#winston hibler

[adamwatchesmovies]

Cinderella (1950)

Sumptuously animated, with iconic images and memorable songs, Cinderella exemplifies the golden age of Disney Animation. Adults will be filled with warm nostalgia while watching - even if they didn’t grow up with the film. Kids will be delighted. Smart choices throughout make it an old-fashioned picture with lasting appeal

Orphaned and now living with her cruel stepmother (voiced by Eleanor Audley) and two wicked stepsisters (voiced by Helene Stanley and Rhoda Williams), Cinderella (voiced by Ilene Woods) is now a servant in her own home. Though forced to perform endless chores and suffer unjust punishments, Cinderella never loses hope that someday her dreams will come true. When the King (voiced by Luis van Rooten) organizes a royal ball to find a suitable wife for his son, Lady Tremaine becomes determined to prevent Cinderella from attending.

Cinderella is very much a classic fairy tale. The story is timeless and easy to latch onto. It’s also very much a product of its time. The protagonist is not an active participant in their own story. Today, a strong female character might use her wits to get herself out of a jam or just punch the bad guy in the face. It’s no spoiler to tell you that Cinderella’s salvation is kind of just served to her on a platter through the magic of her fairy godmother (voiced by Verna Felton)… but that's oversimplifying it. The story’s message is that even if others treat you like dirt, you shouldn’t hold a grudge and remain kind. The moral is taken to an extreme but it’s a good lesson to teach - far more applicable to real life than you'd think.

This is a rather straightforward retelling of the fairytale by Charles Perrault but key additions and choices make it stand out. First, the animated medium. Every frame of Cinderella is so crisp it looks like it was made yesterday. The colours are wonderful. The characters are delightfully expressive. The movements are smooth, everyone is always on-model and it’s a delight to simply watch the story play out. The chateau is filled with all sorts of details that make it feel like it used to be majestic but is slowly rotting away, like the huge mouse population that moves through its corridors through endless - and varied - secret passages. You can tell the artists had a blast coming up with new ways for Jaq, Gus (voice by Jimmy MacDonald) and the other mice to make their way from one room to another.

Another memorable aspect of Cinderella is the musical numbers. Ask anyone. They’ll tell you Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo is the best piece but over the years So This is Love has grown on me as much as A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes. Special attention should also be given to Oh Sing Sweet Nightengale, in which Cinderella sings harmony with herself in a clever manner that also utilizes the animated medium to its full potential.

Cinderella is a lovely person. She’s meek but kind and patient, with neverending empathy for those around her. Seeing her constantly beaten down breaks your heart. While she could be described as a bit bland as far as heroines go, the same can’t be said about the film's chief villain, Lady Tremaine. Modeled after and voiced by the same woman who would later bring Maleficent to life, she steals every scene she’s in. You hate her but wouldn't dare look away for a moment.

There is one scene, in particular, that stood out to me during this viewing. It’s not a big memorable moment but it exemplifies the care that was put into the film. In it, Cinderella walks up a flight of stairs with a tea set on a tray. She's being followed by Lady Tremaine’s cat, Lucifer, who knows a mouse is hiding beneath one of the cups. The cat is about to get his prey when Cinderella’s shoe suddenly slips off. She turns around to put it back on, spinning the tray and making Lucifer grab the wrong cup in the process. His bewilderment makes us laugh and the scene also foreshadows the famous slipper that will be left behind later in the film.

Cinderella is what you picture when you hear the words “Classic Disney”. it’s gorgeous, contains plenty of laughs, and offers just enough heartbreaks to keep you in suspense until the happy ending you've been promised. The songs are memorable, as are the characters - even if sometimes they’re little more than archetypes. Not every movie should be like Cinderella but if you want to tell an old fairytale, do it like this. (On Blu-ray, March 12, 2021

[celluloidchronicles]

Peter Pan

🇺🇸 | Feb 5, 1953

directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Huske

lyrics by Sammy Cahn

theatre play by J.M. Barrie

story by William Cottrell, Ted Sears, Ralph Wright, Winston Hibler, Erdman Penner, Milt Banta, Joe Rinaldi

produced by Walt Disney Production

starring Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried, Bill Thompson, Heather Angel

1h17 | Adventure, Animation, Fantasy, Family, Musical

🗹 watched

Browse through collections

American Movies | director Clyde Geronimi | director Wilfred Jackson  | director Hamilton Luske | writer Sammy Cahn | writer J.M. Barrie | writer William Cottrell | writer Ted Sears | writer Ralph Wright | writer Winston Hibler | writer Erdman Penner | writer Milt Banta | writer Joe Rinaldi  | studio Walt Disney Production | actor Bobby Driscoll | actress Kathryn Beaumont | actor Hans Conried | actor Bill Thompson | actress Heather Angel | Peter Pan Collection

Browse through genres

Adventure | Animation | Fantasy | Family | Musical

Links

trakt.tv | letterboxd

[becomingbuffypodcast]

S5. Ep11. Triangle

Marking the halfway point of the season, ‘Triangle’ is directed by Christopher Hilber, who would later go on to direct ‘Bolt’ and ‘Princess and the Frog.’ Most notably, he is the son of Disney legend, Winston Hibler, who wrote many classic Disney films such as, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘Cinderella’, and more.

‘Triangle’ had a tough job, in that it was tasked with dealing with the aftermath of Riley’s cheating and departure, but also with lightening the mood after so many intense episodes. The episode’s tone and content would have been much more effective earlier in the season, yet it still works in giving the show a chance to breathe for a moment.

As wonderful as it is to finally have an episode devoted to Anya and Willow, two characters that have been seriously back-seated this season, ‘Triangle’s’ decision to have the girls’ conflict be over XANDER is majorly tone-deaf, and we’re pretty sure this episode doesn’t even pass the Bechdel test. Not only are we reminded of the Wander affair in season 3 (gee, thanks for that Jane), but somehow, once again, Xander garners more sympathy and attention than Buffy—the girl that was cheated on, gaslit, blamed, and then dumped last episode.

By having Anya place the blame for the affair on Willow's shoulders, the show continues to avoid holding Xander accountable, and weirdly centers him in an episode that should be focused on the women's stories.

[ardor-mohr]

“The eternal desert, incredibly ugly yet fantastically beautiful, seemingly without purpose, without meaning, without life.”

The Living Desert (dir. James Algar, 1953)

[cinematicwonder]

Peter Pan (1953)

“Wendy and her brothers are whisked away to the magical world of Neverland with the hero of their stories, Peter Pan.”

Bobby Discroll x Kathryn Beaumont 

Directed by George Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske and Jack Kinney

Story by Ted Sears, Erdman Penner, Bill Peet, Winston Hibler, Joe Rinaldi, Milt Banta, Ralph Wright and William Cottrell

Play by J.M. Barrie

[animationsource]

Alice in Wonderland (1951) directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, screenplay by Winston Hibler, Ted Sears, Bill Peet, et al.

[dfilms]

Never A Dull Moment, 1968

The names on the truck in the background are a reference to assistant directors Tom Leetch, John Chulay and producer Winston Hibler.

[aintitfunkynow]

2021 Documentaries #205 - Jungle Cat (1960) (4/9/21) this story of the life of a female jaguar is one of my favorites. The South American Jungle cats are fascinating and cute. Beautiful scenery that likely doesn't exist today. Topped off with the dulcet voice of narrator Winston Hibler. https://www.instagram.com/p/CNdyGl1swm-cNAMKRY1J-ZSyuYkbduGzvUdlXU0/?igshid=64ygzfzsne7k

[marciabrady]

That audition was just one of the joys of my life because there was just one little upright piano in this big, big sound-stage and this wonderful man, George Bruns, who ended up doing the music. He taught me little birds calls in the woods and the songs. I was just loving every minute of it. And then, three people came walking out of the sound booth and I knew something was not on track. It was Marc Davis and Winston Hibler, and one other gentleman- I’m not sure who that was. Marc Davis told me: “Now, don’t panic! We were just a little bit concerned about your accent.” And I said: “What accent?” because it was extremely southern! They said: “What we thought was that if Vivien Leigh, a beautiful English lady, could do a southern belle, then surely a southern girl can do an English princess!” And I said: “How do you mean?” So, Marc Davis, who was dramatic and very humorous said in a very English voice: “Do you think you could talk like this?” and I said: “Of course, I can talk like that.” And he said: “How do you do that?”; I said: “Because my dad and I used to do that when I was a little child, when you would imitate everybody.” He said: “Could you sustain it?” “Oh yes, I could.” “Could you read lines like that?” “Yes, if you tell me what I’m supposed to say, I’d do that.” So, they put the dialog before me, and worked with me for about a half an hour and then, we put it on the recording. Because Walt Disney wanted the same person to do everything, the singing and the dialog.

[howardhawkshollywoodannex]

Charlie the Lonesome Cougar (1967) is the second Walt Disney live action feature among the honorable mentions to my best 1,001 movies.  Both were produced by Winston Hibler, producer of Disney’s True Life Adventures series.

[filmandtvhistory]

February 5, 1953 - Peter Pan is released in the US.

The animated film is based on J.M. Barrie’s 1904 play Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up [AKA Peter and Wendy]. It was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske. The story was done by Ted Sears, Erdman Penner, Bill Peet, Winston Hibler, Joe Rinaldi, Milt Banta, Ralph Wright and Bill Cottrell.

Fun fact: This is the last Disney film that was released by RKO Radio Pictures as Walt Disney would go on to create his own distribution company, Buena Vista Distribution.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Some of the Disney Cannon’s most luscious backgrounds and boldest art direction is found in Sleeping Beauty. Many of its iconic elements give it lasting power - including a wise choice regarding the titular character...

While the kingdom celebrates their newborn Princess Aurora, the wicked Mistress of All Evil, Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) appears and puts a curse on her: before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, and die. To avoid this prophecy, fairies Flora (Verna Felton), Fauna (Barbara Jo Allen), and Merryweather (Barbara Luddy) take Aurora (Mary Costa) away to the woods and raise her as their own.

Taking cues from the original Tchaikovsky ballet, the Brothers Grimm fairytale and the Charles Perrault version as well, Sleeping Beauty resembles Disney’s own Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A beautiful, kind-hearted princess who befriends animals, life in the forest with a cast of non-human comedic characters, a curse broken by a handsome Prince are the most obvious parallels. The 1937 film will always have the honor of being "the first" but Sleeping Beauty is the better film. There are fewer characters, meaning Aurora’s parents and her betrothed are given more time to shine. The romance between Aurora and Prince Philip is more prominent. Finally, the overall focus is not on the titular Princess - who would've been a passive protagonist when not straight-up asleep. The leads are the fairies, who are hilarious. Their bickering, unease with the mortal world and group dynamic makes them stand out.

Filmed in widescreen, the picture’s most striking feature is its art direction. The forest's trees are ornately rendered and have strong verticals and horizontals - very few curved branches. Cliffsides, roads, and buildings add diagonal lines. The crowds feel like they’ve been summoned right out of medieval paintings. The characters' designs lean towards the angular and feature large areas of flat color (usually in the form of capes or cloaks) with monochromatic or two-color palettes. Immaculately rendered, they pop out of the backgrounds that could’ve swallowed them up.

Sleeping Beauty is probably best known for its villain, Maleficent (given her own film series starting in 2014). Appearing in a burst of green flames, accompanied by a raven familiar, draped in a feather-like cloak and horned headdress, she revels in her misdeeds and your eyes are glued. The “clang clang” of snapping jaws during her battle with Prince Phillip is unforgettable. As is the main theme of Once Upon a Dream, which allows singer Mary Costa to show off the power of her voice. Aurora is not the main character but her vocals are so powerful you’ll forget she isn’t.

Sleeping Beauty is a fairytale in the best way. Good triumphs over evil, love conquers all, magic allows dreams to come true. There’s no deep meaning behind the characters or the plot. It’s simply a straightforward retelling of a classic story done better than ever before, or since. (On Blu-ray, October 19, 2019)

[celluloidchronicles]

Alice in Wonderland

🇺🇸 | July 28, 1951

directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske

story John Walbridge, Aldous Huxley, William Cotrell, Dick Huemer, Tom Oreb, Erdman Penner, Winston Hibler, Bill Peet, Joe Rinaldi, Joe Grant, Milt Banta, Dick Kelsey, Del Connell

novel by Lewis Carroll

lyrics by Mack David, Jerry Livingston, Al Hoffman, Don Raye, Gene de Paul, Bob Hillard, Oliver Wallace, Ted Sears

produced by Walt Disney Productions

starring Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn, Sterling Holloway, Jerry Colonna

1h15 | Animation, Family, Fantasy, Adventure

𐄂 not watched

Browse through collections

American Movies | director Clyde Geronimi | director Wilfred Jackson | director Hamilton Luske | writer Joe Walbridge | writer Aldous Huxley | writer William Cotrell | writer Dick Huemer | writer Tom Oreb | writer Erdman Penner | writer Winston Hibler | writer Bill Peet | writer Joe Rinaldi | writer Joe Grant | writer Milt Banta | writer Dick Kelsey | writer Del Connell | writer Lewis Carroll | writer Mack David | studio Walt Disney Production | actress Kathryn Beaumont | actor Ed Wynn | actor Richard Haydn | actor Sterling Holloway | actor Jerry Colonna | Books Based Movies

Browse through genres

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Adventure 

Links

trakt.tv | letterboxd

[walt-at-disneyland]

Famed Disney narrator Winston Hibler, seen here with Walt, was born Oct 8, 1910. Best known as the narrator of Walt Disney’s True-Life Adventures films, "Hib" also contributed to Disney’s legacy as a producer, writer, director, lyricist, and actor. Winston Hibler passed away in 1976. #walt #waltdisney #disney #waltwednesday #winstonhibler #truelifeadventures https://www.instagram.com/p/B3YsxQhpnPI/?igshid=bvn92mkkiiuu

[a-year-of-musicals]

Day 165/365 - Peter Pan

By JM Barrie, Sammy Fain, Frank Churchill, Oliver Wallace, Sammy Cahn, Edward H Plumb, Ed Penner, Winston Hibler and Ted Sears

In London, circa 1900, George and Mary Darling's preparations to attend a party are disrupted by the antics of their boys, John and Michael, acting out a story about Peter Pan and the pirates, told to them by their older sister, Wendy. George, who is fed up with the stories that have made his children less practical, angrily declares that Wendy has gotten too old to continue staying in the nursery with them. That night, they are visited in the nursery by Peter Pan himself, who teaches them to fly with the help of his pixie friend, Tinker Bell, and takes them with him to the island of Never Land.

A ship of pirates is anchored off Never Land, commanded by Captain Hook with his sidekick, Mr. Smee. Hook boldly plots to take revenge upon Peter Pan for cutting off his hand, but trembles at the presence of a crocodile, which consumed Hook's hand and is eager to taste the rest of him. The crew's restlessness is interrupted by the arrival of Peter and the Darlings. Tinker Bell, who is very jealous of Pan's attention to Wendy, persuades the Lost Boys that Pan has ordered them to shoot down Wendy, which Tink refers to as a "Wendy bird". Tinker Bell's treachery is soon found out, and Peter banishes her. John and Michael set off with the Lost Boys to find the island's Indians, who instead capture them, believing them to be the ones responsible for taking the chief's daughter, Tiger Lily.

Meanwhile, Peter takes Wendy to see the mermaids. The mischievous mermaids delight in tormenting Wendy, but flee in terror at the sight of Hook. Peter and Wendy see that Hook and Smee have captured Tiger Lily so that they might persuade her to disclose Peter's hideout. Peter and Wendy free her, and Peter is honored by the tribe. Hook then plots to take advantage of Tinker Bell's jealousy of Wendy, tricking her into revealing the location of Peter's lair. Wendy and her brothers eventually grow homesick and plan to return home. They invite Peter and the Lost Boys to return to London and be adopted by the Darling parents. The Lost Boys agree, but Peter is so set against growing up that he refuses, presumptuously thinking that they will all return shortly. The pirates lie in wait and capture the Lost Boys and the Darlings as they exit, leaving behind a time bomb to kill Peter. Tinker Bell learns of the plot just in time to snatch the bomb from Peter as it explodes.

Peter rescues Tinker Bell from the rubble and together they confront the pirates, releasing the children before they can walk the plank. Peter engages Hook in single combat as the children fight off the crew, and succeeds in humiliating the captain. Hook and his crew flee, with the crocodile in hot pursuit. Peter gallantly commandeers the deserted ship, and assisted by Tinker Bell's pixie dust, flies it to London with the children aboard. However, the Lost Boys decide to return to Never Land rather than be adopted in London. George and Mary Darling return home from the party to find Wendy not in her bed, but sleeping at the open window. Wendy awakens and excitedly tells about their adventures. The parents look out the window and see what appears to be a pirate ship in the clouds. George, who has softened his position about Wendy staying in the nursery, recognizes the ship from his own childhood.

Favourite Songs: The Second Star To The Right, You Can Fly, Following The Leader, The Elegant Captain Hook and - my fave - Never Smile At A Crocodile

Favourite Character: Tinkerbell

Although she doesn’t talk, she can be feisty! She loves Peter and is just trying to look out for him, but unfortunately she gets mega-jealous of Wendy. But she always acts in his best interests, even in a sassy manner!

[friday-iam-in-love]

and if it’s neverland you need, its light will lead you there 

Peter Pan (1953) music by Oliver Wallace, Sammy Fain, Frank Churchill, Sammy Cahn, Edward H. Plumb, Ed Penner, Winston Hibler and Ted Sears