User:Skmatth/sandbox

Walt Disney Classics Table draft

#	Release Date	Title	Notes
1	December 4, 1984	Robin Hood	Disney thought the idea of releasing any of its animated classics might threaten future theatrical reissue revenue. Robin Hood, however, was viewed as a good first choice because it wasn't held in such high esteem as some of the other titles. The cassettes were priced at $79.95 and the LaserDisc version was $34.95. The film went on moratorium in 1987 then was re released in on July 12, 1991 at $24.99.
2	July 16, 1985	Pinocchio	In 1984, Pinocchio was reissued theatrically to great success, grossing over $26 million at the domestic box office. It was priced at $79.95 on cassette and $34.95 on LaserDisc in Classics packaging. In May 1985, Disney announced a July 16 release date for Pinocchio, with a $1 million advertising campaign which they claimed was the first national network TV spot campaign for a single video title. About 125,000 copies of Pinocchio were sold in July and August, then they dropped the price to $29.95 from December 3, 1985, until January 31, 1986. A newly restored edition of Pinocchio was released on video on March 26, 1993. It was also sold in another cross-promotion with Crest toothpaste, allowing consumers to get a rebate of $4.00 from its $24.99 retail price. Pinocchio was advertised as "Available for the last time this century", which turned out to be false, for in 1999 Disney released a 60th Anniversary Edition of the film.
3	1985	Dumbo	The price of Dumbo was also dropped to $29.95 with Pinocchio in 1985. Dumbo was repackaged in 1989.
4	March 25, 1986	The Sword in the Stone	Priced at $79.95 until the "Wonderland Sale" which dropped the price of The Sword in the Stone to $29.95 until the end of 1986. The Sword in the Stone was repackaged in 1989 with the release of Bambi.
5	May 27, 1986	Alice in Wonderland	Alice in Wonderland was brought back from moratorium and was released in the Classics packaging.
6	October 14, 1986	Sleeping Beauty	Sleeping Beauty was the first title to be released in VHS Hi-Fi and in stereo sound. It was released at $29.95. The film became the centerpiece for Disney's $6 million promotional campaign, "Bring Disney Home For Good" which featured all the six animated Classics. 1.2 million copies of Sleeping Beauty had been sold and it became the best-selling videocassette of 1986. It was withdrawn from the collection in 1988.
7	October 6, 1987	Lady and the Tramp	Lady and the Tramp was released at $29.95 following the success of Sleeping Beauty. Lady and the Tramp had 2 million pre-orders, and eventually sold 3.2 million copies, making it the best-selling videocassette of all time. Along with Sleeping Beauty, the film was withdrawn from the collection in 1988.
8	October 4, 1988	Cinderella	A special $26.99 price was available until the end of November only, after which the price went up to the $29.95 price point of the other Classics. A limited edition lithograph, created by animator Marc Davis was available to anyone who pre-ordered the title between July 11 and October 3. I was announced in advance that the title would be withdrawn from distribution on April 30, 1989.
9	September 28, 1989	Bambi	Bambi was the first Disney video to have a cross-promotion, with Crest toothpaste. The new lower price of $26.99 could be further reduced if consumers took advantage of a $3.00 rebate (available from release day until November 30) by sending in proofs of purchase of two tubes of Crest.
10	May 18, 1990	The Little Mermaid	Disney's announcement in March 1990 that The Little Mermaid would be released in May surprised people since the film was still in theaters at the time. The pricing was $26.99, the same as Bambi, but this time a $3.00 rebate was available from Disney itself with no additional purchase required, and there were no commercial tie-ins involved. Disney promised its biggest TV advertising campaign ever, along with extensive print advertising. By July 30, 1990, The Little Mermaid had sold 7.5 million cassettes, and it eventually sold 10 million units, making it the top-selling video release of 1990.
11	September 21, 1990	Peter Pan	Peter Pan had sold about 7 million copies, according to The Los Angeles Times. A cross-promotion with Nabisco, available from the release date through the holiday season, allowed consumers to get a $5.00 rebate with the purchase of three boxes of crackers, bringing the effective retail price under $20.00.
12	May 3, 1991	The Jungle Book	The Jungle Book sold at $24.99; a $5.00 rebate was offered by Nabisco, reducing the price even further.
13	September 20, 1991	The Rescuers Down Under	The Rescuers Down Under was priced at $24.99 with a $5.00 mail-in refund available from Procter & Gamble. It went on moratorium on April 30, 1992.
14	November 1, 1991	Fantasia	Roy Disney originally objected to Fantasia being an animated Classics on video because he felt it was too important to the family's legacy. Michael Eisner was eventually able to convince the Disney Family to let the film be released. Fantasia was Disney's first animated film to be released simultaneously worldwide (in North America plus 46 international territories). The domestic release was limited to 50 days; the international market for 100. Despite the Classics logo preceding the film on video copies, there was no reference to it being part of the collection in its packaging; it was referred to as "Walt Disney's Masterpiece" instead. Fantasia would eventually sell 14.4 million videocassettes and discs.
15	April 10, 1992	101 Dalmatians	101 Dalmatians went on moratorium on March 31, 1993.
16	July 17, 1992	The Great Mouse Detective	The Great Mouse Detective went on moratorium on April 30, 1993.
17	September 18, 1992	The Rescuers	The Rescuers went on moratorium April 30, 1993.
18	October 30, 1992	Beauty and the Beast	Beauty and the Beast sold 20 million cassettes and landing $200 million in revenue. Disney opted to delay the laserdisc release for the theatrical version of Beauty and the Beast until the fall of 1993; the studio did make available a film festival-screened "work-in-progress" print on disc in the interim. It was the first Disney animated film to have a widescreen laserdisc release. Beauty and the Beast went on moratorium on April 2, 1993.
19	October 1, 1993	Aladdin	Aladdin became the best-selling video release in the Classics line. Disney delayed the laserdisc release of Aladdin for nearly a year; it was eventually released, in both letterbox and pan-and-scan formats, on September 21, 1994.
20	March 4, 1994	The Fox and the Hound	This was the last film released in the Walt Disney Classics line and remained in stock until April 30, 1995.

Walt Disney Classics Headings and organization edits

Background

Disney has used the word "classics" at various times to describe three types of feature-length films which include animation. The first type, identified most closely with the "Classics" label, consists of animated features which contain one continuous story. The second type are films made up of several shorter self-contained animated stories. This type includes the six package films produced from 1942 to 1949, most of which also include some live-action characters. One other film of this type was The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, released theatrically in 1977, which was a compilation of several shorter Winnie the Pooh films that had been released previously. The third type of features sometimes referred to by Disney as "classics" are largely live action, but contain fully animated sequences or characters. Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and Pete's Dragon are some examples of this type. Some of the animated package films and live-action films featuring animation were released on home video in the early 1980s, such as The Three Caballeros and Fun and Fancy Free in 1982, but most of them were not big sellers.

Disney's Classics category was originally defined during discussions for the April 18, 1983 launch of the Disney Channel. While the people at Disney were looking through their inventory of films to see what was available for the new cable channel, they decided that they could show some favorite films such as Alice in Wonderland and Mary Poppins, but that 15 other animated movies would never be shown.

These 15 animated feature films had never been shown on television at that time and had never been released on video, or anywhere else outside of a theater, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, Robin Hood, The Rescuers, and The Fox and the Hound. These 15 movies were the foundation upon which the Disney company was built. Every time they were re-released to theaters (on a roughly seven-year cycle), they earned money like new releases and the company thought that if they released them on video or on television, they would not make as much money in the theaters. By the time the Masterpiece Collection replaced the Classics collection in the domestic market, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and The Aristocats were the only two of the original 15 Classics that had not yet been re-released.

All of the single-story animated features ever made by Disney were included in the list of 15 Classics except for two. The exceptions were Dumbo and Alice in Wonderland, both of which had been shown on television at the very earliest opportunity. The Disneyland TV series began with The Disneyland Story, but the very next episode, broadcast on November 3, 1954, was Alice in Wonderland, edited to fit into the one-hour TV time slot. The following season kicked off September 14, 1955, with a one-hour version of Dumbo. Both of these movies were released on video in the first two years of Walt Disney Home Video, at first for rental only, then for sale as well, but the untouchables remained locked in the vault. While they were always available, Dumbo and Alice in Wonderland have made millions in subsequent home video releases.

With the video release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney's first animated feature, the packaging of the Classics line in the United States and Canada was changed. All the existing titles in the Classics series (except for Pinocchio, Fantasia, The Fox and the Hound, The Great Mouse Detective, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin) were re-packaged in the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection line.

North American Release History

By 1984, the home video market had changed, and shortly before he left office in September of that year, Ron W. Miller, Walt Disney Productions' president and CEO, presented a long-term plan to begin releasing the Classics on video.

1984: Robin Hood

In mid-1984, Walt Disney Home Video began a campaign to develop the collector's market for their video product with the release of the "Cartoon Classics Limited Gold Edition" collection of animated shorts priced at $29.95 each. The packaging for these differed in several ways from previous Disney video releases and they set a precedent for the feature-length classics to follow. While previous Disney movies were packaged in a white clamshell case, the "Limited Gold Edition" tapes were packaged in black cases and featured gold-stamped packaging and cassettes. Many were accompanied by advertising campaigns warning consumers that "When they're gone, they're gone". The seven 1984 Limited Gold Edition titles sold 610,000 copies and greatly raised awareness of the idea of video moratorium.

The first title in the line was Robin Hood, released on December 4, 1984. Disney thought the idea of releasing any of its animated classics might threaten future theatrical reissue revenue. Robin Hood, however, was viewed as a good first choice because it wasn't held in such high esteem as some of the other titles, and was less likely to get another theatrical release at all (a 1982 reissue proved disappointing). A writer in The New York Times, discussing this "first title of the much-trumpeted new Walt Disney Classics home-video label," described it as "hardly one of the great triumphs of Disney storytelling", despite recommending it for younger children.

The cassettes, priced at $79.95, sold more to rental stores and hardcore collectors than to general consumers. The Laserdisc version at $34.95 was more affordable for consumers.

Richard Fried, marketing director for WDHV, said that The Sword in the Stone would probably be the next title available.

In contrast to subsequent years, in which one of the Classics titles served as a tentpole for pre-Christmas sales promotions, there was no major push for sales of Robin Hood, which at $79.95 was out of reach of all but the most dedicated fans. Disney's music video series, DTV at $29.95 per cassette, was the core of Disney's 1984 Christmas promotion. Remaining inventory of the "Limited Gold Edition" of shorts was also available at the same price.

1985: Pinocchio and Dumbo

In 1984, Pinocchio was reissued theatrically to great success, grossing over $26 million at the domestic box office and prompting debate at the highest levels of Disney on its potential as the next video release. On one side were chairmen Roy E. Disney and Jeffrey Katzenberg, as well as long-time Disney executives, who argued that they might be gambling away future theatrical bonanzas like the one the film had just experienced. On the other side were Michael Eisner and other fellow supporters, who argued that Pinocchio was making nothing sitting in the vault and that immediate video release could capitalize on advertising from the recent reissue. Eisner had come from Paramount, which was experimenting with some daring low price experiments in the video marketplace. But Eisner compromised with the conservative faction, who wanted Pinocchio to be "available", but not "too available". It was priced at $79.95 on cassette and $34.95 on laserdisc in Classics packaging, just as Robin Hood had been. The Sword in the Stone, once considered Robin Hood's follow-up on video, aired on the Disney Channel instead.

In May 1985, Disney announced a July 16 release date for Pinocchio, with a $1 million advertising campaign which they claimed was the first national network TV spot campaign for a single video title.

About 125,000 copies of Pinocchio were sold in July and August at the $79.95 price, which was lower than previously expected. In August 1985, Bill Mechanic became head of Walt Disney Home Video. Mechanic argued that the price had to be lowered on Pinocchio to boost sales. At the beginning of September, Disney announced a temporary price drop to $29.95 for Pinocchio and 20 other titles, including Dumbo, now also in Classics packaging and reduced from its $84.95 price. Robin Hood was also back at the lower price, making a total of three titles in black Classics packaging.

The announcement of the unexpected price drop caused public relations problems for WDHV, who ended up offering to buy back full-priced new copies from stores and used copies from consumers at the full retail price. The price reduction was valid from December 3, 1985, until January 31, 1986. This promotion made Pinocchio a bestseller. Disney extended the cut-off date for Pinocchio to February 28, 1986, declaring that it had exceeded their expectations. Home Viewer magazine in Philadelphia estimated the total shipments of Pinocchio at 250,000 copies. After it was withdrawn from video production the first time in 1986, it began airing on the Disney Channel.

Walt Disney Classics First Paragrapgh Edits Draft

Walt Disney Classics is a brand name used by Walt Disney Home Video on their American, Japanese, European and Australian home video releases of Walt Disney Animation Studios features from 1984-1994. The last title in the Classics line was The Fox and the Hound. With the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs all the existing titles in the Classics line were replaced with the Masterpiece Collection line and the Classics line was cancelled in the United States and Canada. Cassette copies of the original Classics series became highly sought-after and are very popular with collectors, since most retailers had the first home video release for Disney animated features in their stores up to the time when the label was discontinued. Animated features and other films containing animation (such as Mary Poppins and Pete's Dragon) continued to be released under the "Walt Disney Classics" label and its foreign language equivalents until around 2007 throughout Europe, and "Walt Disney Meisterwerke", the German equivalent series, is still in operation as of 2010 through its broader "Special Collection" range.

Hawaiiloa Edits Draft

Hawaiʻiloa is the settler of the island of Hawai'i based on an ancient Hawaiian legend. According to the legend, Hawai'iloa was an expert fisherman and navigator. While out with a crew of men, they accidentally stumbled upon the island of Hawai'i which was named in Hawai'iloa's honor. Hawai'iloa returned to his homeland of Ka ʻāina kai melemele a Kane, "the land of the yellow sea of Kane" in order to bring his family back iwht him to Hawai'i. He then organized a colonizing expedition with his family and eight other skilled navigators. They settled on what is now the Island of Hawaiʻi, named in his honor.

The legend contains reference to his children: Maui (eldest son), Kauaʻi (son),and Oʻahu (daughter) who settled on the islands that bear their names.

Hawaiʻiloa, Honolulu Harbor

The story of Hawaiʻiloa has received a great deal of attention from modern Hawaiians, as a realistic depiction of the settling of the islands, consistent with current anthropological and historical beliefs. Many people believe it is a validation of the veracity of ancient Hawaiian oral traditions.

However, the story of Hawaiʻiloa is attested only by late sources, such as the antiquarians Abraham Fornander and Thomas George Thrum. As they did not give their original Hawaiian sources, but only digests and compilations, we cannot be sure that the tale has not been slanted towards proof of Fornander's now discredited migration theories, or that it has not been elaborated by 19th century Hawaiians eager to stress the validity of their own beliefs.

Hawaiʻiloa is not mentioned in early Hawaiian historian sources like David Malo or Samuel Kamakau. Malo says there are many stories about the origin of the Hawaiians and cites some migration tales and some legends of indigenous origin. He does not mention Hawaiʻiloa. Kamakau says that the first man and woman were Hulihonua and Keakahuilani, and that they were created on Oʻahu.

Hawai'iloa: The Canoe

Hawaiʻiloa is also the name of a voyaging canoe. Thought to be named after the legendary navigator, the canoe was built and sailed for international navigation.The canoe Hawaiʻiloa is now docked at Honolulu Harbor. It is often sailed on long voyages throughout the Pacific Ocean in hopes of studying voyaging techniques used in Ancient Hawaii.