Best Animation Movies of 1977

Whether we’re young or forever young at heart, the Hundred Acre Wood calls to that place in each of us that still believes in magic. Join pals Pooh, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Rabbit, Tigger and Christopher Robin as they enjoy their days together and sing their way through adventures.

Bilbo Baggins the Hobbit was just minding his own business, when his occasional visitor Gandalf the Wizard drops in one night. One by one, a whole group of dwarves drop in, and before he knows it, Bilbo has joined their quest to reclaim their kingdom, taken from them by the evil dragon Smaug. The only problem is that Gandalf has told the dwarves that Bilbo is an expert burglar, but he isn't...

After the death of his mother, the evil mutant wizard Blackwolf discovers some long-lost military technologies. Full of ego and ambition, Blackwolf claims his mother's throne, assembles an army and sets out to brainwash and conquer Earth. Meanwhile, Blackwolf's gentle twin brother, the bearded and sage Avatar, calls upon his own magical abilities to foil Blackwolf's plans for world domination -- even if it means destroying his own flesh and blood.

Pete, a young orphan, runs away to a Maine fishing town with his best friend a lovable, sometimes invisible dragon named Elliott! When they are taken in by a kind lighthouse keeper, Nora, and her father, Elliott's prank playing lands them in big trouble. Then, when crooked salesmen try to capture Elliott for their own gain, Pete must attempt a daring rescue.

A scientific film essay, narrated by Phil Morrison. A set of pictures of two picnickers in a park, with the area of each frame one-tenth the size of the one before. Starting from a view of the entire known universe, the camera gradually zooms in until we are viewing the subatomic particles on a man's hand.

The Peanuts gang, including Snoopy and Woodstock, have gone off to summer camp. After a few days of the usual summer-camp activities, they all take part in a rafting race. Battling treacherous rapids, wild animals and bullies from a rival tent, the teams make their way downriver to the finish line.

Following the instructions on a mysterious parchment, Prof. Lindenbrock and his companion, Alex, discover and explore the center of the Earth, a mysterious place full of dangerous electrical storms, prehistoric reptiles and swamp monsters. Based on author Jules Verne's fantasy novel, this animated adventure follows the explorers' struggles to survive and prove their findings to the rest of the world.

On a sandy desert, a man made of sand constructs other sand creatures to help make a beautiful sand castle for themselves.

Nestor the donkey is a bit of an oddity--his long ears are enough for six donkeys and stretch all the way to the ground. One night, when Nestor is locked out in the cold, he begins to wander the desert.

When the sour-sweet wind starts blowing again, the Whos retreat to their homes because they know the Grinch will soon be a'prowlin. Young Eukariah Who has to make a trip to the Euphemism (outhouse), when the wind blows him away to a confrontation with the gruesome Grinch. Eukariah decides that the Grinch must be stopped, so he faces his fears and confronts the Grinch and his spooks.

It's Halloween for Fat Albert and the Junkyard Gang, and everyone's all set for trick-or-treating. While searching for costumes a store clerk kicks them out, leaving the gang to comes up with their own home-made costumes. Then they are off to the movies to scare old Searchlight Johnson, then more hijinks with Mudfoot Brown, and old lady Bickwell. As you can probably guess, things don't go too well and they learn their lessons... Searchlight catches them up to no good in the theatre and throws them out. Mudfoot Brown eats most of their candy, and old lady Bickwell turns out to have the best Halloween treats in town.

An elderly English doctor and his 14-year old American nephew go on a perilous journey to Africa in an hot air balloon with an African guide, to retrieve a precious diamond from the top of a volcanic rock, as a gift for Queen Victoria.

An Australian girl gets lost in the Outback, but she is befriended by a kangaroo who gives her a ride in her pouch as they search for the girl's home. Aiding the pair are musically gifted koalas, platypuses, and kookaburras in this film based on Ethel Pedley's 1899 children's book, with animated humans and animals superimposed upon a live background.

Raggedy Ann and Andy leave their playroom to rescue Babette, a beautiful French doll kidnapped by a pirate.

To a percussive soundtrack, a succession of more complex animals forms and is consumed by their successors (all formed from beads). Finally, We reach man, who develops ever more sophisticated forms of war.

Santa has an accident at Fred's house on Christmas Eve, Fred and Barney have to continue his run for him.

At the school homecoming, Charlie Brown learns that he is be the escort at the banquet for the red headed girl that he has pined for all his life. With that added pressure, he hopes to put in a good showing at the football where he is placekicker. Unfortunately, Lucy is supposed to hold the ball for him.. It's homecoming night, and Charlie Brown is not only the escort for the homecoming queen (which happens to be the red-haired girl he's been drooling over for goodness knows how long), he is also the kicker for the school's football team (and Lucy's the holder. Need I say more?) Despite a certain person's old habit that won't die young, Charlie brown is blamed for their team's loss, but he ends up becoming the life of the homecoming dance. However, we never see it, and Charlie Brown doesn't remember it, which brings the question; did it really happen?

In this fourth film, Norman McLaren explains and illustrates composite motion, where two of the categories of motion occur simultaneously in one action, such as the motions of jointed or pivoted parts (as occur in animal and human movements). Also shown is a human gesture with increasing amounts of emotion; and finally, the phenomenon of 'strobing' in animation is examined.

The third in a series of five colour films that offer an introduction to the basic techniques of film animation. McLaren explains and demonstrates different aspects of movement that are essential to the animator’s art. In this case it is the pause and irregular movement.

In this short animation film, Norman McLaren presents the first 3 of the 5 categories of motion: constant, accelerated and decelerated. Various types of acceleration and deceleration are demonstrated, and examples are shown of how these types of motion may be applied in regard to gesture, gravity and perspective.

The Mailman decides to stop another deluge of letters by answering questions about the Easter Bunny: Sunny, a baby rabbit found and adopted by Kidville (a town of only kids--even a kid mailman). And when Sunny goes delivering eggs to the nearby town (which he has to dye to fool Gadzooks, the mean bear on the mountain), he discovers that there are no kids in the town, and that the rightful (kid) ruler is being suppressed by his aunt. But the young king likes Sunny's dyed eggs and jelly beans. So Kidsville, with the help of an old train engine, makes a few plans (and a decoy chocolate rabbit) to distribute them.

This animated short film is about a guy who is about to eat a soft-boiled egg. As he's cracking the egg, he can hear a voice coming from within--telling him to STOP! Every time he hits the egg, someone from within the egg yells at him.

A mouse and his child, the two parts of a single small wind-up toy, go on a quest to become "self-winding".

Big Anthony, left alone with Strega Nona's magic pasta pot, runs into trouble when he decides to show the townspeople how it works.

Easter-themed showcase of classic Warner Bros. cartoons, hosted by Bugs Bunny and Granny.

A descrition of a game between two teams where one of the teams change the rules.

Three aliens from an unknown planet, who bear a strong resemblance to the Biblical Magi, visit earth to know the true meaning of Christmas. Peter, a young boy, and Lucy, his goose, are the first to encounter them. Unable to find the true meaning of Christmas in town, Peter takes them to his family's house in the woods. While Peter's grandmother tells the aliens about her memories of Christmas, Marvin, one of the town's bullies, steals Lucy. In the chase to rescue Lucy, Marvin falls through the ice in a lake. Peter attempts to rescue him but falls into the lake as well. The townsfolk, who were out searching for the aliens, attempt to save the boys but their human chain isn't long enough to reach them. The three aliens, who had sworn not to interfere with events on earth, decide to help in order to learn the meaning of Christmas.

In 1841 young Ishmael signs aboard the whaling ship Pequod, under the command of the strict, one-legged Capt. Ahab. Ishmael soon finds out that Ahab is searching for the legendary while whale Moby Dick, who cost Ahab his leg, and he will let nothing stand in the way of his getting his revenge on the beast.

A Combination of 10 Spooky Bugs Bunny Cartoons A-Haunting We Will Go (1966) Daffy Duck's nephew encounters Witch Hazel while trick or treating Broom-Stick Bunny (1956) Bugs, also trick or treating in the same costume as Daffy's nephew, arrives at Witch Hazel's house Hyde and Hare (1955) Bugs along with Dr. Jekyll, inevitably comes face to face with Mr. Hyde Hyde and Go Tweet (1960) Sylvester has a dream about Tweety being turned into a Hyde-like monster Hyde and Hare (part two) Bugs comes across Dr. Jekyll's Hyde formula, believing it to be the doctor's tea. A Witch's Tangled Hare (1959) Witch Hazel chases bugs to an ancient castle A Haunting We Will Go (part two) Witch Hazel makes a Brew Claws for Alarm (1954) and Scaredy Cat (1948) Sylvester turns into a Scaredy Cat when visiting a hotel. Transylvania 6-5000 (1963) Bugs gives Witch Hazel the Hyde formula. Bewitched Bunny (1954) "Sure, I know, but after all, who wants to be alone on Halloween?"

An abstract, pastel-animated film featuring two cats.

Garry Trudeau's classic characters (Mike Doonesbury, Zonker, etc.) examine how their lifestyles, priorities, and concerns have changed since the end of their idealistic college days in the 1960s.

Based on the novel of the same name by Jonathan Swift and built around the Lilliput and Blefuscu episode. It was made partly in live action and partly animated.

The Pink Panther tries to get a dog removed from his tail at the hospital.

The story of Lucas, a young ear of corn, from his days in the cornfield with his mother to the moment he ultimately meets his fate as a meal for a young boy.

A collection of fourteen award winning animated short films including "Moonshadow," "The Last Cartoon Man," "Closed Mondays," and "Cosmic Cartoon".

Animated documentary talking about the United States' use of oil.

President Jimmy Carter "sings" Ray Charles' "Georgia on my Mind", while thinking about his home state.

The Cosby Kids are rehearsing for a Christmas pageant at their junkyard clubhouse, which Tyrone, the mean old junkyard owner, is fixin' to tear down. That's when Marshall & his parents show up. With their car broken down, Marshall's mom is about to have a baby and his dad, without health insurance, inspires the gang to invite them in the clubhouse for shelter. Tyrone agrees to let them stay until the baby is born, in exchange for Fat Albert working for him as a sidewalk Santa. "Ho-ho-ho's" in Fat Albert fashion ensue. After the old hobo, Mudfoot, gives Tyrone a lecture about how he's been grumpy at the world ever since his wife died, the junkyard owner has a change of heart and promises to keep the gang's clubhouse in tact.

Gerald Scarfe's animated interpretation of Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine". Produced in 1977 and projected behind the band on their "In The Flesh" tour, later released as a promotional video.

A shepherd named Charlie need a new cloak, so he shears a sheep and makes one from it's wool.

The animals decide they must send a representative after the three wise men begin following the star of Bethlehem. Uno, the Lion, arrogantly decides he should be the one to go, and that he does not need any help. Feathers, who brought Jesus's birth to the attention of the animals, insists on traveling with him, and soon he is followed by a beaver, a rabbit, and a turtle.

A collection of animated Christmas shorts - An original Maurice Sendak piece about a boy with nothing to give for Christmas -- An excerpt from the early part of Virginia Woolf's "Orlando" set in a time of extreme cold in Tudor-esquire England -- A short based on the Toonerville Trolley -- A bittersweet excerpt from Hart Crane's autobiography "Act One" narrated by Jose Ferrer -- A reading from the Christmas day entry from the diary of 11 year old Teddy Roosevelt -- A reading a letter by Captain Edward James Hulse describing the surprising Christmas Truce of 1914 -- An animated version by R.O. Blechmann's of his own book "Tutto Esaurito" (No Vacancy) about the travels of Mary and Joseph.

The tale about pease Romeo and mushroom Juliet.

A lonely woodcarver longs for a son, so he builds a wooden puppet and names it Spinnolio

Zlatko Grgic's short animated film depicts how humans evolved from the sea and the problems that ensued. Using humour, he shows how industry leads to waste and pollution, which in turn wreak havoc on the delicate balance of our ecosystems.

After a day of gathering hundreds of seashells and rocks from the beach, Jarnow uses the found objects to construct a stop motion commentary on how we look at nature through various cinematic techniques.

An animated fable for children showing that things can be malignant or benign depending on how they are used--with good or evil intent.

Bugs Bunny in Space is a parody of "Star Wars" that features a compilation of science-fiction themed clips from Warner Brothers cartoons starring Bugs Bunny and other characters.

This animated short is the visual enactment of the year-long obstacle course run by a teacher trainee. Rich in humor and anecdote, it is a comedy of educational manners seen through the autobiographical and unflinching eye of the trainee-turned-filmmaker.