Speaking of color...TikiMoose alerted me that over at MiceChat, there is a slightly heated discussion going on about Monstro the Whale. Who knew he could be such a controversial character?!? The debate is whether Monstro was originally painted black or blue. Here are some early views of the great whale from Pinocchio, starting off with 2 undated 1950’s shots, showing the original ticket booth.
I love the coloring in this one from March 1958; looks like there’s a storm brewing overhead!
This July 1966 view makes Monstro look blue, but photos can be deceiving, depending upon filters, film used, and of course time of day the shot was taken.
In the end, does it REALLY matter whether he was black or blue to begin with? The important thing is that Disney realized he was looking downright nasty (as this shot from February 2007 can attest to) and gave him an overhaul. Interestingly enough, there should be NO debate over what color Monstro was in the original poster art: he was definitely blue.
For more vintage & current Storybook photos, visit my regular website.
3 comments:
Hey Dave, I made a comment that it appears that the fifties Monstro was replaced some time ago with a new more "puffy" less fierce version. What do you think?
The color definitely varies over the years. Great post by the way.
Tikimoose - Although it is hardly noticeable, when you look at it, he definitely has been altered and is less fierce looking, even a little more cartoony.
Interesting, when you compare the eye in the first photo to the more recent closeup, they are definitely different. He looks almost sleepy in the later version! Dammit, make him fierce, he's supposed to be! Meanwhile, I believe that he has always been black, although the influence of the blue sky makes it look blue-ish, and old paint and the accumulation of dirt will also change the way it looks.
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