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Q2 2020

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62 C I N E M O N T A G E B O O K R E V I E W Holt's groundbreaking book traces the progress of the few who made it into the rarified writers' and character ani- mators' circles. She illuminates not only their work at the studio, but their back- grounds and personal lives. Perhaps only a female writer could tell their stories truly. The author's perspective is made clear in the Epilogue by a story Holt tells her 5-year-old daughter on their trip to Disneyland. There, as they glide through the perennially popular "It's a Small World" ride, Holt explains, "'Do you see that doll up there by the Eiffel Tower? 'The one holding the red balloon?,' the child cries excitedly.' 'Yes, that one, with the short blonde hair,' I say. 'That's Mary Blair. She made this ride.'" Holt backs up this personal approach w i t h i m p r e s s i v e o r i g i n a l r e s e a r c h throughout "Queens of Animation," as she did in her 2016 bestseller "Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars." She conducted detailed interviews with surviving family and friends, scoured press clippings, and pored through letters in which these women revealed their thoughts and feelings, as well as their experiences at Disney Studios. Most wrote of delight and honor to be part of the most prestigious animated films in the world. They welcomed the chance to work despite decades-long harassment from their male counterparts. Scott, Majolie, Blair and others contributed much to the beauty, whimsy, and charm audiences associate with Disney classics. Seldom credited, they were the ones who fought for the fairies who sparkle across the ice in "Fantasia," the fluttering birds and ribbons that enchant Snow White in Disney's first feature, and finally in 2013 saw one of their own receive full screen credit when Jennifer Less directed the wildly successful "Frozen." Almost from the beginning of the studio, women worked as inbetween- e r s , p e o p l e w h o d r e w a n d r e d r e w t h e m a n y c e l l s n e c e s s a r y to c re a te character moves. Walt was known for his involvement in every phase of his film. According to Holt, he encouraged outstanding talent when he saw it, even when the talent came from an inbetween- er – that is, a woman. Sylvia Holland was one whose talent Walt recognized immediately when he saw her sketches for "Bambi," a f ilm based on written treatments begun by Bianca Majoile. He promoted Holland from inbetweener to character animator, a startling move since most men served years as inbe- tweeners before they made it assistant animator, and then possibly to animator. Scott was the first full-fledged character animator, and it was she who created the vicious dogs that attack Bambi. She paid for this promotion by having to work as both animator and inbetweener. Majolie was one of the Disney artists who witnessed the birth of a fawn at the San Diego Zoo, capturing the moment and making it come alive in her drawings for "Bambi." While Holland received an "Art Department" credit on the film, Majolie had none; neither did Thomas Scott, the film's picture editor. Retta Scott, a personal favorite of Walt, was similarly not credited for her work on "Fantasia," "Dumbo," nor the WWII doc- umentary "Victory Through Air Power." "Queens of Animation" documents everyday realities of life at the studio Walt Disney (first row, seventh from left) with his team in an undated photo. According to a new book, Disney encouraged talent wherever he saw it - including from the "inbetweeners," women who facilitated the animation process.

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