 |
In the mid to late 90's documentary and children's programmer
maker Simon Weitzman was fortunate to work with Animal Magic and
children's TV legend Johnny Morris. Following a period where
they worked together on support programming for Disney's Lion
King, the pair set about making two programmes that Johnny had
never got a chance to make with the BBC. Johnny's love of music
is reflected in The Magic Keeper, a short music based film that
Johnny had always been denied the pleasure of making. Thanks to
Weitzman and his colleagues at Icon Films, EMI and Matchframe,
the film finally got support and was made at Bristol Zoo, with
Johnny cast as the magical zoo keeper, dancing and talking to
the animals. The film enjoyed many outings on Channel 4, where
it became the stable base of Christmas day morning programming
for children for three years. As Johnny's health took a turn for
the worse in the late 90's he was still determined to make one
final independent Animal Magic style movie in the wilds of
Kenya. With the kind help of the UTC touring company, Matchframe
and Terry Nutkins, the project was filmed and completed before
Johnny passed away in 1999. The film, The Kenya Diary is a very
personal piece by Johnny and has remained unseen by the general
public until this time but it encapsulates the warm and funny
mind of a man who meant so much to so many children over the
years.
THE MAGIC KEEPER is a short music-based film that celebrate
the music that Johnny Morris had always been denied making.
Filmed on location at Bristol Zoo, Morris stars as the title
character, a dancing man who talks to the animals.
THE KENYA DIARY was to be Morris' final film before passing away
in 1999, and stands as a testament to his warmth and humour. |