Happy 9 Old Men doc won’t leave you sleepy

To those familiar with the term, “9 Old Men” hearkens back to the Golden Age of studio animation. From Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to The Rescuers, this elite corps of Disney animations — personally assigned the group handle by Uncle Walt — squashed and stretched their way through one animation landmark after another.

Ted Thomas is a son-of-an-old-man and outstanding animation chronicler in his own right (Frank & Ollie, Walt & El Grupo). Among dad Frank Thomas’s numerous creations during his tenure at the happiest animation studio on Earth are Cinderella’s wicked Stepmother and the hard-edged, always-fascinating-to-watch Captain Hook. Ted will be joined by fellow “son,” Ken Lounsbery, Sunday, August 31, at 2 p.m. for a showing of his latest film, the 30-minute Growing Up with 9 Old Men.

The screening caps the California Center for the Arts, Escondido’s latest exhibit, The Art of Fantasia and Other Disney Classics: The David Yaruss Collection. Yaruss bought his first pieces (a pair of pencil sketches from Snow White) at Comic-Con #5. Today, his 250-plus-piece collection occupies every inch of the center’s available gallery space. Yaruss will be on hand for the screening.

The exhibition ends September 7. Admission to both the gallery and this Sunday’s screening is $8 with discounts available for some attendees.

For interviews with both Ted Thomas and David Yaruss, visit The Big Screen.