Frankenweenie (short)

When Tim Burton was still a young animator at the Walt Disney Studios, he had an idea to make a terror film in black and white. Frankenweenie was to accompany the 1984 re-issue of Pinocchio, but Disney thought it was too dark and scary, and reserved the short for another use, leaving Burton frustrated and forcing him to leave the studio.
==Plot==
Victor Frankenstein (played by Barret Oliver) is an 11-year old boy who creates movies starring his dog, Sparky (a bull terrier, whose name is a joke on the use of electricity in the film). After Sparky is hit by a car, Victor learns at school about electrical impulses in muscles, and gets the idea to bring his pet back to life. He creates elaborate machines which bring down a bolt of lightning that revives the dog. While Victor is pleased, his neighbors are terrified by the animal, and when the Frankensteins decide to introduce the revitalized Sparky to them, they become angry and afraid.
Sparky runs away, with Victor in pursuit, and they find themselves at a local miniature golf course, and hide in its flagship windmill. The Frankensteins' neighbors, now an angry mob, arrive on the scene, and while using a cigarette lighter to try to see in, the windmill is accidentally lit on fire. Victor falls and is knocked out, but Sparky rescues him from the flames, in time to be crushed by the windmill. The mob realizes its error and use their cars, along with jumper cables, to "recharge" Sparky. He is revived, and all celebrate. Sparky later falls in love with a Poodle whose fur bears a strong resemblance to the hairdo of the Bride of Frankenstein.
==Cast==
*Shelley Duvall as Susan Frankenstein
*Daniel Stern as Ben Frankenstein
*Barret Oliver as Victor Frankenstein
*Joseph Maher as Mr. Chambers
*Roz Braverman as Mrs. Epstein
*Paul Bartel as Mr. Walsh
*Sofia Coppola as Anne Chambers (as Domino)
*Jason Hervey as Frank Dale
*Paul C. Scott as Mike Anderson
*Helen Boll as Mrs. Curtis
*Sparky as Himself
**Mark Dodson as Sparky’s vocal effects
*Rusty James as Raymond
==Controversy==
Burton was fired by Disney after the film was completed; the studio claimed that he had wasted company resources and felt the film was too scary for young audiences. It had been scheduled to debut theatrically in the U.S. before a re-release of Pinocchio on December 21, 1984, but was shelved. It did play in the UK in 1985 in front of Touchstone Pictures' Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend. After the mainstream success of Burton's features Beetlejuice, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Edward Scissorhands, and Batman, the film was given a home video release in 1992. It is currently available as an extra, along with Vincent, on The Nightmare Before Christmas DVD, Blu-ray, and UMD for PSP, and is also available on Disney+.
==Remake==
Burton produced on a full length stop-motion remake of the film, which was released on October 5, 2012.
==Gallery==
Frankenweenie (1984).jpg|Frankenweenie VHS Cover
Frankenweenie Video Ad.jpg|Frankenweenie VHS Poster in 1992
Original Frankenweenie Sketch.jpg|An old sketch of Sparky
Frankenweenie Sketch by Tim Burton.jpg
Sparky - (Before).jpg|Sparky wants to catch the ball
Sparky's Tombstone.jpg|Victor digging Sparky's grave
Frankenweenie Poodle.jpg|Bride of Sparky
Sparky in Love.jpg|All sparked up
Sparky - (After).jpg
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1984-frankenweenie-1.jpg
1984-frankenweenie-2.jpg
1984-frankenweenie-3.jpg
1984-frankenweenie-4.jpg
Latest-10.jpeg
Kid from Frankenweenie screaming.jpeg
Frankenweenie (short) - Ben Frankenstein.jpg
Category:Title shorts
Category:Frankenweenie
Category:Tim Burton movies
Category:Films about animals
Category:1984 films
Category:Live-action shorts