"Tale as old as time. Song as old as rhyme. Beauty and the Beast." - Mrs. Potts.
This week is a very special and important week. Not just because it is the week before Christmas, but because it is also my girlfriends birthday week. And so in honor of her special day, I chose to write a piece on one of her all-time favorite animated films.
The 1990's was part of what was known as the Disney Renaissance. Labeled thus because of the vast creative output of films, it galvanized a renewed public interest in The Walt Disney Company as a whole. One of its most celebrated and successful animated features is the 1991 hit Beauty and the Beast.
Adapted from the 17th century French fairy tale, this is the story of a young woman named Belle, who feels like an outsider in her provincial country town where she is the only one who has a passion for books and knowledge. She finds herself drawn into an adventure full of wonder and romance when she selflessly takes her father's place in the castle of the Beast. During this time she not only makes new friends but also falls in love with Beast and finds in him a kindred spirit and a happy ending.
Every great animated movie always has several elements that help make it be the success that it is. Those parts are the production, the voice cast, and in the case of Disney, the music.
To detail every single aspect of the production of this animated masterpiece would take quite a while. So for the enjoyment of all, here is something special. The 'behind the scenes' story of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
Behind every great animated character is a voice. For Disney's 30th full-length feature, a wide and wonderfully varied array of voice actors/actress's was cast.
For the leading role of Belle, Disney found their voice in Paige O'Hara. She brought to the role a strength that has flowed over into both the Broadway show and the recent live-film version starring Emma Watson. Not only did Paige provide Belle with a sense of empowerment and individuality, but she also gave the character's songs a resounding melody that makes them some of the most-beloved numbers in the catalogue of classic Disney songs.
In the part of the Beast, Robby Benson was the voice for both dialogue and songs. There is a lot of anger in his performance, all of it manifested from inside the Beast and channeled outward at the world and everyone in it. As the story progress's, he changes the tones from being pure gruff to having a warm and tender edge. And like Paige, his singing is pure magic, the sort one never tires of listening to.
What helps make this story so stand-out isn't just the leading voices, but the support as well. Four of the most memorable voices are those of the Beasts key servants.
Lumière and Cogsworth, what a pair those two make. Voiced by the talented duo of Jerry Orbach and David Ogden Stiers, these two help propel Belle and Beast's relationship along. They also have a lot of great back and forth banter that adds humor to the story, not to mention their playing off one another makes their character's all the more loveable.
Another pair of beloved members of the castle staff are Mrs. Potts and her son Chip. Mrs. Potts was given a stern but loving English voice by veteran actress Angela Lansbury, while Chip's precocious youth was sparked by Bradley Pierce. Together they are an adorable mother/son pairing, not to mention Angela's stirring performance of one of the movie's key songs.
On a whole, Beauty and the Beast has songs galore that are just dynamite. Both the animated, Broadway and now live movie soundtracks are universally loved. All due deference must be given to the animated film for the precedent it set years ago. Especially with three songs in particular.
'Be Our Guest' is in many ways the big song and dance number. It has an upbeat and fast-paced tune, fantastic singing from Jerry Orbach and the cast, not to mention its catchy and memorable lyrics.
'Something There' is a sweet number. It speaks of the growing attraction between Belle and the Beast. Where there was once fear and misunderstanding, there is common ground, common interests, the beginnings of love. This is a song that speaks of the blossoming romance that is in store for the pair.
The third and perhaps best song, is not just appealing on an auditory level, but a visual one as well. Sung by Angela Lansbury, this is a piece that has all the classic elements of a big romantic song. It speaks of the now there love between the protagonists, and how it started small and grew into something magical. Plus, it was the number that had a full cinematic treatment. Utilizing Pixar's CAPS (Computer Animation Production System), the animated figures of Belle and Beast were superimposed onto the computer generated ballroom which allowed for 'cameras' to dolly around them in 3D space. This provided a beautiful spectacle for audiences that capture the full force of this love story in a single moment.
The Walt Disney Company and their movies are some of the most universally known and loved. Since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in 1937, it has been a non-stop ride of magic, songs and fantastic stories. Beauty and the Beast is in many ways one of the crown jewels because of how powerful, memorable and wonderful it is.
This is why it gave me great pleasure to write about this for my girlfriend, because I know how much she loves this movie and how much it means to her.
So the next time there is nothing to watch on TV or online, punch up a copy of Beauty and the Beast, sit back and relax as you are made the guests of a story that is romance given animated form.
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