Don Bluth Films Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Secret of NIMH

NIMH stands for the National Institute of Mental Health, and is a real organization. The original book was a swipe at animal testing. The movie incorporates supernatural elements which I didn't think were necessary. Mrs. Brisby is the hero of the story, with two major villains, a cat and a rat. "Bartok the Magnificent" was a direct-to-video release, an unrelated follow-up to "Anastasia". Unlike most other direct-to-video sequels based on Don Bluth films, Don Bluth actually produced "Bartok".

Answer: Rock-a-Doodle

Glen Campbell did the voice of Chanticleer, the rooster. Phil Harris, famous as Baloo the Bear in The Jungle Book, was the voice of the basset hound, Patou. The idea is that the rooster's crow will get the sun to rise again and stop the rain and flooding. "Banjo the Woodpile Cat" was an early Don Bluth short film, made shortly after leaving the Disney Studios where he learned his craft.

Answer: Anastasia

Anastasia doesn't know she's the "real deal", but learns before the end of the movie. The real Anastasia Romanova died with the rest of the family and was made a martyr saint by the Russian Orthodox church. The Polish woman who created the Anastasia legend was discredited using DNA evidence. "Dragon's Lair" was Don Bluth's first attempt at a video game.

Answer: An American Tail

Don Bluth partnered with Steven Spielberg for "An American Tail", and at the time, the film was the most successful non-Disney animated movie in history. It's one of the few non-Disney animated movies to generate a semi-successful song as well, "Somewhere Out There". "Space Ace" was another Don Bluth video game rather than a movie.

Answer: The Pebble and the Penguin

The predators in question are killer whales and a leopard seal. The penguin's name is Hubie and his love interest is Marina. Don Bluth disengaged himself from this movie before it was finished because of disputes with MGM and Media Assets, and the final film was a critical and box office bomb. "The Small One" is Don Bluth's only film credit while at Disney Studios, a short film that tells the story of a boy forced to sell his donkey.

Answer: A Troll in Central Park

A troll named Stanley gets consigned to New York's Central Park. A complicated storyline combined with vocabulary aimed at the very young spelled disaster for this film. It earned a paltry $71K at the US box office. Dom DeLuise, Charles Nelson Reilly, Cloris Leachman, and Hayley Mills all contributed their voice talents to this movie.

Answer: All Dogs Go To Heaven

The dog's name is Charlie, the little girl is Anne-Marie, and the villain is called Carface. A truly terrible life lesson for children... you can be bad all your life, but as long as you do one good thing before you die, you'll still get to heaven. The lead character in this film has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and the villain is only slightly more despicable in that he is a murderer as well as a scoundrel. And since the villain also ends up in heaven at the end, even the one good thing rule doesn't seem to apply.

Answer: Titan A.E.

The film takes place in 3028, and the hero's name is Cale. Don Bluth partnered with Gary Goldman for almost all of his movies, but Goldman doesn't get nearly as much credit. "Titan A.E." was their first attempt at science fiction, and while it brought in $37 million, that was far short of the estimated $75 million budget. Fox Animation Studios, which released the film, crashed under the weight of the budget and closed ten days after "Titan" was released.

While Bluth and Goldman have had some phenomenal successes, they've also managed to close three or four animation studios with their failures, too. "Dragon's Lair II" was another video game.

Answer: Thumbelina

The fairy prince who falls in love with Thumbelina is named Cornelius, and shows up early in the movie, not the fairytale. "Thumbelina" was a Hans Christian Andersen story, one of the few Disney has not tried turning into a movie. Making a few page fairytale into a feature length movie required a lot of stretching, most of which failed to work in this movie.

It, too, was a box office failure. Famed cartoon voice actress June Foray lent her talent to this movie, but was only given a small role. "Dragon's Lair 3D" is a video game release from 2002.

Answer: The Land Before Time

The main character's name in this movie is Littlefoot, and his friends are Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike. While "Anastasia" earned more money at the box office, "Land Before Time" has been Don Bluth's most enduring work so far, spawning numerous direct-to-video sequels and a television series.

The five dinosaur young, a triceratops, an apatosaurus, a stegosaurus, a pteranodon, and a saurolophus, are especially appealing to children, combining kids' natural love of dinosaurs with the relatability of others their own age.