Richard Williams: The Thief Who Never Gave Up (Full Documentary No Cuts)

The Thief Who Never Gave Up Documentary was filmed and released in 1982 by Thames. I do not own the footage or music in this video, I got the footage from TheThiefArchive KZbin channel. All credit goes to the TheThiefArchive channel. The documentary is about Richard Williams working on commercials at his studio in Soho Square London. While working on the commercials he hired master animators to learn from, like Ken Harris, Art Babbit, Grim Natwick, and Milt Kahl. The footage I acquired was split into five separate videos, so I decided to edit all the videos into one video so you could enjoy the documentary without any interruptions.
Link to TheThiefArchive for all things related to the work of Richard Williams.
/ @thethiefarchive

[@danielc8602]

What an incredible example of persistence. I have watched The Thief and the Cobbler about a half dozen times and every time I am blow away by the workmanship. This man really wanted everyone to know just how good he was at animating. It is so sad to know that he was never able to finish his life's work. In my opinion, the completed version on youtube is a great representation of just how much work goes into these works. Thank you for sharing this documentary. Rest Well RW.

[@tylerbarnhoornproductions7506]

I agree, I’ve watched the film so many times too and there’s a reason why it’s my favorite film. There’s always something new that I learn from watching the film.

[@juliezimmi9850]

Good is not the word when it comes to a perfectionist perfect is the word Words perfectionists including me hate: nice, great, good...

[@LPetal86]

It breaks my heart that Mr. Williams and his studio didn't get to use "their bag of tricks" during more recent years with the advent of crowdfunding and other sites like Patreon. His commercials are unadulterated masterpieces and watching " _The Thief and the Cobbler_ Recobbled Cut" was a real joy. If only it could've been finished the way he wanted, but even if he'd had consistent funding, who knows? He still might not have finished it. RIP to a great artist and animator.

[@Jamesharveycomics]

He was merrily making his final film exactly the way he wanted to, right up until his death! He seemed to be very aware that he wouldn't live to finish it. That's Our Richard

[@LPetal86]

@@Jamesharveycomics IIRC, this documentary said the movie project was basically taken from him and distributed by companies like Miramax, only to be butchered and then hastily released the same day as Disney's _Aladdin_ , and afterward it was said he didn't want to talk about it. If that's really the case, that's horrible. It was really nice to see dedicated fans of his work making very nice work to restore his film to his original vision as much as possible, and the KZbin channel that archives his work is an absolute treasure.

[@Jamesharveycomics]

@@LPetal86 I’m talking about a different movie project. A planned feature film based on the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes. He only ever finished the prologue, fittingly released as “Prologue” (2015)

[@LPetal86]

@@Jamesharveycomics Ah I see, I was assuming you were talking about _The Thief and the Cobbler_ because it was the movie he'd worked on for over 30 years. I'm glad he was able to complete _Circus Drawings_ , another film he'd started whilst very young as well!

[@toonzach2870]

2:00 I think this line of thinking he was working under is what eventually sunk this production. He wasn't content with "good enough" for any one part of it. He just had to keep fixing it despite the many parts of the film that actually needed to be worked on.

[@k1monogirl]

Glad this documentary is available, no question Richard Williams was talented but he was also polarizing. He was an artist!

[@REECEM92]

I really love this documentary. R.I.P to this legend animator.

[@dadisuperman3472]

All these nice and beautiful minds are leaving us one after the other... What a dark world after us.

[@carina_rainyday]

I’ve loved that film ever since I saw it on KZbin !! It’s really cool! (And I was totally amazed by the art as an artist myself)

[@_yananabanana_]

50:40 if only 😢

[@juliezimmi9850]

Being a perfectionist when singing I completely relate

[@zainmudassir2964]

😢

[@Sandlot1992]

R.I.P. Richard Williams

[@TerryvisionTank]

After reading an article on the troubled production I can guess who the two people he hated enough to inspire ZigZag (19:41)

[@giannamation]

Who?

[@jimmyharmel7448]

@@giannamationthe Shah brothers aka the men that were working with Dick on Nasrudin.

[@AndrewParkins-v6b]

The people who edited the film tore the thief and the cobbler apart and put it back together with missing pieces and added sound effects that are way too loud. It kinda plays out like a song in the ‘recobbled’ version no boops or bonks or wilhelm screams or Ferris buellers.

[@Da1Dez]

I can't begin to imagine what he'd have thought about animation being done by AI..... 😬😬 Probably departed at the right time...

[@DavidTheCVINFECTI]

Maybe something similar like Miyazaki on AI, "I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself".

[@janadobbins8242]

The animated films such (The Aristocats, Robin Hood, The Rescuers and Watership Down).

[@mellotones]

As a jazz musician that tries to animate, it was really cool to see that Richard was also a cat!

[@zacwollervoiceninja5136]

At 19:21, “I have power over people; though they may appear complex. (Jewels glow on Zigzag’s fingers) For me, they fall... like playing cards: And I... control the decks!”

[@TS-1267]

19:21 ... An Excellent Year😂 . A Nice 'Heads-Up…✌️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@the_bottles_editz]

i always thought it was 'and i control their deaths' lol 🤣🤣

[@janadobbins8242]

Coming Christmas 1982, from Walt Disney Productions' "The Thief Who Never Gave Up".

[@benrobson3442]

Walt Disney Productions hasn't worked on that film. until they worked on Aladdin. If it came out in 1982. it'll be released by Columbia Pictures.

[@phonotical]

37:09 Jim Varney?

[@tylerbarnhoornproductions7506]

Nope it’s Omar I believe.

[@spidiboy1387]

Hello, good afternoon, is there a way you can add subtitles to this video?

[@inkydragon27]

Some very frustrated body language from his creative coworkers, there.

[@janadobbins8242]

Has to worked on The Fox and the Hound in late May 1967 and April 1977 and next day The Secret of NIMH in early January 1980 and June 1982.

[@tylerbarnhoornproductions7506]

He didn’t work on the fox and the hound. The only time he ever worked for Disney was for Roger rabbit I believe.

[@jerrelljones9991]

Yes very true ​@tylerbarnhoornproductions7506