Cast _* Interesting Facts

Directed by: Hendel Butoy & Mike Gabriel
Written by: Margery Sharp & Jim Cox
Music by: Bruce Broughton

Released on: November 16, 1990
Running Time: 74 minutes

Box-Office: $28 million in the U.S.
 

CAST

Bernard... Bob Newhart
Bianca... Eva Gabor
Wilbur... John Candy
Jake... Tristan Rogers
Cody... Adam Ryen
Frank... Wayne Robson
Percival McLeach... George C. Scott
Krebbs... Douglas Seale
Joanna... Frank Welker
Baitmouse... Billy Barty
 

You might remember 6'3" comedian John Candy (1950-1994) from his roles as Private Foley in Steven Spielberg's 1941 (1979), Burton Mercer in The Blues Brothers (1980) or Tom Hanks' sex-crazed, big-hearted brother in the mermaid-themed Splash (1985).
 
 

INTERESTING FACTS

  A hiatus in a series of huge blockbusters initiated the previous year by The Little Mermaid (1989), The Rescuers Down Under is an unpretentious movie meant to entertain the younger crowds.

The Rescuers Down Under is best remembered as the very first Disney sequel. The studio's rule not to use the same characters in more than one movie was already almost broken in the first The Rescuers (1977), when animators considered for a long time using 101 Dalmatians (1961)'s Cruella De Ville as the villainess.  The movie was a disappointing box-office success but generated nice rental revenues, which paved the way for direct-to-video (versus theatrical) sequels to Aladdin (1994 and 1996), Beauty and the Beast (1997), The Lion King (1998), Pocahontas (1998), The Little Mermaid (2000), Lady and the Tramp (2001) and many more currently in the works.

  The production of The Rescuers Down Under required over 415 artists and technicians. Five key members of the animation team made a trip to Australia and came back with photograph of Ayers Rock, Katherine Gorge, and Kakadu National Park.

  Glean Keane described the film as "probably the most technically advanced feature we’ve ever done."

  Animators originally wanted Bernard and Miss Bianca to get married at the end of 1977's The Rescuers.  Little did they know though, that they would get their way 13 years later in its sequel!

  Eva Gabor was 70 years old when she returned as the voice of Miss Bianca in DownUnder!

  This was the first film in which Disney's CAPS technology was employed. CAPS is a computerized production system that permits handmade animation drawings to be copied and colored electronically (eliminating the need for hand-painted cels and the Xerox process).

  Since the film didn't show the expected success, the CD was drawn from the market just six weeks after its release. It has since then become a collectors item, with an estimated value of $125!

  Because The Rescuers Down Under is short at 76 minutes, it was released accompanied by another animated feature, The Prince and the Pauper, starring Mickey Mouse in a dual role based on the Mark Twain classic.