Frank and Ollie

I knew who Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston were for as long as I started watching special features on Disney DVD's. Funny enough though, I didn't know about or see this documentary until 20 years after its creation. These two members of Disney's Nine Old Men are the most important members in my opinion and after you see this film, you might agree with me. There is a sentimental feeling to this movie as well as a hammy sense of humor, which is derived from their two personalities. Much of what this movie has to share are facts that I already know but others would be amazed and entertained by learning about these two creative men by means of "Frank and Ollie".

I have watched John Canemaker and John Culhane talk about Disney history before but they are much younger in this film than I am used to. In case you are wondering, director Theordore Thomas is Frank's son. The documentary is edited like a silent movie. There are even title cards. Both Frank and Ollie got hooked on animation because of cartoons that showed characters sincerely thinking. They realized the potential in bringing one of their still drawings to life. We don't get to hear much about the time before they met or before they came to work at Disney but I guess that wasn't pivotal to the story being told. The focus of the film appears to be their friendship. I can't say whether I have a favorite scene of theirs in a Disney cartoon because of how much they did. I would have to know all their scenes before I making a judgment call like that. I will say that their work has always entertained from the day my parents bought our first Disney movie on videotape: "Peter Pan". As mentioned, I already knew many of the stories talked about in this film but I did come away with a new perspective on some classic moments. For instance, I never found the scene with the Queen of Hearts funny where she is excited to lose her temper until Frank acts it out for us when we're not expecting it. I was also reminded of some of my favorite Disney moments such as Archimedes laughing. I think one of the most important parts of the documentary is when Frank talks about pathos. This is an important message that all animation studios should take to heart because many animated films today have only one purpose: to make money. The films have a lack of sincere heart and therefore will have a short afterlife. All is not lost however because those still working at Disney and the people at Pixar for example fully understand the importance of drama balancing out comedy. Speaking of that, when I think back to the times that I used to watch the second Disney movie my parents bought on VHS ("The Jungle Book"), I am amazed that I didn't fast forward the dramatic parts in the middle of the movie. As a kid, I subconsciously understood the power or dramatic impact of these animated sequences because of how well Mowgli, Baloo and Bagheera were animated. All the scenes that Frank and Ollie created which are highlighted in this documentary were scenes I at least took notice of, even as a child. These guys mention that they started with nothing but a blank piece of paper but if you ask me, they did have something: the voice of the actor. What made Frank and Ollie such geniuses were coming up with visual performances out of the vocal performances that were recorded for them. They would also get ideas from live action models such as Eleanor Audley of course (she is the voice of Cinderella's stepmother and Maleficent) but an animator still has to transform a vocal performance into something relatable and believable on screen using imagination. Frank and Ollie were some of the best at doing this. Every time you see a clip from one of Walt Disney's five earliest animated feature films, you are surprised to learn or almost always forget that most of these films did not make money. That is how immortal these movies and animated performances have become because they transcend the world events that were occurring during the time of their production and releases. Another realization I came to from watching "Frank and Ollie" is that the success of the Disney studio would have been much accelerated if not for World War II. The output of the studio after "Bambi" would also have been much different. Walt may have been held back in the 40's but the good news is that he was the right man to overcome these trials to prosper in the 50's. It is true that by the 1950's he did not have the level of creativity that he once did. My point is that any other studio executive might have given up or failed but Walt was such a mastermind that he not only survived but thrived, even in the last two decades of his life. The outtakes in the middle of the documentary are in line with the Frank and Ollie's style and help us to see them as real people.

I consider Frank and Ollie's last collaboration to be their "cameo" at the end of "The Incredibles". Frank died in 2004 just before that movie was released and Ollie passed away in 2008. Their teachings continue to be followed both at Pixar and of course at Disney. While I enjoy some other Disney-themed documentaries a little more such as "The Boys", "Waking Sleeping Beauty" and "The Pixar Story", "Frank and Ollie" was still fun to watch. It is pretty inspirational.

4 Stars