Some of Disney's more obscure cartoons from the 1970s and 1980s are experiencing a renaissance. Nostalgia isn't the only thing that's taking adult fans back to the movies they loved as children. The recent trend of live-action remakes has re-ignited an interest in the movies on which these films are originally based. People also want to remind themselves of those old movies before the stories get ret-conned or turned into modern movies.
The Rescuers was made at an interesting time in Disney's history. Walt Disney had passed away in 1966, and some aspects of the company were in disarray. However, some things weren't, and The Rescuers achieved popularity—so much so that it prompted a sequel and a spinoff. Here are 10 things fans may not know about The Rescuers.
10 The Plot Was Too Political For Walt Disney
The original idea for The Rescuers goes as far back as 1962 but was initially shelved partly due to Walt's distaste for anything even remotely political. The 1960s was a tumultuous time socially, and Disney wanted his creations to be a refuge from the maddening crowd.
However, once the original story was tweaked to focus on a kidnapped polar bear instead of a jailed Norwegian poet, he warmed up to the idea. Other changes were made to the script until the film was actually produced, but the gamble paid off in the end. The movie was so successful it gave birth to its own franchise.
9 The Sequels Became Spin-Offs
The late 1960s and early 1970s were when spinoffs were more fashionable and economically viable than sequels. That's one of the reasons that the sequel to 1970s The Aristocrats never took off. By 1976, however, the pendulum had swung back, and Disney gave both concepts equal time.
The Rescuers got both a spinoff and a sequel. The Rescuers Down Under was released in 1990 and the television series that was planned for 1988 was released as the Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers television series instead.
8 Euripedes Mouse
During the Rescue Aid Society meeting in the movie, the gathering takes a moment to remember the heroic Euripides Mouse. It turns out this organization has been in operation since 405 BC, which is a pretty decent run.
The film's animators didn't create this famous mouse. It's a reference to the famous fable of Aesop, who told a tale about a brave little mouse that helped a lion. His bravery was duly rewarded, and that's the moral of this story, too. Bear in mind that Biana is also a mouse who's not afraid of cats, and keep your eyes open for yet another reference to ancient Greece in this movie.
7 The Medusa Reference
Madame Medusa is one of Disney's most underrated and savage villains, and the movie's revival has seen her come out of the shadows as well. She is as nasty and two-faced as other villains of the era—such as Cruella DeVille or Edgar the butler from The Aristocats—and she even inspired Ursula, the Sea Witch The Little Mermaid.
Greed seems to be the fatal flaw of the Disney villains in the years preceding the Renaissance. Still, instead of luxurious furs or an old lady's inheritance, Madame Medusa is pursuing gemstones. Her name isn't just borrowed from that infamous monster from Greek mythology, either. Penny actually freezes when Medusa makes eye contact with her, a reference to the ancient monster's power to turn those who looked at her to stone.
6 The UN And The Rescue Aid Society
The Rescue Aid Society is organized in a way that's intended to mimic the United Nations, although as the reference to Euripides Mouse reveals that it goes back much longer than the contemporary organization based in New York City.
The mouse representing Hungary is the main character, the brave and compassionate Miss Bianca, and her incentive is what begins the story. The voice actor behind Bianca is Eva Gabor, who was in Budapest, Hungary.
5 The Legend Of Geraldine Page
Geraldine Page was one of the most talented entertainers from this era of Hollywood. She played various movie parts and was known for taking on a wide variety of different characters. One of them was Madame Medusa, the main villain of The Rescuers.
Mit Kahl, the animator who drew Medusa almost singlehandedly, raved that Page had only needed one take for each of her lines. She had nailed every single one perfectly on the very first try. He was the last of the Nine Old Men, and he has his own story.
4 Mit Khal, Last Of The Nine
From the earliest days of Disney, there was a group of animators that made the magic happen. The same animators that had created Snow White and the Seven Dwarves were now in retirement had gone on to directing or producing or had moved on to that big storyboard in the sky.
The Rescuers was the final animated feature for the gang's last holdout that came to be known as "The Nine Old Men." Mit Khal was the last of the group to stay on the animation team, and this was the last movie to carry his signature style. He drew Madame Medusa almost completely by himself because none of his assistants had the same level of talent.
3 The Departure Of Don Bluth And Gary Goldman
Other animators left as well, but for different reasons. This was also the last Disney film that Don Bluth and Gary Goldman worked on, two names that might sound slightly familiar. However, they departed for another reason.
Bluth asked why the whites of the character's eyes weren't colored in, only to say it was too expensive. He and fellow animator Goldman used their own equipment to prove otherwise, and the studio responded by telling them to cram their paintbrushes. The result was Bluth and Goldman leaving to create their own animation company.
2 Miss Bianca, A Mouse, And A Cat Lover
Miss Bianca isn't like other mice. Her character is already in direct contrast to the nervous and unsure Bernard, and she was one of Disney's earliest attempts at an assertive female lead. One thing that makes her stand out from other mice is that she has no fear of cats.
She seems to like them and even be sympathetic to them. This bravery is useful when on adventures, as it allows Bianca to converse with the local felines. If not for this skill, the mice might never have spoken to Rufus, the cat, who was close to Penny and wanted to help the Rescuers find her.
1 This Was The First Animated Film To Have A Sequel
Although it didn't get as much attention as other films released during the Disney Renaissance that had begun with the Little Mermaid in 1989, The Rescuers Down Under was released only a year later and had the same adventure, drama, and compelling characters as the original movie from 1977.
It was also one of the first Disney films to integrate computer-generated graphics into the hand-drawn animation before The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast made it cool. Far from shying away from politics, the movie takes on an unapologetic environmental message by making the villain, who is played to perfection by Hollywood heavyweight George C. Scott, a poacher.