Don Han and David Bossert brought some Disney shorts out of the vault, introducing and discussing each piece to an enthusiastic audience. It was quite entertaining, in no small part to Don and David�s banter.

�Hell�s Bells� � First up was this black & white 1929 piece featuring the talents of Ub Iwerks, Carl Stalling. It was quite surreal, depicting spooky doings in Hell. Not exactly bedtime material.

�Flowers and Trees� - The 1932 Silly Symphony, which won the first Academy Award for an animated short, was also the first to feature full-color three-strip Technicolor. The piece depicts a romance between a couple of trees that is interrupted by a forest fire started by a villainous tree.

From there, we jumped to the war years, when the studio was taken over by the U.S. military and produced pieces to aid American goals in World War II. Comfortably removed by many decades from the outcome of WWII, some aspects of these shorts seem strange or are unintentionally humorous.

�The New Spirit� � Released in early 1942 after an extremely short production window. Donald Duck is depicted as a patriotic American who enthusiastically files his federal income taxes to aid in the war effort. The piece explains how to fill out the form, but also includes the kind of Disney humor and storytelling featured in non-war productions. As with other shorts we saw, this one re-used some material from �Fantasia�.

�The Winged Scourge� - As our hosts explained, in the 1940s, people got their visual information at the cinema, as the rest of their news came from radio or newspapers. This public service announcement was made to warn people about the dangers of mosquitoes as carriers of malaria. Disney�s seven dwarfs demonstrate how people can protect themselves from the pest, including such techniques as dumping pesticide into ponds and draining or filling ponds � things that would typically run afoul of environmental laws today.

�Out of the Frying Pan Into the Firing Line� � Minnie Mouse, about to pour hot cooking grease into Pluto�s dog bowl, learns that she can collect the grease, turn it into her local meat shop for money, and it will be used to manufacture explosives to use in the war effort. This short is complete with enthusiastic depictions of explosions destroying Axis military vehicles.

�Food Will Win the War� � Using example after example along the lines of �enough to stretch around the world X times�, this short touted the prowess of the American farmer, in part to pre-empt fears of a food shortage. Appearing briefly were unflattering caricatures of the Axis leaders � Hirohito, Hitler, and Mussolini.

From there, we jumped ahead to the early 1980s.

�Fun With Mr. Future� � A humorous look at �the future�, featuring a skinless animatronic head and 2-D animation.

�Vincent� � Tim Burton�s 1982 stop-motion short narrated by Vincent Price.

From there, we jumped up to current times.

�Glago�s Guest� � Chris Williams� (�Bolt�) all-CG tale of an isolated Russian�s encounter with extraterrestrials.

The final screening was a trailer for Disney/Pixar�s �Up�.

This sporadic survey of Disney productions gave a glimpse of the advance of animation techniques over the years, as well as changing attitudes in pop media. It is one thing to get these on a DVD, but quite another to see them on the cinema screen with a large audience. The Lido is one of those �old school� movie houses, and the interior has paint that glows in the black light.

Newport Beach is a great place to see a movie, from the Big Newport to the Lido. There is plenty of shopping and dining to make a romantic evening or a fun afternoon out of your moviegoing. The film festival allows you see some things you might not otherwise be able to catch on the big screen, a chance to see some things that might not be going into wide release for a while, and the work of some fresh new talents. So keep your schedule open for the next Newport Beach Film Festival.

Newport Beach Film Festival official website: http://www.newportbeachfilmfest.com/

Related writings from Ken Pellman:

• Report: The Sherman Brothers Visit Disneyland Cast Members
• Kenversations� - September 2002 Thea Awards
• Ken Reviews: Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park

Related Links

• Doug Marsh's Report, with Video, on the An Evening of Disney Animation

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