The Thief and the Cobbler
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The Thief and the Cobbler is an unfinished animated fantasy film co-written and directed by Richard Williams. Originally devised in the 1960s, the film was in and out of production for nearly three decades due to independent funding and ambitiously complex animation. It was finally placed into full production in 1989 when Warner Bros. agreed to finance and distribute the film. When production went over budget and behind schedule, it was heavily cut and hastily re-edited by producer Fred Calvert without Williams's involvement. It was eventually released by Allied Filmmakers in 1993 with the title The Princess and the Cobbler. Two years later, Miramax Films, which was owned by Disney at the time, released another re-edit titled Arabian Knight. Both versions of the film performed poorly at the box office and received mixed reviews.
An unreleased poster made near the end of the film's production, before it was taken from Williams.
The film had many name changes before becoming The Thief and the Cobbler; other names included The Thief Who Never Gave Up and Once.... Older character designs, and characters that were later removed, are in the Once... logo.
Grim Natwick
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Myron "Grim" Natwick was an American artist, animator, and film director. Natwick is best known for drawing the Fleischer Studios' most popular character, Betty Boop.
Natwick, 1969
Sheet music cover from 1915, one of Grim Natwick's earliest published efforts