The animated Disney classic, The Little Mermaid, is celebrating its 35th anniversary, which means that most of us who grew up watching the film now relate more to Sebastian than Ariel. Be that as it may, let’s celebrate together by looking at some behind-the-scenes facts about the movie. And, in case you were worried, we did not use any of Scuttle’s information. He’s not a very reliable source. Anyway, here are seven fun facts about The Little Mermaid.
Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tale
The original fairy tale that The Little Mermaid film was based on was written by the Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen. It was published as part of his collection of fairy tales in 1837. The creators at Disney did change a lot of the story as the original is a tragic tale with what some criticize to be an unsatisfying conclusion.
In Andersen’s story, the mermaid does not end up with her prince. He marries another woman and the mermaid turns to sea foam. She then becomes a spirit that must do good deeds for 300 years to regain her human soul and make it to heaven.
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Walt Disney’s Script
During the production of The Little Mermaid in the 1980s, an old script for a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale resurfaced. It turned out that Walt Disney had wanted to make The Little Mermaid, and had even started on it right after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The film was never made in Disney’s lifetime, but the script coincidentally had nearly all the same changes to the storyline that the creators in the 80s had made. The animators at Walt Disney Studios were apparently channeling Disney’s spirit when they came up with their script for The Little Mermaid.
Ursula and Cthulhu
The climax of The Little Mermaid, where Ursula is defeated, is eerily similar to H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, The Call of Cthulhu. Both Cthulhu and Ursula are octopus-human hybrids. Both are destroyed by being rammed by the prow of a ship. While no one at Disney has ever confirmed this, it seems the animators were referencing Lovecraft’s sea creature when creating Ursula’s demise.
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Live Reference Models
In the early days of Disney animation, models were filmed acting out certain scenes. Animators could then use these scenes as reference for how the characters moved. After the passing of Walt Disney, this practice fell by the wayside, but Disney Studios decided to revive it for The Little Mermaid. Some of the animators, however, did not want to reference live character models as it was unfamiliar to them. One animator even quit after refusing to study the filmed scenes.
Howard Ashman and Sebastian
Originally, The Little Mermaid held more cultural reference to Hans Christian Andersen’s Danish tale. This included an English-butler crab named Clarence. Howard Ashman, a song-writer who had also been working on Oliver and Company at that time, had a few suggestions. He asked them to change the crab to a Jamaican Rastafarian crab and to change the music to fit a Jamaican sound. Sebastian was created thanks to Ashman, and the fun and upbeat musical numbers are credited to him as well.
Academy Awards
Critics and fans fell in love with The Little Mermaid and its music. Thanks to the song-writing talents of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, and to their Broadway style, The Little Mermaid gained a bunch of recognition. It became the 9th top-grossing film of 1989 and won two Academy Awards. “Under the Sea” won Best Song and the film won Best Original Music Score. Not bad for a girl who loses her voice!
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The Disney Renaissance
After years of what some might call an animated film slump, The Little Mermaid ushered in a new era of Disney movies. The Disney Renaissance brought back the fairy tale adaptations, catchy songs, and bright styles of classic Disney. And The Little Mermaid was the first film of the Disney Renaissance. Because of the upbeat music, bright colors, and stunning animation techniques, The Little Mermaid led Disney Studios out of its hibernation and into the light of a new dawn.
Walt Disney Animation Studios and the Walt Disney Company owe a lot to The Little Mermaid. These past 35 years would have been very different without the rebellious, red-headed mermaid and her Jamaican crab sidekick.
This film brought Disney back into the spotlight after years of being in “the Dark Age” of animation. It seems that Sebastian was right: it really is better under the sea. What are some of your favorite facts about The Little Mermaid? Let us know in the comments.
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