1931 Disney letter to Grim Natwick

[cpdavison]

A Very interesting entry at The Animators Guild (http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/just-another-disney-rejection-letter.html)* Website! A 1931 job offer (or is it a rejection letter?) from the Disney Studios to Grim Natwick. Well, the first page of it any way. Sounds like Disney wanted him, it was just a metter of terms.

*EDIT: The above link is now inactive. Scan down this thread to find wundermild's update. THANKS, W! :D

Craig D.

[Sogturtle]

A Very interesting entry at The Animators Guild (http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/just-another-disney-rejection-letter.html) Website! A 1931 job offer (or is it a rejection letter?) from the Disney Studios to Grim Natwick. Well, the first page of it any way. Sounds like Disney wanted him, it was just a metter of terms.

Craig~

Wellllll it's pretty funny to read... Because only one month later Grim was in his car headed westwards to work for Walt's former-friend/partner Ub Iwerks!!!:cool: Hello :flip: and no thanks :mickey:.

[Geezil]

Might I be the only one who keeps getting a "Not Found" message when I click on that link? Or has some legal foofaraw perhaps taken place in the meantime? :confused:

[wundermild]

The URL's name has changed (from "just-another-disney-rejection-letter" to "disney-non-rejection-letter"); here's the working link (http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/disney-non-rejection-letter.html) (or direct link to the letter (http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4081/2333/1600/NatwickLetter.jpg)).

[wundermild]

An addendum: Steve Worth has posted (among some other pretty interesting documents) both pages (apparently scanned from the originals) on the ASIFA Archive blog (http://www.animationarchive.org/2006/08/biography-three-interesting-documents.html), including some explaining comments.

[Geezil]

Thanks, W., for the refreshed link, and Tim, for the Post that Vanished. :fethry:

Mulling over the wording of that Disney letter and the initial Natwick reaction, I keep coming back to the thought that perhaps "Grimm" :eek: was just a touch too impulsive in blowing off that first offer from Hyperionland(TM). Unfortunate misspelling aside, they weren't really talking down to him in the sense of belittling his skills or New York experience, just dangling several juicy carrots all at the same time and hoping he'd lunge for the smallest one. (Kind of a precursor to the whole scenario of Bill Tytla treading water at both Terrytoons and Famous Studios, but I digress.)

George W. as the "trying to make some sense on a holiday weekend Friday, anyhow" Geezil

[Sogturtle]

Thanks, W., for the refreshed link, and Tim, for the Post that Vanished. :fethry:

Mulling over the wording of that Disney letter and the initial Natwick reaction, I keep coming back to the thought that perhaps "Grimm" :eek: was just a touch too impulsive in blowing off that first offer from Hyperionland(TM). Unfortunate misspelling aside, they weren't really talking down to him in the sense of belittling his skills or New York experience, just dangling several juicy carrots all at the same time and hoping he'd lunge for the smallest one. (Kind of a precursor to the whole scenario of Bill Tytla treading water at both Terrytoons and Famous Studios, but I digress.)

George W. as the "trying to make some sense on a holiday weekend Friday, anyhow" Geezil

Geezil-my-friend~

My post went on permanent vacation:p largely because I viewed it as superfluous once the link started working again...

You know there were other fine animators who turned Disney down... Some, like Natwick and Dick Huemer came to regret it.

And MAYBE iffff Grim had taken that first Disney offer he would've been treated better... But by nature he really didn't like to stay in any one place too long, four years SEEMS to have been about his max. So if he'd joined in early '31 and he only stayed four years then he'd have been gone by early '35 and may well have done only a small amount of work on "Snow White"... Although he MIGHT have ended up NOT being put in a position animating under a man with far less experience animating the female form.

Regardless, I like his directing and animating at Iwerks far more and view it as more significant and much more entertaining. :flip: