>I've received a request for help from a former exchange student in >Germany on behalf of her friend who is writing a master's thesis on the >transformation of four fairy tales into animated features, with >particular emphasis on Walt Disney, namely Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, >Snow White, and The Little Mermaid. She is interested in Disney's own >understanding of these films and information such as why Sleeping Beauty >preceded other stories, and would like to know whom she might contact at >Disney for archival information. If someone could provide answers to >any of these questions and/or references to analyses of these films in >the secondary literature, I'd appreciate it. Animation is not a special >interest of mine, but I'll pass on the information. My e-mail address is >[log in to unmask] >Thanks, >Janis Solomon Yippee!! A question *I* can answer! :) You can have her call David Smith at the Disney archive -- he's the head guy there, but there are *things* to think about when you call Disney for information on Disney. You also might want to refer her to a new book by Robin Allan, which has just been published by John Libbey -- Walt Disney and Europe: European Influences on the Animated Feature Films of Walt Disney (ISBN 0253213533 -- $25 in the US). It's excellent. Another idea: I run a free e-mail list for Animation Journal at e-groups ([log in to unmask]) and through it she can contact a wide range of animation scholars, including Robin. If you want to join, you can go to my web site: http://www.chapman.edu/animation. There you'll find information on Animation Journal, which I publish, including a means for joining the list quite easily. BTW, one issue of Animation Journal contains a lengthy review of animation studies literature that might be useful, though only a small portion relates to Disney. I'm not going to plug my own book . . . (but you can read about it on my web site). ;) Good luck! -- Maureen Furniss Editor, Animation Journal ---- Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite http://www.tcf.ua.edu/ScreenSite