Imperfect ‘Mermaid’

Calendar reader and animation buff William Simpson is a dedicated fan of “The Little Mermaid”--he’s seen Disney’s animated hit nine times, by his count--but he’s also discovered it’s less than perfect. Calling it “my all-time favorite Disney film for sure,” he nonetheless cites “a few of the more obvious continuity errors” he’s noted during his multiple viewings:

* Ursula’s lipstick mysteriously vanishes the moment before she applies it.

* Max the dog licks Ariel’s right cheek but, as Ariel reacts, she rubs her left cheek.

* The thimble that Sebastian the crab catches on his foot disappears, then reappears only to disappear again.

* Sebastian himself disappears in a shot with King Triton near the end of the film.

* Lemon slices magically vanish from Grimsby’s dinner plate.

* Countless positioning errors made in transition from long-shot to close-up.

“In live-action films, minor inconsistencies may be forgiven,” says Simpson, for 10 years the voice of Whimsical Will, who delivers the Demented News on KLSX-FM’s “Dr. Demento” show. “But in animation, with its storyboarding and frame-by-frame plotting, continuity errors are inexcusable. I enjoy ‘The Little Mermaid’ too much to think it was the victim of sloppy production.”

A Disney rep says that the studio is happy Simpson’s seen the movie nine times and hopes he sees it nine more--but had no further comment.