Search Results: Animation from Royal Books, Inc.

Various cities: Walt Disney Pictures / HanWay Films, 1967. Album of thirty lobby cards and photographs from thirteen animated films, all SIGNED or INSCRIBED by animation directors to fellow animator Les Gibbard. Lotte Reiniger,Norman McLaren, John Hubley, Arthur Babbitt, Grim Natwick, and four of Disney's famed "nine old men," Frank Thomas, Milt Kahl, Ollie Johnston, and Ward Kimball, all have signatures in the album, with the occasional humorous addition to the image or dated inscription. Signatures date from 1973 and 1974. The album contains images for eight animated classics: "Bambi" (1942), "Pinocchio" (1940), "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937), "Gulliver's Travels" (1939), "The Jungle Book" (1967), "Dumbo" (1941), "It's Tough to Be a Bird" (1969), and "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" (1949). The album also has four still photographs for films by early avant-garde animator Norman McLaren: "Le Merle" (1958), "A Chairy Tale" (1957), "Blinkity Blank" (1955), and an unknown film, as… Read More

Burbank, CA: Walt Disney, 1951. Vintage publicity photograph of producer Walt Disney, writers Erdman Penner and Winston Hibler, and animator Ted Sears examining drawings and animation cels for the 1951 film. From the archive of film historian and author Joel Finler. Based on both "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1865) and "Through the Looking Glass" (1871) by Lewis Carroll. Disney's thirteenth animated film, a box-office disappointment upon release which gained popularity and success in subsequent years, particularly on television throughout the 1960s. Set in Wonderland. 10 x 8 inches. Near Fine.

N.p.: N.p., 1932. Archive of six extraordinary Autograph Letters Signed, including five in French and one in English, by the pioneering film director Georges Méliès, revealing a great deal about his little-discussed but profoundly important origins in the Robert-Houdin Theatre in Paris, as well as his work as a magician and ultimately a film director. Equally interesting in these letters are various revelations regarding his character, a combination of innocence, boundless enthusiasm, a quizzical nature, a photographic memory, and a great love for artists, magicians, and all performers whose work came under the umbrella of "illusion." One image shown. Additional images of the letters in the archive are available on request. Méliès began his career in theater at the Theatre Robert-Houdin, doing extremely creative work in an area that could be described as an intersection of live theater, pantomime, magic, and vaudeville. After seeing an 1895 demonstration by the Lumiere Brothers, he became… Read More

Burbank, CA: Warner Brothers, 1992. Revised Draft script for the 1993 film. Copy belonging to actor Dick Miller, with his manuscript ink annotations underlining lines to several pages, and with a letter to Miller from casting and voice director Andrea Romano regarding the project. From the estate of Dick Miller. Based on the 1992-1995 television show "Batman: The Animated Series." The first original theatrical film produced by Warner Brothers Animation, and the first film in the DC Animated Universe superhero film franchise. Self wrappers. Title page present, dated 11/04/92, noted as Rev. Draft, with credits for screenwriters Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reaves. 138 leaves, with last page of text numbered 119. Xerographic duplication, rectos only. Pages Near Fine, bound with a black clasp to the top edges.

N.p.: PPCM Photo Press Agency, 1996. Collection of five vintage studio still photographs from the French release of the 1996 animated comedy film. Based on the satirical 1990s animated television series created by Mike Judge, about the misadventures of two apathetic teenage slackers. Followed by a 2022 sequel, "Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe." 10 x 8 inches. Near Fine.

N.p.: N.p., 1971. Vintage reference photograph of director Richard Williams in the studio, working on character studies for the 1971 animated short film. From the archive of film historian and author Joel Finler. Based on Charles Dickens' classic 1843 novella. Williams was best known for his work with Disney Studios in the early 1950s, going on to create animated title sequences for several films, including "What's New Pussycat" (1965) and "The Return of the Pink Panther" (1975), and most notably, serving as animation director for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988). 10 x 8 inches. Very Good plus, lightly creased on the bottom edge.

N.p.: N.p., 1950. Collection of eight vintage photographic prints, produced in the 1950s, each with six illustrations from eight different films directed by noted German animator Lotte Reiniger. The films represented include "Sleeping Beauty" (1922), "Cinderella" (1922), "The Magic Horse" (1953), "Thumbelina" (1954), "The Three Wishes" (1954), "Caliph Stork" (1954), "The Gallant Little Tailor" (1954), "The Frog Prince" (1954), and "Hansel and Gretel" (1955). Reiniger was a pioneer of scherenschnitte, the German art of silhouette, heavily inspired by the ancient Chinese art of paper cutting and silhouette puppetry. She worked on over 40 films throughout her career, the most notable, "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" (1926), being the oldest surviving feature-length animated film. Eight photographic prints, each 6.5 x 8.5 inches (16.5 x 21.5 cm). All Near Fine, two with numeric annotations in manuscript ink on the recto and one with a diagonal dampstain affecting the left edge.

N.p.: N.p., 1984. Collection of five sketches and one hand painted cel, executed by noted American animator Walter Lantz. The cel and four of the sketches show Woody Woodpecker, and one sketch shows Buzz Buzzard. Born in New Rochelle in 1899, Walter Lantz began working as an animator for film studios on the east coast at the age of 16. Moving to Hollywood in 1927, Lantz caught his first break as the director for the "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" cartoon for Universal Studios. He created Woody Woodpecker for Universal in 1941, and the character became an overnight success, with his own series the same year. Initially voiced with manic aplomb by prolific voice actor Mel Blanc, the character would be voiced by Grace Stafford, Lantz's wife, starting in 1950, lending a friendlier quality to the character. Lantz received an honorary Academy Award in 1979, becoming the second animator (after Walt Disney) to receive the award. All materials measure 12.5 x 10.5 inches. Very Good plus, with a few small scuffs… Read More

N.p.: American Broadcasting Company [ABC], 1980. Vintage promotional photograph of actor Bob Kaliban from the 1980 television series. With mimeo snipe affixed to the verso promoting the series' regular broadcast on Saturdays at 12:30 PM eastern time. From a number of the same artists who worked on Schoolhouse Rock, this mostly animated series was meant to help kids feel more confident in their ability to draw while also teaching them important life lessons. 9 x 7 inches. Fine.

Port Washington, NY: Koch Vision, 1983. Revised Draft script for the fifth episode of season three of the 1982-1987 television series. Episode originally broadcast on July 16, 1984, on Showtime. Noted as copy No. 77 in manuscript ink on the front wrapper. An award-winning, live-action adaptation of classic fairy tales, featuring some of the best actors of the time period. Actress Shelley Duvall served as executive producer and host for the series, which was one of the first examples of original cable programming, alongside Jim Henson's "Fraggle Rock." White titled wrappers. Title page present, dated April 2, 1983, noted as REVISED DRAFT, with credits for screenwriter Robert C. Jones. 99 leaves, with last page of text numbered 97. Xerographic duplication, rectos only. Pages Near Fine, wrapper Near Fine, bound internally with two gold brads.

Montreal: La Cinematheque canadienne, 1967. First Edition. First Edition. An early animation flipbook by Robert Breer, published on the occasion of the World Retrospective of Animation Cinema in 1967. A highly abstract piece, offset printed in black, white, and yellow, devoted to quickly altering geometric forms. 4 x 2.5 inches, with side-stapled card wrappers. Very Good plus, with light use from previous flipping.

Burbank, CA: Warner Brothers, 1962. Vintage studio still photograph from the 1962 animated film. With a provenance stamp on the verso. A housecat from the French countryside heads to Paris to experience the excitement of the big city, but is soon seduced by a con artist cat who intends to sell her as a mail-order bride for a wealthy American cat. Warner Brothers' first animated feature, and the only animated film to feature Judy Garland. Set in Provence and Paris. 8 x 10 inches. Very Good plus, lightly and evenly faded.

Tokyo: Shinchosha, 1988. Draft script for the 1988 Japanese animated film. Text and titles in Japanese. Based on Akiyuki Nosaka's semi-autobiographical short story, following the final days of two Japanese children during World War II. Nosaka purportedly heartily approved of the choice to adapt his story as an animated film, noting that he believed it would have been impossible to create the bleak backdrop or find child actors able to create a film of the subject in any other way. The second film animated by Studio Ghibli, best known for its animated films directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Set in Kobe. Black titled wrappers. 64 leaves, with last page of text numbered 124. Xerographic duplication, printed on rectos and versos. Pages Near Fine, wrapper Very Good plus, with light foxing to the page edges, bound perfectly. Ebert II.

Tokyo: Shinchosha Company, 1988. Preparation Draft script for the 1988 Japanese animated film. Based on the semi-autobiographical 1967 short story by Akiyuki Nosaka. Text in Japanese. A draft script of the film, in which the ending had not yet been finalized. "Grave of the Fireflies" follows the final days of two Japanese children during World War II, and though it contains few combat scenes remains one of the most riveting war films ever made. Short story author Akiyuki Nosaka heartily approved of the animated film of his work, noting that he believed it was impossible to create the bleak backdrop or find child actors able to create a film of the subject in any other way. The second film animated by Studio Ghibli, best known for its animated films directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and the only Ghibli film under Tokuma Shoten ownership that had no involvement from them. Black perfect-bound wrappers with silver titles. Title page present. 128 leaves, with last page of text numbered 124. Mechanical… Read More

Santa Monica: RKO Radio Pictures, 1954. Collection of six vintage studio still photographs for the 1954 stop motion animated film. Based on, and incorporating music from, the 1983 opera by composer Engelbert Humperdinck, with a libretto by his sister Adelhied Wette, itself based on the German fairy tale first published in 1812 in "Grimm's Fairy Tales." Produced by Michael Myerberg at his New York studio and originally released independently before being picked up by RKO for a Christmas 1954 release nationally, the film would go on to become a staple of holiday viewing. Notable as the first feature length American animated film not made with traditional cel animation techniques, and the first non-Disney feature length animated film released since 1941's "Mr. Bug Goes to Town." 10 x 8 inches. Very Good. Pinholes to the edges, with light edgewear and soil.

Tokyo: Toei Animation, 1968. Vintage post-production script for the animated 1968 Japanese film "Horus: Prince of the Sun," also known under the title "The Little Norse Prince." This listing also includes a pamphlet of character designs for the film. A milestone in the history of Japanese animation, heralded as the first animated feature to successfully disrupt the Walt Disney paradigm, and seen as one of the first to intentionally address an adult audience. Isao Takahata's directorial debut, and the first major film of famed Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, who worked on scene design and key animation for the film. Ostensibly a film about young boy living in ancient Scandinavia who must help instill a community to fight against a great oppressor, it carried a strong pro-union and pro-Socialist subtext, as Takahata and Miyazaki were staunch union organizers. Studio Toei executives, in part in retaliation, released the film into theaters for only ten days, and it would be some years before the… Read More

N.p.: Walt Disney Productions, 1975. Vintage British program for the 1975 re-release of the 1967 film. Based on the 1894 collection of "Mowgli" stories by Rudyard Kipling. One of Disney's classic animated films, and the last film Walt personally oversaw. 8.25 x 11 inches. 6 pages, side stapled. Near Fine with some light rubbing to the wrappers.

Burbank, CA: Buena Vista / Walt Disney Productions, 1955. Vintage pressbook for the 1955 film. A sheltered, purebred cocker spaniel leaves her home and is rescued by a scrappy mutt. Romance ensues. 20 pages, saddle stitched, 12 x 18 inches. Very Good plus, lightly rubbed and soiled.

Los Angeles: Filmways, 1978. Original 16mm film reel for the 1978 animated short "Make Me Psychic," created by animator Sally Cruikshank and featuring music by the Cheap Suit Serenaders, Robert Armstrong, Allan Dodge, and Paul Woltz. "Make Me Psychic," a followup to Cruikshank's lauded short film "Quasi at the Quackadero," and features the director's recurring duck characters Quasi and Anita in a psychedelic adventure in which Anita uses a hypnotizing machine to try and harness her psychic powers. Instead, Anita ends up hallucinating while never leaving her own overflowing bathtub. An innovator in her field, with a signature flowing style of motion, Cruikshank created music videos for Sesame Street between 1989 and 1999, won the 1986 Maya Deren Award given by the American Film Institute, and "Quasi at the Quackadero" was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2009. Near Fine, housed in a Near Fine plastic film canister and a Very Good plus metal-cornered shipping… Read More

N.p.: N.p., 1977. Vintage borderless photograph of director Wolfgang Reitherman and music director Buddy Baker working with a studio orchestra to record the soundtrack for "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" in 1977. With a printed mimeo snipe affixed to the verso. From the archive of film historian and author Joel Finler. Baker worked as a composer for many Disney films, including "Napoleon and Samantha" (1972, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award), "The Apple Dumpling Gang" (1975) and "The Fox and the Hound" (1981). 9.25 x 7 inches. Near Fine.