Richard Williams (1933-2019)
For those of you who have not heard of his name, it is with deep sadness that I announce that Richard Williams died of cancer on August 16th, 2019, at age 86. Williams was a Canadian-born animator best known for animating "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "The Pink Panther". He was also known for his unfinished animated masterpiece "The Thief and the Cobbler". Unfortunately, this piece had a turbulent history because of its independent funding. The film fell out of Williams' hands, then finished and later re-edited by two distributors. It was later recovered from its obscurity by a fan named Garrett Gilchrist, who produced a fan restoration of Williams' version entitled "The Recobbled Cut". It is compiled from the film's previous versions and supported by numerous people, including those who worked on the unfinished project. This fan edit played a large part in restoring "The Thief and the Cobbler" back to what the creator had intended it to be. It is available to watch on YouTube. In 2013, Williams released a rough cut of his movie "A Moment in Time", which had a screening in Los Angeles with Williams present at this event.
For those of you who have not heard of his name, it is with deep sadness that I announce that Richard Williams died of cancer on August 16th, 2019, at age 86. Williams was a Canadian-born animator best known for animating "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "The Pink Panther". He was also known for his unfinished animated masterpiece "The Thief and the Cobbler". Unfortunately, this piece had a turbulent history because of its independent funding. The film fell out of Williams' hands, then finished and later re-edited by two distributors. It was later recovered from its obscurity by a fan named Garrett Gilchrist, who produced a fan restoration of Williams' version entitled "The Recobbled Cut". It is compiled from the film's previous versions and supported by numerous people, including those who worked on the unfinished project. This fan edit played a large part in restoring "The Thief and the Cobbler" back to what the creator had intended it to be. It is available to watch on YouTube. In 2013, Williams released a rough cut of his movie "A Moment in Time", which had a screening in Los Angeles with Williams present at this event.
As a teenager, I began admiring Williams and his animation genius when I discovered "The Thief and the Cobbler" while browsing the internet. It means a lot to him after many years of work he spent on that film before being dismissed.
Williams began his animation career by working on television commercials and produced his self-financed short film "The Little Island" in 1958, which earned him a BAFTA award. He then started animating title sequences for various movies. Two of these animations ended up in "The Pink Panther" movies by director Blake Edwards.
In 1971, Williams directed the animated short "A Christmas Carol", which won him an Academy Award. He also made a full-length animated feature, "Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure", and the Emmy-award-winning TV animated movie "Ziggy's Gift". Williams' proudest accomplishment was the animation for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", which earned him two Oscars. In 2002, Williams authored his how-to book "The Animator's Survival Kit". Before his death, he made two short animations, including "Circus Drawings" and "Prologue".
Williams began his animation career by working on television commercials and produced his self-financed short film "The Little Island" in 1958, which earned him a BAFTA award. He then started animating title sequences for various movies. Two of these animations ended up in "The Pink Panther" movies by director Blake Edwards.
In 1971, Williams directed the animated short "A Christmas Carol", which won him an Academy Award. He also made a full-length animated feature, "Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure", and the Emmy-award-winning TV animated movie "Ziggy's Gift". Williams' proudest accomplishment was the animation for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", which earned him two Oscars. In 2002, Williams authored his how-to book "The Animator's Survival Kit". Before his death, he made two short animations, including "Circus Drawings" and "Prologue".
We lost an unsung legend, but we will never forget his legacy. Here are the clips from his films that contained his stunning and sometimes surrealistic animation.
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