Friday, December 16, 2011

What's My Crime?

Remember the great TV parody sequence in "101 Dalmatians" called "What's My Crime?" ?
Even if you have never seen the American TV show "What's My Line", which the animated version is based on, the humor and satire are so strong and enjoyable to watch, way past the 1960ies.
Here are are a few character design sketches by Milt Kahl, no doubt based on story drawings by Bill Peet. They show one of the questioners Miss Birdwell and the Quizmaster himself. 
I can't ever get enough of Milt's graphic abstractions, such as the Quizmaster's hands, fingers interlocked, forming the shape of a bridge or something like that.
Some of you might recognize a drawing influence of Ronald Searle, who's work affected animated projects from many studios in those days.











18 comments:

  1. Practically, a lot of the designs in Dalmatians that are heavily influenced of Ronald Searle, and Ken Anderson was inspired by him.

    I know that Art Stevens and Julius Svensden did the animation of the TV scenes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It looks like they really got to have fun and just push those characters as far as they could possibly want.

    Do you know if they're based on anyone in particular?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love 101 Dalmatians so much.
    It's like watching a Ronald Searle animated movie.

    Everyone has either long, skinny legs with angular hips or are short and plump with skinny little legs.

    The Xerox process also adds to that Searl-ish sketchy black pen look. Love it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's strange that 101 Dalmatians had an obviously far lower budget than Sleeping Beauty, yet it still turned out gorgeous to look at. I feel a little annoyed at Walt Disney that he so intensely disliked the visual style, haha. I think it rocks.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Impressive :D
    Just Googled Robert Searle. Very happy that I did! :D
    I love how much new stuff I'm discovering, thanks to this blog and all you commenters!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great scene. The designs make me smile just looking at them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. "hey lookit horace! meathead fauncwater!!!!!" LOLZ that movie rocks. awesome post.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Miss Bird well looks a lot like Aunt Sarah from Lady & the Tramp.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I never realized how funny this part of the movie was until I was older. Haha. Very funny stuff made only better by the animation.

    ReplyDelete
  10. me gusta mucho tu blog,las lineas a lapiz son maravillosas!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Back in the 70's, here in Canada we used to see a British game show on TV called "Jokers Wild". It was a panel of comedians trying to one up each other in telling some long drawn out joke, with a very proper moderator to keep them in line. There were several who were regulars, with a different guest comedian joining them each week. They sure were a delightfully droll and articulate group, and their mannerisms really reminded me of this panel on "What's My Crime?" If you want to compare it yourself, here's a link to a typical show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aCKfjHzbIY

    ReplyDelete
  12. The idea that the Badduns' favourite TV show is "What's My Crime" comes from the original Dodie Smith children's book. The BBC had bought the rights to a couple of US TV show formats (another being "This is your Life") and the UK version of "what's My Line" first aired in July 1951. The book "The Hundred and One Dalmatians, or the Great Dog Robbery" was first published in 1956. (Of course, the Disney version, though delightfully 'English', does not actually parody the BBC show.)

    ReplyDelete
  13. The sketches of the man resemble Edgar from The Aristocats :) .

    ReplyDelete
  14. Without the moustache and the glasses 😊

    ReplyDelete