The Little Mermaid, Walt Disney 1989
About the Film 
The Little Mermaid, based on the famous tale by Hans Christian Andersen, revived the Walt Disney Studio's animated classic fairy tales tradition and introduced the first animated Disney princess since Sleeping Beauty's Briar Rose (Princess Aurora) three decades earlier.
The Little Mermaid marked the start of the period know as the Disney Renaissance.
Walt Disney animation artists had first considered an animated version of
The Little Mermaid in the late 1930s. At the time the talented Disney illustrator Kay Nielsen prepared a number of striking story sketches in pastels and watercolors. In the 1980s, Walt Disney animators retrieved Nielsen's artwork from the Disney Archives and studied it while creating the 1989 film. Walt Disney Animators turned to Nielsen's work often for inspiration; Ken Nielsen's work is acknowledged with a "visual development" on the film. In addition to Ken Nielsen's sketches, Disney animators used human models. Many of Ariel's features were derived from actress Alyssa Milano and actress Sherri Stoner was brought into the studio as a live-action model for Ariel.
The Little Mermaid has numerous special visual effects. In fact nearly 80% of the film required some kind of effects work -- storms at sea, billowing sails, schools of fish, shadows, raging fire, explosions, magic pixie dust, surface reflections, underwater distortions, ripples, and bubbles.
The Little Mermaid was 1989 Best Original Song Academy Award® winner for "Under the Sea", a song composed by composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman. The song, which is heavily influenced by the Calypso style of the Caribbean was performed in the film by Samuel E. Wright, the voice of Sebastian. The film was also awarded Academy Award® for Best Original Score.
The Little Mermaid was released on video in 1990.
The Little Mermaid (Walt Disney, 1989) was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements. Starring: the voices of Jodi Benson
(Ariel), Pat Carroll (Ursula), Christopher Daniel Barnes (Eric), Buddy Hackett (Scuttle), Kenneth Mars (Triton), Samuel E. Wright (Sebastian), Ben Wright (Grimsby), and René Auberjonois (Louis). 82 min. Songs by Howard Ashman
and Alan Menken.
Plot:
Walt Disney's
The Little Mermaid is the animated tale of Ariel, a beautiful young mermaid who is fascinated by
the human world. Ariel's spirited obsessions with the world above causes her father, King Triton, much distress. One night Ariel spies Prince
Eric and falls hopelessly in love. Sebastian the crab is sent by the king
to keep an eye on Ariel, though he cannot stop her from rescuing the prince
during a storm. Ursula the sea witch plots to grant Ariel's wish to be human,
in exchange for her beautiful voice, and as part of a larger scheme to gain
control of Triton's realm. Eric finds himself falling for the now-human mermaid,
but Ursula tricks him and Ariel, now mute, cannot warn him. Finally, Ariel
and Eric together foil Ursula's evil plans, save the undersea kingdom, and
receive Triton's blessing
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