The year was 1975 and production was gearing up for a new animated film based upon a line of children’s books and toys that had been a favorite for generations.  The budget for the film was $4 million.  Considering that around the same time Disney only spent $1.2 million to make The Rescuers, $4 million allowed the producers to assemble a virtual all-star team of animators and filmmakers to work on the project.

The director was Abe Levitow, a man who earned his animation stripes while working under Chuck Jones, drawing iconic characters like Pepe Le Pew and Wile E. Coyote for the Looney Tunes series of shorts during their 1950’s heyday.  He also directed animated versions of Dick Tracy, Mr. Magoo, Tom and Jerry, and even worked on an Oscar-winning animated film, 1971’s A Christmas Carol.

The film’s animation was going to be overseen by the director of the same Oscar-winning A Christmas Carol, Richard Williams, who would later win an Emmy for a Ziggy cartoon special in the early 1980’s, as well as a couple more Oscars as the director of animation for Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.  Sadly, Williams had to take over directorial duties after Levitow died during the film’s production, though with his experience, he was perfectly capable of the helm.

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The year was 1975 and production was gearing up for a new animated film based upon a line of children’s books and toys that had been a favorite for generations.  The budget for the film was $4 million.  Considering that around the same time Disney only spent $1.2 million to make The Rescuers, $4 million allowed the producers to assemble a virtual all-star team of animators and filmmakers to work on the project.

The director was Abe Levitow, a man who earned his animation stripes while working under Chuck Jones, drawing iconic characters like Pepe Le Pew and Wile E. Coyote for the Looney Tunes series of shorts during their 1950’s heyday.  He also directed animated versions of Dick Tracy, Mr. Magoo, Tom and Jerry, and even worked on an Oscar-winning animated film, 1971’s A Christmas Carol.

The film’s animation was going to be overseen by the director of the same Oscar-winning A Christmas Carol, Richard Williams, who would later win an Emmy for a Ziggy cartoon special in the early 1980’s, as well as a couple more Oscars as the director of animation for Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.  Sadly, Williams had to take over directorial duties after Levitow died during the film’s production, though with his experience, he was perfectly capable of the helm.

Read More