 years old, Key: Camel with the Wrinkled Knees); Hall Ambro (Key: Babette, the french doll); John Kimball (the son of... yes, Key: Loony Knight; the weird camel mirage, The Spooky, Ha Ha Hall); Emery Hawkins (Warner Bros, MGM, Lantz, Disney... you name it, he's being everywhere, here, Key: The Greedy); Gerry Chiniqui (ex- Warner brothers animator, key: The dancing Twin Penny dolls, and King Koo Koo); Charles E. Downs (Key: The Captain and his parrot); Tissa David (once the assistant of Grim Natwick, and Key animator of Ann, and Andy);
Chrystall Russell (Key: Raggedy Ann); GRIM NATWICK (at the time of this movie 87 years old!!!!!, Key: The Loonies in King Koo Koo sequence); Spencer Peel (Key: Playroom dolls)

"When you're wrinkled and cold, and your Fortune has all been told, and you're nobody's 'I Love you' How can you be happy? How can you be smiling? How can you be anything but lowdown saggy and blue?"

What an amazing movie.

by pelida77

Would you like to read this book, you could follow this link...

1 comment:

  1. It is indeed a great book, and sadly remains the definitive portrait of the late, great animatrix Tissa David. Canemaker is a gifted educator, and an equally gifted writer, but the sad fact remains that this motion picture is just awful. HOW do you justify a childten's film ---for young children, in fact--- having a slow musical number that lasts SEVEN MINUTES??? It isnt even a catchy number. And Williams' tendency toward sprawling over animation does nothing to serve the purposes of the movie. William's has committed a cardinal sin of animation: it's BORING. Canemaker's book, in the final analysis, is a better artifact than the motion picture it documents.

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