A documentary premiering this evening as part of the Dublin International Film Festival focuses on Don Bluth, the American animator who led a walkout from Disney in 1979 and subsequently established a significant animation studio in Ireland.
Bluth, along with several colleagues, left Disney on September 13, 1979, to form Don Bluth Productions, which later became known as the Bluth Group and then Sullivan Bluth Studios. The move was driven by a desire to preserve traditional cel animation techniques, a style Disney was beginning to move away from. Their initial project was the short film, Banjo the Woodpile Cat.
The studio found success in the 1980s and early 1990s, directly competing with Disney through films like An American Tail, The Land Before Time, and All Dogs Move to Heaven. Yet, the release of Disney’s The Little Mermaid in 1989 marked a turning point, initiating what became known as the Disney Renaissance and ultimately contributing to the financial difficulties of Sullivan Bluth Studios.
The business side of animation proved challenging for Bluth. Don Bluth Productions initially filed for bankruptcy after releasing The Secret of NIMH. A second bankruptcy filing followed in 1985. The studio was subsequently revived through a $5 million investment from businessman Morris Sullivan, leading to the formation of Sullivan Bluth Studios, with Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy also playing key roles.
Sullivan Bluth Studios operated from Phoenix House on Conyngham Road in Dublin, becoming a major employer with a peak of 350 staff. The studio also maintained locations in Van Nuys and Burbank, California, as well as Ventura and Beverly Hills. Despite its initial success, the studio ultimately folded in October 1995, succumbing to bankruptcy. Its assets were later integrated into Fox Animation Studios.
The studio’s work extended beyond feature films to include video games such as Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace. Distribution rights for some of its later projects, including sequels to The Land Before Time, were handled by Universal Pictures, while An American Tail: Fievel Goes West was distributed through Amblimation. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer also distributed some of the studio’s animated projects via United Artists and MGM/UA Communications Co.
