JOLLY HOLIDAY: Down On The Farm

Another highlight of the JOLLY HOLIDAY sequence is the visit to the farm with animated singing animals!

In the first re-created background, I was able to digitally remove all the animals except the cute little pig on the right.

The second B/G is a real knockout. The gate with umbrellas is real, as is the footpath. The rest is a beautifully rendered matte painting.

Down on the farm!

JOLLY HOLIDAY Part 2

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am posting the POPPINS B/Gs in consecutive order as they appeared in the film. Since today is all about love, including movies we love, I am sharing three new POPPINS B/Gs. While they are all impressive, the last is one of my very favorites.

Looking at these re-created B/Gs, it dawns on me that there is a radiant, Technicolor "Wizard Of Oz" vibe about them. Did you know Walt Disney acquired the film rights to the Oz stories? Maybe there was some direct inspiration from the 1939 MGM "Wizard" in this artwork.

Dazzling!

We're off on our Jolly Holiday: Landscape #1

Right after Jane and Michael jump into the chalk drawings, they go in search of the carousel. This is my first of an entire new set of digitally re-created MARY POPPINS backgrounds. This is one of my all-time favorite Disney films, and sequences. Seeing the artwork revealed for the first time is a revelation. These backgrounds took the songs and animation to a whole new level of "personality."

What fun!

BTW... it appears the paths in these are real, with the backgrounds dropped in via Ub Iwerks brilliant special effects. Any experts out there have more information on this process?

Also, the JOLLY HOLIDAY backgrounds are a very different stylistically from the Ellenshaw matte paintings. Anyone know the artist(s) responsible?

Trivia: Frank Thomas' wife told me recently that Ward Kimball animated the Pearlies for the "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" sequence.

Are You Ready for a JOLLY HOLIDAY?

Even when a day goes by that I don't post, you can bet I am at work digitally replicating background art!

I have some real treats coming up for you. I had reason to take a look at MARY POPPINS again this week. What an amazing movie. Practically perfect in every way!

I started in at the very beginning of the animated JOLLY HOLIDAY segment. Way at the beginning... in the park!

Technically, these do qualify as animation backgrounds. Remember the spectacularly colored dust when the POPPINS entourage jumps into the chalk drawings?

Here are two views of the park sets. Magnificent aren't they? We've never seen these without the cast... until now. I digitally removed the actors so we could see the impeccable designs. Take special note of the painted backdrops.

And if you think these are fun.... just wait 'til you see what's coming next.

Let's just say it will be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

SWORD IN THE STONE

This bird's eye view is actually a "squirrel's eye view" from THE SWORD IN THE STONE.

Beautiful texture and amazing perspective!

IN A NUTSHELL (1949)

Here's the title card and a digitally recontructed pan background from IN A NUTSHELL (1949).

Disney sure makes perfection look easy!

DONALD'S HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Here's the opening title and utopian suburbian CA neighborhood that opens DONALD'S HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Love this layout, especially the threehouse!