Lady Tremaine even helped actors learn how to perform.

Rhett Wickham
AnimActing — Creative Development for Film and Animation

As someone who teaches story and acting to animators and animation story artists, the times I’ve spent referencing Frank Thomas are countless. It’s hard to find better source material when talking about finding the emotional beats in a scene, or understanding the power and necessity of specificity.

When directing live theater at Playwrights Horizons in New York over 10 years ago, it was during rehearsal for a revival of Charles Ludlam’s Medea that I first realized how much I relied on Frank and Ollie’s approach to acting in my directing. The lead actor, playing Medea in this very broad comic turn on the classic, was having a devil of a time understanding how to play a moment of terrifyingly powerful madness while staying almost motionless and still. “Go watch Lady Tremaine in Cinderella,” I told him. “She’s the very model of threatening and powerful while barely moving a muscle. And watch it with the sound off,” I told him.

Confused that I would advise him to watch a “cartoon,” and without any sound to boot, the actor reluctantly shook his head and rather begrudgingly took the note. The next night, at the final dress rehearsal he came in bursting with enthusiasm “WOW! That Wicked Step Mother is fantastic! I watched the whole thing twice, with the volume all the way down both times! Those cartoonists (sic) are awesome!” And so every night for the run of the show, there was Frank’s Lady Tremain slowly, carefully, almost deliberately shifting quietly from panicked to powerful making a decision that was as chilling as it was wildly funny. That dress rehearsal was when I began to think about teaching acting and story analysis to animators.

But my favorite memory of Frank is from a night when Frank, along with Ollie, attended my friend John Canemaker’s lecture tour for his book on The Nine Old Men. Frank was seated on the aisle and I took a few minutes to go over and sit next to him to catch up and to listen and watch him light up with excitement while he talked about the Frank & Ollie Website and the success of unleashing their knowledge via the information highway. Suddenly, in almost cartoonish fashion, a young fellow came racing down the aisle and skidded to halt just behind Frank. I stood up and stepped aside to watch as he whispered, “Mr. Thomas?” — wide eyed and reverent. “Yes?” Frank said, as he craned his head around to see chap of about 10 years of age in a smart looking blazer, “Oh, Mr. Thomas,” he said breathlessly, rapidly gaining speed with each word he spoke, “I think you are the most amazing artist in the world and I’ve been a fan of your work my entire life!!!” Frank paused and stared at our young hero intently, “Oh, you have, have you!? Well what’s your name?” It suddenly dawned on our dapper young friend that here was the opportunity he had waited for his “entire life!” With the precision of a soldier taking an audience with his most beloved general, he snapped to attention and thrust his hand forward announcing, “I’m John!” “Well, nice to meet you, John!!” replied Frank, as he met the outstretched hand with an equally enthusiastic thrust and a firm grip, and let loose with an avuncular laugh that filled the auditorium.

I saw in that moment both a humbled and a pride-filled Frank Thomas. He was as eager to be idolized as he was willing to be accessible to mere mortals who came to bask in the warmth of his smile. I willingly confess to being such a pilgrim who, like so many others, owes him an everlasting debt of gratitude for inspiration, motivation and joy that only a great actor can give to his audience. Quite possibly the greatest actor the American cinema has ever produced.

Mike Morgenlander
Animator

I would just like to chime in a little bit about Frank Thomas, next to the last of The Nine Old Men. It was fortunate to learn animation technique from the creators of their form by studying The Illusion of Life from cover to cover and also all the classic animated films from Disney. Frank and his partner Ollie Johnston took the right approach to impart their magic and tremendous insight to generations of aspiring animators and fans through their books and mentoring to help pass on their legacy of creating life from drawings. Illusion had the most profound influence on me in learning this craft. Frank, in particular, had the right idea on how to make a character come alive. I only regret that the only opportunity I had to meet him personally at the “Drawn Together” presentation last year didn’t pan out, much as I had tried to make it there. God bless Frank and The Nine Old Men.