CCBC-Net Archives
[CCBC-Net] RETELLINGS
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: James Elliott <j_c_elliott>
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:22:58 -0400
I have to agree with Randall. I did like the early Disney projects, and probably would have had little knowledge of the originals without them. Plus the artwork in the ones he mentions is fantastic. In those days, Walt gave his creative staff nearly full control. When he got involved in too many projects (theme parks, tv, etc.) and after his death, that ended and a more cookie-cutter approach was established for Disney's projects.
As for Pooh, the early version with Sebastian Cabot's narration were great fun. Anything after that is, well, pooh!
Jim Elliott Reference/catalog librarian Gadsden County (FL) Public Library
>From: "Randall Wright" <randall.w.wright at comcast.net>
>To: <ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu>
>Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] RETELLINGS
>Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 06:27:15 -0600
>
>Lee,
>
>I'm going to disagree with you about the singing cricket and the day-glow
>colors of Snow White (it wasn't until later films that they introduced that
>fairy-tale brightness). I think Disney did a wonderful job with Pinocchio
>and Snow White. And even Sleeping Beauty. He created some great images and
>brought animation to an art form. But along came Cinderella and those
>annoying mice. At least in Snow White the animals were animals (albeit
>friendlier than most). And I do believe that Pinocchio would be lost in
>obscurity were it not for Disney's treatment of it.
>
>Another Hollywood retelling that I really believe improves on the original
>is The Wizard of Oz (of course NOT Disney). The drama is greatly improved.
>As I recall from the original, the worst that happens to Dorothy is that
>she
>has to mop floors for the witch. And the munchkins are boring-all dressed
>in
>blue. In the movie version, Dorothy's life is at stake. The witch is so
>awfully and delightfully evil. And the wizard gave me nightmares.
>
>To bring the subject back to books: One of my favorite retellings is the
>recent Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. There is also Mira Mirror by Mette
>Harris
>that actually takes the Snow White story on from the point of view of the
>mirror (who was once the sister of the Queen). I realize these aren't
>retellings of books already in print, but rather original treatments of
>traditional stories.
>
>The trend that appalls me is the continuation of series by authors other
>than the originals: additions to the Narnia series or the Little House
>series. To me that is bastardization in the real sense. I rather like the
>first Disney version of Pooh, but what has happened since is quite
>annoying-stories that Milne would never have imagined (he wasn't that
>bland).
>
>Randall Wright
>A Hundred Days from Home (Holt 2002)
>Hunchback (Holt 2004)
>The Silver Penny (Holt 2005)
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of
>Lbhcove at aol.com
>Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 3:03 PM
>To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] RETELLINGS
>
>Anything...any thing...Disney did to the classics is DIS-mal. Parents
>might
>find singing crickets, a princess who feels that one day her prince might
>come, all in day-glow colors, 'cute.' But he bastardized the classics in
>every
>sense of the word.
>
>"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," might be a motto to all publishers.
>Leave the originals alone.
>
>Caldecott board books? Classics in coloring book-formats? Poetry magnets
>to put on refrigerator doors? Let us continue the trend
>to make all youth idiots.
>
>Stick with today's trend...where all YA book jackets are pretty pink and
>most novels deal with tragedy. It is just what are youth needs in these
>disturbing times.
>
>Lee Bennett Hopkins
>
>www.leebennetthopkinsbooks.com
>_______________________________________________
>CCBC-Net mailing list
>CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
>http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
>_______________________________________________
>CCBC-Net mailing list
>CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
>http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Thu 20 Jul 2006 11:22:58 AM CDT
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:22:58 -0400
I have to agree with Randall. I did like the early Disney projects, and probably would have had little knowledge of the originals without them. Plus the artwork in the ones he mentions is fantastic. In those days, Walt gave his creative staff nearly full control. When he got involved in too many projects (theme parks, tv, etc.) and after his death, that ended and a more cookie-cutter approach was established for Disney's projects.
As for Pooh, the early version with Sebastian Cabot's narration were great fun. Anything after that is, well, pooh!
Jim Elliott Reference/catalog librarian Gadsden County (FL) Public Library
>From: "Randall Wright" <randall.w.wright at comcast.net>
>To: <ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu>
>Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] RETELLINGS
>Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 06:27:15 -0600
>
>Lee,
>
>I'm going to disagree with you about the singing cricket and the day-glow
>colors of Snow White (it wasn't until later films that they introduced that
>fairy-tale brightness). I think Disney did a wonderful job with Pinocchio
>and Snow White. And even Sleeping Beauty. He created some great images and
>brought animation to an art form. But along came Cinderella and those
>annoying mice. At least in Snow White the animals were animals (albeit
>friendlier than most). And I do believe that Pinocchio would be lost in
>obscurity were it not for Disney's treatment of it.
>
>Another Hollywood retelling that I really believe improves on the original
>is The Wizard of Oz (of course NOT Disney). The drama is greatly improved.
>As I recall from the original, the worst that happens to Dorothy is that
>she
>has to mop floors for the witch. And the munchkins are boring-all dressed
>in
>blue. In the movie version, Dorothy's life is at stake. The witch is so
>awfully and delightfully evil. And the wizard gave me nightmares.
>
>To bring the subject back to books: One of my favorite retellings is the
>recent Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. There is also Mira Mirror by Mette
>Harris
>that actually takes the Snow White story on from the point of view of the
>mirror (who was once the sister of the Queen). I realize these aren't
>retellings of books already in print, but rather original treatments of
>traditional stories.
>
>The trend that appalls me is the continuation of series by authors other
>than the originals: additions to the Narnia series or the Little House
>series. To me that is bastardization in the real sense. I rather like the
>first Disney version of Pooh, but what has happened since is quite
>annoying-stories that Milne would never have imagined (he wasn't that
>bland).
>
>Randall Wright
>A Hundred Days from Home (Holt 2002)
>Hunchback (Holt 2004)
>The Silver Penny (Holt 2005)
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of
>Lbhcove at aol.com
>Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 3:03 PM
>To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] RETELLINGS
>
>Anything...any thing...Disney did to the classics is DIS-mal. Parents
>might
>find singing crickets, a princess who feels that one day her prince might
>come, all in day-glow colors, 'cute.' But he bastardized the classics in
>every
>sense of the word.
>
>"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," might be a motto to all publishers.
>Leave the originals alone.
>
>Caldecott board books? Classics in coloring book-formats? Poetry magnets
>to put on refrigerator doors? Let us continue the trend
>to make all youth idiots.
>
>Stick with today's trend...where all YA book jackets are pretty pink and
>most novels deal with tragedy. It is just what are youth needs in these
>disturbing times.
>
>Lee Bennett Hopkins
>
>www.leebennetthopkinsbooks.com
>_______________________________________________
>CCBC-Net mailing list
>CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
>http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
>_______________________________________________
>CCBC-Net mailing list
>CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
>http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Thu 20 Jul 2006 11:22:58 AM CDT
