Richard Williams

Prologue depicts Spartan and Athenian warriors locked in a gory battle to the death.

Prologue depicts Spartan and Athenian warriors locked in a gory battle to the death.

It was to be the greatest animated film of all time. Not just an eye-opener, but a game-changer. Richard Williams demanded nothing less, investing nearly three decades into his movie masterpiece. From as early as 1964 he ploughed most of the profits right back into his pet project, a feature inspired by the Arabian Nights and provisionally known as Mullah Nasruddin. He assembled a team of inspired young artists—and brought in the best Hollywood craftsmen to teach them—and devised what would be the most elaborate, kaleidoscopic, mind-boggling visual sequences ever committed to celluloid. Years passed. Potential financiers came and went. Work continued. But it was only after Roger Rabbit that Williams had a studio budget to corroborate the munificence of his imagination.

Sketches of a Spanish circus made by Richard Williams in 1953 come to life. Williams began the project at the age of 20 and finished it when he was 77. It premiered at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival in 2010.

By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovate and old timers not yet ready to relinquish control. These conditions produced a series of box-office flops and pessimistic forecasts: maybe the best days of animation were over. Maybe the public didn't care. Only a miracle or a magic spell could produce a happy ending. Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairy tale. It's the true story of how Disney regained its magic with a staggering output of hits - "Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast ," "Aladdin," "The Lion King," and more - over a 10-year period.

It is written among the limitless constellations of the celestial heavens, and in the depths of the emerald seas, and upon every grain of sand in the vast deserts, that the world which we see is an outward and visible dream, of an inward and invisible reality ... Once upon a time there was a golden city. In the center of the golden city, atop the tallest minaret, were three golden balls. The ancients had prophesied that if the three golden balls were ever taken away, harmony would yield to discord, and the city would fall to destruction and death. But... the mystics had also foretold that the city might be saved by the simplest soul with the smallest and simplest of things. In the city there dwelt a lowly shoemaker, who was known as Tack the Cobbler. Also in the city... existed a Thief, who shall be... nameless.

It is written among the limitless constellations of the celestial heavens, and in the depths of the emerald seas, and upon every grain of sand in the vast deserts, that the world which we see is an outward and visible dream, of an inward and invisible reality ... Once upon a time there was a golden city. In the center of the golden city, atop the tallest minaret, were three golden balls. The ancients had prophesied that if the three golden balls were ever taken away, harmony would yield to discord, and the city would fall to destruction and death. But... the mystics had also foretold that the city might be saved by the simplest soul with the smallest and simplest of things. In the city there dwelt a lowly shoemaker, who was known as Tack the Cobbler. Also in the city... existed a Thief, who shall be... nameless.

It is written among the limitless constellations of the celestial heavens, and in the depths of the emerald seas, and upon every grain of sand in the vast deserts, that the world which we see is an outward and visible dream, of an inward and invisible reality ... Once upon a time there was a golden city. In the center of the golden city, atop the tallest minaret, were three golden balls. The ancients had prophesied that if the three golden balls were ever taken away, harmony would yield to discord, and the city would fall to destruction and death. But... the mystics had also foretold that the city might be saved by the simplest soul with the smallest and simplest of things. In the city there dwelt a lowly shoemaker, who was known as Tack the Cobbler. Also in the city... existed a Thief, who shall be... nameless.

It is written among the limitless constellations of the celestial heavens, and in the depths of the emerald seas, and upon every grain of sand in the vast deserts, that the world which we see is an outward and visible dream, of an inward and invisible reality ... Once upon a time there was a golden city. In the center of the golden city, atop the tallest minaret, were three golden balls. The ancients had prophesied that if the three golden balls were ever taken away, harmony would yield to discord, and the city would fall to destruction and death. But... the mystics had also foretold that the city might be saved by the simplest soul with the smallest and simplest of things. In the city there dwelt a lowly shoemaker, who was known as Tack the Cobbler. Also in the city... existed a Thief, who shall be... nameless.

1930年代、悪がはびこる犯罪都市で心優しきタフな刑事とみなしごキッド少年が正義の為に立ち上がる。しかし2人の行く手を阻むのは、かつてないギャングたちの集結であった・・・。ウォーレン・ベイティ率いる超豪華キャストで贈る『ディック・トレイシー』。特撮シーン満載、ユニークで美しい色彩と映像でつくりあげた、スリルいっぱいのおしゃれなアクション・アドベンチャー！！

Roger Rabbit once again is chosen for the dangerous task of babysitting Baby Herman and everything is going to be just fine.

Profile of the animator Richard Williams, creator of Who Framed Roger Rabbit

アニメーション映画スターであるロジャー・ラビットは今日もベビー・ハーマンと共に映画撮影の真っ只中。しかし、いつもの調子が出ずNGばかり出してしまう。ロジャーの妻ジェシカが浮気をしてるのではとの噂があるからだ。スランプに陥ったロジャーを心配したマルーンは私立探偵を雇う事にした。一方、探偵のエディ・バリアントは、かつてトゥーンに関わる仕事が大好きだったが、一緒に探偵をやっていた弟をトゥーンに殺害されて以来、トゥーンを憎んでいた。

アニメーション映画スターであるロジャー・ラビットは今日もベビー・ハーマンと共に映画撮影の真っ只中。しかし、いつもの調子が出ずNGばかり出してしまう。ロジャーの妻ジェシカが浮気をしてるのではとの噂があるからだ。スランプに陥ったロジャーを心配したマルーンは私立探偵を雇う事にした。一方、探偵のエディ・バリアントは、かつてトゥーンに関わる仕事が大好きだったが、一緒に探偵をやっていた弟をトゥーンに殺害されて以来、トゥーンを憎んでいた。

Ziggy gets a job to be a street Santa on Christmas Eve from a crooked boss, but the magic of the season allows the lovable loser to do more good than anyone expects.

A documentary about the animator, Richard Williams,

Raggedy Ann and Andy leave their playroom to rescue Babette, a beautiful French doll kidnapped by a pirate.

Raggedy Ann and Andy leave their playroom to rescue Babette, a beautiful French doll kidnapped by a pirate.

クルーゾーに振り回されっぱなしで精神に異常をきたしていた上司のドレフュスが病院を脱走、世界的物理学者を誘拐して物質消滅兵器を開発した。国連ビルが消滅するのを目の当たりにした各国首脳はドレフュスの要求を受け、クルーゾー暗殺のために殺し屋を派遣する。そんな騒ぎを知ってか知らずか、のん気にドイツのビール祭にやってきたクルーゾーだが、殺し屋たちは勝手に全滅。ドレフュスの秘密基地に甲冑姿で忍び込んだクルーゾーは見事にドレフュスを“消滅"させ、ロシアの美人スパイ・オルガと一緒にゴージャスなベッドに飛び込んだ……。

中近東ルガシュ国の博物館から、世界最大のダイヤ“ピンクパンサー”が盗まれるという事件が発生、現場に残された手袋から、犯人は怪盗ファントムであることが判明した。ルガシュ警察は、ファントムとゆかりの深いクルーゾー警部の出馬を要請する……。パリ警視庁のクルーゾー警部が再びファントムと対決。

Ebenezer Scrooge, a skinflint visited by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future one fateful Christmas Eve. It's up to them to help the old crab see the error of his ways. And they do, to the delight of Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim.

Ebenezer Scrooge, a skinflint visited by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future one fateful Christmas Eve. It's up to them to help the old crab see the error of his ways. And they do, to the delight of Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim.

Teddy works for a large advertising company. Given the seemingly impossible task of selling frozen porridge, he decides to produce commercials that make the product seem sexy. This leads him to confrontation with the "Keep Television Clean" movement, of which his wife is a senior member.

Heironymus Merkin screens an autobiographical movie of his life, growth and moral decay.

Prudence Hardcastle is on the pill. So is her sister-in-law, but someone has been swapping aspirin for their pills. Is it the teenage niece, the maid, the chauffeur, a lover, Prudence's husband Gerald, or all of the above?

A chronicle of events that led to the British involvement in the Crimean War against Russia and which led to the siege of Sevastopol and the fierce Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854 which climaxed with the heroic, but near-disastrous calvary charge made by the British Light Brigade against a Russian artillery battery in a small valley which resulted in the near-destruction of the brigade due to error of judgement and rash planning on part by the inept British commanders.

A 29-year old aspiring composer—still single and without any romantic prospects—vows to both marry and write a hit musical before he turns 30. Director Joseph McGrath's 1968 British comedy stars Dudley Moore, Suzy Kendall, Eddie Foy Jr. and Patricia Routledge.

Sebastian is an undisciplined mathematics genius who works in the "cipher bureau" of the British Intelligence. While cracking enemy codes, Sebastian finds time to romance co-worker Rebecca Howard.

Jamie McGregor (Barry Evans) is a virginal sixth-former in suburbia delivering groceries for the local supermarket, but he is more interested in other matters - Mary, Linda, Paula and Caroline. He tries to seduce the girls of his dreams in the swinging sixties.

The great illustrator Errol Le Cain animated this rare short film for the Richard Williams Studio in 1967, as his "apprentice work." Professor Alex Bradford sings the catchy gospel soundtrack. (from TheThiefArchive on YouTube)

A dog with a spying device under its skin is sent to the Russian government as a present. When the Russians send the dog to a veterinary, British intelligence must get to the dog first and retrieve the spying device.

A wily slave must unite a virgin courtesan and his young smitten master to earn his freedom.

Spy spoof about Boysie Oakes, a British secret agent who specialises in Liquidating. In actual fact he contracts out the work and pretends it is was himself. This leads to complications.

A team of scientists debate the nature of an unknown material in this animated fable, inspired by a tale from Rumi's Masnavi.

A team of scientists debate the nature of an unknown material in this animated fable, inspired by a tale from Rumi's Masnavi.

A playboy who refuses to give up his hedonistic lifestyle to settle down and marry his true love seeks help from a demented psychoanalyst who is having romantic problems of his own.

A man's repeated attempts to retrieve an apple off a high tree branch all prove fruitless. What does he want the apple for? That would be Telling.

A man's repeated attempts to retrieve an apple off a high tree branch all prove fruitless. What does he want the apple for? That would be Telling.

Very rare early film from 1962, by Richard Williams - this is either his second or third film after The Little Island, the same year as Love Me Love Me Love Me.

Very rare early film from 1962, by Richard Williams - this is either his second or third film after The Little Island, the same year as Love Me Love Me Love Me.

A short film by Richard Williams.

A short film by Richard Williams.

A short film by Richard Williams.

Depicts the dreams, ideas, and struggles of three men (representing "truth," "beauty," and "good") who settle on a tiny island.

Depicts the dreams, ideas, and struggles of three men (representing "truth," "beauty," and "good") who settle on a tiny island.

Depicts the dreams, ideas, and struggles of three men (representing "truth," "beauty," and "good") who settle on a tiny island.