An alternate history of animated films

[NoName]

The premise of this project is one I already talked about here, but I've spent months doing research and thinking it out, and now I think I have a TL. (It's incomplete, so I'm hoping people will make suggestions as I go.)

In this TL, WW2 did not affect American animation studios like Disney as much as it did IOTL, so not only are Disney's early films more successful, but other animation studios like Fleischer, Warner Brothers, MGM, Universal, and Terrytoons are able to make their own animated features to compete with Disney. (And don't give me Frank and Ollie's bullshit claim that only Disney could create convincing animation. If that were true, the Looney Tunes cartoons wouldn't be as beloved as they are today.) If no one can think of a good reason why the war wouldn't affect these films as badly, then maybe we can move this to Alien Space Bats.

So, let's get started.

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1940
Disney's Pinocchio is an even greater success than Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Fantasia isn't as successful, however, and gets mixed reviews from critics. With that said, the film makes enough dough to encourage Walt to rotate out a new segment and add a new one with every rerelease. Disney also announces plans for the upcoming films Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan.

The success of Disney's films has caused other animation studios to announce their own plans for their own animated features. After making a good amount of money off of Gulliver's Travels despite that film's production troubles, Fleischer announces their next films: Mr. Bug Goes to Town, set for a 1941 release, and an animated Superman film, to be released in 1943.

Meanwhile, at Universal, Walter Lantz announces an animated film adaptation of Aladdin starring famed comic duo Abbott and Costello. Paul Terry at Terrytoons announces an animated film adaptation of King Lear starring his classic character Farmer Al Falfa in the titular role.

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In case you guys are wondering, Dumbo has been butterflied away because the reason that film was made IOTL was to recoup the losses of Pinocchio and Fantasia. And no Dumbo means no Disney animators strike, so UPA has been butterflied away, and animators like John Hubley, Art Babbit, and Bill Tytla will stay at Disney.

 

[NoName]

1941
Fleischer Studios releases Mr. Bug Goes to Town. Despite the turmoil occurring between Max and Dave, the film is even more successful and gets better reviews than Gulliver's Travels. This encourages the studio to make Superman into a feature instead of simply a short series as was originally planned.

Paul Terry releases Farmer Al Falfa as King Lear, which is a pretty straightforward adaptation of the famous tragedy, save for a happy ending added on. The film gets mixed reviews due to its simple plot, cheap and sloppy animation, and overall having a rushed feel to it, as is usual for the works of Terrytoons. However, the film is still able to make its money back due to its low budget, which encourages Paul Terry to release a new feature starring one of his characters every year, starting in 1943.

1942
Disney releases Bambi, which gets mixed reviews, but is still successful at the box office, albeit not to the same extent as Snow White or Pinocchio.

After the success of Mr. Bug and Bambi, Warner Brothers announces their upcoming feature: a film adaptation of John Carter of Mars, with both Bob Clampett and Chuck Jones working on it. Warner Brothers had been planning on adapting John Carter since the 30s, and the success of other studios' features has convinced them to move ahead with their project as a feature.

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Mr. Bug and Bambi are basically the same films as OTL's versions. Does anyone have any ideas for other films Terrytoons could do? (I imagine they would just be adaptations of classic public domain stories with Terrytoon characters in the lead roles.)

 

[NoName]

1943
Fleischer Studios releases an animated film adaptation of Superman, starring most of the cast from the Adventures of Superman radio serial reprising their roles, including Bud Collyer as Superman and Joan Alexander as Lois Lane. The film is one half origin story, and one half extended radio serial episode, with the first half being about Superman being raised by the Kents and meeting Lois, and the second half being about his goal to defeat an evil scientist voiced by Jack Mercer. The film is a phenomenal success at the box office, causing Fleischer to announce a sequel film set for a 1945 release.

Paul Terry releases Gandy and Sourpuss meet Hansel and Gretel, a feature length adaptation of Hansel and Gretel with Gandy Goose and Sourpuss thrown in alongside the main characters. Gandy and Sourpuss contribute little to the plot outside of slapstick and filler, and the film is a straightforward adaptation that focuses more on Hansel and Gretel than Gandy and Sourpuss, but once again, it makes enough money at the box office due to its low budget. Paul Terry then announces a Mighty Mouse feature to capitalize on the Superman craze.

Warner Brothers' John Carter movie was originally set for a 1946 release date, but has been pushed to 1947 due to the turmoil between Chuck Jones and Bob Clampett, which will later result in Clampett leaving the studio.

Disney announces a film adaptation of The Wind in the Willows set for a 1947 release.

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I decided the second Terrytoons film would be one of those lazy crossovers like those recent Tom and Jerry crossover movies. It sounds like the kind of thing a cheapskate like Paul Terry would do.

 

[NoName]

1944
Disney's Alice in Wonderland is released, starring Jane Withers as the titular character and a various number of well-known radio performers as the rest of the cast. Critics praise some of the voice acting, including W.C. Fields as the Caterpillar, and Groucho Marx and Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter and March Hare. Lucille LaVerne, who had previously voiced the evil queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, is also fondly received as the Queen of Hearts. Despite this, the film receives mixed reception, with some criticizing the Americanization of Carroll's story and characters, and the entire film having an uneven feel to it. The film is also not greatly successful at the box office.

To capitalize on the Superman craze, Paul Terry releases a feature film adaptation of his Mighty Mouse short series that, just like Fleischer's Superman film, also doubles as an origin story. The film is criticized for being essentially being an extended short, but just like the other Terrytoons films, makes a good amount of money at the box office due to its low budget.

As well as the Superman sequel, Fleischer also announces a feature film adaptation of Marge's comic strip Little Lulu. Meanwhile, Disney announces a film adaptation of Joel Chandler Harris's Uncle Remus stories to be released after The Wind in the Willows.

 

[NoName]

1946
Disney's Peter Pan is released. The film is successful, but gets mixed reviews due to the unlikable behavior of the titular character. Walt also announces that Uncle Remus will be his first live-action/animation hybrid film.

Meanwhile, at Warner Brothers, due to his rivalry with Chuck Jones over John Carter, Bob Clampett leaves the studio, allowing Chuck Jones the full director's chair for the film.

1947
Disney releases The Wind in the Willows. The film gets good reviews, but is only mildly successful at the box office. It is notable for being the final Disney credit of animator Fred Moore, who has decided to leave the studio in favor of Universal, to work with Walter Lantz on Don Quixote.

Fleischer releases a film adaptation of Marge's comic strip Little Lulu. The film is not as successful as the Superman films.

What animated film IS the big hit? Warner Brother's first animated feature film John Carter of Mars. This film started out as a straightforward adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars, before evolving into more or less a parody of its source material, with a zany feel more akin to Warner Brothers' shorts at the time. The film is also unique for being filled with pop cultural references, which most Disney films tended to avoid to prevent their films from dating.

Burroughs' himself is not a huge fan of the finished project, due to the comic tone and the happy ending, but audiences fall in love with the film and its new and unique formula, causing the film to be a monster success at the box office. This is also notably the first time a non-Disney animated film has outcompeted a Disney animated film in the US.

Theodor Geisel (AKA Dr. Seuss), currently making a living as a writer of children's books, notices the success of this film, and decides to pitch one of his story ideas to Warner Brothers. He had previously had a history with the studio in the past, with Bob Clampett's short adaptation of Horton Hatches the Egg, and working with Chuck Jones on the Private Snafu shorts.

At MGM, when asked about it, Tex Avery says he has no plans to direct a feature at the time, preferring the simplicity of shorts. Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbera, on the other hand, decide to announce a feature-length remake of Hugh Harman's 1939 short Peace on Earth. With the Cold War dawning on the US, this may just be what everyone needs.

Paul Terry decides to delay his Heckle and Jeckle film to 1948 to avoid competition with Warner Brothers.

 

[NoName]

1948
Universal releases Walter Lantz's Don Quixote. The film is even zanier and wackier than Aladdin and His Lamp, with a tone more akin to last year's John Carter of Mars. The film gets good reviews for being a relatively faithful adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes' novel that keeps the spirit despite the story changes, and is a big success at the box office.

Terrytoons releases The Adventures of Heckle and Jeckle. Despite the title, the film is actually only 25% original content, and is mainly a compilation of previous shorts hosted by Heckle and Jeckle. This misleading title frustrates audiences and critics alike, and the film ends up being Terrytoons' first bomb, despite its low budget. Paul decides to take a long break from features to focus primarily on shorts.

Warner Brothers announces their next film: an adaptation of Dr. Seuss's Bartholomew and the Oobleck starring Walter Tetley as the title character.

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Special thanks to DakotaTimeTraveler for the idea of making the final Terrytoons film a package film.

 

[NoName]

1949
Disney releases their first live-action/animation hybrid Uncle Remus, starring James Baskett as the titular character. The film is a compilation of various Br'er Rabbit stories, with a live-action Uncle Remus acting as a framing device. The film gets good critical reception, especially for Baskett's performance, and the film encourages Walt to explore more live-action territory.

Fleischer releases Casper the Friendly Ghost. The film gets good reviews, but is not as successful as the Superman films were, which encourages the studio to return to DC adaptations, starting with Batman, set for release in 1951.

Disney was originally going to produce an adaptation of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but since he couldn't fit room for it in his schedule, he decides to pass the project off to his good friend Walter Lantz.

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Because I couldn't think of another suitable actor for Uncle Remus, I decided to have James Baskett survive for a few more years. Though I may edit it if someone else can suggest a different actor.

 

[NoName]

1950
Disney releases Mickey and the Beanstalk. Like the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment of 1940's Fantasia, this is an attempt from Walt to get Mickey back into the spotlight. The film is only mildly successful, however.

Warner Brothers releases Bartholomew and the Oobleck. This film is once again a big hit for Warner Brothers, and critics praise the film for its comedic tone. WB then announces its next film to be written by Dr. Seuss: The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T., set for release in 1953.

 

[NoName]

1951
Disney releases Bongo. This adaptation of Sinclair Lewis's short children's story Little Bear Bongo stars Dennis Day as the titular character, and Dinah Shore as his love interest Lulubelle. Once again, the film gets mixed reviews and is only modestly successful at the box office. Disney announces their next two films: Lady and the Tramp, an idea that was first suggested by Joe Grant in the thirties set for 1953, and Chanticleer, set for a 1955 release.

Fleischer releases Batman. This film stars Stacy Harris as Batman, Ronald Liss as Robin, and Arnold Stang as the Joker in the latter's screen debut. This film is a great hit, and Fleischer announces their next DC film Batman meets Superman, set for 1953. Set for the same year, Fleischer announces their first TV series: The Adventures of Superman, a spinoff based on their successful Superman films.

 

[NoName]

1952
Universal releases Walter Lantz's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, a film that was originally going to be done by Lantz's friend Walt Disney, before Disney allowed Lantz to take over the project. The film is a success and gets good reviews. With the Cold War coming, the CIA decides to commission Lantz to do an adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm, set for a 1954 release.

Fleischer releases its first animated television series The Adventures of Superman. While having a lower animation quality due to a lower budget, the show is still well-received and well-liked. Fleischer also announces animated series starring Betty Boop, Popeye, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and Little Audrey (a lawyer-friendly expy of Little Lulu, as the studio has recently lost the rights to the character).

1953
Disney releases Lady and the Tramp. The film does not get good critical reception, and is only mildly successful at the box office. Disney realizes they are going to have to change up their formula. Knowing the success of Warner Brothers' zany slapstick and pop culture reference-filled films, they decide to attempt that route with their upcoming Chanticleer.

Fleischer releases Batman meets Superman, a crossover between the two most iconic DC franchises. Unfortunately, the film was released the same year as Dr. Frederic Wertham's book The Seduction of the Innocent, resulting in the film not being a big hit due to the current comic book backlash. Not only that, but the Superman animated series is forced to tone down its violent content. Fleischer realizes it's going to have to take a break from DC for now, and announces their next film: Raggedy Ann and Andy, set for release in 1957.

Warner Brothers releases The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, a film that has more of a fantasy musical feel to it than their previous comedic films. The film is not a big hit with audiences or critics, resulting in Warner Brothers deciding to focus more on comedies.

Paul Terry sells Terrytoons off to CBS, and the studio ends up focusing entirely on TV shows from then on.

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Special thanks to DakotaTimeTraveler for bringing up the Comics Code Authority that will inevitably become a problem ITTL.

Also, I still haven't figured out whether Danny Kaye or Hans Conried should voice Dr. T. in TTL's version of the movie.

 

[NoName]

1954
Universal releases Walter Lantz's Animal Farm, a film that was commissioned by the CIA to fight in the Cold War. The film deviates from George Orwell's novel in some ways, most notably a happy ending where Benjamin the donkey leads the other animals in a rebellion against the pigs, in order to help encourage the USA.

MGM also releases their Cold War film: Good Will to Men, a feature-length remake of Hugh Harman's 1939 short Peace on Earth. Directed by Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbera, this film is successful enough to encourage MGM to release more features, including an adaptation of Charlotte's Web set for a 1956 release.

Disney releases the TV show Walt Disney's Disneyland, an anthology series initially made to promote the upcoming Disneyland theme park, but with animated segments done by Ward Kimball, John Hubley, Art Babbit, and Bill Melendez. These animators end up starting a new department at Disney specifically for television animation.

 

[NoName]

1955
Disney releases Chanticleer, a project that had been in development since the forties. The film is slightly different from Disney's previous films, being more zany and slapsticky, complete with references to current pop culture. This film is also different from the usual Disney property for having no original songs. Instead, its soundtrack consists of pre-existing songs dating back to the twenties and thirties. This attempt is modestly successful at the box office, but gets mixed reception from critics, with some praising the attempt at trying something new and different, and others criticizing the film for being a one-note attempt at parroting the Warner Brothers formula. Disney decides to announce their most ambitious project since Fantasia: Babes in Toyland, set for a 1958 release, which they promise will be a return to form.

Warner Brothers releases Horton Hears a Who!, which gets great critical reception due to its message of tolerating others, even if their voices seem small. The story was the brainchild of Warner Brothers writer and storyboard artist Dr. Seuss, who had come to regret the racist anti-Japanese propaganda he had drawn during the war, and had dedicated the story to a Japanese friend of his, Mitsugi Nakamura. Warner Brothers announces its next film: How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, set for 1957.

Grinch isn't the only Christmas animated film audiences should look out for. There's also Walter Lantz's adaptation of the popular story and song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, set for release in 1956, shortly after MGM's adaptation of Charlotte's Web, directed by Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbera, and produced by MGM newcomer Gene Deitch.

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In case you guys are wondering, since Seuss is working directly at Warner Brothers, a lot of the stories we know as books IOTL aren't published as books first. He comes up with the idea, writes the text and draws some pictures, pitches it to Chuck Jones, and Jones and his crew come up with the rest of the story. Maybe Warner Brothers could publish some tie-in books like most animated film studios do nowadays, but they're mostly movies first.

 

[NoName]

1956
MGM releases Charlotte's Web, a film that is greatly received by audiences and critics alike. Even the author E.B. White feels the book was captured decently. Bill Hanna, Joseph Barbera, and Gene Deitch then announce their next feature: an adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, set for release in 1959.

Walter Lantz releases his film of the Robert May short story (along with the popular song) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which is also a box office success and gets glowing (no pun intended) reviews. Lantz decides to take a short break from features, announcing that, with Tex Avery joining his studio, they'll be experimenting with television cartoons shortly.

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In all seriousness, the reason Lantz is taking a break from films is simply because I don't have any other ideas for films he could do. If anyone has any suggestions, that would be nice.

 

[NoName]

1957
Fleischer's Raggedy Ann and Andy is released. The film is successful, making Fleischer decide to take a break from DC (outside of the Superman TV show) and focus primarily on their other properties like Betty Boop, Popeye, Casper, and Little Audrey.

Warner Brothers releases How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, which gets good critical success and is a big box office hit. Both critics and audiences praise Boris Karloff's voice performance as the titular character, along with the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" performed by Thurl Ravenscroft. Warner Brothers then announces their next film to be written by Dr. Seuss: a compilation film titled The Sneetches and Other Stories.

This is also a big year for television animation. Universal releases The New Woody Woodpecker show, with Walter Lantz and Tex Avery as the main showrunners. MGM also releases The Ruff and Reddy Show, the first in an upcoming long line of series produced by Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbera.

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Hanna-Barbera's television output is essentially going to be the same as IOTL, so I won't talk about it much from then on unless I really need to.

 

[NoName]

1958
Disney releases Babes in Toyland, a film three years in the making with a uniquely stylized animation style. Despite this, the film is not a big hit at the box office, resulting in the studio losing money. Their next film will be something safer: 101 Dalmatians.

1959
MGM releases The Hobbit. This film is a great success at the box office and gets great critical praise. Despite Tolkien's mixed feelings on the film, MGM announces film adaptations of the other Lord of the Rings books. However, Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbera will have less involvement with them, due to them working on their new television shows, and thus Gene Deitch will be doing most of the work.

Disney also announces a new animated television series for 1960: Uncle Scrooge, based on the Carl Barks comics of the same name.

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Sorry if this post has been shorter than my other ones. My mouse keys have been acting up lately.

 

[NoName]

1960
Warner Brothers releases The Sneetches and Other Stories, a compilation film of four short stories written by Dr. Seuss and hosted by Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Despite the good critical reviews (in particular, the titular Sneetches segment is praised for being a satire on the rampant racism and classism going on at the time), Seuss had a huge feud with director Chuck Jones during production. Seuss wanted every character featured to be created by him, but Jones wanted Bugs and Daffy to host the segments to remind the audience they were watching a Warner Brothers film. This feud results in Seuss leaving Warner Brothers to live an independent life as a children's book author, leaving Chuck Jones to finish the film himself. Chuck Jones then announces his first film in over a decade without Seuss's involvement: an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.

In the same year, WB releases The Bugs Bunny Show, an anthology television series of old shorts with new animated linking sequences. Meanwhile, Disney releases its first original animated series: Uncle Scrooge, adapted from the Carl Barks comics of the same name, and starring Dallas McKennon as the titular rich duck, along with Clarence Nash reprising his role as Donald and his triplet nephews.

 

[NoName]

1961
Disney releases 101 Dalmatians, which is different from previous Disney films for abandoning the traditional ink and paint process of animation, instead using a xerox machine to copy drawings directly onto cels, resulting in a scratchier appearance than the previous Disney films. In this case, the new style is an advantage, making it easier to animate many dogs with many spots, and ultimately making films cheaper and faster to make. The company announces that all announced future films will be animated this way. The film itself gets great critical reception, with many critics calling it the best film since Snow White.

Universal releases Walter Lantz's Peter Rabbit, which decent critical reviews, but is only modestly successful. Upon seeing this new xerox process for 101 Dalmatians, Lantz decides to take advantage of this for his future films.

 

[NoName]

1962
MGM releases The Fellowship of the Ring. The film has less influence from Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera due to them being busy working on their television shows, but is still a big hit and gets good reviews. MGM officially announces plans to film the entire Lord of the Rings franchise.

1963
Warner Brothers releases Chuck Jones' The Jungle Book. This film is a big enough success that WB decides to announce an adaptation of the sequel, The Second Jungle Book, for 1966.

Disney announces an animated film adaptation of P.L. Travers' Mary Poppins for 1964, and for the same year, Fleischer announces an animated adaptation of Theodore Pratt's 1942 novel Mr. Limpet, titled The Incredible Mr. Limpet for 1964.

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Sorry about the short update. I couldn't think of a lot to say for these two years.

 

[NoName]

1964
Fleischer's The Incredible Mr. Limpet is released. While the film gets decent reviews, it is overshadowed by Disney's Mary Poppins. This feature is a big hit with both audiences and critics, who praise the film for the performances of its lead actors, and the timeless songs by the Sherman Brothers.

At the film's premiere, Walt meets up with one of his biggest fans: Japanese artist and animator Osamu Tezuka, who has taken a lot of influence from Walt in his manga, and even did a manga adaptation of Bambi. The two eventually agree to team up on a film adaptation of one of Tezuka's comics. Tezuka initially wants to do something sci-fi-related, but looking through the comics, Walt sees a story that catches his eye: Jungle Emperor, or as it will eventually be known to western audiences, Kimba the White Lion.

 

[NoName]

1965
MGM's The Two Towers is released. This film, like the other MGM Lord of the Rings films, is a big hit with audiences and critics.

Disney releases the television series The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which is an immediate hit due to its humor, likable characters, and Sherman Brothers songs in each episode.

Another animated television series, Star Trek, is currently in production at Fleischer Studios. This series was pitched to them by Gene Roddenberry, who was a fan of the animated DC films from the forties and fifties. Due to the comic controversy causing audiences to lose interest in superheroes, this project is immediately picked up by Fleischer, who is looking forward to doing something similar to their earlier film work.

Meanwhile, a new animator has arrived to work at Warner Brothers. That animator's name? Richard Williams.