The Story of 'The Tortoise & the Hare' (2002)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Ray Harryhausen

Writer:

Aesop (fable)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Short

Plot:

The classic Ray Harryhausen tale that still proves "slow and steady" wins the race. |

Plot Keywords:

Race | Gate | Balloon | Cheating | Stop Motion

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Gary Owens

...

Narrator (voice)

Also Known As:

The Tortoise & the Hare (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

12 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

Screen Novelties International

Trivia:

Begun in 1952, the film was interrupted by other Ray Harryhausen projects and was not completed until 50 years later. Fortunately, most of the original models survived the long delay and were available for visual reference.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Comic Book: The Movie (2004) (V)

Given the history of this project, in more than one sense, "slow and steady wins the race" is indeed appropriate.

Ray Harryhausen started this short back in the early 1950s as part of a series of stop-motion animation shorts using fables as the starting point in order to develop the techniques in a more immediate and cost-effective manner. He had about three to four minutes shot when he quit because larger, better paying, projects called. He kept the footage and most of the models, however, and some younger animators learned about the short a few years ago and got Harryhausen's permission to complete it themselves. So out came the models and completed footage. Ironically (considering the looong, slooow pace of the project) the model they found largely missing was the tortoise! I suspect the original got tired of waiting around for the boss to come back and started off again, ponderously but patiently, on his way to his finishing line.

The completed project works exceptionally well and is largely seamless, with little indication as to where the original footage is versus the newer work. Given the fact that film ages, this means that the current animation team did a great job in making things mesh together. The short also fits the style of the other shorts in the series that Harryhausen completed so many years ago (I think there are five others) and I can only hope that some enterprising soul decides the whole series should be released on DVD and/or VHS. Fascinating in many ways. Well worth watching. Recommended.