Happy Halloweenie!

Tonight is the night when witches fly on their brooms. Cats and bats are all around. Goblins and ghosts are behind every corner. And who wouldn't love to snuggle up to a ghost like this one on a night like this?

Animation Magic

Look what Animan found on Ebay: Popular Science from September 1944!

And inside is an article about Walt Disney's animated feature in production at the time, "The Three Caballeros". This article explains how the Disney animators were able to make Donald Duck dance the samba with Aurora Miranda (Carmen Miranda's sister). In some scenes, she acted, danced and sang in front of a projected image. In other scenes, the animators added drawings of Donald Duck and José Carioca in front of her. You can watch it here.....

And then read all about it here!

"Can I view these on my iPhone if I don't have a computer?"

"Can I buy this and watch it on my iphone?"
Animan received this message today. And here's his answer:
"Thanks for asking. I don't put my cartoons on my own iphone, but a lot of guys do. I'm not sure how they do it, though. I'm going to post your message on the latest post on this blog, and see what the other guys say!"
So, if you're watching Animan vids on an iphone, how do you do it? Share the secret with all of us! Thank you!

   An actual frame from "Animan's All-Stars", if you can believe it!

When When When?

Animan always knows when his cartoons are taking a super long time to get completed, because fans start asking "When?"  Animan doesn't mind, actually. It would be a sad world indeed if nobody cared at all. So, to those of you who DO care, Animan says "Thanks Guys, and hopefully sometime in November". Here's another background from the Palm Springs pleasure palace. Oh, if only this inflatable lounge chair could talk, what stories it would tell!

Eleanor Audley (1905~1991) the Ultimate Disney Villain

When Walt Disney made "Cinderella", Eleanor Audley went before the microphone and provided a chilling voice for the stepmother, filled with authority. And then, she went in front of the cameras to act out the role, so that the animators could incorporate her movements and mannerisms. And, they used her face as a model for the stepmother.

                                Copyright Walt Disney Pictures               Photo from The Dick Van Dyke Show

A few years later when Disney made "Sleeping Beauty", the same technique was used for Maleficent. Here is Eleanor acting the character out for the Disney cameramen. Her peculiar tilt of the head, and ways of using her hands can be seen incorporated into the animation of her characters. Both the stepmother and Maleficent wore large rings, which also reflects Eleanor's taste in jewelry!

The Scene of the Crime

Animan video sales are at an all-time low. Is it because of the U.S. money situation, or is it because Animan's "fans" keep uploading his stuff to free video sites without Animan's permission? It's probably a combination of the two.

This background is the Animan version of a Palm Springs hotel for guys. I've been to Palm Springs twice and want to go back again. 

Life Imitates Art (again!)

This is Leonor Alcácer, who plays the part of the bored housewife Laura Costa in the Portuguese soap opera, "Os Nossos Dias", which can be seen here: http://www.rtp.pt/play/p1305/e129244/os-nossos-dias

This wonderful actress has nice, high cheekbones, and an interesting way of scrunching up her face when she's angry at her husband, which reminded me of "Cruella deVille" in the Disney feature "101 Dalmations".  After adding the black and white hair and the fur coat, sure enough, she seems to look like the animated version (at least Animan thinks so).

It's Background Time!

Here's another background from the upcoming All-Star video. In case you've forgotten, the players will be Bill from "Twist Party", Coach Fokker from "Sex Ed", Coach Ben, Larry the Lifeguard, José and Escamillo from Carmen, Nooky Man and Axel the black dude from "Super Hero", Lex, and Lieutenant Commander O' Reilly from "G.I. Bananas". 

Will the Real Maleficent Please Cast a Spell?

In 1959, Disney Studios made "Sleeping Beauty", and the evil fairy "Maleficent" was a major character in it. Now, a live-action film about Maleficent is being made, with the alive-and-well Angelina Jolie in the starring role. I think she's a marvelous actress, but I really don't know if she's the Maleficent-type.

In 1962,  Mexican actress Maria Félix starred in the motion picture, "La Bandida".  Does she look more like Maleficent than anyone else does? I'll let you judge for yourself!