TheOldMillCelebrates80thAnniversaryByDaveBossert

(Scene26,Moonbehindthesailwithfirefliesblinkingintimetothefrogchorus,fromTheOldMill;©Disney)

Eightyyearsago,thismonth,onNovember5,1937,TheOldMillwasreleasedtotheaters.This

isoneofmyfavoriteSillySymphonyshortsbecauseithadnodialogueandreliedsolelyonthe

visualsandmusictotellthestory.Itwasalsogroundbreakingfornewinnovationsand

technologythatwerefullofexploring,testingandexperimentation.Thefilmwasdirectedby

DisneyLegendWilfredJackson,whowentontobeasequencedirectoronalltheDisney

animatedfeaturesuptoLadyandtheTramp.However,thereisa“creditspage”fromthefilms

storysketchbinderthatlistsGrahamHeidasdirectoraswell,butbasedonTheOldMillstory

notesfrom1936,hewasanassistantdirectoraccordingtoDidierGhez.HeiddiddirecttheSilly

SymphonyshortWyken,Blyken&NodandlaterbecameasequencedirectoronBambi.The

AcademyAwardsProgramforcartoonshortdoeslistJacksonasthedirectorinthat1937

document.

TheOldMillistrulyacelluloidfeastaboutanoldmillandthesurroundingproperty

whichishosttoanabundanceofwildlife—birds,mice,bats,frogs,anowl,etc.Thestructure

anditsinhabitantsarethreatenedbyafiercesummerstormduringwhichthemilllookslikeit

mightcollapsefromthegustingwinds.Asidefromaslightlist,theoldmillsurvivesthebrutal

forcesofnatureandbymorningtheskyisclearandtheenvironmentiscalmonceagainas

dawnarrives.

(Scene47,theMillwithsailsrevolvingtowindwithlightningandthunder;©Disney)

Thefilm’scenterpiece,anoldabandonedwindmillinthecountryislush,detailed,and

fullofdepthshowcasingthemasterfulartisticskillsofthestudioatthattime.Thelayoutswere

donebyTerrilStapp,whohadalsodonelayoutsonTheBandConcertandWoodlandCafé.He

wentontodoartdirectiononSnowWhiteandtheSevenDwarfs,Pinocchio,theNightonBald

MountainandAveMariasequencesinFantasia,andDumbo.Theshortbeginsasatranquil

scenic,dusktonighttime,settingcompletewithnocturnalbatsleavingtheatticofthemillfor

theevening.Thisestablishingshotdrawstheviewerintoexplorethenaturalworldwith

vignettesoffaunathatinhabitthelocationuntilasummerstormstartstobuild,completewith

blowingwind,peltingrain,andlightningfurthertatteringtheoldmill.Thefilmreliesheavilyon

therich,flourishingsettingsandthecinematographytohelpmovethestoryalong.Thelanguid

cameramovesandlongerscenesinthebeginningoftheshortmakewayforthecontrastof

somefastcuttingasthestormbuildstoaclimaticcrescendoofalightningstrikecausingthe

milltoleanfurthertooneside.Asthestormsubsidesandpasses,itmakeswayfordaybreak

andthebatsreturntotheirperchintheraftersoftheoldmill.

(ModelsheetoftheOwlfromTheOldMill;©Disney)

Theanimatedeffectsandcamera/opticaltechniquesdevelopedandhonedonTheOld

Millwerealsoemployedinthefirstanimatedfeaturefilm,SnowWhiteandtheSevenDwarfs,

whichwasinproductionatthesametimeandreleasedaboutsixweekslater.Manyofthe

legendaryDisneyeffectsanimatorsworkedonthisshortincludingCyYoung,DanMacManus,

GeorgeRowleyandUgoD’Orsiamongothers.Theseweretheartiststhatformedthefirst

special effectsdepartmentatWaltDisneyAnimationStudio.Priortoaformalspecialeffects

department,thecharacteranimatorsdidmuchoftheirowneffectsanimationwhereneeded

whichwasinconsistentfromartisttoartist.Thisspecializedgroupofeffectsanimatorswere

abletobringavisualstandardizationtoelevatedqualitybycontributingtheirtalentstosomeof

themostmemorablemomentsinthestudiosearlyanimatedfeaturefilms.Notableexamples

includetheoceanwatereffectsfromtheMonstrotheWhalesequenceinPinocchio,allof

Fantasia,andtheforestfireinBambi.Theeffectsartistsdevelopedrealisticrepresentationsof

rain,fire,waterripples,lightning,reflectionsandothernaturalatmosphericandenvironmental

phenomenonoftencombininghanddrawanimationwithopticalcameraeffects.

Thespecialeffectsenhancedthestunningbackgroundsthatwerepaintedfortheshort,

manyofwhichwerecreatedbyDisneyLegendClaudeCoats.TheOldMillwas,morethanany

animatedfilmuptothatpoint,atruebackgroundfilm.Itwasthosebeautifulscenicpaintings

thatcaptivatedtheaudiencecreatingatoneandmoodthatoutweighstheanimationmore

thananyother.Itwas,accordingtoCoats,inaninterview,“Ithinkitkindofopenedthedoor

forsomescenestobeappreciatedforjusttheirscenicvalue,especiallythroughSnowWhite,

andthatsameideawentintoPinocchiotoo.”Thebackgroundshecreatedhadtheabilityto

combinemood,light,andcolorinawaythatcreatedanemotionalcorollary,avisceralreaction

fortheviewer.Thesescenicmomentshelpedestablishthefeelingandatmosphereinascene

contributingtothevisualstorytellinginawaynotexperiencedbefore.

(TheDisneyMultiplaneCamerausedmultiplecameraoperatorstoshootasinglescene.©Disney.)

TheOldMillisthefirstfilmtousethefamedDisneymultiplanecamerathataddedthe

illusionofthree-dimensionaldepthtotheanimatedfilms.Agreatexampleofthatdepthis

rightatthebeginningofthefilmwhichopensonaforegroundspiderwebcompletewith

glisteningdewdrops,whichthenrake-focusestothedistantmillasthecamerapushesin.The

multiplanecameraalsoallowedfortheuseofspecialopticaleffectssuchascomplextopand

bottomlighteffects;andtheuseofrippleglass,whichwereplatesofopticallyclearglassthat

hadspecialpatternsgroundandpolishedinthemtoachievevarioustypesofrippleddistortions

whenartworkwasfilmedthroughthem.Thecamerawaslaborintensivetooperatewithas

manyastencameramenworkingtosetupeachframe.UbIwerkshadinventedaseriesof

switchesthateachoperatorhadtofliponcetheytookcareoftheirtaskoneachframebefore

thecameramancouldexposethatframeoffilm.Initsheyday,themultiplanecamerawasbeing

operatedtwenty-fourhoursadaywiththreeshiftsofcameraoperators.Themultiplanecamera

wasusedforoverfiftyyearsonDisneyanimatedfeaturefilmsfromSnowWhiteandSeven

DwarfstoTheLittleMermaid.ItwasreplacedbydigitaltechnologywiththeComputer

AnimationProductionSystemknownasCAPS.

ThemusicforTheOldMillwaswrittenbyLeighHarlinewhoisbestknownfor

composingthesongWhenYou WishUponaStarfromPinocchio,whichwonanAcademy

Award®forBestOriginalSong.HarlinewrotethatsongwithNedWashingtonandithasbecome

ubiquitoustoTheWaltDisneyCompany.Harline’smusicforTheOldMillisnolessasupporting

charactertothefilmvisualscreatingacompletetapestrythatsetstheearlymoodasthesetting

isestablished,thenbuildstensioninunisontotheapproachingstorm.Theuseofmusical

instrumentsassoundeffectstocomplimenttheanimationwasacommonpracticeandis

evidentwithsceneslikethecattailshittingadilapidatedfencecomplimentedbyxylophone

notesandsomereedsbreakingandwobblinginthewindtoflutesandpiccolos.Thereisa

perfectcohesivenesstothismusicalarrangementandaccompanyingpicture.

(TheOldMillmovieposter;©Disney)

TheOldMillwontheAcademyAward®forBestAnimatedShortFilmof1937anda

ScientificandTechnicalAcademyAwardforthemultiplanecamera.Theshortwasaddedtothe

NationalFilmRegistryin2015.Ontheeightiethanniversary,TheOldMillstillenchantsand

maintainsitscaptivatingbeautyandcharmasatimelessanimatedclassic.