David Hand's Animaland

Director: Bert Felstead
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
David Hand came to the Disney Studio in 1930, where he directed 70 short cartoons, served as supervising director on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi and as animation supervisor on Victory Through Air Power. In 1944, he moved to England to set up an animation studio: the shorts he produced there have not been seen in the U.S. in nearly 50 years. Although these cartoons are interesting historically, they're not particularly funny or entertaining. The characters are highly derivative: Ginger Nutt, the squirrel who appears in four of the films, is essentially Thumper with shorter ears and a longer tail, but Ginger lacks the vivid charm that makes Thumper come alive on the screen. "The Australian Platypus" is too predictable and too cute--problems that the stolid pacing only amplifies. "The Ostrich" recalls the "Swing Symphonies" Walter Lantz made around the same time, especially the production number "Don't Hide Your Head in the Sand," performed by hieroglyphics in an Egyptian ruin. Although it goes nowhere, that sequence showcases a graphic imagination missing from the other films. The Animaland series reveals that David Hand, like animation greats Ub Iwerks and Bill Tytla, never equaled the work he did for Walt Disney. --Charles Solomon
Description
Lost for nearly fifty years, this collection contains nine animated short stories produced and directed by David Hand, one of the creative talents behind such legendary Disney features as "Snow White" and "Fantasia." Available for the first time in the U.S., and filled with lovable animated characters, this historic video collection features such endearing titles as: "The Ostrich," "Ginger Nutt's Forest Dragon" and "The Lion." Don't miss this historic, must-have collection with its endearing assortment of animated characters.

David Hand's Animaland
Average customer rating:

A must for animation buffs and film historians

A fascinating glimpse into a nearly forgotten animated world

David Hand's Animaland
Starring: Animaland
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006L0LDE
Release Date: 2005-01-04

Description

Lost for nearly fifty years, this collection contains nine animated short stories produced and directed by David Hand, one of the creative talents behind such legendary Disney features as "Snow White" and "Fantasia." Available for the first time in the U.S., and filled with lovable animated characters, this historic video collection features such endearing titles as: "The Ostrich," "Ginger Nutt's Forest Dragon" and "The Lion." Don't miss this historic, must-have collection with its endearing assortment of animated characters.

Customer Reviews:

A must for animation buffs and film historians.......2006-09-10

David Hand's Animaland cartoons are an interesting historical oddity with a lot going for them despite their problems. Part of the Rank Organisation's attempts to build a post-war British film empire when the UK briefly banned all American films in 1948 to boost the local industry (which explains the proud boast `Made in Cookham-on-Thames' on the end credits), they boast some fine animation but fall down on plot and characters. Somehow occasional stars red squirrel Ginger Nutt and his girlfriend seem such close relatives to Chip `n' Dale and Thumper that the very, very well spoken received English pronunciation just seems plain wrong. Ginger's also not a particularly memorable character, so the cartoons that rely more on spot gags than plots fare better. But the animation is certainly lavish, as you might expect from the director of Bambi and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Before UPA introduced the minimalist/economy of line concept that would lead to TV's limited animation techniques, these boast detailed backgrounds and rich, warm colors (even though the DVD transfers are clearly - albeit understandably - a few generations away from the originals). Nearly all of them have something going for them: The Cuckoo boasts a wondrously vivid dream sequence in monochromatic color that's a close cousin to Dumbo's `Elephants on Parade', The Ostrich finds itself falling in love with and becoming a hieroglyphic, 'The Platypus' has some wonderful animation in and under a stream and in 'The House Cat' a kitten's imagination turns a curtain ring into a tiny man in a bath-towel to torment. Probably more for animation aficionados than general audiences, but certainly of interest.

A fascinating glimpse into a nearly forgotten animated world.......2005-05-14

A film archivist in Burbank, California named Ken Kramer bought several reels of movie film, paying $50 to the guy who was selling them just to get rid of him. The haul was mostly movie trailers. Then, he struck pure cinematic gold. Four of the reels contained a series of theatrical cartoons that were thought to have been lost forever. The 9 cartoons had the look and feel of vintage 1940s Disney with a liberal splash of Looney Tunes lunacy. Each was identified as "A David Hand ANIMALAND Cartoon".

A phone call to Leonard Maltin revealed David Hand to be the same David Hand who was Walt Disney's supervising director of the animated features "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Bambi". After progressing as far as he could in the enforced anonymity of the Disney studios, Hand was lured to England by J. Arthur Rank to establish a similar animation studio on the British Isles. The "Animaland" cartoons were released theatrically in Europe but could never find an American distributor, possibly because of pressure from Warner Bros., MGM and Hand's former employer, one Walter Elias Disney, all of whom had their own thriving animation divisions.

When the Rank Organisation closed Hand's studio, the fate of the "Animaland" cartoons remained a mystery for the past 50 years. Hand returned to the USA and turned his back on animation. He spent most of the rest of his career producing industrial training films. In Europe, 4 "Animaland" cartoons eventually turned up and were released on home video overseas. They were thought to be the ONLY extant specimens.

Flash forward to Ken Kramer's incredible find. The 9 cartoons are, to date, the biggest collection from the series. The good news is that David Hand's son, David Hale Hand, agreed to their release on home video in the USA. Since David Hale Hand owns the American rights to his father's work, there are even plans for an animated feature film starring the cast of the "Animland" cartoons.

Many of the cartoons feature Ginger Nutt, a fiery red squirrel who's easily as cute as Thumper the rabbit from "Bambi" but can be intimidating enough to fend off the 3 forest troublemakers Corny Crow, Dusty Mole and Loopy Hare. Ginger Nutt's love interest is a female squirrel named Hazel. The rest of the cartoons are one-shots with obbligatory production numbers about such species as the cuckoo, the duck-billed platypus, the ostrich, the lion and the house cat.

Anyone who enjoys classic Disney and Warner animation won't be able to stop watching these cartoons. The most fascinating thing about the cartoons is that they offer a glimpse into another cartoon world located somewhere between Disney's unrelenting cuteness and Warner Bros. madness. There's also a sense of sadness of what might have been, had David Hand been able to continue the series.

If you think this collection would make a great gift for your favorite vintage cartoon fan, think again. You'd better pick up 2 copies, for yourself and for the lucky recipient.

Average customer rating:

one of my favorite animated DVDs!
Charming, but the audio quality is very poor.
Wholesome Cartoons for Concerned Parents
David Hand's a Colorful Cartoon Genius!
High class animation is great fun to watch!

David Hand's Animaland
Director: Bert Felstead
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Fantasy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Amazon.com

David Hand came to the Disney Studio in 1930, where he directed 70 short cartoons, served as supervising director on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi and as animation supervisor on Victory Through Air Power. In 1944, he moved to England to set up an animation studio: the shorts he produced there have not been seen in the U.S. in nearly 50 years. Although these cartoons are interesting historically, they're not particularly funny or entertaining. The characters are highly derivative: Ginger Nutt, the squirrel who appears in four of the films, is essentially Thumper with shorter ears and a longer tail, but Ginger lacks the vivid charm that makes Thumper come alive on the screen. "The Australian Platypus" is too predictable and too cute--problems that the stolid pacing only amplifies. "The Ostrich" recalls the "Swing Symphonies" Walter Lantz made around the same time, especially the production number "Don't Hide Your Head in the Sand," performed by hieroglyphics in an Egyptian ruin. Although it goes nowhere, that sequence showcases a graphic imagination missing from the other films. The Animaland series reveals that David Hand, like animation greats Ub Iwerks and Bill Tytla, never equaled the work he did for Walt Disney. --Charles Solomon

Description

Customer Reviews:

one of my favorite animated DVDs!.......2002-10-06

Animaland is an exceptionally clever and enjoyable collection of cartoon shorts, with the unique ability to keep the attention of both children and adults. David Hand and his production team did not simply mimic the style of Disney's cartoons, but tried to push the envelope, developing clever plots, strange characters, and sometimes surreal settings. Most of the shorts are fast-paced action stories, with minimal dialog. When the characters do speak, they often have British accents. Some of the shorts are introduced by an off-screen British narrator, who, parodying instructional nature films, gives "scientific" information about the lead animal. The original music is catchy, perfectly timed with the visuals, and provides good instrumental sound effects. The animation is sophisticated, as we'd expect from Hand's reputation as a key Disney animation director. My favorite is "The Ostrich" in which a male Ostrich steps into a two-dimensional Egyptian Hieroglyphic to pursue a female Ostrich. The vocal lyrics to that segment are hilarious, and the animation mesmerizing.

A few comments on the reviews below. Comparisons with Disney characters are misleading; Animaland characters have personalities of their own - often very British. The audio to the DVD is fabulous in view of the date of the source material. Yes, the cartoons are charming and comparatively wholesome, but we're not talking Teletubbies here. The two words I'd use are "zany" and "intelligent".

Charming, but the audio quality is very poor........1999-09-28

These are classic cartoons with a wonderful romantic quality, but I find the audio quality (or lack thereof) to be distracting at times.

Wholesome Cartoons for Concerned Parents.......1999-08-23

Tired of the seeming lack of wholesome shows for kids? Concerned about what seems like an endless stream of materialism, immorality,etc. finding it's way into even THEIR stuff too? We viewed ANIMALAND after borrowing from the Lancaster County public library. Not only do the vintage cartoons lack these things but they may actually learn something as well! Wish there were even more out there. THUMBS UP!

David Hand's a Colorful Cartoon Genius!.......1999-02-09

Loony tunes is Wacky!,Nicktoons is Cool!,Tom and Jerry and Tex avery is Great!, Woody Woodpecker's a Joy!, Katy the Catterpillar Soars Like a Beautyful Butterfly and Disney's Cartoon World is Magical! But somewhere in a Cartoon Vault is a Surprisingly Lost Cartoon World and now Found! Made by a Disney Legend "David hand" who Helps him Create "snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Bambi" Comes a Never-Realesed Animated Adventure and now Captured! Introducing David Hand's "Animaland"! With Ready-to-Meet Characters like Nutty the Squirrel,Oscar the Ostrich,CooCoo and More! Super Animation!,Colorful Backrounds! and Never-Been-Heard Music! You can Watch This Future Classic Again and Again! Share It with Your Friends! It's Fun for the Whole Family! Nutty and his Pals Will Be Toontown's New Freinds! and it's Availibale at Video Stores EveryWhere!

High class animation is great fun to watch!.......1998-11-26

This is a terrific title for kids and adults, full of cute characters and beautiful backgrounds. Hand has truly brought to life a magical forest. There are many different stories detailing the exploits of the animals in the forest. I am reminded of the classic period of animation back in the 30's, when Disney and Warner Brothers were the kings!

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