It was only a couple of months after Disney’s The Black Cauldron opened that STARLOG began making inquiries about the studio’s next animated feature, then titled Basil of Baker Street. As a special courtesy to this magazine’s readers, studio publicist Howard Green arranged a meeting with two of the film’s three animation directors - John Musker and Ron Clements.
At the time of this interview, Basil had been in various stages of production for several years. The film has survived a complete turnover of management at Disney, the animation department’s move to new quarters off the studio lot, a switch in producers, and, as reported in last month’s 'Medialog, ' a title change. Disney marketing felt it would be desirable to distance themselves from Paramount’s Young Sherlock Holmes with a new title: The Great Mouse Detective.
After describing the action of the $12 million film from the dozens of immense storyboard panels that lined the halls of the spacious, new animation facility (now located in Glendale across the street from Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney’s design facility for the parks), Musker and Clements fielded questions for STARLOG. […]
