Monday, May 25, 2009

From Columbia to United Artists...

Not too long ago, I was lucky enough to be able to acquire this, the invitation to the party at the Disney Studio on Hyperion Ave. on June 25th, 1932 to finally celebrate the start of the distribution agreement with United Artists.

The celebration was just as much about the parting of ways with Columbia, with whom business had gone sour. As Roy Disney stated as early as in April 1930, they were not "overburdened with 'Good Intentions'." Though the deal was signed December 1930, and announced in April 1931, the Disney shorts were still delivered to, and distributed by Columbia until mid 1932, hence the late date of this party.

I especially like the wording, the down-home quality of Mickey's "dialogue" in this invitation. This is how Mickey should talk. If you who read this blog are, or are going to be a writer for Mickey, please realize that Mickey sounds best when he reacts, and remember to use as few words as possible! Now read this invitation, "and make it snappy!"
Yoo Hoo! Come Onn Over!<< Click to enlarge...
Though I only met Wayne Allwine very few times, I am certain he will be greatly missed, and my thoughts go out to Russi.

[Addition: if you do not know your Mickey history and are taken aback by Mickey's accent, hear it straight from Walt’s own mouth in the Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air here. This is how the Mickey in the invitation sounds - not like a slave at all: he is simply a straight-forward fun-loving country boy mouse with a no-nonsense attitude.]

[For those of you studying animation, remember to check out the many Action Analysis Classes, animator drafts and other documents you can find on this blog! Find out how they timed the short films at Disney, and download my free animation timing metronome!]

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7 Comments:

Anonymous Michael Sporn says...

How much I miss the beautifully hand-written type we see on this invitation and in the credits of the films they did. Typesetting has gotten easier and in some small way it hasn't improved.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 5:02:00 AM PDT  
Anonymous George Taylor says...

Hans--talk about arriving at the party fashionably late!!! ;)

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 10:37:00 AM PDT  
Anonymous Joakim Gunnarsson says...

A great find! Thanks for sharing it!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 11:41:00 AM PDT  
Anonymous Hans Perk says...

Mike, I love this hand-lettered type, too, and I have a great respect for those who can still do this. Don't get me started on computer typesetting, though!

One of my very best friends pointed out that nearly everyone is using Copperplate, even for huge signs. We know it well as the font used for the form numbers on Disney documents, and it seems to have been made especially for clear, small writing. Now it is on billboards!

Also it seems that kerning is a lost art. Ok, I'll be quiet...

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 12:29:00 PM PDT  
Anonymous Larry Levine says...

Very cool, wish I had a TARDIS so I could go back in time & attend the party!!!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 1:23:00 PM PDT  
Anonymous George Taylor says...

Larry--

A Disney and Doctor Who reference! We are flying our Geek Flags high today!

I think we would all travel to different time periods in Disney history. Where would I go?

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 3:17:00 PM PDT  
Anonymous thepicklebarrel says...

hiya hans!

nice blog! nice invite! you suppose in some strange reality, this invitation is still good?

great meeting you the other day and i'll keep an eye on the blog.


i'll be a Disney tomorrow so i'll head over to the Justice windows!

jordan

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 at 5:25:00 PM PDT  

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