THE RESCUERS Opening "Gallery"

As the movie THE RESCUERS opens, we see what appears to be an old showboat, broken-down and barely adrift.

Little Penny, the kidnapped heroine of the story, scrawls a plea for help on a piece of paper, stuffs it in a bottle, and sets it adrift in hope someone will find it and rescue her. This scenario takes place here:


For THE RESCUERS opening credits, the Disney artists cleverly chose to use a series of paintings of the bottle making its way to "The Rescuers," through lightning storms and tempestuous waves.

There is great storytelling in these paintings. Using camera zooms as well as simple held shots, these magnificent paintings suggest great hope - if even a little bottle can find its way, so too will someone who will help.

Wonderful art!

RESCUERS: Medusa's Shipboard Suite

THE RESCUERS: Medusa's Pawn Shop

THE RESCUERS (Disney,1977)

This lovely painting, a digitally re-created pan background, reminds me a great deal of BAMBI artwork. THE RESCUERS was a minor masterpiece. While not groundbreaking, it has tremendous heart, great characters and the background art is far more impressive than I remembered!

More to come...

THE RESCUERS (1977)

Beautiful B/G art from the scene: In search of "the Devil's Eye..."

THE RESCUERS (1977): Medusa's Spooky Organ

Now that it's Halloween week, we'll focus our theme over the next few days. Here is a magnificent B/G of the scary old pipe organ, from THE RESCUERS.

Can't you almost hear Bach's D minor Toccatta??!!!

THE RESCUERS (Disney, 1977)

Today we're once again taking a look at art from THE RESCUERS. Scroll down to see two additional posts of digitally restored backgrounds.

THE RESCUERS level of artistry was very good indeed. While it certainly wasn't SNOW WHITE or FANTASIA, it was and is a beautifully crafted film.

Cost-cutting at the studio was always a concern, but especially after Walt's death. The eyes of THE RESCUERS mice had no whites, just a gray background. Legend has it Don Bluth was so incensed at this it was a key reason for his departure from Disney, which eventually led him to open his own animation studio.

The movie's poignancy was no doubt a reflection of many of the artists' feelings at the studio, as the older animators prepared to retire and passed the baton on to the younger animators.

It's a lovely, unpretentious and unashamedly sentimental film... perhaps that's why it is so endearing.

THE RESCUERS - After Dusk on the Bayou