How Don Bluth’s Disney Exit Changed Animation (Ep. 380)

Jim Hill opens the archives for a special look at Don Bluth, the animator whose departure from Disney helped change the industry. Drawing on past conversations with Drew Taylor and Eric Hersey, this retrospective follows Bluth from Disney’s animation department to the arcade success of Dragon’s Lair and his collaborations with Steven Spielberg. Along the way, they revisit The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, and the footage removed from The Land Before Time.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Why Don Bluth and a group of fellow animators left Disney, and how Banjo the Woodpile Cat helped set the stage.

• The production pressures surrounding Pete’s Dragon, The Fox and the Hound, and The Black Cauldron.

• How The Secret of NIMH’s box-office disappointment led to the unlikely arcade breakthrough of Dragon’s Lair.

• How Steven Spielberg and George Lucas became involved in Bluth’s animated films, and why the Spielberg partnership eventually ended.

• The Land Before Time’s deleted footage, its rivalry with Oliver & Company, and Bluth’s willingness to make animation a little scary.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter and Instagram: @JimHillMedia - https://jimhillmedia.com

• Drew Taylor - X/Twitter: @DrewTailored - Instagram: @drewtailored - https://drewtaylor.work

• Eric Hersey - X/Twitter and Instagram: @erichersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

• YouTube: @jimhillmedia

• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

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Jim Hill revisits Don Bluth’s Disney departure, Dragon’s Lair, and the Spielberg collaborations that helped reshape animation.

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