Richard Williams

Persistence of Vision

It was to be the greatest animated film of all time. Not just an eye-opener, but a game-changer. Richard Williams demanded nothing less, investing nearly three decades into his movie masterpiece. From as early as 1964 he ploughed most of the profits right back into his pet project, a feature inspired by the Arabian Nights and provisionally known as Mullah Nasruddin. He assembled a team of inspired young artists—and brought in the best Hollywood craftsmen to teach them—and devised what would be the most elaborate, kaleidoscopic, mind-boggling visual sequences ever committed to celluloid. Years passed. Potential financiers came and went. Work continued. But it was only after Roger Rabbit that Williams had a studio budget to corroborate the munificence of his imagination.

Waking Sleeping Beauty

By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovate and old timers not yet ready to relinquish control. These conditions produced a series of box-office flops and pessimistic forecasts: maybe the best days of animation were over. Maybe the public didn't care. Only a miracle or a magic spell could produce a happy ending. Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairy tale. It's the true story of how Disney regained its magic with a staggering output of hits - "Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast ," "Aladdin," "The Lion King," and more - over a 10-year period.

The Curious Case of Inspector Clouseau

DA-DUN DA-DUN DA-DUN-DA-DUN-DA-DUN-DA-DUN-DA-DUUUUN Henry Mancini’s iconic score, Peter Sellers’ bumbling Inspector Clouseau, and those unforgettable animated opening sequences - delve into the history of the Pink Panther films, the pink diamond hunting comedy-mystery franchise that was a smash hit, made a megastar of Peter Sellers and spawned an empire. Paul Joyce’s typically thorough and entertaining documentary focuses on star Peter Sellers’ creation of a comedy icon and his relationship with director Blake Edwards. Hosted by Burt Kwouk, who played Clousea’s manservant and martial arts sparring partner Cato, and featuring interviews with Mark Kermode, Herbert Lom (Chief Inspector Dreyfus), Graham Stark (Pepi) and more, THE CURIOUS CASE OF INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU is a must-see... if you can catch it!

It All Started with a Mouse: The Disney Story

The story of Walt Disney and the company he built.

Tummy Trouble

Roger Rabbit once again is chosen for the dangerous task of babysitting Baby Herman and everything is going to be just fine.

I Drew Roger Rabbit

Profile of the animator Richard Williams, creator of Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

'Toon star Roger is worried that his wife Jessica is playing pattycake with someone else, so the studio hires detective Eddie Valiant to snoop on her. But the stakes are quickly raised when Marvin Acme is found dead and Roger is the prime suspect.

Ziggy's Gift

Ziggy gets a job to be a street Santa on Christmas Eve from a crooked boss, but the magic of the season allows the lovable loser to do more good than anyone expects.

Richard Williams and the Thief Who Never Gave Up

A documentary about the animator, Richard Williams,