No one caught it; Disney was aware of it from the beginning, possibly because someone pointed out it had been inserted. However, they were not aware that it was featured in the new print (the blasted print that's been recycled for 2003 and 2012 re-releases), so they announced a re-call without explicitly explaining why. Eventually, the explanation was given.
Some people have heralded this as "pornography found in a Disney film," which is ridiculous. A nude human body, regardless of where it is shown, be it a museum or a family film video, is not pornography. Generally, there's nothing wrong or offensive about the image, except that it does not belong there and was not intended to be a part of the movie.
Nude female torsos WERE, however, meant to be part of Fantasia and even Peter Pan, so what's the big deal? It shouldn't be one.
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ExplorerDS6789
10 years ago
And because of ALL THAT, The Rescuers' reputation has been tarnished. I hope that whoever inserted that picture was FIRED and blacklisted from the industry.
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Taran_Wanderer_2
10 years ago
Well, don't worry too much. After this years, the hype of the "discovery" had diminished considerably. Yeah, Disney certainly released the crummy DVD rather quietly after the controversy, but they actually placed an ad for the following release (the 2012 Blu-ray, only so-so better than the DVD) on several DVDs, so little by little, the film is earning its rightful place again.
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ExplorerDS6789
10 years ago
It's not enough, though. I guess this film isn't as memorable today because it doesn't have any princesses or goofy comic reliefs (as Orville and Luke are hardly in it), or even big musical numbers. The Rescuers is one of Disney's more subtle films, doesn't try to be any more than it is. Disney could easily make merchandise off the movie and capitalize on it, but for some reason, they choose not to.
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idonnowho
10 years ago
This film DEFINITELY needs more recognition. Just because it wasn't made (or at least released) before Walt's death, a "Princess" film, or "Lion King"/"Lilo & Stitch"-related, as one user pointed out on the "Oliver & Co" board, doesn't mean it should be ignored by the company itself (ditto for... MOST of the stuff which doesn't have any of the three aforementioned factors applicable to it in Disney's library).
Personally, I'm curious to see how they really made the film... Such a fricken shame they won't let us see... >:|
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Matuatay
10 years ago
So that one silly image is the reason The Rescuers has received such shoddy treatment over the years? Unbelievable. It's an amazing emotional film and deserves a place among the top 10 Disney Classics of all time. Thanks for explaining it, everyone. Just amazes me that Disney would make such a big deal out of something so irrelevant.
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idonnowho
10 years ago
Wholeheartedly agree that this is definitely within the top 10. Heck, it's still my 1 or 2 favorite personally...
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ExplorerDS6789
10 years ago
Let's be honest here, the reason this movie is so beloved is because of Penny. How could you not love that little girl, and feel sorry for her? I think if not for her, maybe the film wouldn't have worked as well, but that's my opinion.
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Matuatay
10 years ago
To me it's not the Penny character as much as it's the feeling of...dread(?) throughout most of the movie? It's a very gloom and doom-like tale until the end. Maybe it was Penny and the situation she was in. But the animation, setting, lighting, locations, etc were so dark and moody. There's just something about the idea of a woman like Medusa taking a child and stashing her on a rotting riverboat in the middle of a swamp that's just eerily realistic, but unrealistic enough to enjoy as fantasy. Then the idea of two tiny beings being able to beat all the odds and put a stop to it so they could bring the girl back to safety. Hard to explain the appeal this movie has to me, but it's my #1 favorite Disney of all time because of it's subject matter and tone. Not to mention the songs are top notch and make you feel the joy and the pain as the movie progresses.
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idonnowho
10 years ago
Let's be honest here, the reason this movie is so beloved is because of Penny.
Yes. She's a big reason the movie is enjoyable.
I think if not for her, maybe the film wouldn't have worked as well
"The Rescuers 2: Down Under" clearly illustrates this point to a T. Penny wasn't in it at all, nor were many of the other characters from the original masterpiece; not even Evinrude the dragonfly!, and it paled in comparison. Penny could've at least tagged along for the adventure and maybe even become new friends with Cody (who was ok enough already).
Interestingly, an early idea for the original movie was that the mice would be rescuing a bear either from a zoo, or helping him return to the zoo after he was abducted. Concept art even suggests PENNY was supposed to appear in this early idea. So even though it seems doubtful the original concept would've been as engaging as the final film, at least Penny still would've appeared (most likely) unlike the second film...
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ExplorerDS6789
10 years ago
Interestingly, an early idea for the original movie was that the mice would be rescuing a bear either from a zoo, or helping him return to the zoo after he was abducted. Concept art even suggests PENNY was supposed to appear in this early idea. So even though it seems doubtful the original concept would've been as engaging as the final film, at least Penny still would've appeared (most likely) unlike the second film...
Does that have anything to do with Louis the Bear? The character Louis Prima was supposed to play?
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Taran_Wanderer_2
10 years ago
Does that have anything to do with Louis the Bear? The character Louis Prima was supposed to play?
Yes, it does. The polar bear eventually became a "musical" bear "bearing" the voice of Louis Prima.
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ExplorerDS6789
10 years ago
We certaily would've gotten a VERY different movie had Louis been involved.
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Taran_Wanderer_2
10 years ago
Louis Prima and Phil Harris. Frankly, it would have been another Robin Hood more or less, but with some human presences. Frankly, I'm happy with the way the film turned out; I only wish Don Bluth would have walked out earlier. His "legacy" in the film is quite sad.
I'm curious to hear a demo for "Just Might Be Tomorrow." Connors' and Robbins' intended song prior to the re-writing of "Someone's Waiting for You." It certainly sounds like the "tomorrow" theme was planned to tie in to "Tomorrow Is Another Day."
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ExplorerDS6789
10 years ago
Well, I thought Robin Hood was a pretty good film, but at this stage, the Disney crew had wanted to go back to their roots and channel the same kind of emotion brought on by Bambi and Dumbo. They had a nice run of comedic films (101 Dalmatians to Robin Hood) so it was time to do something more serious again.
Apparently at one point they thought about bringing in Phil Harris again, but decided not to because they wanted a more dramatic picture.
What did Don Bluth do that was wrong?
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Taran_Wanderer_2
10 years ago
He was a director for the airport scene. You can see by how the scene turned out that the people working on it did not care for it, which is why it looks unfinished. Bluth always has this unappealing desire to portray the more "technological" aspects of human world blend in with the fantasy elements within a film. The blend is unappealing and feels out of place with the rest of the movie. The backgrounds are only half-finished and very rough, and the human animation (of the passengers) is very poor.
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Taran_Wanderer_2
10 years ago
Maybe it was Penny and the situation she was in. But the animation, setting, lighting, locations, etc were so dark and moody
The theatrical release looked a lot nicer. The Blu-ray is over-saturated and overly dark, giving the film that "murky" and rather unappealing look. In the original theatrical presentation of the film, the Bayou scenes particularly had a grayish atmosphere, instead of the blueish one seen in the home video releases, and because gray is a neutral color, all of the other colors had a more natural shade to them, making these scenes a visual treat.
Some of this can be seen in the French version of the theatrical trailer, though some of the colorization is over-saturated in some clips as well.
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