Films with live action and animation

This is a list of films that combine live-action and animated elements, typically interacting.

History

In the later days of silent film, the popular animated cartoons of Max Fleischer included a series where his cartoon character Koko the Clown interacted with the live world; for example, having a boxing match with a live kitten. In a variation on this concept, Walt Disney's first directorial efforts (years before Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was born in 1927 and Mickey Mouse in 1928) were the animated Alice Comedies short cartoons, in which a young live-action girl named Alice interacted with animated cartoon characters.

In the era of sound film, the 1940 Warner Bros. cartoon You Ought to Be in Pictures, directed by Friz Freleng, can be seen as a predecessor to Roger Rabbit. The animated sequence in the 1945 film Anchors Aweigh in which Gene Kelly dances with an animated Jerry Mouse is one of the actor's most famous scenes.

The Disney studio mixed live action and animation in several notable films (which are primarily considered live-action):

• In The Three Caballeros (1945), Donald Duck cavorts with several Latin-American dancers, plus Aurora Miranda (sister of Carmen Miranda), who gives him a kiss.
• In Song of the South (1946), Uncle Remus sings "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in an animated field, and tells the stories of Brer Rabbit through the animated sequences.
• So Dear to My Heart (1949) features sequences of a similar nature.
• Mary Poppins (1964) is one of the best-known films of this nature, including a scene in which Dick Van Dyke dances with cartoon penguins as Julie Andrews watches.
• Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) features a hybrid sequence in which Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson dance together in an underwater nightclub, while Tomlinson must bear the brunt of aggressive, anthropomorphic soccer-playing animals in the latter half.
• Pete's Dragon (1977) does the opposite of its predecessors: it puts the animated dragon, Elliott, in a live-action setting. Disney had been inspired by the Swedish success Dunderklumpen from 1974.
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) from Disney and Amblin Entertainment broke new ground with its advanced special effects and "realistic" portrayal of the interaction of animated characters and live actors. Memorable moments include the piano duel between Donald Duck and his Looney Tunes rival Daffy Duck, Jessica Rabbit's entrance, Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse in the same scene, and Bob Hoskins handcuffed to the title character.

With the commercial and technological success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Space Jam, a number of live-action/animated films followed from other studios, including Cool World, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action - though none of them have had any major commercial success equal to Roger Rabbit or Space Jam.

There were also many previous films combining live action with stop motion animation using back projection, such as the films of Willis O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen in the United States, and Aleksandr Ptushko, Karel Zeman and more recently Jan Å vankmajer in Eastern Europe. The first feature film to do this was The Lost World (1925). In the 1935 Soviet film The New Gulliver, the only character who wasn't animated was Gulliver himself. See also: List of stop-motion films

Ralph Bakshi combined live-action and animation in 1973's Heavy Traffic, 1975's Coonskin (a.k.a. "Streetfight") and 1992's Cool World.

The combination of live action and animation is very common in TV commercials, especially those promoting products appealing to children.

Techniques

Originally, animation was combined with live action in several ways, sometimes as simply as double-printing two negatives onto the same release print. More sophisticated techniques used optical printers or aerial image animation cameras, which enabled more exact positioning, and better interaction of actors and animated characters. Often, every frame of the live action film was traced by rotoscoping, so that the animator could add his drawing in the exact position.

With the rise of digital special effects, combining live-action and animation has become more common. The Star Wars saga and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, for example, include substantial amounts of animation, though it may not be recognized as such because of the animation's realistic, non-cartoony appearance. However, critics like Roger Ebert do not consider this to be animation, saying, “in my mind, it isn't animation, unless it looks like animation.”

Live-action/animated films

1900s

• 1900 - The Enchanted Drawing

1910s

• 1914 - Gertie the Dinosaur
• 1917 - När Kapten Grogg skulle porträtteras (When Captain Grogg would be portrayed)

1920s

• Alice Comedies (live-action girl in animated surroundings)
• 1929 - Bosko, the Talk-Ink Kid
• Out of the Inkwell (animated characters in live-action surroundings)

1930s

• 1930 - The King of Jazz (animation segment made by Walter Lanz)
• 1934 - Hollywood Party (animation stagement known as The Hot Choc-Late Soldiers)

1940s

• 1940 - Fantasia
• 1940 - You Ought to Be in Pictures
• 1941 - The Reluctant Dragon
• 1943 - Saludos Amigos
• 1943 - Victory Through Air Power
• 1943 - Who Killed Who? (two live action sequences)
• 1945 - Anchors Aweigh (Tom and Jerry make an appearance)
• 1945 - The Three Caballeros
• 1945 - The Enemy Bacteria
• 1946 - Song of the South
• 1947 - Fun and Fancy Free
• 1948 - Melody Time (with Amigo Lady from Blame it on the Samba)
• 1948 - Two Guys from Texas
• 1949 - My Dream Is Yours
• 1949 - Senior Droopy (MGM short featuring a segment with Lina Romay and Droopy)
• 1949 - So Dear to My Heart

1950s

• 1950 - Destination Moon
• 1953 - Dangerous When Wet
• 1953 - The Three Little Pups (cowboys riding horses; Southern Wolf riding on black-and-white live-action horse)
• 1956 - Invitation to the Dance (The third and final segment of Sinbad the Sailor)
• 1957 - The Black Scorpion
• 1958 - Fiend Without a Face
• 1959 - Behemoth, the Sea Monster

1960s

• 1960 - Dinosaurus!
• 1963 - The Pink Panther (ending segment)
• 1963 - Cici Can (animated ghost by Yalçın Çetin)
• 1964 - Mary Poppins
• 1964 - The Incredible Mr. Limpet
• 1965 - Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (opening credits animated by Ronald Searle)
• 1966 - Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
• 1968 - Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (live action opening and end credits footage 1966)
• 1968 - Yellow Submarine (live action closing)
• 1969 - The Valley of Gwangi

1970s

• 1970 - Song of Norway
• 1970 - The Phantom Tollbooth
• 1971 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks
• 1972 - The War Between Men and Women
• 1973 - Heavy Traffic
• 1974 - The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
• 1974 - Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too
• 1974 - Dunderklumpen!
• 1975 - Coonskin
• 1975 - Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• 1975 - The Return of the Pink Panther (credits sequence)
• 1976 - Allegro Non Troppo
• 1976 - Futureworld
• 1976 - Eraserhead (one scene)
• 1977 - The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• 1977 - Pete's Dragon (Elliot the dragon animated character)
• 1977 - Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure (Claire Williams sequences)
• 1977 - Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger
• 1977 - Dot and the Kangaroo
• 1977 - Gulliver's Travels
• 1978 - The Water Babies
• 1978 - Laserblast
• 1978 - Grease (Opening credits sequence)
• 1978 - Revenge of the Pink Panther (Opening credits sequence)
• 1979 - Life of Brian

1980s

• 1980 - The Great Rock & Roll Swindle (some segments)
• 1980 - Popeye (opening sequence in black-and-white)
• 1980 - Xanadu (animated sequence by Don Bluth)
• 1981 - Around the World with Dot
• 1981 - Maria, Mirabela
• 1982 - Creepshow (opening credits)
• 1982 - Pink Floyd The Wall (animated sequences by Gerald Scarfe)
• 1982 - Trail of the Pink Panther (Opening credits)
• 1983 - Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore
• 1983 - Dot and the Bunny
• 1983 - The Meaning of Life
• 1984 - Dot and the Kangaroo
• 1985 - Return to Oz (animated effects by Will Vinton)
• 1985 - Better Off Dead (burger scene)
• 1985 - I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later (opening sequence) (TV movie)
• 1986 - Dot and Keeto
• 1986 - Dot and the Whale
• 1987 - Mannequin (opening sequence)
• 1987 - Creepshow 2 (opening credits)
• 1987 - Scruffy
• 1987 - Dot and the Smugglers
• 1987 - Dot Goes to Hollywood
• 1987 - The Gate
• 1987 - Twilight of the Cockroaches
• 1988 - Treasure Island (Soviet film)
• 1988 - Alice
• 1988 - Moonwalker (Speed Demon segment)
• 1988 - Maria, Mirabela in Transistorland
• 1988 - Mickey's 60th Birthday (TV special)
• 1988 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit
• 1989 - Going Overboard (a few sequences)
• 1989 - McGee & Me! (series of 12 videos produced 1989-93)
• 1989 - Raja Chinna Roja (First Indian film to feature live action blended with animation)

1990s

• 1990 - Grim Prairie Tales (dream sequence)
• 1990 - Rockin' Through the Decades
• 1991 - Problem Child 2 (Cartoon rabies scene)
• 1991 - I Still Dream of Jeannie (Opening sequence)
• 1991 - Rock-A-Doodle
• 1991 - Volere volare
• 1992 - Cool World
• 1992 - Stay Tuned (animated sequence by Chuck Jones)
• 1992 - Evil Toons
• 1992 - The Lawnmower Man (animated sequences)
• 1992 - Braindead (one scene)
• 1993 - O' Faby
• 1993 - Last Action Hero (one character)
• 1993 - Son of the Pink Panther (animated sequence by Desert Music Pictures)
• 1994 - Dot in Space
• 1994 - Faust
• 1994 - The Pagemaster
• 1995 - Casper
• 1995 - Balto (live-action opening and closing)
• 1996 - Conspirators of Pleasure
• 1996 - James and the Giant Peach
• 1996 - Space Jam
• 1997 - Casper: A Spirited Beginning
• 1998 - Casper Meets Wendy
• 1998 - Lost in Space (creature from abandoned spaceship: Blawp)

2000s

• 2000 - The 10th Kingdom (animated butterflies and hearts, and the singing ring, in the Kissing Town sequence and the coronation banquet scene)
• 2000 - The Tigger Movie (opening scene)
• 2000 - The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
• 2000 - Thomas and the Magic Railroad
• 2000 - Fantasia 2000
• 2000 - Dinosaur
• 2000 - Little Otik
• 2001 - Osmosis Jones
• 2001 - Monkeybone
• 2002 - El Rey de la Granja (The King Farm)
• 2002 - The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
• 2003 - Elf (stop-motion characters)
• 2003 - The Lizzie McGuire Movie
• 2003 - Looney Tunes: Back in Action
• 2003 - Kill Bill: Vol 1
• 2004 - Immortal (animation sequences)
• 2004 - My Baby's Daddy
• 2004 - The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
• 2004 - Fat Albert
• 2004 - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
• 2004 - Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
• 2004 - Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo
• 2004 - The Lion King 1½ (live action sequence)
• 2005 - Lunacy
• 2005 - The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes
• 2005 - Reefer Madness
• 2005 - Chicken Little (live-action sequence)
• 2005 - Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (animated sequence)
• 2006 - Happy Feet (live-action sequences)
• 2006 - Re-Animated
• 2006 - The Sparky Book
• 2006 - Miss Potter
• 2006 - The Science of Sleep
• 2006 - Hoodwinked! (live action clip)
• 2007 - Arthur and the Invisibles
• 2007 - Enchanted
• 2008 - AROG (animated prehistoric animals)
• 2008 - WALL-E (live-action clips)
• 2008 - Semum (animated demonic creatures)
• 2009 - Aliens in the Attic
• 2009 - The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (one scene)
• 2009 - The Pink Panther 2 (ending segment)

2010s

• 2010 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid (animated sequences)
• 2010 - Surviving Life
• 2010 - Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster
• 2010 - Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life (live-action puppetry and stop-motion)
• 2010 - Ultramarines: The Movie
• 2010 - Shank
• 2010 - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
• 2010 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (The Tale of the Three Brothers sequence)
• 2010 - Don't Go (live-action/animated short by Turgut Akaçık)
• 2011 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (animated sequences)
• 2011 - Winnie the Pooh
• 2011 - Death of a Superhero
• 2011 - Priest (opening sequence)
• 2011 - Paul
• 2011 - Happy Feet Two (live-action sequences)
• 2011 - Open Season 3 (live-action images)
• 2012 - Yoko (de)
• 2012 - Eega (live action animation of the fly protagonist)
• 2012 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (animated sequences)
• 2012 - Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
• 2013 - Robosapien: Rebooted
• 2013 - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (live-action sequences)
• 2013 - Walking with Dinosaurs
• 2013 - Das kleine Gespenst (de)
• "(( Kochadiyaan))"
• 2014 - The Lego Movie (live-action sequences)
• 2014 - Gekijōban Cardfight!! Vanguard
• 2014 - Ä°ksir - (animated animal characters)
• 2014 - Paddington

Upcoming

• 2015 - Absolutely Anything
• 2015 - The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
• 2015 - Monster Trucks
• 2015 - Who Framed Lilo Pelekai & Roger Rabbit
• 2016 - Space Jam 2