Richard Williams: The Thief Who Never Gave Up Pt 1

A documentary from 1980 about the great animator Richard Williams (The Thief and the Cobbler, Who Framed Roger Rabbit), who found great success doing animated commercials but whose greatest goal was to learn from the great animators of the past, like Ken Harris, Art Babbit, Grim Natwick and Milt Kahl, and pass their knowledge on to his own studio and the animators of tomorrow. Richard was successful in doing this and many animators who worked under the mad, perfectionist animator went on to found their own studios, and to work on the great Disney films of the late 1980s and 1990s.
By all accounts a brilliant, driven perfectionist genius - inspiring but difficult to work with - Richard never quite finished his film The Thief and the Cobbler (viewable on KZbin in a Recobbled Cut), as it was eventually financed by Warner Brothers, who went cold on the idea and took the film away from him.
However, even in its unfinished state, the film is inspiring, and so are the Williams Studio's amazing commercials, and the feature film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
These days Richard is known for having written perhaps the best book ever written on animation- The Animator's Survival Kit. Every animation student should have one, and probably does. There is also a 16 DVD set of the same title where Richard explains his techniques, which is even better, but far more expensive.

[@GetToDaChoppa-k5r]

Even though this wonderful film was butchered by Miramax fan edits of the film still has a great following and respect in the animation community. Its legacy is still going to live forever. So it wasn't a total failure at all.

[@paulinafilby1529]

Richard,I was with you and witnessed all the sadness of what the business did to you .I remember our tour for the Pink Panther as the Dix Six .I have your picture on the wall.You were the most gentle and humblest man I ever had the privilege of working with.Still have our music cassette.You've guessed it this is Paulina Filby.Would love contact I am on Facebook!!!!!

[@Mr.C723]

It’s truly sad how Richard Williams never made the film he envisioned. Even with legendary Disney animators he still had to compete with Disney’s Aladdin and the deadline. Also I just saw the Recobbled Cut Mark 4 yesterday and it was a vision unlike any other.

[@evilnewwargod]

it really amazes me to know that, not only had the war machine sequence been animated fully at this time but that so much of it was featured in this documentary for television

[@AvengerofBronze]

it is so hard to find primary sources for the production of the thief and the cobbler and this resource has been so helpful for my academic purposes

[@JamesEmirzianWaldementer]

In Memory Of Richard Williams (1933 - 2019) An animation director of The Thief And The Cobbler

[@toprightchannel3080]

That one dislike is from The Devil. This is one of the most likeable dudes I've ever been exposed to- inspiration.

[@CaptainFishEye]

even after two years its still one dislike XD ohh my lord it its is indeed

[@LuckyLeverVIEJO]

and the other is from harvey weinstein

[@NadaFAli]

3 ones now

[@jimmyharmel7448]

They removed there dislikes now doe!

[@luismoreno7540]

Gracias por tus enseñanzas Richard.

[@connorcaddy5661]

Rip richard williams

[@zzfour]

I love this guy thanks for posting this.

[@emcvideoproductions500]

What's saddest about all this is what happened to Williams at the end of production.

[@GetToDaChoppa-k5r]

Eli Copperman Yeah, they butchered it. It's a pity Richard William's wasn't able to have full control from a large studio from the beginning other than his own, which had to produce advertisement shorts as its bread and butter.

[@emcvideoproductions500]

no hassle Yeah.

[@mooshr.4733]

@@GetToDaChoppa-k5r wait what happened actually?

[@tylerfish2701]

@@mooshr.4733 One person: Harvey Weinstein.

[@tylerfish2701]

@@jamesricker3997 Stuff like that makes me think this film was doomed from the start.

[@aquelescaraaaaaaaaaa]

kind of a sad documentarie, it shows Richard confidence, all his effoorts, the millions that were invested on the film, all that destroyed

[@gizmonovack]

aquelescaraaaaaaaaaa it was butchered because Disney Aladdin came out around the same year calling thief and the cobbler a rip off so they made thief and the cobbler look bad so there won't be any competition

[@dmsdrumcovers9506]

Thanks for posting!! The master!

[@RichardDixon-ku8no]

❤Great done.

[@Recedebo]

@LiimLsan I believe it was Richard Williams because he developed the concept of him having extra fingers and joints in them, also he showed some scenes he animated of Zig zag to the master animators who taught him trying to impress them, and then they told him that he was becoming an animator...

[@ElliotTheMighty]

WOW! This is really inspiring :)

[@Theomite]

That man's hands had to have been as strong as tempered steel doing all that shit himself for so long.

[@GreenDrago4]

sleepycast sent me here

[@Bimtavdesign]

Please, please, please, please, please, please, could we have a re-upload in high quality!?

[@user-ts1ne8qq8c]

Ok mam

[@silkworm2595]

It's alright

[@Roy-mk9zl]

Exactlyyyyyyyy that's what I felt like without knowing that it is made to look like a dream. I felt like it looks like my dream and it's soo real. Can't imagine this guy imitated dream into a movie.

[@naasirneely1241]

00:09:59 best part of the video.

[@aquelescaraaaaaaaaaa]

@LiimLsan Zig Zag was mostly Tim Watts and Richard Williams

[@richardwilliams8248]

Lol same name

[@tobbs5410]

8:20 me

[@user-cj5tk5gh2s]

Порожняк Ричард

[@danieljames4361]

Only put this video because little brother won't listen so teach him were he might going