Frank Churchill
Birth : 1901-10-20, Rumford, Maine, USA
Death : 1942-05-14
History
“I was born in New England, but somehow escaped a Puritanical conscience. Came to Los Angeles at the tender age of four and am still hanging around. Started as a plumber at the age of twelve until I read in a magazine where some one guaranteed piano playing in twenty lessons. After receiving my diploma from the post office I immediately went to work at $16 a week in a Main Street picture palace. I’m still up in the dough. At present I’m trying to write musical scores for cartoons.” -published in the June 20, 1931 edition of The Motion Picture Daily
Churchill began his career playing piano in silent cinemas at the age of 15 before becoming an accompanist at KNX in 1924. Churchill then joined Walt Disney Studios in 1930, where he became a staple composer, penning "The Three Little Pigs" as well as "Hi-Ho".
Churchill was found dead at his piano with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1942.
Compositor
Among the many animation treasures celebrated here are the never-before-released 'Hell's Bells' and the original unedited 'Mother Goose Goes Hollywood', plus the Academy Award winning 'Three Orphan Kittens' (Best Cartoon, 1935). Enriching the collection even further are several options commentaries by some of the world's foremost animation and film music experts, who also take part in a lively conversation about the series that let Walt Disney push the envelope of animation art to unimaginable flights of fantasy.
Frank Churchill
Two classic animated shorts from the Disney studios. In 'The Reluctant Dragon' (1941), a young boy and a famous dragon fighter team up to teach a docile dragon the art of being a force to be reckoned with. In 'Mickey and the Beanstalk' (1947), Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck confront the fearsome Willie the Giant to try to retrieve the magical singing harp to Happy Valley.
Music
Two classic animated shorts from the Disney studios. In 'The Reluctant Dragon' (1941), a young boy and a famous dragon fighter team up to teach a docile dragon the art of being a force to be reckoned with. In 'Mickey and the Beanstalk' (1947), Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck confront the fearsome Willie the Giant to try to retrieve the magical singing harp to Happy Valley.
Compositor
Music
A compilation of classic Walt Disney clips from Mickey Mouse's long and illustrious career as the world's most recognised and best loved cartoon character. Includes "Thru The Mirror," "Hawaiian Holiday," "Lonesome Ghosts," "The Brave Little Tailor," "The Little Whirlwind" and "Mickey Down Under.
Self (archive footage)
The journey of J.M. Barrie's classic character to Walt Disney's conceptual masterpiece.
Self (Archive Footage)
The making of this classic Disney masterpiece about the life of a young faun. Includes archive footage of Walt Disney and his team of animators.
Original Music Composer
Donald is stuck on KP at an air training base. Sergeant Pete gives him a huge pile of potatoes to peel first, then gives him some tests: close your eyes and touch fingers, pin the tail on the airplane. He finally gets sent aloft, only to discover it's a parachute jump. Eventually, both Donald and Pete end up falling with no chutes and a bomb.
Original Music Composer
Bambi's tale unfolds from season to season as the young prince of the forest learns about life, love, and friends.
Original Music Composer
Dumbo is a baby elephant born with over-sized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy Timothy the Mouse, the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all obstacles.
Original Music Composer
Humorist Robert Benchley attempts to find Walt Disney to ask him to adapt a short story about a gentle dragon who would rather recite poetry than be ferocious. Along the way, he is given a tour of Walt Disney Studios, and learns about the animation process.
Original Music Composer
Pluto wakes up in the morning seeing birds eating his dish. Pluto's dish is empty, and he is hungry. He goes after the bone in the dish ofButch the bulldog, who is sleeping next door. He sneaks carefully trying to not wake him up. Though he succeeds in stealing the bone, Butch eventually wakes up. Pluto comes back to his home ,about to enjoy the bone, until an angry Butch shows up. Soon they are chasing each other through town and into a deserted carnival. The gust of wind from the chase made a poster of a belly dancer look like it was belly dancing. They chased each other through a "Tunnel of Love" ride and Pluto lost Butch by going into into a hall of mirrors. Pluto was having fun with hall of mirrors until he sees Butch. Pluto takes advantage of one set of mirrors to successfully scare Butch off, and even gets to keep the bone. He winks at the mirrors and goes off with the bone.
Music
Lonely toymaker Geppetto has his wishes answered when the Blue Fairy arrives to bring his wooden puppet Pinocchio to life. Before becoming a real boy, however, Pinocchio must prove he's worthy as he sets off on an adventure with his whistling sidekick and conscience, Jiminy Cricket.
Music
After his two brothers are captured, the third little pig invents a machine to capture the big bad wolf.
Original Music Composer
The stars come out to the Hollywood Bowl for a night of musical fun.
Original Music Composer
A beautiful girl, Snow White, takes refuge in the forest in the house of seven dwarfs to hide from her stepmother, the wicked Queen. The Queen is jealous because she wants to be known as "the fairest in the land," and Snow White's beauty surpasses her own.
Music
A compilation of five Oscar-winning Disney shorts, released to help promote the upcoming release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Namely: FLOWERS AND TREES (1932), THREE LITTLE PIGS (1933), THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE (1934), THREE ORPHAN KITTENS (1935), and THE COUNTRY COUSIN (1936). Additionally, four extra shorts are included from the 1966 release. Namely: THE OLD MILL (1937), FERDINAND AND THE BULL (1938), THE UGLY DUCKLING (1939), and LEND A PAW (1941).
Original Music Composer
Thrown out of the house into the backyard, the three kittens are sheltered by a giant Saint Bernard and are tormented by a turtle and a bluebird.
Original Music Composer
Plumber Donald is using a large magnet in his work. When he drops it, it causes trouble for Pluto, especially after Pluto swallows it. Things begin clinging to him, especially his metal dog dish.
Music
Toby Tortoise is back, and this time he and Max Hare box instead of racing.
Music
Mickey has been reading Alice in Wonderland, and falls asleep. He finds himself on the other side of the mirror, where the furniture is alive. He eats a walnut, which makes him briefly larger, then small. He dances around a lot, ultimately doing a major number with a deck of cards. He dances with the queen, making the king jealous. He comes after Mickey with swords, and Mickey defends himself with a sewing needle. Mickey gets the upper hand, and the king calls for reinforcements. Mickey finds himself chased by several decks, which throw their spots at him. He turns on a fan and blows them away, back through the mirror, where his alarm is ringing.
Original Music Composer
Two little pigs cry wolf on their brother and then an actual wolf comes.
Original Music Composer
The title character comes to town, complete with portable boxing ring. He grabs a local chicken and dances with her, inspiring several other barnyard animals to dance. But her rooster takes offense, and enters the ring to do battle.
Original Music Composer
Three orphan kittens are entering a society house in winter and ruin the furniture. But when they're caught by the maid, the young daughter of the house "rescues" them from the cold out outside.
Music
Mickey shows off his ice-skating skills to Minnie; Goofy does some unconventional ice fishing; Donald straps skates to Pluto and laughs at his attempts to skate. Donald gets strapped to a kite and is about to be swept over a waterfall when Mickey pulls off an heroic rescue.
Original Music Composer
A robin is shot so the woodland community holds a trial to investigate.
Music
A kitten runs off to be a robber with a dog.
Music
King Midas is visited by an elf; the elf turns his cat to gold, then claps his hands and it changes back. Midas begs for the golden touch, but the elf warns him it would be a curse to him. Midas insists. He dances about joyfully at first, but discovers the drawbacks when he sits down to dinner. Fearing death by starvation, he summons the elf and agrees to surrender everything he owns to have the curse lifted.
Music
The Tortoise and the Hare is an animated short film released on January 5, 1935 by United Artists, produced by Walt Disney and directed by Wilfred Jackson. Based on an Aesop's fable of the same name, The Tortoise and the Hare won the 1934 Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons. This cartoon is also believed to be one of the influences for Bugs Bunny.
Music
Donald and Mickey put on a charity show, for some orphans.
Music
Mickey is first seen reading Gulliver's Travels while the mice orphan children are pretending to be sailors. After ruining their game Mickey tries to make it up to them by retelling the Liliput sequences of Gulliver's Travels pretending it was a real event that happened to him by portraying the role of Gulliver. The story ends with Mickey saving the town from a giant spider (Pete). However after telling the story, one of the children dangles a fake spider attached to a fishing rod which scares Mickey out of his witts.
Music
The Big Bad Wolf torments Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs.
Original Music Composer
We see bunny rabbits preparing for Easter, by making chocolate eggs and rabbits, decorating eggs, and weaving and filling baskets.
Music
Mickey's trying to do some yardwork, but Pluto wants to play. They end up indoors; Mickey breaks a screen, spreads flypaper, and they both get stuck.
Music
The gang is sitting around their campsite when a mosquito spoils their fun. And then he gets hundreds of his friends and they really cause trouble. Horace squirts some with molasses, which helps a bit. Everyone retreats to the tent, where they still get stung but can fight back a bit, eventually trapping all the mosquitoes in a pair of bloomers and sending them on their way.
Original Music Composer
A baby is transported to Lullaby Land, where pacifiers grow on trees, diapers, bottles, and potty chairs march on parade, and the gingham dog comes to life. He wanders into the "keep out" cave, full of things like scissors, knives, and fountain pens that are not for baby and begins smashing watches with hammers and playing with giant matches. The matches chase after him; baby escapes by riding a bar of soap across a pond, but the smoke from the matches turns into boogey-men. The benevolent sandman, dressed as a wizard, spots baby hiding and works his magic, bringing us back to the real nursery.
Original Music Composer
Old King Cole throws party and invites all of the Mother Goose characters. He warns them that they must leave at midnight. Another collection of characters puts on a stage show. The Ten Little Indian Boys get everyone dancing along. The Hickory Dickory Dock mice announce midnight, and everyone leaves, back into their books.
Music
Mickey's film is having a premiere, and all the stars turn out at the Chinese Theatre. Among those shown: Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, Jimmy Durante, Clark Gable, Sid Grauman, Mae West. The picture, Galloping Romance (Pegleg Pete kidnaps Minnie, and Mickey gives chase on a variety of animals), starts, and everyone in the audience sways along to the music, then rolls in the aisles with laughter. After, everyone comes on stage to congratulate Mickey; Garbo smothers him with kisses.
Music
The two pigs building houses of hay and sticks scoff at their brother, building the brick house. But when the wolf comes around and blows their houses down (after trickery like dressing as a foundling sheep fails), they run to their brother's house. And throughout, they sing the classic song, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?".
Original Music Composer
The princess is to wed the Prince against her wishes. When she refuses, the king locks her in the tower. Minstrel Mickey sees her and rescues her, making a rope from the clothes of lady-in-waiting Clarabell. The king spots them and prepares to chop off Mickey's head until Minnie intercedes. The king calls for a joust. Mickey wins and they live happily ever after.
Original Music Composer
Two birds rejoice over the hatching of their three eggs; as they grow, the hatchlings are taught to sing and fly. One falls from the nest and has adventures with a rattlesnake and a beehive before finding his way home.
Music
Santa's little helpers must hurry to finish the toys before Christmas Day.
Music
A jealous stump threatens two trees that are in love by starting a forest fire. When the rain comes and puts out the fire the forest revives and celebrates the wedding.
Original Music Composer
Two bear cubs tussle harmlessly, then start to munch on a berry bush, until a bigger, meaner bear chases them off. They nibble some flowers and find a bee, which they follow to the hive, which they then proceed to raid. The big bear chases them off, but unknown to him, a bee spotted the raid and has summoned the attack squad. The bees run him off, and the cubs dig in.
Original Music Composer
Mickey performs all his chores while whistling or singing. The big excitement is when Fanny the hen, who hasn't laid an egg in some time, lays a super-giant egg.
Music
The film begins with a mother hen sitting on her eggs from which six baby chicks are born. Though initially overjoyed, her mood changes to disgust when the final egg hatches out a duckling. Though the duckling desperately attempts to win his foster family's acceptance, the mother hen is adamant in her refusal to care for an infant that isn't even her species, let alone not even hers.
Original Music Composer
It's morning in the English countryside and time for the gentry to participate in their favorite sport: the fox hunt. The eccentric gentlemen come in all shapes and sizes, the fat ones putting the greatest strain on the horses. The craziest things happen to the monocled hunters. One even gets knocked off his horse when it jumps over a brick wall. He shoots straight up into the air and, thanks to a parachute hidden in his clothes, makes a gentle landing. But instead of the ground, he lands on a cow. Upset by her unwanted passenger, she takes off at top speed, finally dumping him in a mud puddle, where he lands on a pig and continues his wacky ride. Meanwhile, the poor fox finally gets trapped in a hollow log. Dogs to the left of him, dogs to the right! Luckily, the beleaguered creature gets help from a certain powerful, and pungent, friend.
Original Music Composer
A kitchen is filled with houseflies. A spider wakes up and plays his web like a harp, attracting a pair of them; the female is trapped, and the male summons the cavalry, which arrives riding horseflies, riding dragonflies to drop pepper bombs, firing champagne bottles, and ultimately setting the web on fire and catching the spider on flypaper when he falls.
Original Music Composer
The various clocks and watches in a clock store dance, ring alarms musically, and otherwise entertain us in an after hours presentation.
Music
A spider gets lost inside the sphinx.
Music
A cat, being sent out for the night, begins to make trouble for some birds. He later has a nightmare that the birds grow and begin to extract their revenge.
Music
A group of beavers cheerily build a dam.
Music
An old plate tells the tale of the Emperor of China, whose palace was disrupted by some children.
Music
A book of nursery rhymes plays for Old King Cole.
