Best Animation Movies of 1978

The Fellowship of the Ring embark on a journey to destroy the One Ring and end Sauron's reign over Middle-earth.

Ordered by his father to sell his old, small donkey, Small One, a Hebrew boy in ancient Israel takes the donkey to the Jerusalem market. Finding no buyers there, the boy is about to give up when he meets a kind man named Joseph. Joseph buys Small One and uses him to take his pregnant wife Mary to Bethlehem.

A hapless husband neglects to clear the icy walk, which leads to the mailman slipping and breaking his neck. A comedy of errors results from his attempts to hide the body.

A witch, disgruntled by the fact that no one takes Halloween seriously anymore, decides to stir things up and disrupt the social gathering in her old house as well as turn a couple of kids who love monsters into actual monsters.

The Talking Parcel is based on a 1974 book by Gerald Durrell in which a young girl is transported to the fantasy land of Mythologia to save it from cockatrices. She is aided by a talking parrot and encounter many other magical creatures, including a mooncalf.

This children's fantasy tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who discovers a complex underwater world where young children are held prisoner by an evil shark and an eel.

Jackie is a boy who is so trapped by his fears and doubts that he could not communicate with anyone. Then, a magic dragon named Puff comes to help Jackie by taking his soul force on a wonderous voyage to his island of Honah Lee. Along the way, they have adventures that nurture Jackie's imagination and courage in unorthodox ways.

What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown! is the 17th primetime animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. The plot is similar to that of Jack London's Call of the Wild.

When a young female mouse makes a deal with the devil to become a rock star and learns the price, her boyfriend has to help her avoid damnation.

It's holiday time, and while New York City bustles with yuletide celebrations, the Pink Panther suffers one misadventure after another... all in hopes of finding a warm heart and a warm meal! Finally, the Panther learns the true meaning of Christmas... and friendship.

Anita the duck buys a psychic device at a novelty store in an alternate universe and creates mayhem at a crazy party.

Originally a part of The Star Wars Holiday Special, this animated story follows Chewbacca as he searches for a cure to the virus which knocked out his friends, with the help of an unlikely ally – the bounty hunter Boba Fett.

A sad little burro who feels that no one wants him and that he doesn't belong anywhere finds out differently when he is bought by Joseph to transport Mary on their travel to Jerusalem for the birth of Jesus.

Fred manages a little league baseball team that seems absolutely hopeless, except for a player that he blindly refuses to recognize.

How Bugs Bunny Won the West is a Looney Tunes special that was released in 1978. This special was narrated by Denver Pyle. The special is available as a bonus feature on The Essential Bugs Bunny DVD set. It had a running time of 30 min.

This heart warming adaptation of the timeless novel tells the story of the courageous stallion Black Beauty, a well-bred horse in the 19th century England.

An Oscar nominated animated short about the relationship between children and their parents.

When inventor/efficiency expert Alexander Graham Wolf plots to take over Santa's workshop, Comet asks for help from Raggedy Ann, Andy and their dog, Raggedy Arthur.

Historical events are related through the medium of simulated news broadcasting in 1878.

Rip Van Winkle, a lazy American man, wanders off one day with his dog Wolf into the Kaatskill mountains where he runs into an odd group of men drinking and playing bowls. He drinks some of their mysterious brew and passes out. When he wakes up under a tree he is astonished to find that 20 years have passed and things are a lot different.

An animation made of beach sand on a piece of glass - directed by Caroline Leaf. Based on Kafka's The Metamorphosis.

An experimental animation about four people at a beach, three men and one woman.

Bugs find himself in Camelot and is mistaken for a "dwagon" by Sir Elmer of Fudde.

Several animated stories from "Metamorphoses," the Roman poet Ovid's narrative of legends, are presented.

In this fifth part, Norman McLaren deals not with motion (if motion is defined as a change of location in two- or three-dimensional space) but with change--change in the amount and color of light within an otherwise static screen. Normally, the animator combines such change with motion, but here it is studied in isolation.

The Pink Panther adopts a pet rock, who is more trouble than he is worth. (Reissue of "Rocky Pink" 1976).

A Canada Vignette giving a humorous animated version of the history of Fort Prince of Wales from its construction to its capture by the French.

Sponsored as part of the Electricity Council's 'Understanding Electricity' campaign, Play Safe is a series of three hard-hitting fillers designed to highlight to children the potentially fatal consequences of playing near overhead electric lines and substations. The carefree attitude of the youngsters as they fly their kites and radio-controlled planes in the open air is undermined by composer Harry Robinson's electronic soundtrack, which pulsates with menace throughout. — Katy McGahan

Charlie Brown leaves his appointment with his dentist armed with an instructional pamphlet on proper tooth brushing technique. He endeavors to practice toothbrushing with Linus and his dog Snoopy.

The Pink Panther decides to lose weight once believing he is 220 pounds when he really was 75 pounds.

Animated images showing the variety of people who live in Canada.

Ubu is a 1978 film made by Geoff Dunbar, based on Alfred Jarry's 1896 play Ubu Roi

Trying to have a picnic, the Pink Panther tries to escape a cloud that keeps following and raining on him.

This cartoon version of A Christmas Carol hails from the production house of Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass--the team that brought you just about every other Christmas special you saw as a kid (including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer). Reinvented as a 49-minute musical ghost story, Stingiest stars the voice of Walter Matthau as the bedeviled Scrooge and Tom Bosley as the Jiminy Cricket-type narrator, B. Humbug, Esq.

An animated vignette about the role of Thomas Spence in the formation and demise of the Republic of Manitoba at Portage la Prairie in 1867-68.

The Pink Panther visits an amusement arcade after getting tons of quarters from a broken weight machine.

The Pink Panther attempts to get rid of a fly in his home.

Life in Canada is reflected by people's comments on trees as a tree is shown undergoing seasonal changes.

Bill Miner was a train robber in British Columbia at the turn of the century. This animated film depicts a disastrous episode in his career.

The history of the development of modern logging techniques on the British Columbia coast.

A humorous account of the pioneering journey of Lady Frances Simpson, along with her piano, from England to Manitoba.

Taking refuge from the Dog Catcher in The Little Man's house, The Pink Panther pretends to be the daughter's latest soft toy and she fights over it with her brother.

Staying in a motel, the Pink Panther decides to practice his trumpet playing, while annoying the man next door in the motel.

The Pink Panther catches a butterfly for his collection, but it turns out to be a small UFO.

The Pink Panther buys Dr Jekyll's old car which he can't control (thanks to the doctor's formula in its gas tank).

The stork gets lost in a thunderstorm, and delivers a baby alligator to the Pink Panther, whom had the wrong address.

The Pink Panther buries a $5 bill, and tries to get it back after a hotel is built on top of it.

The Pink Panther is scammed by a South Sea cruise, which turns out to be a pirate trap. He is then forced to do the captain's orders.

The Pink Panther encounters a music-loving gorilla who dances whenever he hears music.