What initially brought us into a friendship was a mutual obsession with the life and films of Walt Disney. Later we both went on to write about Disney and Robin earned his Phd for his superbly researched and argued 1993 thesis, The European Influences on the Animated Feature Films of Walt Disney.
Five years later, this ground-breaking study was published as Walt Disney and Europe: one of the most significant books on Disney art to be written and to which I was honoured to contribute a preface.
Robin and I lectured together on one or two occasions and whenever I got the opportunity, I would involve him in my broadcasts. He appeared in programmes I wrote about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (which he he had seen as a young boy on its first release and which remained one of his favourite films), a documentary marking Mickey Mouse's 60th birthday and a feature on Disney's 1940 masterwork, Fantasia, and its sequel, Fantasia 2000. Today, I am posting a broadcast I made for the BBC World Service in 1992 to mark the release of Walt Disney Productions' Beauty and the Beast and which explores the way in which fairy-tales have been retold in the cinema. Robin Allan is joined by fellow commentators Christopher Frayling and Marina Warner and I hope you will enjoy the programme and the observations of my oldest and dearest friend...
Here are some more Disney radio programmes featuring contributions from Robin Allan...
6 comments:
very well done!
I'm so sorry that another of your nearest and dearest has passed away.
Brian, I heard your eulogy at Robin's funeral today, and was most impressed, not only by your in depth knowledge of him, but also by the breadth and scale of his life and achievements. It was extremely interesting and impressive, not only to myself, who only knew Robin a little, but also especially to my wife, his neice.
Dear Brian,
I too was at Robin's funeral. I greatly appreciated your in-depth eulogy, especially the way you delivered to us a celebration of his wonderful personality. You might be interested to learn that from the packed gallery of the church some pews, mine included, are indeed the 'cheap seats' with no view of 'the stage'. It was easier then to focus on your words. I am so sorry you have lost your dear friend.
I met Robin outside the cycle shop in New Mills newly after moving here in 2011. He complimented me on my "marvelous bicycle" and asked to feel how heavy it was. He was tickled when I cautioned him not to jump on and ride away. And there it was, the hand of friendship was extended to me and you'll know how appreciated it was.
Thank you too for posting the link to your World Service radio programme. It's a great listen 22 years on.
Robin is indeed the perfect succinct and authoritative contributor, I bet you didn't have much work to do with the razor blade there. I was a Studio Manager at Bush House when you made this programme - I would have remembered if I'd worked on such a delight. I think maybe you'll have had one of the best craftspeople there, maybe Keith Perrin or Dave Johnstone, it's beautifully mixed. I'm mortified the current management are considering adverts on the service. How things change. So Brian, in true radio style, I didn't see you, but I heard you and the pictures you made in my head are ones to remember. With many thanks and kind regards, Deborah Pitman
Dear Mr Welch, Thank you for your kind comment. I'm sorry we didn't get to speak after the funeral.
Dear Deborah, Thank you for sharing your own recollection of Robin – so very characteristic of him!
As you say, he was a brilliant radio contributor and needed little opr no 'tidying up' – always insightful but always to the point! He's have quite a few notes for me on my performance on Friday, but I'm glad you were able to appreciate the tribute even if it was only in audio!
I'm sure we must have met in a studio or two at Bush House back then when I was presenting Meridian Arts every week for several years.
I've added a couple of other links to programmes featuring Robin at the end of the original post. I think you might enjoy some of them...
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