Wolfgang Reitherman | |
|---|---|
 Reitherman in 1940 | |
| Born | (1909-06-26)June 26, 1909 |
| Died | May 22, 1985(1985-05-22) (aged 75) Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Woolie Reitherman Wooly Reitherman |
| Alma mater | Pasadena Junior College Chouinard Art Institute |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1933–1981 |
| Employer | Walt Disney Productions (1933–1942, 1947–1981) |
| Known for | One ofDisney'sNine Old Men |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, includingBruce Reitherman |
Wolfgang Reitherman (June 26, 1909 – May 22, 1985), also known and sometimes credited asWoolie Reitherman, was aGerman-American animator, director and producer. As a member of the "Nine Old Men" atWalt Disney Productions, Reitherman was known for his action-oriented animation.[1]
Born inMunich, Reitherman relocated to the United States with his family. He attendedPasadena Junior College and briefly worked as a draftsman forDouglas Aircraft Company. Desiring a career in visual arts, Reitherman studied at the Chouinard Art Institute. On the advice of an art instructor, Reitherman applied as an animator for Walt Disney Productions. Reitherman animated on severalSilly Symphonies cartoon shorts. He next animated the Slave in the Magic Mirror inSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Monstro inPinocchio (1940), and the climacticdinosaur fight inIgor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" segment ofFantasia (1940).
By 1941, the United States enteredWorld War II, and Reitherman enlisted into theUnited States Army Air Forces (USAAF). While in service, he flew on several combat missions and was awarded theDistinguished Flying Cross. In 1947, Reitherman returned to the Disney studios as an animator, and within a few years, became a member of Disney's "Nine Old Men". He made his directorial debut with the 1957 short filmThe Truth About Mother Goose; within years, he became the first sole director for a Disney animated feature, beginning withThe Sword in the Stone (1963).
During production onThe Jungle Book (1967),Walt Disney died, and Reitherman assumed the creative leadership, remaining as director and producer on several consecutive Disney animated feature films throughout the 1970s. Additionally, he directed theWinnie the Pooh featurettes:Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) andWinnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), which won theAcademy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
By 1977, Reitherman had intended to directThe Fox and the Hound (1981), but he left the project after having creative differences withArt Stevens. After developing unproduced animation projects, Reitherman retired from Disney in 1981. In 1983, he was awarded theWinsor McCay Award, and in 1985, Reitherman died in a single-car accident. He was posthumously honored as aDisney Legend in 1989.
Wolfgang Reitherman was born on June 26, 1909 inMunich,German Empire to Philip Reitherman and Marie Keuhner. He was the last born of seven children.[2] Philip and Marie had eloped and married in London and lived briefly in France, before returning to Munich. In 1911, owing to political unrest, the family relocated to the United States when he was a child, where they first settled inKansas City, Missouri, where one of Philip's brothers had lived. At home, English was the preferred language, and as a result of his parents' assimilation, Wolfgang understood little German.[2]
They next moved toSierra Madre, California.[3] As a young man, Reitherman had a passion for flying and aspired to become an aeronautical engineer; as a hobby, he drew cartoon gags.[4] He attendedPasadena Junior College, but left to work as a draftsman for theDouglas Aircraft Company. By 1931, Reitherman had decided he would rather be an artist than an engineer, and soon enrolled into theChouinard Art Institute.[5]
While Reitherman was studying at Chouinard Art Institute, his paintings attracted the attention of Philip L. Dike, a drawing and painting instructor. Impressed with his artwork, Dike showed them to Disney, after which Reitherman was invited to the studio. He initially wanted to work as a watercolorist, butWalt Disney suggested he should be an animator.[6][7] Reitherman was hired at Walt Disney Productions on May 21, 1933.[6][8] His first project as an animator was theSilly Symphonies cartoonFunny Little Bunnies (1934). Reitherman worked on numerous animated shorts, includingThe Band Concert (1935),Music Land (1935), andElmer Elephant (1936).[9] He animated the Slave in the Magic Mirror inSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).[10]
Reitherman's next assignments were animating Monstro inPinocchio (1940) and the climacticdinosaur fight inIgor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" segment ofFantasia (1940).[11] The night he had finished his animation, Reitherman attended a Christmas staff party and played a tape recording of Stravinsky's piece in reverse. He remembered, "anyway, there's a knock on the door, and someone goes over to answer it, and standing there is Walt ... with Igor Stravinsky. But, he [Stravinsky] was very nice. He said, 'Sounds good backwards, too.' and left."[12]
Reitherman then followed up with animating several scenes of Timothy Q. Mouse inDumbo (1941).[13][9] In December 1941,Pearl Harbor was bombed, and Reitherman, at the age of 32, enlisted into theUnited States Army Air Forces (USAAF) as a pilot.[4][14] While in service, he participated in theAir Transport Command in Africa, China, India, and the Philippines. Reitherman remembered living in China at one point, stating, "I was flying all the time, so I wasn't there all that time. A wonderful country. Wonderful people."[15] He was honorably discharged in February 1946, having earned the military rank ofMajor.[16] After several years of service, Reitherman was awarded theDistinguished Flying Cross and theAir Medal with one bronzeoak leaf cluster.[17]
Reitherman rejoined the Disney studios in April 1947, where he animated the Headless Horseman chase sequence inThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow section ofThe Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949), alongside John Sibley.[18][3] Around this time, Reitherman claimed he was instrumental in helping Walt Disney commit to producingCinderella (1950) as an animated film. After he had glanced at some storyboards, Reitherman recalled, "I just went in his office, which I rarely did, and I said, 'Gee, that looks great. We ought to do it.' It might have been a little nudge to say, 'Hey, let's get going again and let's do a feature'."[19]
OnCinderella, Reitherman was the directing animator of the sequence in which Jaq and Gus laboriously push and pull the key up the stairs toCinderella.[20] By this point, Disney began devoting less time and energy into animation, as he sought to expand into developing anamusement theme park and television projects. Nine veteran animators—Les Clark,Marc Davis,Ollie Johnston,Milt Kahl,Ward Kimball,Eric Larson,John Lounsbery, Reitherman, andFrank Thomas—began to consolidate and were known as the "Nine Old Men", in reference to U.S. PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt'sdenigration of theSupreme Court.[21][22] As it became harder to get Disney to attend story meetings, animation responsibilities was increasingly left to their creative judgment.[23]
OnAlice in Wonderland (1951), Reitherman animated the scene in which the White Rabbit's home is destroyed by an enlarged Alice. OnPeter Pan (1953), he animated the scene of Captain Hook attempting to escape the crocodile.[20] ForLady and the Tramp (1955), Reitherman animated the alley dog fight sequence and Tramp's fight with the rat in the nursery room.[24] Animation historian Charles Solomon praised the alley sequence, writing, it is "a textbook example of a Reitherman fight scene: Tramp defeats a pack of vicious mongrels to save Lady, helpless in her muzzle."[24] Reitherman also appeared as himself in aDisneyland episode"A Story of Dogs", reenacting a production meeting about the alley dog fight sequence, which aired on December 1, 1954.[25]
In 1957, Reitherman made his directorial debut with the short filmThe Truth About Mother Goose, which was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Animated Short Film, but it lost to theMerrie Melodies cartoonBirds Anonymous.[26] He later joined the production team working onSleeping Beauty (1959). Reitherman's colleagueEric Larson had been the film's sole director until he was removed from the project by 1957.Clyde Geronimi became the film's new supervising director.[27] Reitherman joined the project as a sequence director for Prince Phillip's climactic fight againstMaleficent as adragon. Years later, in 1981, Reitherman told theLos Angeles Times: "We took the approach that we were going to kill that damned prince!"[7] Released in 1959,Sleeping Beauty underperformed at the box office and earned mixed reviews from film critics.Bosley Crowther, in hisNew York Times review, warned the dragon fight sequence "will make a few adults groan. Mr. Disney here reaches the apex of his build-up of animated horror."[28] The fight sequence has since been praised as among the finest in Disney animation.[14]
Reitherman next directed the 1960 short filmGoliath II, which has the distinction of being the first Disney animation project to fully use the Xerox process by transferring the animators' drawings directly onto transparent cels.[29][30] Simultaneously, Reitherman directed the "Twilight Bark" sequence forOne Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), serving as a sequence director alongside Geronimi andHamilton Luske.[31] That same year, he solely directed aGoofy cartoon short,Aquamania (1961).
The Sword in the Stone had been a film project Walt Disney first acquired in 1939, following the success ofSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It had been long delayed in development for over two decades. With a new policy in place, it was decided that one feature-length animated film would be released within three or four years with an occasional special project.[32] An attempt to adapt the medieval fableChanticleer and the Fox had been rejected in favor ofThe Sword in the Stone.[33] Contemporary studio publicity materials reported that Reitherman was the first sole director over a Disney animated feature,[34] which was in direct contrast to having multiple directors over an animated feature. However, further research has disproven this, asDavid Hand had been a supervising director.[35][36]
AnimatorWard Kimball claimed Reitherman was selected due to his work compatibility and willingness to accept any project "with a smile".[34] Animator Bob Carlson quoted Disney as stating, "Whenever I want to know what the public thinks about a film I'm making, I ask Woolie, because in a way he's the All-American boy."[37] The animation staff was further streamlined with one director (Reitherman), one art director (Ken Anderson), one story director (Bill Peet), and four supervising animators (Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, John Lounsbery, Frank Thomas).[38]
As director, Reitherman was heavily involved in casting and directing the voice talent.[39] In 1963, he stated, "After the story man or artist has made the original concept of a character, the voice comes next. It is of upmost importance, because the animator has to be stimulated by the voice; he has little else to work with."[40] During the film's production,Rickie Sorensen, who had been cast as Arthur, enteredpuberty, which forced Reitherman to cast two of his sons, Richard and Robert, to record the remaining dialogue.[40]
Released in December 1963,The Sword in the Stone earned an estimated $4.75 million in box office rentals in the United States and Canada.[41]
Walt Disney first considered making an animated version ofRudyard Kipling's 1894 collection of storiesThe Jungle Book during the late 1930s.[42]Bob Thomas's 1958 bookThe Art of Animation revealed Disney's public intentions to adaptThe Jungle Book into an animated feature film.[43] In 1962, Disney acquired the film rights to the original short stories, but decided to concentrate on the stories involvingMowgli.[44] Disney once again assigned Bill Peet to handle the storyboards, while Reitherman directed.[45] By the end of 1963, Disney was dissatisfied with Peet's story outline and overall vision, citing a lack of warmth in the characters. One of the crucial disagreements was the casting ofPhil Harris as the characterBaloo. On January 29, 1964—his 49th birthday—Peet had his final meeting with Disney, in which they clashed. He left the studio shortly after deciding to become a children's author.[45]
"Walt had developed this style of personality animation and that's what he always worked to exploit to the fullest. If something had to give between story and character, it has to be story."
Meanwhile, Disney selected Reitherman to direct the short filmWinnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) with the prospect he would Americanize the characters and include more humor. According to film historian Christopher Finch, Reitherman was less than thrilled to direct the project.[46] Nevertheless, he cast his son,Bruce, who was also voicing Mowgli, to voiceChristopher Robin and added an original character named Gopher.[47] Released in 1966,Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree was released as a supplemental feature withThe Ugly Dachshund. It was well received by audiences, and Disney approved production of a follow-up sequel.[48]
While directingThe Jungle Book (1967), Reitherman followed the procedure to keep production costs low, in which he recalled Disney advising him to "keep the costs down because [feature cartoons are] going to price themselves out of business."[49] On December 15, 1966, Disney died from lung cancer, at the age of 65.[50] Less than two weeks later, Reitherman, art director Ken Anderson, story artistsDon DaGradi andVance Gerry, and studio executivesBill Anderson,Winston Hibler, andBill Walsh held a meeting to discuss work on the next animated featureThe Aristocats (1970). By April 1967, they had arrived at a simplified plot outline by paring down the number of characters.[51]
In October 1967,The Jungle Book was released to critical acclaim for its musical sequences and voice performances despite a meandering storyline.[52][53] Within three years, by 1970, the film had earned $23.8 million in worldwide box office rentals, becoming the most successful animated film released during its initial run.[54]
BeforeThe Aristocats entered production, aWinnie the Pooh follow-up short, now subtitledBlustery Day, was decided to become the first post-Walt Disney animation project. Under the new circumstances, the "Nine Old Men" animators Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, and Milt Kahl joined the project. Reitherman remained as director, but his attitude to the series had changed, by which he decided to be more faithful to the source material.[48] He encouraged the animators to find more inspiration from the original stories. Johnston observed, "Woolie was sometimes reluctant to accept fresh ideas. You'd have to work hard to persuade him to try something new, but once you'd demonstrated that your idea made sense he'd back up one hundred percent."[48]
Released in December 1968,Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day was attached to the live-action filmThe Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit, and considered as the superiorWinnie the Pooh short by both American and British film critics. At the41st Academy Awards,Blustery Day was the recipient for Best Animated Short Film.[55] Reitherman accepted the award on behalf of Walt Disney.
"This was survival as far as I was concerned and most of the animators were concerned. It was survival to keep this thing going, this thing called Disney animation."
Following Disney's death, there was discussion amongst studio executives to close the animation department.[57] Reitherman credited film producer Bill Anderson for understanding "the value of animation" and allowing him and the animators to have free rein overThe Aristocats.[7] Production on the film continued with Ken Anderson reflecting: "we would find ourselves asking, 'How would Walt react to this?' or 'What would Walt do?'"[58]
In an interview with theEl Paso Times, Reitherman explained, "Walt wasn't there to make the final decisions. You didn't know whether you were right or not in your creative judgment. Walt left no doubt. He always let you know. Consequently, there were more story problems on this show than any other."[58]
According to animation historian Jim Hill, Reitherman was not sympathetic to Walt Disney's earlier heartfelt approach to the story, in which Duchess would find suitable human owners befitting for her kittens' talent. Instead, he had the story retooled into an adventure comedy akin toOne Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). To save on production costs, and to deliver the film on time, Reitherman made considerable story changes that alienated some of the production staff, most notably theSherman Brothers.[59] Thomas O'Malley's character design was altered from being an orange-colored stripedcalico cat into a brown-and-white alley cat. Elvira, a maid character, was removed from the story placing Edgar as the central villain in order to better simplify the storyline.[59]
WithThe Aristocats, Reitherman relied heavily on the remaining four of the "Nine Old Men" animators to visualize each scene, as he struggled with the responsibility and had disliked reviewing storyboard reels.[60] In 1987, Frank Thomas explained: "Woolie never liked story reels because he said they gave you the wrong idea. You can have one concept in your mind and the story reel will seem to support that, and yet the guy who made the story reel has an entirely different concept."[61] Also, there was a noticeable softening of Disney villains, with the result that nearly all of them over the next two decades were more comical or pitiful than scary. According toAndreas Deja, Reitherman stated that "if we lose the kids, we lose everything".[62]
Released in December 1970,The Aristocats was a box office success, earning over $10 million in box office rentals from the United States and Canada, and $16 million from international markets, against a production budget of $4 million.[63]
In October 1968, Ken Anderson accompanied then-Disney presidentCard Walker on a fishing trip who suggested a classic tale should be the subject for the next animated film. Anderson proposed theRobin Hood legend, to which Walker responded positively.[51] Anderson relayed the idea during anAristocats story meeting, and was quickly assigned to create character designs.[51] Anderson had an entirely different vision forRobin Hood (1973), loosely adapting the film to be set in the AmericanDeep South. He had also wanted to include Robin Hood's outlaw group theMerry Men. Reitherman disagreed, and had the film set in its traditional English setting. He further pared down the number of outlaws to just Robin Hood andLittle John, envisioning the film as a "buddy picture" similar toButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969),[64] which had been released during the film's production.
"I detest the use of—it just breaks my heart to see animation fromSnow White used inThe Rescuers. It kills me, and it just embarrasses me to tears."
During his directorial tenure, Reitherman allowed for"recycled" orlimited animation from prior animated films to be used. These drawings were stored in a makeshift archive known as the "Morgue", which was located near the basement of the Ink and Paint department.[66] It has been presumed this practice was done to save on time and production costs, though it was in fact more labor-intensive.Floyd Norman, an animator who had worked under Reitherman, explained that it was actually easier and less time-consuming for character animators to create original drawings.[67][68]
Nevertheless, Reitherman's use of recycling animation proved to be controversial within the studio. In a 1976 interview, animatorMilt Kahl recalled during a publicity tour forRobin Hood, a publicist for Paramount Pictures approached him, as he had recognized repurposed animation fromSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs used inRobin Hood. Kahl later bemoaned: "This is our Woolie, and it drives me crazy."[65] Despite the similarities in technique, this animation process is not the same asrotoscoping.
Released in November 1973,Robin Hood was a box office success, earning $9.6 million in rentals in the United States and Canada.[69]
In 1973, Reitherman told John Culhane, a journalist, that he had been open to recruiting younger animation artists: "We wanted to get talented guys in here and give them a well-rounded experience. Let them spend time with us. Then, if they can learn to get good personalities on their characters, find good voices, develop a storyline you can follow and situations that are sparkling—that's all we can hand off to them."[57] By 1970,Eric Larson, one of the "Nine Old Men" animators, was selected to head the animation training program. Across the United States, he toured various art schools and colleges, scouting for art students to become animators. Eventually, more than 60 artists were brought into the training program.[70]
As a project for the new animators,[71] the 1974 shortWinnie the Pooh and Tigger Too went into production, with Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl and John Lounsbery returning to animate. They were joined by younger animators, includingDon Bluth andAndy Gaskill. This time, Lounsbery was the director for the film.[72] According toRon Clements,Ron Miller, Walt Disney's son-in-law and senior vice president, had concerns about Reitherman assuming too much creative autonomy. He stated, "John Lounsbery was sort of imposed just to break up Woolie's control of everything."[73] According toMel Shaw, Miller had intended to have Lounsbery succeed Reitherman as director when he retired.[74]Tigger Too was nominated for another Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, but lost toClosed Mondays.[75]
The Rescuers tells of two mice Bernard and Bianca, of the Rescuers Aid Society, who are enlisted to rescue Penny, a young girl, from captivity in the southern bayous by Madame Medusa, who desires a prized diamond enclosed inside a cave.[76] Reitherman co-directed the film, alongside Lounsbery. However, on February 13, 1976, Lounsbery died of a heart attack during production, at the age of 64.Art Stevens, an animator, was then selected as the new co-director.[77]
Frustrated by Reitherman's leadership and creative decisions, Milt Kahl finished his animation scenes for the film and retired on April 3, 1976.[78] Released in June 1977,The Rescuers was heralded as a creative comeback and valediction for the senior Disney animators.[76] It had earned $15 million in distributor rentals from the United States and Canada at the box office.[79]
FollowingThe Rescuers, Reitherman was initially slated to directThe Fox and the Hound (1981).[71] A loose adaptation ofthe 1967 novel byDaniel P. Mannix, the film tells of the friendship between Tod, a red fox, and Copper, a bloodhound dog, who become natural enemies as they mature as adults. Reitherman had read the original novel and placed the adaptation into active production, as one of his sons had once owned a pet fox years prior.[80] Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, the last two remaining "Nine Old Men" animators, did animation on the film before retiring to publish their 1981 joint bookDisney Animation: The Illusion of Life.[73] During production, Reitherman was assisted by Art Stevens, the film's co-director. However, Reitherman largely shut out Stevens from the creative responsibilities.[81]
The animators were divided into two factions, some of whom supported Reitherman while another supported Stevens.[81] Looking to retool the film's second half, Reitherman decided to add a goofy musical sequence of two swooping cranes, with the voices ofPhil Harris andCharo, who would cheer up Tod after he was dropped off at the game reserve. Stevens complained about the sequence feeling out of place, and it was eventually removed. Stevens further complained to Ron Miller, which resulted in Miller telling Reitherman: "You're over 70 years old, back off and leave it to the young guys."[82] Reitherman decided to step down as director and remain on as co-producer.Ted Berman andRichard Rich joinedThe Fox and the Hound as the new co-directors.[81]
Shortly after, Reitherman began developing a film adaptation ofCatfish Bend, based on the book series byBen Lucien Burman.[82] In 1980, theLos Angeles Times reported that Reitherman and artistMel Shaw were developingMusicana, a follow-up anthology project toFantasia (1940).[83] That same year, Reitherman developed an adaptation of the children's novelThe Little Broomstick byMary Stewart, but it was perceived as being too similar toBedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). Further development was discontinued due toThe Black Cauldron (1985) advancing into production.[84]
In 1981, afterThe Fox and the Hound had been released, Reitherman told theLos Angeles Times he had retired from Disney: "They asked me not to say I quit. It made it sound like I was mad. The studio has been good to me. And I'm awfully happy to have been part of it."[7] In 1983, he was awarded theWinsor McCay Award.[81]
In 1946, while Reitherman was piloting for theFar East Air Transport, he met Janie Marie McMillan, who was serving as the chief air stewardess.[4] After World War II had ended, Reitherman received a honorable discharge in February 1946. Three months after meeting her, Reitherman married McMillan on November 26, 1946 inManila.[85]
All three of Reitherman's sons—Bruce, Richard and Robert—provided voices for Disney characters, including Mowgli inThe Jungle Book,Christopher Robin inWinnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, andWart inThe Sword in the Stone. In 1971, Janie started her own travel agency in Burbank, which ran for more than two decades and specialized in trips to Asia. With an office staff of five, Reitherman occasionally assisted in the agency.[63]
On May 22, 1985, Reitherman and his wife were planning a three-week vacation toMaui. Two blocks away from hisBurbank, California residence, Reitherman apparently suffered cardiac arrest while driving from a bank, and his vehicle veered to the right and struck a tree. He was rushed to the nearbySt. Joseph Medical Center and pronounced dead from injuries related to the single-car accident, at the age of 75.[86][87] He was posthumously named aDisney Legend in 1989.[88]
| Year | Title | Credits | Characters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Animator | Credited as Woolie Reitherman | |
| 1940 | Pinocchio | Animation Director | Credited as Woolie Reitherman | |
| Fantasia | Animation Supervisor - Segment "Rite of Spring" | |||
| 1941 | The Reluctant Dragon | Animator | ||
| Dumbo | Animation Director | Credited as Woolie Reitherman | ||
| 1942 | Saludos Amigos | Animator | Credited as Wooly Reitherman | |
| 1947 | Fun and Fancy Free | Directing Animator | ||
| 1949 | The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad | |||
| Goofy Gymnastics (Short) | Animator | |||
| Tennis Racquet (Short) | ||||
| 1950 | Cinderella | Directing Animator | ||
| 1951 | Alice in Wonderland | |||
| 1953 | Peter Pan | |||
| Ben and Me (Short) | Animator | |||
| 1955 | Lady and the Tramp | Directing Animator | ||
| 1957 | The Truth About Mother Goose (Documentary short) | Director | ||
| 1959 | Sleeping Beauty | Sequence Director | ||
| Donald in Mathmagic Land (Short) | ||||
| 1960 | Goliath II (Short) | Director | ||
| 1961 | One Hundred and One Dalmatians | |||
| Aquamania (Short) | ||||
| 1963 | The Sword in the Stone | |||
| 1966 | Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (Short) | |||
| 1967 | The Jungle Book | |||
| 1968 | Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (Short) | |||
| 1970 | The Aristocats | Director and Producer | ||
| 1973 | Robin Hood | |||
| 1974 | Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (Short) | Producer | ||
| 1977 | The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | Director and Producer | ||
| The Rescuers | ||||
| 1981 | The Fox and the Hound | Co-Producer | Final Screen Credit |
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: location (link)