The Collie in 101 Dalmatians was animated by Julius Svendsen and voiced by actor Tom Conway who was the brother of George Sanders (Shere Khan).
Milt Kahl drew these beautiful designs to explore the final look of the Collie.
It isn't an easy thing to humanize a dog like this one, the long snout makes it difficult to portray a smile. The edges of the mouth need to move close to the eyes, which could look awkward.
But if anybody could pull it off it would be Milt. He had to deal with a similar challenge on characters like Bambi's mother, Prince Phillp's horse Samson and Frou Frou in The Aristocats.
Masterful!
ReplyDeleteIt's always great to see Milt's character design explorations, thanks again for sharing them.
Julius Svendsen is an artist I need to learn more about. Mark Mayerson (http://mayersononanimation.blogspot.com/search?q=Julius+Svendsen) and Michael Sporn (http://www.michaelspornanimation.com/splog/?p=1496)have written a little about him in the past.
Effortless and elegant. Drawings like these astound me. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved that collie. He's so "David Niven" early sixties elegant. I expect him to say, "Go now; I'm going back to my study for some sherry."
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ReplyDeleteI'd suggest that the design for the collie is as effective as it needs to be for his small role in the film. The collie is a figure of gentle authority who provides some comfort to the dalmatians in arranging shelter for them in the barn, but it is not a role that requires much screen time. Had the role been more substantial, this design may have proven impractical, as there is some limitation in the amount of expression and acting possible with that face and stiff muzzle. I say this not as criticism however, but with an understanding of what you can get by with on a minor character that really doesn't warrant further development. The collie's design succeeds well for his limited role in the film.
ReplyDeleteI remember in one theatrical viewing of the film many years ago, my thinking that the collie sounded rather like Shere Khan. Upon researching the name of the actor who provided his voice, it was interesting to find out that Tom Conway actually was the brother of George Sanders! Conway also provided the opening narration in Disney's "Peter Pan".
The collie was one of my favorite characters as a child watching the film, even though he had a very minor role. I think there was something about his quiet dignity that appealed to me, along with the fact that he was able to provide shelter for Pongo, Perdy, and the puppies when they most needed it. :)
ReplyDeletei love the collie! he always reminded me of richard gere for some reason! same eyes and hair. great post!
ReplyDeleteAbolustely wonderful work. So inspiring.
ReplyDeleteI loved Sven's work on the Collie although I remember some concerned comments about the animation back in the sixties while working on the film. The Collie wasn't that easy to draw or animate and animators can sometimes be overly critical, I guess.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, I enjoyed my time on the film and some years later I would find myself working with Tom Conway's famous brother on The Jungle Book.
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ReplyDeleteIt's incredible how many appealing characters Milt Kahl designed in just one movie!
ReplyDeleteThe collie was always one of those character that I just enjoyed watching. I couldn't take my eyes off him for the short time he was on screen. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteI just re-watched this movie again the other night, and I must say I especially loved how all the 'incidental' animal characters were imbued with subtle hints of distinct personality that also tied into their intrinsic species. To see the collie as yet another ally on Pongo and Perdita's rescue who not only had a temporary haven for them but had saved them a sandwich from his own reserve felt very stoically appropriate to a collie :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I can barley remember this character. I wouldn't have thought Milt did this character. Subtle. I like how this guy works.
ReplyDeleteWow Milts work here on the collie is really beautiful...
ReplyDeleteThis is why I love One Hundred and One Dalmatians -- all the beautiful designs for the dogs! Pongo is by far my favorite, but I do love the nobility and esteem that the collie generates just in his design. Thank you, Andreas, for sharing!
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