The Olympiad of Animation: An Interview With Fini Littlejohn

In 1984, ASIFA-Hollywood and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences put on a unique mini-animation festival as part of Los Angeles' Olympic Arts Festival. Harvey Deneroff profiles the woman behind the Olympiad of Animation, along with listings of films, including the landmark poll of the 50 greatest animated films of all time.

By Harvey Deneroff | Monday, July 1, 1996 at 12:00 am

The Champions Of Animation
The following is the list of the 50 highest scoring films in the Olympiad's poll of international journalists, scholars, festival directors and animation programmers. (Some 100 were actually asked to participate, but only 35 responded.) The results were tabulated on a weighted scale and only 32 films were actually screened (in whole or in part) during the event itself. Films with identical ratings indicate a tie.

The Tale of Tales, Yuri Norstein, 1980.

1. Skazka Skazok (Tale of Tales), Yuri Norstein, USSR, 1980
2. The Street, Caroline Leaf, Canada, 1976
3. The Yellow Submarine, George Dunning, UK, 1968
4. Ruka (The Hand), Jiri Trnka, Czechoslovakia, 1965
5. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, David Hand, 1937
6. Crac!, Frédéric Back, Canada, 1981
7. Une Nuit sur le Mont Chauve (Night on Bald Mountain), Alexander Alexeieff & Claire Parker, 1933
8. Ubu, Geoff Dunbar, UK, 1980
9. Moonbird, John Hubley, USA, 1959
10. Satiemania, Zdenko Gasparavic, Yugoslavia, 1978
11. Fantasia, Walt Disney, USA, 1940
12. Neighbors, Norman McLaren, Canada, 1952
13. Paysagiste (Mindscape), Jacques Drouin, Canada, 1977
14. Duck Amuck, Chuck Jones, USA, 1953
15. Premiere jours (Beginnings), Clorinda Warny, Lina Gagnon & Suzanne Gervaise
16. Allegro non troppo, Bruno Bozzetto, Italy, 1976
17. Dojoji Temple, Kihachiro Kawamoto, Japan, 1976
18. King Size Canary, Tex Avery, USA, 1947
19. Motion Painting No. 1, Oscar Fischinger, USA, 1949
20. Tango, Zbigniev Rybczynski, Poland, 1982
20. La Joie de vivre (Joy of Life), Anthony Gross & Hector Hoppin, France, 1934
22. Harpya, Raoul Servais, Belgium, 1979
22. Allegretto, Oscar Fischinger, USA, 1936
22. Bad Luck Blackie, Tex Avery, USA, 1949
25. Frank Film, Frank Mouris, USA, 1972
26. L'Idée (The Idea), Berthold Bartosch, France, 1932
26. What's Opera Doc?, Chuck Jones, USA, 1957
26. Blinkety Blank, Norman McLaren, Canada, 1955
29. Au bout du fil (The Cat's Cradle), Paul Driessen, Canada, 1974
30. Les Jeux des anges (Game of Angels), Walerian Boroczyck, France, 1964
31. Band Concert, Walt Disney, USA, 1935
32. Minnie the Moocher, Dave Fleischer & Willard Bowsky, USA, 1932
33. Dumbo, Walt Disney, USA, 1942
34. Une Vielle boite (An Old Box), Paul Driessen, Canada, 1975
35. Pas de Deux, Norman McLaren, Canada, 1967
36. Le Chateau de sable (Sandcastle), Co Hoedeman, Canada, 1977
37. Great-I.K.B., Bob Godfrey, UK, 1974
38. La Faim (Hunger), Peter Foldes, Canada, 1974
39. A Bogar (The Fly), Ferenc Rofusz, Hungary, 1980
40. Damon the Mower, George Dunning, UK, 1971
41. Lapis, James Whitney, USA, 1966
42. La Traversée de l'Atlantique à la Rame, Jean-François Laguionie, 1978
43. Gerald McBoing Boing, Robert Cannon, USA, 1951
44. Jeu de coudes (Elbow Game), Paul Driessen, Canada, 1979
44. Steamboat Willie, Ub Iwerks, USA, 1928
44. Gertie the Dinosaur, Winsor McCay, 1914
48. Dnevnik (Diary), Nedjelko Dragic, Yugoslavia, 1973
49. Feholofia (Son of the White Mare), Marcell Jankovics, Hungary, 1981
50. La Vita in scatola (Life in a Garbage Can), Bruno Bozzetto, Italy, 1967

Harvey Deneroff, in addition to his duties as Editor of Animation World Magazine, edits and publishes The Animation Report, an industry newsletter.