Tubby the Tuba (1975 film)
| Company type | Educational institution |
|---|---|
| Industry | Education, Animation production |
| Founder | Alexander Schure |
| Headquarters | Westbury , United States |
Tubby the Tuba is an animated musical-comedy film from 1975, adapted from the 1945 children's orchestral story narrated by Paul Tripp and composed by George Kleinsinger. The movie premiered on April 1, 1975, through Avco Embassy Pictures and was produced by the New York Institute of Technology, led by its founder and director, Alexander Schure.
Almost thirty years earlier, stop-motion animation pioneer George Pal created a 1947 Puppetoon version based on the same Tripp and Kleinsinger story, which earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
Plot
Tubby, a young tuba, sets out on a journey to discover his unique melody. Along the way, he visits a circus and passes through a forest as he makes his way toward Singing City.[1]
Voice cast
- Paul Tripp as Narrator
- Dick Van Dyke as Tubby the Tuba
- David Wayne as Pee-Wee the Piccolo
- Pearl Bailey as Mrs. Elephant
- Jack Gilford as The Herald
- Ray Middleton as The Great Pepperino
- Jane Powell as Celeste
- Cyril Ritchard as The Frog
- Ruth Enders as The Haughty Violin
- Hermione Gingold as Miss Squeek
Production
The story of Tubby the Tuba began as a 1945 children’s tale by Paul Tripp and George Kleinsinger, originally performed by Tripp himself and notably recorded by Danny Kaye. This success led to George Pal’s distinguished 1947 Puppetoon short adaptation.
In 1974, Alexander Schure, the wealthy founder of the New York Institute of Technology, announced plans for a feature-length adaptation. Production was carried out at NYIT’s Westbury campus, utilizing its Animation Department and Visual Arts Center. To rival major studios like Disney, Schure enlisted a star-studded cast including Dick Van Dyke and Pearl Bailey, alongside librettist Tripp and Broadway musical director Lehman Engel.
Lacking experience in animation, Schure recruited prominent East Coast animators such as Sam Singer (known for Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse) and John Gentilella (associated with Popeye). Due to the labor-intensive nature of hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation causing slow progress, Schure explored computer-generated imagery by bringing on NYIT scientists who would later co-found Pixar: Edwin Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith.
Despite ambitions to be among the first animated features to utilize computers extensively, the film was ultimately finished using conventional animation techniques. Early test screenings yielded disappointing results; Catmull subsequently replaced Singer’s credit with his own. Reflecting on the project, Catmull criticized its quality and expressed relief that computers had not been involved. Smith pointed out that Schure lacked adequate directing skills. Both men were dissatisfied with how the film turned out.[1]
Release
Following production completion in 1974, independent distributor Avco Embassy secured worldwide distribution rights to Tubby the Tuba, releasing it in selected U.S. markets around Easter. Although it remains largely obscure within animation history, a Region 2 DVD edition was issued in the UK by Pegasus on September 11, 2006.
In North America, Tubby the Tuba saw several limited VHS releases through various labels including:
- Children's Video Library (1983)
- Vestron Video (1985)
- Family Home Entertainment (early 1990s)
- Sony Wonder (1995)
An unrestored DVD version was made available by 428 Entertainment in 2012.
See also
Sources
- Beck, Jerry (2005). The Animated Movie Guide. Chicago Reader Press.