“There was always the search for excellence; even though [Walt] didn’t quite know what it was, he knew whatever they were doing could be done better. And he surrounded himself with the best. […] Animation would never have reached the peak that it did reach if it hadn’t been for Walt Disney.”
– Art Babbitt at the British Film Board, 1985
More of Art Babbitt to Michael Culhane, circa 1980, about Babbitt’s animation of the Mushroom Dance from Fantasia. Quoted by Michael Culhane.
He told me his three stooges story, which my father told in the documentary, it comes with the deluxe video of the Fantasia film, this last year. “You may not have recognized it, Michael,” he said, “but his anticipation for his steps at the beginning of the dance is almost a direct swipe from those three zanies who keep slapping each other around. The Three Stooges always did a funny little action where the knees overlap. When he’d get angry he’d do this furious little step, with his knees crossing, one over the other. And instead of just an ordinary anticipation, I used this, because the music called for a trill. So during that trill, he did this little anticipatory act.’”
When Michael Culhane was ten years old, he interviewed Art Babbitt in his family’s home, about how Art animated Fantasia’s Mushroom Dance, and he little protagonist, Hop Low.
“Where did Hop Low come from?” I asked him.
Mr. Babbitt told me about story directors like Joe Grant and Dick Huemer, and Sam Armstrong, and story sketched by Jules Engel, and color models of the mushroom drawn by Elmer Plummer. He said that they were caricatured personifications of a small group of Chinese, dressed in long robes and wearing Coolie hats, with just a suggestion of pigtail underneath. “Plummer’s drawings were very nice,” he said. “But as you work with them, and endow them with life, and they start to animate, certain changes take place. So the animation changed the design slightly from Plummer’s drawings. And then there were other changes that took place when Bill Hurtz, my assistant, cleaned up the drawings. And then there were enhancing things that were added by the effects department.”
“Turkey, lobster, sweet potato pie/
“Pancakes piled up til they reach the sky/
“Lots of starches, lots of greens, fancy chocolate-covered [beans!]”
“I’m gonna eat an’ eat an’ eat an’ eat an’ eat until I die.”
-Goofy, in Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
Well, Gorsh!
One thing I’m thankful for is the incredible people I’ve met through this blog — not to mention all the amazing comments you have shared. It’s so gratifying to know that others are inspired by this blog, so … thank you! Keep those comments coming!
Here’s wishing you all out there in internet-land a happy and healthy Turkey Day.
Dina Babbitt, Art’s third wife and mother of his children, was an artist and a hero in her own right. A Jewish art student in WWII Europe, she survived Auschwitz – and bargained for her mother’s life – by painting portraits of Romani (aka Gypsy) prisoners for the infamous nazi Dr. Mengele. Decades later, her paintings resurfaced in Poland and she fought until her death in 2009 to regain possession of them.
She greatly deserves more than a few simple single blog posts. Fortunately there’s a multi-award-winning book about Dina printed in Poland by Lidia Ostałowska titled Farby Woodneg or “Watercolors.” It’s an unauthorized account of her story and the story of her paintings (whereas the research for this blog and upcoming book has received the help, blessing and permission of Art Babbitt’s family) . Unfortunately, it’s in Polish. But fortunately again, my Polish friend, J.S., has read it and reviewed it especially for this blog.
It is so unique because while reading it you fully support with your heart and mind the voice of Dina, and then the voice of the Museum, and than, in the same way, the voice of Romani people. This is impossible but you support all these three voices equally strong with your heart fully involved even though this is a paradox and contradiction.
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And then, there is a lot more to say, like there are moments you actually chose who has, so to speak, more rights to have these drawings from Auschwitz and than you are not sure anymore if this was a right way to think.
.And then, I made my choice, which is not to say it means anything in the real world. I think the drawings belong to the Roma people who have hardly anything but these drawing to remember the community who perished..
And then I also think about Dina Babbitt’s way to see things and I think about her as a person. Before reading the book I would find it unexpected and strange to see art in these drawings given the fact who ordered them to be created and why. But then I find it understandable to see the art there, as maybe, this is the way to overcome the context of who ordered the pictures, and I think this is right way to do..So maybe, while reading the book, you let the drawings go from one hand to another and this is the only way it can be. It was quite a while a read the book, but still remember the impression.
Dina Babbitt was many things: Art Babbitt’s third wife (married April 17, 1948), the mother of his children, an artist, a Holocaust survivor, a hero, an activist.
A Jewish art student in WWII Czechoslovakia, she survived Auschwitz – and bargained for her mother’s life – by painting portraits of Romani (aka Gypsy) prisoners for the infamous nazi Dr. Mengele. Decades later, her paintings were discovered in Poland and she fought until her death in 2009 to regain possession of them.
Fellow artists at Marvel Comics illustrated her story in X-Men: Magneto Testament #5 (2008). It’s reprinted below completely without permission. But of all the articles and interviews that were written about her in the years before she died, I think this comic does the best and most appropriate job of communicating her story. Note the way in which Disney’s Snow White saved her life.
A Schultz drawing for one of Babbitt’s daughters
Ever since it was announced last month that Blue Sky Studios (of Ice Age fame) is bringing Charles Schulz’s Peanuts franchise to the screen, there has been a lot of brouhaha about it.
Art Babbitt met Charles Schulz in the early 1970s through their common friend Bill Melendez. Melendez was a Disney animator who became friends with Babbitt through the Disney Strike, and went on to direct all the Peanuts and other TV specials. Charles Schulz (aka “Sparky”)’s friendship with Art and his wife Barbara continued for years, with visits, letters and drawings.
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So does Blue Sky have a good thing going? Is there a taste in today’s world for the Peanuts gang? Stephen Lynch thinks so. WARNING: Not Safe For Work!
Master Technical Sergeant Babbitt at right
Wishing you a meaningful Veteran’s Day from BabbittBlog.
Here is Art Babbitt, WWII veteran and marine, in full stripes and uniform, probably in 1945.
Can anyone identify the friend or location?
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Goofy military logo
The Race is Over!
President Barrack Obama has beaten Mitt Romney and won his second term!
— even before the votes of Florida have been completely counted, though the state has been leaning toward Obama. Good thing, too, because otherwise it would have been extremely embarrassing to return to Walt Disney World.
Phew! Now that that’s over with, back to Art Babbitt.
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