A. Film L.A. test

I used to wonder where precisely Walt Disney's first 2719 Hyperion Ave. studio was located, and what it looked like. Since reading about it first in the 1970s in Dave Smith's article in Michael Barrier's great Funnyworld, I spent hours looking at photos, aerial photographs, maps etc, until I found I had a pretty good impression. My aim here is to pass some of that on to you, as I have found there was an interest in this since I posted this image of the staff with their new Charlotte Clark dolls on my Facebook page: Looking through Cecil Munsey's Disneyana, it appears to me that the "funny looking" Mickey with the button eyes is actually an example of the 1930 British-made pose-able Mickey by the Dean's Rag Book company of London. First, the WHERE. Here is the front of the Gelsons parking lot, with the original plot of the studio indicated in a blueish hue. We see the very small building, the back yard that has a car shed does not even reach the current Gel...

Danish illustrator Kay Nielsen moved from his native Copenhagen, where he was born in 1886, to Los Angeles in 1936, and worked for the Walt Disney Studios from late 1938 to 5/23/41. His most well-known work was, of course, done for Fantasia. Later in his life, in 1953, he returned for a short stint on Sleeping Beauty, but in the end, the styling of Eyvind Earle was chosen for the film. Nielsen died, forgotten, in 1957. For a long time, only one of his Sleeping Beauty pieces was known to exist, in the ARL. It is pictured in John Canemaker's beautiful book "Before the Animation Begins" (Hyperion 1996). The caption reads: "The only example of Nielsen's art made during his brief return to Disney in 1953 to work on Sleeping Beauty (1959)." Since then, however, a number of Nielsen's pieces have appeared on the market, sold through the reputable Van Eaton Galleries . They became available when a high profile Disney artist passed away. Over the years, I have co...

Looking through some old files, I stumbled over these images of Walt on skis and skates. I thought you might like to see these. We have recently seen our friend Paul F. Andersen post an image of Walt and Mickey on a sled in January 1933. The left image above is described by Paul in his caption on the DHI blog. What I find interesting is, that it had, hand-written, on the back the text "Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse at Mickey Mouse Snow Party at Lake Arrowhead for Mickey Mouse Club members." The left image is a picture I took of a photo that was up for auction a few years ago - the right image I found on the web many years ago... [I admit to this posting being rather half-hearted, as I have been incredibly busy these days. David, in the first real comment in many weeks (!) noted that he has posted about this three times, here , here , and here ! He shows the left picture, while the right one is similar to one from 1935. Check out his links, where there is lots more explanation...

Today, my old mentor Børge Ring turns 91! Want to send him a present? Then please visit the donation page dedicated to restore some kind of normal life for his wife Joanika and himself after the terrible fire that destroyed their home and all their belongings on Feb.1st! All my best wishes for a speedy recovery to Børge, who currently is in hospital. For the occasion, I found a few images that I shot in 1981 at the animation festival in Annecy, France. This was around the time we started to seriously work on Anna & Bella. < Click to < show the < entire < picture! The left image shows, left to right, Marv Newland (of Bambi vs. Godzilla fame), Dutch-Canadian film maker Paul Driessen, Børge and Kaj Pindal, Børge's old apprentice and life long friend. On the right, on the terrace of Hotel Trésoms, we find, similarly left to right, Børge's long time animation partner and fellow Dane Bjørn Frank Jensen , then the back of Joanika Ring, Harold Whitaker ...

Here are some more items that never again will see the light of day because they went up in flames in the terrible fire in my old mentor Børge Ring's house two weeks ago. First one of the most delicate drawings of Wendy I have ever seen. This photo I made in 1983 does not do the original justice at all! Børge also had two other Wendys in his scrapbook. As far as I remember, these and the earlier one were sent to him by Marc Davis after Dave Hand conveyed him Børge's best wishes back in 1951. In the fire, Børge and his wife Joanika lost EVERYTHING, so please visit the site set up for donations !

While speaking with old mentor Børge Ring's daughter Anne-Mieke, I suggested posting some more Lost Memories - images from his scrapbooks, now gone forever. We agreed that this might get more attention to the devastating event of February 1st, only 11 days ago, when the 300 year old farmhouse that was Børge and his wife, artist Joanika Ring lived in was completely destroyed by fire. Børge had lots of mementos dating from his time in Denmark, pre-1952. Animation done by David Hand in Denmark... A great scene by Børge of a cow being scared running off screen that to me was an action scene that ranked with the best of John Sibley's work... Also among them was the early storyboard for the 1950 film "Fest i Skoven," in English "Party in the Forest" that I showed you earlier . Here are the first six panels, sadly the only part that I photographed around 1983 for use in the Danish magazine Carl Barks & Co. They - and the rest of this storyboard - are now lost f...

I posted this before, but it has new relevance: Makin' Whoopee! played by Børge Ring in 1978. His guitar - also lost in the blaze, together with his uncle's double bass and all his other musical memories. Børge played these instruments on his award winning shorts Oh My Darling and Anna & Bella. I have many memories myself, of hearing him play his bass downstairs while I was drawing in his attic, and of him practicing his guitar before recording Anna & Bella - and of the recording sessions, of course. Visit the fund-raising site for Børge and Joanika, created by their daughter Anne-Mieke, where you can donate to help them.

ASIFA-Hollywood's 39th Annual Annie Awards ceremony at UCLA’s Royce Hall, hosted by actor/comedian Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille), was streamed live here, Saturday February 4th, 2012 at 7 p.m. Pacific, 10 p.m. Eastern, which is Sunday February 5th at 3 a.m. in England or 4 a.m. in central Europe. For me a highlight was the reception of Børge Ring's Winsor McCay Award by his daughter Anne-Mieke. As you read earlier , Børge's house burned down to the ground only two days ago, so I hope he will find some consolation in this support from the industry. Three screen grabs of Anne-Mieke's accepting her father Børge's Award. Note in second image (click on it!), Jamie Bolio wiping away a tear - really the only emotional moment in the entire show. Not one word about the fire, though. Let me remind you to please visit the fund-raising site that Anne-Mieke produced for Børge and Joanika, where you can donate to help them in their hour of need! Being a member of ASIFA-Hollywood m...

The devastating news just reached me that the home of my old mentor, now 91 year old Oscar winner Børge Ring and his wife Joanika has been completely laid in ashes by fire only some four hours ago! A fire in the chimney ignited the thatched roof of their old farm in the south-east of Holland. Børge and Joanika are safe and cared for, but they have reportedly lost EVERYTHING. Art, memories, even the Oscar went up in flames. A fund is being set up to help them. Check borgering.com where you can find information on how you can help. In the mean time I wish them all the strength in the world! [News: Donations can be made through the new fund-raising site !] Børge is recipient of the Winsor McCay Award at the Annies on Saturday, and throughout this ordeal Børge and Joanika have insisted that their daughter Anne-Mieke not change her plans to receive the award in Børge's name. (The award ceremony will be available to watch on computers as a streaming fee...