Itâs Movie Villain Monday and todayâs villain was suggested in the comments by Kelli on Facebook.
Itâs Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Who is Maleficent?
Maleficent (a derivative of the Latin word âMaleficentiaâ which means "evil-doing") is an evil fairy and self-proclaimed âMistress of Evilâ. She was animated by Marc Davis and is the main antagonist in the timeless animated classic, Sleeping Beauty. She was voiced by Eleanor Audley who earlier voiced Lady Tremaine (Cinderella's evil stepmother) in Cinderella (1950).
Story and Motivation:
Maleficentâs evil motivation is quite simple. Sheâs ticked off at not being invited to the christening of the infant, Princess Aurora. So ticked off in fact that she curses Aurora to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday.
Physical Appearance and Design:
Maleficentâs appearance is iconic. Sleek, with green skin, a long black gown and horned headdress, she is possibly the most memorable of Disneyâs animated villains.
Opting to go against the typical witch or hag-type image, the creators decided that Maleficent should be an âelegant, green-skinned beauty.â Apparently she was designed like a âgiant vampire batâ to create a feeling of menace.
Although itâs never mentioned in Sleeping Beauty, Maleficentâs pet Raven is called Diablo.
Trivia:
On release Sleeping Beauty was a critical and commercial failure. So much so that Disney studios stopped adapting fairytales for almost thirty years. However, as with many other films that failed at the box office, Sleeping Beauty has since become a favourite among Disney fans.
Kelli likes Maleficent because sheâs âcharming and evil.â
âStand back you fools!â
Who should I feature next week..? đ¤