Stage Fright (1997)

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Movie
Original title Stage Fright
Country of production Great Britain
original language English
Publishing year 1997
length 11 minutes
Rod
Director Steve Box
script Steve Box
production Steve Box
Michael Rose
Helen Nabarro
for Aardman Animation
music Julian Nott
camera Tristan Oliver
cut Edward Jarvis

Stage Fright is a 1997 clay-animated short film directed by Steve Box .

action

Tiny was once a star of vaudeville and delighted the masses as a dog juggler. Now he's in a rundown theater. Actor Arnold appears and furiously pushes Tiny into the orchestra pit. A look back begins.

Tiny waits backstage with his dogs for his performance. One of his dogs has disappeared, but his assistant Daphne comforts him. The dog juggling number fails with the audience. It only reacts enthusiastically again when a screen is lowered onto the stage. The silent film Lonesome Arnold begins to piano music , in which actor Arnold wants to commit suicide, but at the end saves a woman with the rope provided. She is Daphne and Tiny's dog, believed to be lost, can also be seen in the film. Daphne “borrowed” the dog for the shoot. Arnold lets Tiny work for himself as a dog handler, but hides his earnings. For years Arnold has also been a star because of the dogs in silent films. One day, however, he was making a sound film with Daphne. One of the dogs is supposed to perform an old Tinys trick on Arnold, but instead bites his nose. Arnold is outraged and blames Tiny for it. He admits that Arnold made him train his dogs to bite Arnold. Daphne, too, has recognized that Arnold is only a human smuggler and turns away from him.

When Tiny now hangs over the orchestra pit and is in mortal danger, Daphne Arnold knocks out. There is a duel in which the dogs interfere. Arnold finally lets the theater screen down, but it doesn't hit Daphne and the dogs, but rather crushes him. Tiny can save herself from the abyss when a ghost lifts the movie piano from the orchestra pit. Tiny climbs off the piano and Arnold's ghost rises and travels to hell on the piano. Daphne convinces Tiny to perform his old number again, even if Tiny is afraid of the audience's reaction. Tiny, Daphne and the dogs leave the theater together.

production

Stage Fright was realized as a claymation. Tiny and Arnold are voiced by Graham Fellows , while Daphne is voiced by Tess Daulton . The film was released on November 19, 1997.

Awards

Stage Fright won the 1998 BAFTA in the Best Animated Short Film category .

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