The Small One
Encyclopedia
The Small One is a Christmas
animated short film created by Walt Disney Productions and was originally released to theaters in the United States
by Buena Vista Distribution Company on December 15, 1978, before the 1978 re-release of Pinocchio
. It started off as a children's book, by Charles Tazewell
, which became a popular radio story in the 1940s–1960s. An earlier production starring Kate Smith
was aired in the Hallmark Hall of Fame
on December 21, 1952. Looking for an experimental plot to create into a cartoon, Disney came upon the story and brought it to life. It was an experiment for the newer and younger animators, including Don Bluth
.
The short is a story of a young boy, outside Nazareth
, who must part with his best friend, an old donkey
named Small One. He brings it to market
, but no one is in need of a "scrawny donkey", save for a tanner
. And when things look bleak, Small One leads his friend back to the tanner's, ready to give his life. But new hope comes along, in the form of a gentle man, who buys Small One for his blessed wife.
. His father owns four donkeys. Three of these donkeys are young and strong. The fourth donkey, Small One, is old and weak, but the boy loves him anyway. Everyday, the boy and the donkey play together before they go to work, helping the boy's father to collect wood.
The boy and his father take the donkeys to work one morning, as they always do. Many times, the boy loads Small One with small sticks, since Small One can't carry heavy loads any more. Small One even has trouble carrying stacks of small sticks and the boy helps to carry them for him.
That evening, the boy's father tells the boy that he has to sell Small One. Devastated, but understanding, the boy asks if he can be the one to sell his best friend. The father agrees and tells him that he has to sell him for one piece of silver. That night, the boy comforts Small One and promises to find him a gentle and loving master.
The next morning, the boy takes Small One to the market in Nazareth. Unfortunately, nobody wants an old weak donkey but the tanner, and he only wants to kill Small One to make leather out of his hide. After failing to find another buyer, the boy and his donkey return to the tanner's shop. The boy weeps, and Small One, accepting his fate under the tanner's knife, tenderly consoles the boy.
Just as everything looks bleak, a kind man
comes up to the boy and asks if Small One is for sale. The man needs a gentle donkey to carry his pregnant wife
to Bethlehem
. The boy sells the donkey for one piece of silver (the same price offered by the tanner) and watches as Mary, Joseph, and Small One leave on their journey.
on Volume 9 of the Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites
line, titled Classic Holiday Stories. This DVD also featured Mickey's Christmas Carol
(1983) and Pluto's Christmas Tree (1952). The DVD is edited in two places:
This short is also featured on Walt Disney Animated Classics: Vol. 7: Mickey's Christmas Carol.
It was also released on Region 2 on the DVD Countdown to Christmas.
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
animated short film created by Walt Disney Productions and was originally released to theaters in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Buena Vista Distribution Company on December 15, 1978, before the 1978 re-release of Pinocchio
Pinocchio (1940 film)
Pinocchio is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the story The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. It is the second film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, and it was made after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was released to theaters by...
. It started off as a children's book, by Charles Tazewell
Charles Tazewell
Charles Tazewell was the author of the children's book The Small One, which The Walt Disney Company adapted into the animated short of the same name in 1978. In 1939 he wrote an unproduced radio script The Littlest Angel, which was published in book form in 1946 and adapted as a musical TV drama...
, which became a popular radio story in the 1940s–1960s. An earlier production starring Kate Smith
Kate Smith
Kathryn Elizabeth "Kate" Smith was an American Popular singer, best known for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". Smith had a radio, television, and recording career spanning five decades, which reached its pinnacle in the 1940s.Smith was born in Greenville, Virginia...
was aired in the Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
on December 21, 1952. Looking for an experimental plot to create into a cartoon, Disney came upon the story and brought it to life. It was an experiment for the newer and younger animators, including Don Bluth
Don Bluth
Donald Virgil "Don" Bluth is an American animator and independent studio owner. He is best known for his departure from The Walt Disney Company in 1979 and his subsequent directing of animated films such as The Secret of NIMH , An American Tail ,The Land Before Time , and All Dogs Go to Heaven ,...
.
The short is a story of a young boy, outside Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
, who must part with his best friend, an old donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
named Small One. He brings it to market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
, but no one is in need of a "scrawny donkey", save for a tanner
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
. And when things look bleak, Small One leads his friend back to the tanner's, ready to give his life. But new hope comes along, in the form of a gentle man, who buys Small One for his blessed wife.
Plot summary
Long ago, there was a boy who lived outside of NazarethNazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
. His father owns four donkeys. Three of these donkeys are young and strong. The fourth donkey, Small One, is old and weak, but the boy loves him anyway. Everyday, the boy and the donkey play together before they go to work, helping the boy's father to collect wood.
The boy and his father take the donkeys to work one morning, as they always do. Many times, the boy loads Small One with small sticks, since Small One can't carry heavy loads any more. Small One even has trouble carrying stacks of small sticks and the boy helps to carry them for him.
That evening, the boy's father tells the boy that he has to sell Small One. Devastated, but understanding, the boy asks if he can be the one to sell his best friend. The father agrees and tells him that he has to sell him for one piece of silver. That night, the boy comforts Small One and promises to find him a gentle and loving master.
The next morning, the boy takes Small One to the market in Nazareth. Unfortunately, nobody wants an old weak donkey but the tanner, and he only wants to kill Small One to make leather out of his hide. After failing to find another buyer, the boy and his donkey return to the tanner's shop. The boy weeps, and Small One, accepting his fate under the tanner's knife, tenderly consoles the boy.
Just as everything looks bleak, a kind man
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
comes up to the boy and asks if Small One is for sale. The man needs a gentle donkey to carry his pregnant wife
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
to Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
. The boy sells the donkey for one piece of silver (the same price offered by the tanner) and watches as Mary, Joseph, and Small One leave on their journey.
Characters
- The Small One: He is a gentle donkey past his prime. Long years of working hard have made him weak. Though he eats as much as the other donkeys, he cannot handle the same loads. His right ear never likes to stay straight up, giving him that "Disney cuteness" rating. He has strong feelings for the Boy and would give his life to help him, as he almost does at the tanner's.
- Boy: He is about ten years old, roughly. Although he takes care of all the donkeys, Small One is his favorite. When his father tells him to sell Small One, the boy is devastated. Soon he accepts it. Though he loves the donkey, he accepts what his father tells him. He reassures Small One will have a gentle and loving master and he does.
- Father: The boy's father is not seen much at all. He is the one who sends the boy to sell Small One. He loves his son and deep down, he loves Small One too, but he knows they cannot afford to keep a donkey that cannot carry a large load.
- Three Merchants: These three men, one tall and skinny, one medium and skinny, and the last short and round, walk around the marketplaceMarketplaceA marketplace is the space, actual, virtual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. The term is also used in a trademark law context to denote the actual consumer environment, ie. the 'real world' in which products and services are provided and consumed.-Marketplaces and street markets:A...
taking money from people, "for the bank". They are the ones who point the boy to the auctioneer. - Auctioneer: He auctions horses in the market. At first he is angered that the boy brings Small One onto the stage and slightly embarrasses him. However, when the boy tells him what Small One can do, the man changes his mind and is intrigued, especially when the boy tells him that Small One is "good enough to be in a King's stable". With that, he decides to have some fun. He mocks and almost injures Small One with his weight. But when Small One sees his best friend pushed aside, he regains his strength and throws the man off of his back. The auctioneer chases them away.
- The tanner: He kills animals to make leather from their skins.
- The three donkeys: Small One's barn mates. They seem jealous that the boy spends more time with Small One than them.
- Joseph: His name is never mentioned in the entirety of the film, but you can pretty much guess that it is him who buys Small One in the end. The line "I need a gentle donkey to carry my wife to Bethlehem" says it all.
- Mary: You only see the silhouette of her riding on Small One, with Joseph leading him away, towards Bethlehem.
Credits
- Story Adaptation: Pete Young, Vance Gerry
- With the Voice Talents of Sean MarshallSean MarshallSean Christopher Marshall is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. After three minor league seasons, Marshall was added to the Cubs' 40-man roster in November . He was married to Alexis DelChiaro at the time a morning anchor at KSAZ in Phoenix, AZ...
, William Woodson, Olan SouleOlan SouleOlan Soule was an American character actor with hundreds of credits in films, radio, commercials, television and animation.-Early life:...
, Hal SmithHal SmithHal Smith may refer to:* Hal Smith , American actor* Hal Smith , American baseball player * Hal Smith , American baseball player [catcher/third baseman]...
, Joe HigginsJoe HigginsJoe Higgins is an Irish Socialist Party politician. In the 2011 general election he was elected to Dáil Éireann as Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency, having previously served in that capacity from 1997–2007...
, Gordon JumpGordon JumpAlexander Gordon Jump was an American actor best known as the clueless radio station manager Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson in the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati and the incompetent "Chief of Police Tinkler" in the sitcom Soap... - Supervising Animators: John PomeroyJohn PomeroyJohn Pomeroy is an American animator who has worked for several major studios, including The Walt Disney Company and Sullivan Bluth Studios...
, Gary GoldmanGary GoldmanGary Wayne Goldman is an American Film Producer, Director, Animator, Writer and voice actor, he is well known for working on films with Don Bluth like Anastasia, An American Tail and The Land Before Time...
, Cliff Nordberg - Animators: Lorna Pomeroy, Heidi Guedel, Linda Miller, Emily Jiuliano, Jerry ReesJerry ReesJerry W. Rees is an animator and director best known for the 1987 Emmy-nominated animated film The Brave Little Toaster. He supervised and helped create many of the visual effects for the cult classic Tron, and is also a sculptor and fine artist....
, Bill Hajee, Chuck Harvey, Ron HusbandRon HusbandRon Husband is an American character animator known for his work at Walt Disney Feature Animation. Two of his most famous assignments while at Disney were as supervising animator for Djali in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Elk in the Firebird segment of Fantasia 2000 and Dr. Sweet in Atlantis:... - Effects Animators: Ted C. Kierscey, Dorse A. Lanpher
- Assistant Animation Supervisor: Walt StanchfieldWalt StanchfieldWalt Stanchfield was an American animator, writer and teacher. Stanchfield is known for work on a series of classic animated feature films at Walt Disney Studios and his mentoring of Disney animators....
- Assistant Animators: Dan Kuenster, Chuck Williams
- Layout: Dan Hansen, Sylvia Roemer
- Backgrounds: Jim Coleman, Daniela Bielecka
- Storyboards: Peter Young
- Film and Sound Editing: James Melton
- Music Editor: Evelyn Kennedy
- Production Manager: Don Duckwall
- Assistant Director: Richard RichRichard Rich (director)Richard Rich is an American film director, producer and writer known for his work in animation. He is president of Crest Animation Productions. Unlike most animation directors Rich has never worked as animator on a film....
- Songs Writers: Richard Rich, Don Bluth
- Music Composed and Conducted by Robert F. Brunner
- Executive Producer: Ron MillerRon W. MillerRonald William "Ron" Miller is a former professional American football player, the son-in-law of Walt Disney, and a former president and CEO of what is now The Walt Disney Company.-Marriage and early career:...
- Produced and Directed by Don BluthDon BluthDonald Virgil "Don" Bluth is an American animator and independent studio owner. He is best known for his departure from The Walt Disney Company in 1979 and his subsequent directing of animated films such as The Secret of NIMH , An American Tail ,The Land Before Time , and All Dogs Go to Heaven ,...
Trivia
A deleted scene at the end of the film can be seen with an old goat and a young sheep watching Joseph take the Donkey to Bethlehem and they sing The Small One theme song.DVD release
On September 27, 2005, Disney released this short for the first time on 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....
on Volume 9 of the Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites
Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites
Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites is a series of DVDs by Walt Disney Home Video. Each release would feature around one-hour of Disney animated short films, grouped by a starring character or a theme. As opposed to the chronological nature of the Walt Disney Treasures line, each release would...
line, titled Classic Holiday Stories. This DVD also featured Mickey's Christmas Carol
Mickey's Christmas Carol
Mickey's Christmas Carol is a 1983 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Company. It was directed and produced by Burny Mattinson...
(1983) and Pluto's Christmas Tree (1952). The DVD is edited in two places:
- The star at the end has been given more lines to look less like a cross.
- The song the three merchants sing has had a lyrics change. The lyric "We never, never fail when we go to make a sale, we simply cheat a little if we must" was changed to "We never, never fail when we go to make a sale, we just work a little harder if we must." The reason for these edits is not known; but it may have to do with the merchants being "Jewish" stereotypes.
This short is also featured on Walt Disney Animated Classics: Vol. 7: Mickey's Christmas Carol.
It was also released on Region 2 on the DVD Countdown to Christmas.
External links
- The Small One at the Big Cartoon DataBaseBig Cartoon DataBaseThe Big Cartoon DataBase is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows and cartoon shorts....
- "The Small One" at The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts
- The Small One DVD review at UltimateDisney.com
- Detailed info on The Small One including Don Bluth's involvement