American Masters: Tyrus — Trailer

added: Tue, Aug 22nd '17

Check out the trailer for the upcoming PBS documentary that chronicles the life and career of Chinese-American artist and Disney legend Tyrus Wong, perhaps best known for his highly influential set designs and background work on the 1942 animated classic "Bambi."

Directed by documentarian Pamela Tom, American Masters: "Tyrus" reveals the untold story behind one of the unsung heroes of Disney animation: Tyrus Wong, a Chinese immigrant who came to the United States at nine and began working as an entry-level background artist for Disney Studios at 28.

After reviewing some of his background sketches for "Bambi," Walt Disney made an unprecedented decision to based the entire look of the film on Wong's drawings, which rarely happened at the time.

Wong eventually became a distinguished muralist, a greeting card artist, and a kite maker. He also went on to work for Warner Bros. as a production designer for live-action films. In 2001, a 91-year-old Wong was inducted as an official Disney Legend. Wong only recently passed away on December 30 at the extraordinary age of 106.

As part of PBS's "American Masters" series, "Tyrus" will air Friday, September 8th. It will then stream online on the PBS website and app.

synopsis:
TYRUS examines the life and work of pioneering Chinese American artist Tyrus Wong. Beginning with his arrival to the immigration detention center at Angel Island in 1919, nine year old Tyrus would overcome a life of poverty, racism, and discrimination to become a renowned painter and Hollywood sketch artist. The film will show how the quiet beauty of Tyrus's eastern influenced paintings caught the eye of Walt Disney and became the inspiration for the classic animated feature Bambi. For the next 25 years, Tyrus brought his artistry to Warner Brothers where his striking storyboards and set illustrations helped set the tone and drama for films such as The Sands of Iwo Jima, Rebel Without a Cause, William Goldman's Harper and Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch.

directed by Pamela Tom

release date September 8, 2017 (on PBS)