DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp
Encyclopedia
DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp is a 1990 American animated
feature film
based on the animated child
ren's television series DuckTales
. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures
on August 3, 1990. Although it was a theatrically released animated film, it was the first feature outside the main Disney animation canon. Produced by the Walt Disney Television Animation
satellite studios in France
and Australia
(the latter later known as DisneyToon Studios
), the classic Donald Duck
cartoon Dude Duck aired in front on the film when it aired in theatres.
(Alan Young
), Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Webby Vanderquack (Russi Taylor
), and Launchpad McQuack (Terrence McGovern
) journey to the Middle East
in search of the treasure
of Collie Baba (a slight reference to Ali Baba
) and his Forty Thieves
. They are accompanied by Dijon
, a weasel who is hired as a guide to an ancient temple. Unbeknownst to them, he is under the employ of Merlock (Christopher Lloyd
), a magician who is as old as human history, and who has a very specific treasure in mind. After overcoming several booby traps, Scrooge finds the treasure and while investigating it Dijon sneaks off with some of the prize. Webby discovers what appears to be an ordinary oil lamp which Scrooge grudgingly gives to her when he sees little value in it. Meanwhile, having discovered Dijon, Merlock becomes upset because the treasure he wanted, the lamp, has not been obtained by the thief, forcing the two of them to intervene. They trap the party in a shallow water flow filled with deadly scorpions and attend to the rest of the treasure, however Webby has made off with what Merlock wants the most.
Back in Duckberg, Webby and the boys discover that the lamp is actually a magic lamp containing a genie (Rip Taylor
) who claims to be able to grant them three wishes each. With a total of twelve wishes between the four of them, they use it on things like a giant ice cream sundae and playthings while Webby wishes for a baby elephant. The boys use one of their wishes to reverse hers to avoid suspicion from the adults as they suspect they'll just take Genie away from them. Scrooge meets the Genie by mistake and they pass him off as a normal boy named "Gene". One night, Genie becomes afraid of an owl, fearful that it may be Merlock, someone from his past whom he is evidently terrified of. He then reveals his story to the boys. Thousands of years ago, he had a wicked master named Merlock. Merlock was an evil sorcerer who made many terrible wishes that Genie was forced to grant. The first of these wishes was for him [Merlock] to live forever. After Collie Baba stole the lamp from him, Merlock has been on a quest for the lamp ever since, and still is to that day. Furthermore, he had somehow obtained a magical talisman that gave him the power to change forms at will. When combined with the lamp, the talisman enables the user to gain unlimited wishes. After a disastrous wish from Webby, the boys reveal Gene's identity to Scrooge who collects him as they were afraid of. It isn't long before Dijon discovers the Genie and uses him to wish away Scrooge's fortune to himself. Scrooge is arrested for trespassing on "his" property and Mrs. Beakly and the kids bail him out.
Scrooge, Launchpad, and the boys infiltrate the Money Bin in order to obtain the lamp and reverse the mess, however Merlock is not far behind. As the heroes make their way to the top of the money bin, Merlock takes the lamp for himself and turns the bin into a gigantic floating fortress, carrying the ducks along with them. During a confrontation with Scrooge, Merlock orders the genie to send him far away, which he has no choice but to obey. However, Scrooge manages to take Merlock's lamp with him. Merlock turns into a gryphon
and pursues him. As the two battle in the final showdown, Scrooge forces Merlock to release his talisman and he turns back into his regular form. Scrooge manages to grab the lamp and make his second wish: "I wish me, and my family, and my Bin were back in Duckberg, right now!" (his first wish having been reacquiring the treasure of Collie Baba). The respective people and locations disappear from sight and Merlock is seen plunging to his death from hundreds of feet in the sky. Back in Duckberg, all seems well and the memories of the events seem limited to Scrooge and his family. Scrooge acts curmudgeonly, threatening to send the lamp to the deepest point in the center of the Earth. But instead makes his final wish to make Gene a real boy and for his freedom. After granting the wish, the magic is no longer with the lamp, and it crumbled and wastes away into dust. Gene is free from the lamp forever. To celebrate his newfound humanity, Gene initiates a game of Cops and Robbers
with the children.
In the final scene, Scrooge catches Dijon trying to steal coins from his house and chases Dijon down the road to the town, yelling "Somebody stop those pants!" The credits opens and ends with Jeff Pescetto
singing the famous "Ducktales
" theme song.
Additional voices
shorts), there are, among others, DreamWorks animators Sylvain Deboissy and Nicholas Marlet, French animation director Pierre Lyphoudt, and ILM's James Baker and Daniel Jeannette. For all the Europeans working on this Disney feature, it was a dream come true, and because most of us were working on a feature for the first time in our lives, in a way it was our Snow White. As the only American on staff, there were many occasions when I had to explain to supervisors or other animators the exact meaning of some American slang phrases used in the dialogue of the script."
During the film's main titles, the titles' font is that of the Indiana Jones
films. This was obviously to honor the film Raiders of the Lost Ark
for using the original Carl Barks comic book series as part of the inspiration for the former (such as the scene when Jones being chased by a boulder which was inspired by "The Seven Cities of Cibola," an Uncle Scrooge comic book issue. Also, the idea for the idol mechanism in the opening scene in Raiders, and deadly traps later in the film were inspired by several Uncle Scrooge comics). Another homage to the Indiana Jones films comes later in the movie when someone looking like Indiana Jones can be seen briefly when Scrooge and Genie visit the Explorer's Club.
, and caused all planned DuckTales films to be shelved as well (there were plans for there to be several DuckTales films following this).
's Uncle Scrooge comic books on which DuckTales was based. Overseas, however, critics were generally kinder to the film. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
, the film got a "Certified Fresh" score of 83%. The more successful animated film, Aladdin, released by Disney almost two years later also shares many elements with this film.
of DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp was released as an exclusive to the Disney Movie Club and the Disney Movie Rewards Program. Disney has not announced any plans for a region 1 wide release of the DVD yet. However, Disney has given the DVD wide release in Europe and other parts of the world. The DVD release is in widescreen presentation in region 1 and other countries.
The film is available to rent on iTunes
.
, though a feature-length Mickey Mouse
film (which is now in development at Walt Disney Animation Studios) was in the works for a while before the label was altogether dropped. Other films made by the television animation division, such as Doug's 1st Movie
were released without the MovieToons label.
When the Walt Disney Television Animation
unit basically became the only place where "toon" (hand-drawn) animation was being done at Disney, the unit took on the name. While many of the executives of the MovieToon division crossed over from MovieToon to DisneyToon unit (the theatrical unit of the TV animation division), the two names are now not actually linked in anything other than the "Toon" word.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
based on the animated child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren's television series DuckTales
DuckTales
DuckTales is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. Based on Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge comic book series, it premiered on September 18, 1987 and ended on November 28, 1990 with a total of four seasons and 100 episodes...
. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
on August 3, 1990. Although it was a theatrically released animated film, it was the first feature outside the main Disney animation canon. Produced by the Walt Disney Television Animation
Walt Disney Television Animation
Disney Television Animation is an American animation studio that is the TV animation production arm of the Disney-ABC Television Group, owned by The Walt Disney Company, dedicated to creating, developing and producing animated television series, films, specials and other projects.Established in...
satellite studios in France
Walt Disney Animation France
Walt Disney Animation France was an animation studio located in Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, France that worked on both feature length Disney films and television series...
and Australia
DisneyToon Studios
DisneyToon Studios is an American animation studio owned by The Walt Disney Company, responsible for producing direct-to-video and occasional theatrical films for Walt Disney Studios....
(the latter later known as DisneyToon Studios
DisneyToon Studios
DisneyToon Studios is an American animation studio owned by The Walt Disney Company, responsible for producing direct-to-video and occasional theatrical films for Walt Disney Studios....
), the classic Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
cartoon Dude Duck aired in front on the film when it aired in theatres.
Plot
Scrooge McDuckScrooge McDuck
Scrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Scrooge is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a red or blue frock coat, top hat, pince-nez glasses, and spats...
(Alan Young
Alan Young
Alan Young is an English-Canadian actor and voice actor, best known for his role as Wilbur Post in the television series Mister Ed and as the voice of Scrooge McDuck in Disney films, TV series and video games...
), Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Webby Vanderquack (Russi Taylor
Russi Taylor
Russi Taylor is an American voice actress. She is the current voice actress of Disney's Minnie Mouse character. She has held this role since 1986, longer than any other voice actress...
), and Launchpad McQuack (Terrence McGovern
Terry McGovern (actor)
Terence "Terry" McGovern is an American film actor, television broadcaster, radio personality, voice-over specialist, and acting instructor.-Personal life:...
) journey to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in search of the treasure
Treasure
Treasure is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered...
of Collie Baba (a slight reference to Ali Baba
Ali Baba
Ali Baba is a fictional character from medieval Arabic literature. He is described in the adventure tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves...
) and his Forty Thieves
Forty Thieves
Forty Thieves is a Patience game. It is quite difficult to win, and relies mostly on skill. It is also known as Napoleon at Saint Helena, Roosevelt at San Juan, Big Forty and Le Cadran.-Rules:* Two decks are used ....
. They are accompanied by Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, a weasel who is hired as a guide to an ancient temple. Unbeknownst to them, he is under the employ of Merlock (Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is best known for playing Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He played Reverend Jim Ignatowski in the television series Taxi and more...
), a magician who is as old as human history, and who has a very specific treasure in mind. After overcoming several booby traps, Scrooge finds the treasure and while investigating it Dijon sneaks off with some of the prize. Webby discovers what appears to be an ordinary oil lamp which Scrooge grudgingly gives to her when he sees little value in it. Meanwhile, having discovered Dijon, Merlock becomes upset because the treasure he wanted, the lamp, has not been obtained by the thief, forcing the two of them to intervene. They trap the party in a shallow water flow filled with deadly scorpions and attend to the rest of the treasure, however Webby has made off with what Merlock wants the most.
Back in Duckberg, Webby and the boys discover that the lamp is actually a magic lamp containing a genie (Rip Taylor
Rip Taylor
Charles Elmer "Rip" Taylor, Jr. is an American actor and comedian.-Early life:Taylor was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Elizabeth, a waitress, and Charles Elmer Taylor, Sr., a musician. As a young man, Taylor served in the Korean War while in the U.S...
) who claims to be able to grant them three wishes each. With a total of twelve wishes between the four of them, they use it on things like a giant ice cream sundae and playthings while Webby wishes for a baby elephant. The boys use one of their wishes to reverse hers to avoid suspicion from the adults as they suspect they'll just take Genie away from them. Scrooge meets the Genie by mistake and they pass him off as a normal boy named "Gene". One night, Genie becomes afraid of an owl, fearful that it may be Merlock, someone from his past whom he is evidently terrified of. He then reveals his story to the boys. Thousands of years ago, he had a wicked master named Merlock. Merlock was an evil sorcerer who made many terrible wishes that Genie was forced to grant. The first of these wishes was for him [Merlock] to live forever. After Collie Baba stole the lamp from him, Merlock has been on a quest for the lamp ever since, and still is to that day. Furthermore, he had somehow obtained a magical talisman that gave him the power to change forms at will. When combined with the lamp, the talisman enables the user to gain unlimited wishes. After a disastrous wish from Webby, the boys reveal Gene's identity to Scrooge who collects him as they were afraid of. It isn't long before Dijon discovers the Genie and uses him to wish away Scrooge's fortune to himself. Scrooge is arrested for trespassing on "his" property and Mrs. Beakly and the kids bail him out.
Scrooge, Launchpad, and the boys infiltrate the Money Bin in order to obtain the lamp and reverse the mess, however Merlock is not far behind. As the heroes make their way to the top of the money bin, Merlock takes the lamp for himself and turns the bin into a gigantic floating fortress, carrying the ducks along with them. During a confrontation with Scrooge, Merlock orders the genie to send him far away, which he has no choice but to obey. However, Scrooge manages to take Merlock's lamp with him. Merlock turns into a gryphon
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
and pursues him. As the two battle in the final showdown, Scrooge forces Merlock to release his talisman and he turns back into his regular form. Scrooge manages to grab the lamp and make his second wish: "I wish me, and my family, and my Bin were back in Duckberg, right now!" (his first wish having been reacquiring the treasure of Collie Baba). The respective people and locations disappear from sight and Merlock is seen plunging to his death from hundreds of feet in the sky. Back in Duckberg, all seems well and the memories of the events seem limited to Scrooge and his family. Scrooge acts curmudgeonly, threatening to send the lamp to the deepest point in the center of the Earth. But instead makes his final wish to make Gene a real boy and for his freedom. After granting the wish, the magic is no longer with the lamp, and it crumbled and wastes away into dust. Gene is free from the lamp forever. To celebrate his newfound humanity, Gene initiates a game of Cops and Robbers
Cops and Robbers
-Film:*Cops and Robbers , a 1951 Italian film*Cops and Robbers , a 1973 film starring Cliff Gorman and Joseph Bologna-Music:...
with the children.
In the final scene, Scrooge catches Dijon trying to steal coins from his house and chases Dijon down the road to the town, yelling "Somebody stop those pants!" The credits opens and ends with Jeff Pescetto
Jeff Pescetto
Jeff Pescetto is a musical artist, who is most notable for collaborating with David Foster on the 1990 recreation of John Farnham's Australian single, "You're the Voice". Pescetto lended the vocals to Foster's pianism on the latter's River of Love album....
singing the famous "Ducktales
DuckTales
DuckTales is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. Based on Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge comic book series, it premiered on September 18, 1987 and ended on November 28, 1990 with a total of four seasons and 100 episodes...
" theme song.
Voice cast
- Alan YoungAlan YoungAlan Young is an English-Canadian actor and voice actor, best known for his role as Wilbur Post in the television series Mister Ed and as the voice of Scrooge McDuck in Disney films, TV series and video games...
- Scrooge McDuck - Rip TaylorRip TaylorCharles Elmer "Rip" Taylor, Jr. is an American actor and comedian.-Early life:Taylor was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Elizabeth, a waitress, and Charles Elmer Taylor, Sr., a musician. As a young man, Taylor served in the Korean War while in the U.S...
- Genie / Gene - Christopher LloydChristopher LloydChristopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is best known for playing Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He played Reverend Jim Ignatowski in the television series Taxi and more...
- Merlock - Russi TaylorRussi TaylorRussi Taylor is an American voice actress. She is the current voice actress of Disney's Minnie Mouse character. She has held this role since 1986, longer than any other voice actress...
- Huey / Dewey / Louie / Webby - Terrence McGovernTerry McGovern (actor)Terence "Terry" McGovern is an American film actor, television broadcaster, radio personality, voice-over specialist, and acting instructor.-Personal life:...
- Launchpad McQuack - Richard LibertiniRichard LibertiniRichard Libertini is an American stage, film and television actor known for playing numerous character roles and his ability to speak in numerous accents....
- Dijon - Joan GerberJoan GerberJoan Gerber is an American voice actress for a variety of cartoons.- Filmography :* 1959: Matty's Funday Funnies : Additional Voices...
- Mrs. Betina Beaker - Chuck McCannChuck McCannChuck McCann is a film actor, television actor, stage actor, and a voice actor from Brooklyn, New York.-Early career:...
- Duckworth - June ForayJune ForayJune Foray is an American voice actress, best known as the voice of many animated characters...
- Mrs. Featherby
Additional voices
- Charlie Adler
- Jack AngelJack AngelJack Angel is an American voice actor, who has worked on many children's television series, movies and video games.-Life and career:Angel was born in Modesto, California...
- Steve BulenSteve BulenJames Steven Bulen , better known as Steve Bulen, is an American voice actor. He has been doing voices for many animated films and television shows for Walt Disney Animation Studios and Hanna-Barbera as well several video games and anime titles such as Doomed Megalopolis, Giant Robo, Outlaw Star,...
- Sherry LynnSherry LynnSherry Lynn is a veteran American voice actress, known for young girl roles in animation and video games. She is represented by Arlene Thornton & Associates...
- Mickie T. McGowan
- Patrick PinneyPatrick PinneyPatrick Pinney is an American voice actor. He attended college at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, where he had many friends including assistant director Michele Panelli Venetis and San Francisco Bay area costumer Alison Barnwell Morris , with whom he costarred in "The...
- Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
Production
Animator Larry Ruppel shared his experience during the film's production: "I was the sole American working at the Paris studio during this production, the other creative artists hailing mostly from France, Denmark, Australia and Italy. I'd like to add that this little movie ended up being quite important because of the many notable animation professionals who got their start on this project. Besides myself (I've animated numerous Disney projects, also Classic Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
shorts), there are, among others, DreamWorks animators Sylvain Deboissy and Nicholas Marlet, French animation director Pierre Lyphoudt, and ILM's James Baker and Daniel Jeannette. For all the Europeans working on this Disney feature, it was a dream come true, and because most of us were working on a feature for the first time in our lives, in a way it was our Snow White. As the only American on staff, there were many occasions when I had to explain to supervisors or other animators the exact meaning of some American slang phrases used in the dialogue of the script."
During the film's main titles, the titles' font is that of the Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
films. This was obviously to honor the film Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
for using the original Carl Barks comic book series as part of the inspiration for the former (such as the scene when Jones being chased by a boulder which was inspired by "The Seven Cities of Cibola," an Uncle Scrooge comic book issue. Also, the idea for the idol mechanism in the opening scene in Raiders, and deadly traps later in the film were inspired by several Uncle Scrooge comics). Another homage to the Indiana Jones films comes later in the movie when someone looking like Indiana Jones can be seen briefly when Scrooge and Genie visit the Explorer's Club.
Box office
While the film earned $18 million dollars domestically and made back its budget, it was not a financial success Disney was supposedly hoping for, having to face competition from other larger-scale summer family releases such as Problem ChildProblem Child (1990 film)
Problem Child is a 1990 American comedy film. It stars John Ritter, Amy Yasbeck, Gilbert Gottfried, Jack Warden, Michael Richards and Michael Oliver. The film was directed by Dennis Dugan.-Plot:...
, and caused all planned DuckTales films to be shelved as well (there were plans for there to be several DuckTales films following this).
Critical reception
Some critics considered the film to be a betrayal of Carl BarksCarl Barks
Carl Barks was an American Disney Studio illustrator and comic book creator, who invented Duckburg and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck , Gladstone Gander , the Beagle Boys , The Junior Woodchucks , Gyro Gearloose , Cornelius Coot , Flintheart Glomgold , John D...
's Uncle Scrooge comic books on which DuckTales was based. Overseas, however, critics were generally kinder to the film. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the film got a "Certified Fresh" score of 83%. The more successful animated film, Aladdin, released by Disney almost two years later also shares many elements with this film.
Home media
On January 16, 2006, the region 1 DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp was released as an exclusive to the Disney Movie Club and the Disney Movie Rewards Program. Disney has not announced any plans for a region 1 wide release of the DVD yet. However, Disney has given the DVD wide release in Europe and other parts of the world. The DVD release is in widescreen presentation in region 1 and other countries.
The film is available to rent on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
Disney MovieToons label
The short-lived MovieToon label, which was introduced with this film, was intended as being specifically for producing new films for old established Disney characters. However, in the end they only produced one more major film which became A Goofy MovieA Goofy Movie
A Goofy Movie is a 1995 American animated musical comedy film, produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, Walt Disney Animation France S.A. and Walt Disney Animation Australia , and released in theaters on April 7, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures...
, though a feature-length Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
film (which is now in development at Walt Disney Animation Studios) was in the works for a while before the label was altogether dropped. Other films made by the television animation division, such as Doug's 1st Movie
Doug's 1st Movie
Doug's 1st Movie is a 1999 animated film based on the Disney version of the Nickelodeon television series Doug. The film was directed by Maurice Joyce, and stars the regular television cast of Tom McHugh, Fred Newman, Chris Phillips, Constance Shulman, Frank Welker, Alice Playten, and Guy Hadley...
were released without the MovieToons label.
When the Walt Disney Television Animation
Walt Disney Television Animation
Disney Television Animation is an American animation studio that is the TV animation production arm of the Disney-ABC Television Group, owned by The Walt Disney Company, dedicated to creating, developing and producing animated television series, films, specials and other projects.Established in...
unit basically became the only place where "toon" (hand-drawn) animation was being done at Disney, the unit took on the name. While many of the executives of the MovieToon division crossed over from MovieToon to DisneyToon unit (the theatrical unit of the TV animation division), the two names are now not actually linked in anything other than the "Toon" word.