The Secret Case of NIMH (1982)

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It’s April once again, which means it’s time to talk about animation. We’re thrilled to say that our season premiere is actually in response to a fan request! Yvette Morales suggested that we cover this film, so THANK YOU, Yvette! 

In September 1979, shockwaves rocked the animation giant Walt Disney Animation Studios. Three of their animators, Gary Goldman, John Pomeroy, and Don Bluth, decided to part ways with the company. About a dozen animators followed them in the coming weeks. After several years of attempting to revive the heart and soul of Disney’s animation studio, Goldman, Pomeroy, and Bluth realized that the best way to keep the art alive would be to become pioneers in their own right. So, they set off to create a studio that would–possibly for the first time in history–rival Disney, the so-called King of animation. 

The Disney Exodus, as the event would later be known, was a vital moment in animation history and led to the creation of more studios and projects that otherwise may have never been. Goldman, Pomeroy, and Bluth wasted no time getting started and, by 1982, released their very first full-length feature film: The Secret of NIMH. 

So for our first episode of Animation April, we’re following Mrs. Brisby as she fights to save her family with help from the rats of NIMH. 

The Secret of NIMH has a lot of backstory, some of which we just went over. Before getting into the film, let’s talk a little about the inspiration for the story and the book that came first. 

  • In 1971, author Robert C. O’Brien published his Newberry Award book, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The story featured rats with high intelligence due to injections from scientists at NIMH, the National Institute of Mental Health. O’Brien took inspiration from actual experiments performed by scientist John B. Calhoun at the real-life NIMH. 
  • Calhoun’s research concerned the issue of over-population, and he wanted to see the connection between rodents and human society. Much of his work dealt with the Norway Rat. Because this breed of a rat could reproduce at any time of the year, it can over-populate very quickly. 
    • Working for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), he set up experiments in a large barn. He built four connected chambers designed to hold about a dozen rats. He released between 32 and 56 Norway rats and provided them with everything they needed to survive. The rats could do whatever they wanted, and their only limitation was the space. 
    • The adverse mental and physical side effects became apparent as the rodents overpopulated. Infant mortality rates increased to 96%, some rats became hypersexual and antisocial, and some even became cannibals. One of the most distressing results was that the rats were forever scarred by the experience. Even when introduced to healthy populations, they never recovered. 
    • Calhoun continued his research with rodents, and his most famous experiment, universe 25, actually dealt with mice instead of rats. His work was incredibly influential in psychology and other studies related to overpopulation. 
    • Interestingly enough, when Robert C. O’Brien wrote Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, NIMH scientists were not injecting the rats with intelligence-enhancing serum. However, by the time the animated movie hit theaters in the early 1980s, the scientists at NIMH were injecting the rats. Science Fiction really can predict the future! 
    • If you would like to learn more about John B. Calhoun’s experiments, we will link to a fascinating video by The History Guy in our blog. 

SUMMARY

  • As the recently widowed Mrs. Brisby prepares to move her children before the farmer’s plow threatens to destroy their home, her son Timmy falls ill with pneumonia. Because he will be bedridden for weeks, Mrs. Brisby must find a way to save him. She embarks on a dangerous mission to enlist the help of the rats of NIMH. These rats have heightened intelligence due to injections of a special serum they received while subjects of the National Institute of Mental Health. They have formed a society within the farmer’s bushes, relying on his electricity to survive. 

MAKING OF THE MOVIE

  • When Don Bluth and his renegades broke free from Disney, they had already collaborated on Bluth’s first independent production, Banjo the Woodpile Cat. The team began working on it while still employed at Disney
  • Some accused Bluth of poaching Disney’s animators, convincing them to join him in his garage-turned-studio.
    • Bluth and Goldman’s intentions were to re-discover the secrets of animation that had been lost at Disney. They knew they would be taking on leadership roles in the coming years. When Bluth asked veteran animators how to pull off specific techniques, Disney’s “Nine Old Men,” the creative team responsible for the studios’ golden and silver ages, couldn’t remember.
  • While Bluth had surrounded himself with his group of collaborators at Disney, a fair share of coworkers disagreed with Bluth’s animation philosophy. Among these young animators were future heavy hitters, like Henry Selick and Brad Bird. 
  • It was no secret that Bluth was unhappy at Disney. Jim Stewart, a former Disney executive, reached out to Gary Goldman and told him about Aurora Productions, a new company founded by Stewart and two other ex-Disney Executives. Aurora was interested in funding a new animation studio and a full-length feature film. 
  • As Bluth considered the movie’s subject, he remembered that art director and writer Ken Anderson had brought in a copy of the book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH as an idea for a possible Disney adaptation. Disney leadership dismissed the idea, reportedly saying, “We already have a mouse, and we’ve already made a mouse movie.” 
  • Bluth, however, thought it was a great idea. He liked the word “NIMH” and that its meaning wasn’t immediately recognizable. So, he pitched the story to Aurora. Once investors saw Banjo The Woodpile Cat, they recognized the potential of Bluth’s team, and the fledgling studio of Don Bluth Productions secured their funding.
    • Before having the finances in place, Bluth, Goldman, and Pomeroy taught themselves the basics of production. They learned how much completed footage was needed each week in each department and how to build a schedule. The men essentially left Disney, started a studio, and started a film production all around the same time. They didn’t even have a script when they began artwork for The Secret of NIMH.  
  • With input from Goldman and Pomeroy, Don Bluth designed the characters and storyboarded the entire film. He attempted to write two pages of the script a night, bringing it to Goldman and Pomeroy for their insight. 
  • When the time came to begin animating, Bluth and his team approached the process as actors. John Pomeroy even donned a flowing cape with long fingernails to act out the motions of the character Nicodemus. For years, Bluth had been a big supporter of rotoscoping, which is the process of animating over live-action reference footage. So, using reference footage for The Secret of NIMH was incredibly helpful to the animators. 
    • A drama coach came in to hold an acting class for the animators. This class helped them approach their work as actors, adding nuance to the animation. 
  • The Secret of NIMH begins with the sorcerer rat Nicodemus as he recounts the previous day’s events. Writing with enchanted ink, he records that Jonathan Brisby, a mouse, died while trying to poison the farmer’s cat. This scene also introduces The Stone, a magical amulet that Jonathan wanted Nicodemus to give to his wife, Mrs. Brisby. He is voiced by British classical actor Sir Derek Jacobi. Jacobi has played The Master in Doctor Who and recently appeared in Murder on the Orient Express. 
    • Nicodemus’ magic abilities were added to the film. In the book, the rats cannot perform magic but use science and technology to their advantage. The Stone is another component added by the filmmakers. The movie never explains where the Stone came from, but some fans theorize that the Stone is somehow a piece of Jonathan, like his heart or soul. 
    • The producers explained that the amulet was a device to illustrate Mrs. Brisby’s power. Because of the Stone, she can save her children at the film’s climax, instead of the rats saving them for her as they do in the book. 
  • Next, we meet our hero, Mrs. Brisby. You may notice that the name of the main protagonist in The Secret of NIMH is Mrs. Brisby, not Mrs. Frisby. Her name was changed to avoid copyright issues with Wham-O, the owner of the Frisbee at the time. 
    • When Don Bluth designed Mrs. Brisby, she went through several different versions. She went from a happy mouse in a yellow gingham apron to an adorable country mouse in a tattered red cape. Originally he positioned her ears to the side of her head but later decided to push the ears up and back, similar to a 1930s hairstyle. The final Mrs. Brisby looks poor and frail, like an unassuming character seemingly unable to hold her own in the harsh and terrifying world. 
    • Elizabeth Hartman voices Mrs. Brisby. She was known for films like The Beguiled and Full Moon High. The Secret of NIMH was her last film, and she retired from acting. She passed away only a few years later. Because Mrs. Brisby was never given a first name, fans of the film call her Elizabeth in memory of her voice actor. 
    • When Mrs. Brisby first appears on screen, she’s visiting the doctor, Mr. Ages, played by Arthur Malet. We remember Malet as Tootles in the 1991 film Hook.
    • Mrs. Brisby tells Mr. Ages that her son, Timothy, is ill. After hearing the symptoms, Mr. Ages diagnoses him with pneumonia. He gives Mrs. Brisby medicine and suggests that Timothy not go outside. Knowing that she has to move her family to avoid the plow, Mrs. Brisby leaves, unsure of what to do. 
  • On her journey home, she encounters Jeremy the crow, played by comedian Dom DeLuise. 
    • When it came time to start casting, Bluth, Goldman, and Pomeroy were trying to think of actors that could bring a little bit of celebrity and were the best fit for the characters. They were hoping for actors that could appear on talk shows to promote the film. 
    • One night, early in production, Don Bluth, John Pomeroy, and Gary Goldman were all in their homes, watching the same movie on TV. The film was The End, starring Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise. Thinking that DeLuise would be perfect for the part of Jeremy, Goldman called Bluth. The line was busy, so he called Pomeroy instead and received another busy signal. It took 40 minutes to get into contact with each other. It turns out, each one of them was on the phone, trying to call the other two about casting Dom DeLuise! 
    • DeLuise truly brought Jeremy to life, adding his take on the lines and providing comic relief for the film. Jeremy is much less prominent in the book, but he’s incredibly memorable to children watching the movie. 
    • Jeremy was Don Bluth’s favorite character to work on because he was so much fun. DeLuise gave the animators such a clear idea of Jeremy with his voice; they didn’t have to think too much about his development. Don Bluth wanted to make Jeremy more interesting to the audience, so he added elements like the crow searching for a mate. In addition to details like this, DeLuise would also make additions to the sound booth. 
  • After Mrs. Brisby befriends Jeremy, Aunty Shrew stops by the Brisby residence and visits with the children.
    • Character actor Hermione Baddeley plays the brash Aunty Shrew, a nosy neighbor who warns Mrs. Brisby that the frost is off the ground and the plow will be coming soon. Baddeley played Ellen the maid in Mary Poppins and Madame in the Aristocats.
      • Auntie Shrew not only warns the other animals about the plow, but she also joins the fight for Timothy’s life. She jumps on the plow with Mrs. Brisby and helps her cut the fuel line just before it destroys Mrs. Brisby’s home. 
  • Desperate to find a way to save her son, Mrs. Brisby agrees to let Jeremy take her to see The Great Owl, a fearsome predator in the nearby woods. Mrs. Brisby is terrified to see the owl, knowing that he would normally eat her. 
    • Veteran actor John Carradine reportedly seemed out of it when he arrived at the recording session. He suffered from arthritis, and his medicine made him feel loopy. So, Bluth and his team gave him some coffee and chatted him up until he was sharp enough to lend his voice to The Great Owl. After recording his lines, he declared that his delivery was the best he had to offer and did not want to perform retake or alternative options. This agreement worked out just fine because the performance happened to be perfect. 
      • Carradine was a legendary actor that appeared in classics like The Ten Commandments and The Grapes of Wrath. He was also the patriarch of an entire acting family, including David Carradine and Robert Carradine. 
    • The Great Owl was one of the first characters that John Pomeroy worked on for NIMH. He said that Carradine’s delivery helped shape the character and gave the animators an idea of how he should look and act. 
      • If you pay attention, you will notice that The Great Owl and Nicodemus speak and walk similarly. They also both have the same glowing eyes. Pomeroy later said this was meant to show that they were two incarnations of the same spirit. Filmmakers even considered having the same actor portray them both. 
  • The Great Owl tells Mrs. Brisby to visit the rats in the rosebush by the rat house and ask them to move her house to safety. Although she isn’t sure how this could be possible, she does as she’s told and finds her way to Nicodemus. She reunites with Mr. Ages and meets Justin, the captain of the guard. They take her to a council meeting in progress. 
    • Stage actor Peter Strauss voices Justin. He’s starred in series’ like Tender is the Night and Moloney. 
  • During the council meeting, Mrs. Brisby encounters the main antagonist of the story, Jenner, played by Paul Shenar. Shenar appeared in productions like Scarface and Dynasty throughout his career. 
    • After recording his voice for the power-hungry Jenner and seeing his character in action, Shenar requested to record his lines again. He was concerned that his original performance fell short, and he knew he could do better for his character. 
  • Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, John Pomeroy, and the rest of their team completed the Secret of NIMH on a budget of roughly 7 million dollars in about 30 months. To put this into perspective, The Fox and the Hound, released in 1981, cost 12 million dollars and four years to make.
    • The men originally estimated that The Secret of NIMH would need about 6.5 million dollars to complete. But, they were only awarded 5.7 million. Goldman and other producers took out more money on their homes to make up the difference. Between them, they raised an extra $700,000. 
    • The team worked in a 5500 square foot building off of Ventura BLVD, with the staff essentially living in the space during production. By the end, people were even working in the hallways. There was no budget for overtime, so most of the animators were donating their free time to the project. Approximately 100 people worked on location, while 45 painters worked from home, stopping by to pick up work. The entire team worked around the clock. They believed that art was its own reward and the ability to inspire through animation. 
    • This work ethic made sense to Don Bluth, who spent his childhood riding to the movie theatre on horseback from his family farm. As a child, animation inspired him. He has made it his life’s mission to give the rest of the world that same experience. In a behind-the-scenes video, Bluth explained, “The money is not anything, the money is what we use to get it to happen, but what you are making is something that could change lives. If you can’t inspire, well, then what are you doing?”

SCORE

  • Jerry Goldsmith had just finished work on the 1982 classic horror film Poltergeist when he was called about composing for The Secret of NIMH. He had never scored animation before, so he was interested in giving it a try. Usually, a composer has completed footage to watch while writing music for each scene. However, Goldsmith could only see about half of The Secret of NIMH through pencil drawings and ink sketches. He admittedly found it difficult to achieve a flowing line of music because the timing in animation is so different from live-action. 
  • But it was Goldsmith’s experience in live-action that set the score apart from other animated movies. After the first recording session, John Pomeroy reportedly went to Goldsmith and told him that he had made animation history. Goldsmith said, “…as I told the producers, that if they wanted a Disney-like, synchronize-every-cut type of score, I couldn’t do it. I wanted to score it like a live-action film, and they agreed.” 
  • He incorporated eight leitmotifs throughout the score and described the film as an animated “Peter and the Wolf.”
    • Whenever Nicodemus or the amulet was on screen, Goldsmith used a choir.  
  • The animators storyboarded to a radio track instead of a script, so if Don liked a piece of music, he would storyboard to it. In some cases, Goldsmith wrote to the animation, but overall, the animation was completed to the music. He worked with the producers very closely, constantly speaking on the phone or visiting each other at Goldsmith’s house. 
  • Seeing the actual final print was emotional for Goldsmith because he was amazed at how well the visuals and music worked together. 
  • For the songs in the movie, Goldsmith collaborated with Paul Williams! Williams was the lyricist for The Muppet Movie and The Muppet Christmas Carol. 

ALSO STARRING

  • Aldo Ray plays Sullivan, an unsung hero of the movie. Sullivan is Jenner’s lackey that eventually turns on him at a pivotal moment in the film. Sullivan’s name is never mentioned on-screen, and the filmmakers didn’t realize this until after the film had already been released. 
  • Shannen Doherty plays Teresa Brisby, the oldest of Mrs. Brisby’s children. She went on to star in Beverly Hills, 90210, and Charmed. 
  • Actor Will Wheaton plays Martin Brisby, the second oldest of Mrs. Brisby’s children. Wheaton is famous for roles in Stand By Me and Star Trek: The Next Generation, among others. In the straight-to-video sequel, The Secret of NIMH 2, Martin is actually a villain. 
  • Jodi Hicks plays Cynthia, the youngest Brisby child. Hicks only appeared in three productions in her career. 
  • Ina Fried voices Timothy, the bedridden child of Mrs. Brisby. Fried appeared in multiple films and TV shows, including The Wonder Years and St. Elsewhere. She is now the chief technology correspondent at AXIOS.   
  • Tom Hatten plays Farmer Fitzgibbons, and Lucille Bliss voiced Mrs. Fitzgibbons. Hatten appeared in series’ like Hogan’s Heroes and Gomer Pyle: USMC. Lucille Bliss was a prolific voice actor that provided the original voice of Smurfette. 
  • Although uncredited, Frank Welker voices Dragon the Cat. Welker is an iconic voice actor that originated the voice of Fred in Scooby Do. 

FUN FACTS

  • The production schedule was even tighter than originally planned because the studio was commissioned to animate a sequence for the musical Xanadu! Just by watching the sequence, you will immediately recognize the Bluth fingerprints in the animation. 

AWARDS

  • The Secret of NIMH won the Saturn Award in 1983 for Best Animated Film!
  • It was nominated at the Saturn Awards for Best Fantasy Film, and it was nominated for a young artist award for Best Family Feature, animated, musical, or fantasy. 

HOW IT WAS RECEIVED

  • The Secret of NIMH did not perform well at the box office. This was due, in part to the fact that the owner of United Artists, which originally agreed to distribute the film, sold the company. The new owners merged UA with MGM, and they weren’t as interested in The Secret of NIMH. They moved up the release date, putting the film in direct competition with instant classics like ET, Poltergeist, Blade Runner, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Annie. Not only that, it had a limited release on less than 100 screens and expanded slowly. But, upon video release, The Secret of NIMH was a commercial success!
  • The consensus seems to be, especially when it came out, that it is beautifully made. Many believed, however, that something was missing. Roger Ebert said that “It looks good, moves well, and delights our eyes. It is not quite such a success on the emotional level, however, because it has so many characters and involves them in so many different problems that there’s nobody for the kids in the audience to strongly identify with.” 
  • In a 1982 review in the New York Times, Vincent Canby said, “The backgrounds, the colors, the perspectives, the soft differences in shades of light are extraordinarily lovely. However, something essential is missing, and that is a narrative that effortlessly embodies this style and gives it point.” 

The Secret of NIMH ushered in a new era of animation. Sure, it didn’t break records, but it found a devoted group of fans that would remember it for decades to come. For some, The Secret of NIMH is their favorite childhood movie. For others, it’s an inspirational reminder of the power we can find within ourselves. But on another level, it represents a pivotal moment in animation history. Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, and John Pomeroy broke free from Disney and built a studio from the ground up. They created a product that rivaled Disney in technical skill, and they did it in half the time with a smaller budget. And even more remarkably, they didn’t make something that felt like a Disney movie. They abandoned the tried and true formulas of their former studio and created something completely different. 

Like Mrs. Brisby’s Stone, The Secret of NIMH is a symbol. But instead of characterizing a mother’s inner strength, it illustrated the fact that there was more than one philosophy to creating great animation. In the wake of the Disney Exodus and the studios’ bronze age of animation, new studios, new animators, and new films popped up on the horizon. Bluth, Goldman, and Pomeroy set out to better animation by giving Disney some healthy competition, and it seems they succeeded. They proved to themselves what they could achieve, but they also inspired others to give it a try as well. And once the secret was out, classical animation began thriving again. 

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