Thurber and Melendez UPA Shorts

A couple of shorts, both under 7 minutes apiece.



Released September 4, 1953, the UPA short THE UNICORN IN THE GARDEN was released. It was based not only on James Thurber's short story, but it also recreated his cartoon "look." Rumor has it that director Bill Hurtz deliberately let the "greener," less experienced hands work on this to achieve Thurber's naive drawing style. YouTube link here.

CHRISTOPHER CRUMPET, from the same studio, same year (with an animation assist by Bill Melendez, who would produce the CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS special thirteen years later) is a story told by an animator sitting at his drawing board ....

"Well, you know Christopher. You either get him what he wants or you've got a chicken for a son."

Any short with that line in it is worth perusing. Link here.