Product Details

• Actors: Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Sylvia Roemer, John Canemaker, John Culhane
• Directors: Theodore Thomas
• Writers: Theodore Thomas
• Producers: Theodore Thomas, Kuniko Okubo
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Walt Disney Video
• DVD Release Date: November 18, 2003
• Run Time: 89 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000TAYSO
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #38,069 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston are two of the world's most beloved artists. If you don't recognize their names, then you are certainly familiar with some of their masterworks: Pinocchio, Bambi, and The Jungle Book. Notes one animation historian in this captivating documentary, "I've never gone any place on this earth that [people] didn't know or talk about specifically scenes that Frank and Ollie did."

Thomas and Johnston are the most prominent of Disney's vaunted group of key animators known as the "Nine Old Men." They have collaborated on books about Disney animation and in interviews are engaging storytellers. Their delightful and illuminating anecdotes spanning their 43-year tenure at Disney, as well as classic film clips, take viewers behind the scenes to see how some of the studio's most beloved characters (such as Thumper and Mowgli) and most indelible scenes (Lady and the Tramp's back-alley spaghetti dinner, Bambi on the ice) were created.

Though they joke about being known as "the men who killed Bambi's mother," Thomas and Johnston are credited with changing not only the face, but the soul of animation. They pioneered what is called personality animation. According to Thomas, "Ollie had a sign above his desk: 'What is the character thinking and why does he feel that way?'"

But at the heart of Frank & Ollie is the lifelong friendship between these kindred spirits. Not only were they professional colleagues, they became next-door neighbors as well.

If you're an animation buff or a Disney fan, then you will want to spend some quality time with Frank & Ollie. --Donald Liebenson

Product Description
Before computer graphics, special effects wizardry, and out-of-this world technology, the magic of animation flowed from the pencils of two of the greatest animators The Walt Disney Company ever produced -- Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Frank and Ollie, the talent behind BAMBI, PINOCCHIO, LADY AND THE TRAMP, THE JUNGLE BOOK, and others, set the standard for such modern-day hits as THE LION KING. It was their creative genius that helped make Disney synonymous with brilliant animation, magnificent music, and emotional storytelling. Take a journey with these extraordinary artists as they share secrets, insights, and the inspiration behind some of the greatest animated movies the world has ever known!

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful look into the lives of Frank and Ollie, July 20, 2001

By	R. M. Ballier "filmmaker" (Southern California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Frank and Ollie [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a wonderful tale of 2 of Walt Disney's "nine old men". I had no idea that the two of them were as close as they were. Shot in a documentary-style, so the viewer has a sense of being their houseguest. Lifelong friends, who shared the same career, and very similar, and disimilar life experiences. This film is for anyone who truly appreciates classic animation. By the end of the film, I understood their artistic motivations, as well as their struggles and triumphs. I also got some insight into their relationship with Walt(Disney), and how his death affected them. A truly wonderful film. I own a copy, and highly recommend it.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For animation buffs, it doesn't get any better than this!, November 4, 2000

By	Stewart (Raleigh, N.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frank and Ollie [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"Frank and Ollie" is the most fasinating documentary I've ever seen. It takes a look at two of Walt Disney's "Nine Old Men," Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, from their early years at Disney in the 1930s to their everlasting friendship today. I am amazed at how they were able to get the expressions, emotions, and feelings on the characters they animated. They made faces to get the expressions of the characters, acted them out, and asked what the characters were thinking, and why were they feeling that way. This documentary kept a big smile on my face right from the beginning. I love documentaries about movies of all genres, and about the people who make them. This is no exception. It is very informative, affectionate, and heart-warming. This is a real and rare treat for serious animation buffs, or fans of Disney in general.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Original Odd Couple of Animation!, May 1, 1999

By	Steve Panozzo ([e-mail]) (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frank and Ollie [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Without sounding hackneyed, this cute little story about The Odd Couple of feature animation is at once uplifting, charming and heartwarming. As a cartoonist I found myself inspired, informed and - most importantly - appreciative of Frank Thomas' and Ollie Johnson's places in our hearts and memories. Much, much better than a home movie by Frank Thomas' son, Frank & Ollie is guaranteed to leave you reaching for your pencil with a huge smile on your face.