Two Unsung Heroes Gone

 Before I begin, I want to talk briefly about the content I used on my previous article. I'd like to apologise to anybody who may have been put off by what I wrote regarding the censorship which Roald Dahl's books have recently faced. However, when it comes to reviews, whether positive or negative, I always try to sound as constructive as possible. Like many creatives, I never intend to cause offence. Though there have been numerous articles i.e. in the Guardian where similar arguments have been stated. It just so happens that I personally agree with them. I just thought I'd make things clear and again, sorry for any off-puts.

Now onto the main topic for this article. Recently during the last few days, two filmmakers had passed away. I refer to those filmmakers as unsung heroes, particularly because they've achieved a lot over the years, but despite that, they have hardly been referenced through public discussions and so forth much.

Firstly, I shall talk about Burny Mattinson. Burny Mattinson is probably the longest running veteran to have worked with Walt Disney Pictures. It's odd to think, considering that I had always thought it was Joe Grant who had worked for Disney since Snow White & The Seven Dwarves and whose final credit was as a visual development artist for Home On The Range, but I guess going on a hiatus for three decades doesn't count. As for Burny, I knew he worked on a few films from the 50s to the 90s. But until I recently researched him, I had no idea he was still in business at the time of his demise. That was as soon as I read that he worked as a story artist for Disney's most recent animated feature, Strange World.

For those of you who don't know, Burny Mattinson started his career with Disney at age 18. Yes, that was indeed the age when he began employment, and without formal training apparently; which means that his career has spanned seven decades! Gee, let's see if Van Morrison can top that with his music career. 

The first feature film Burny worked on was Lady & The Tramp, as a breakdown/in-between artist. He followed that up with further credits in the animation department as story artist and/or animator for Sleeping Beauty, up to The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh, plus Big Hero 6 and of course Strange World. He was also a keen writer and his credits range from The Rescuers to The Great Mouse Detective, Beauty & The Beast to The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Mulan and Tarzan. You see what I mean by 7 decades? 

Speaking of The Great Mouse Detective, this is one of few films that credits Burny as a director. Well technically, The Great Mouse Detective, which is one of my favourites from Disney's entire filmography, was also directed by David Michener and fellow veterans John Musker and Ron Clements who would later direct The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and a few others. I guess because it's John & Ron's directorial debut that they had the experienced Burny to thank for his support. Plus without The Great Mouse Detective, we may not have had the Disney Renaissance, and the company might have faced permanent bankruptcy. I usually focus more on the art than on business, but I genuinely do think the film is one of Burny's greatest achievements and has demonstrated solid writing as well as being marketable enough to save the business. More on that another time.

But it wasn't just the works of Disney that Burny contributed to. Evidence can be found on IMDB - he was also the storyboard artist for All Dogs Go To Heaven and believe it or not, The Simpsons Movie. Of course, strangely enough, since Disney has now bought 20th Century Fox, it's possible that the latter would now count as a Disney movie. Great work Burny Mattinson.

The other unsung hero who has passed on is Walter Mirisch. He mainly worked as a producer, but even his career is quite a lengthy one, and so is his life since he had lived for over a century! Yet, he has hardly ever come up in public conversation much. His credits (as producer/executive producer) include The Magnificent Seven (1960), West Side Story (1961), The Great Escape, The Pink Panther (1963), In The Heat Of The Night (which earned him the Academy Award for Best Picture), Fiddler On The Roof and even the 2016 remake of The Magnificent Seven. Talk about a lengthy career. In fact, Walter even contributed to the production of the 90s TV version of The Pink Panther, a cartoon which I have fond memories of seeing on Channel 4. Probably not as long a career as Burny, but certainly a longer life. He is very lucky to have lived at the age of 101.

Now before I move on and close this article, just a few updates on what I plan to do next. I intend to take a break from this blog for a while. The reason is because I've been very busy recently, not just with work, but I've got a few projects to work on; one of which I may advertise on here. In addition, I shall be relocating to a different residential area, which means that I'm going to be focusing on moving things around and making a few adjustments to my new house. Normally, I do set myself tasks to post at least one blog per month, but considering what I've just said, don't be too surprised if I don't post anything on here for a while. If I do get round to posting anything, it'll be brief updates on certain things. Don't you worry, this blog's not going anywhere. There are some articles which I do plan to write in the future including ones on my favourite films and directors, and speaking of Disney, suggestions for new projects.

So that was my tribute to both Burny Mattinson and Walter Mirisch. May both of them rest in peace.