Campaign to Prove ‘Beast’ Worthy Choice

Walt Disney Co. faced an uphill battle in persuading the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences that its “Beauty and the Beast” was a worthy best picture Oscar contender.

Despite the fact that it had broken the $110-million mark, no other animated film has ever managed to permeate the Oscar mainstream.

The studio dug in in September, screening an unfinished print at the Lincoln Center Film Festival in an effort to show the painstaking detail involved.

It released a pop version of the title cut on radio. In addition to an extensive print ad campaign, it sent out video highlights of the film to academy voters.

“Though the quality of the movie is probably the primary factor in the nomination,” said Roy Disney, the unofficial head of the studio’s animation department, “our publicity campaign certainly didn’t hurt.

“For years, we’ve been trying to tell people that animated films aren’t only for kids. We wanted to show people you can’t dismiss four years of work as a ‘cartoon.’ ”

Even so, says Disney, the film’s six nominations took even the studio by surprise. “It was a stunner,” he concludes, “and I have no problem taking credit for it. I won’t apologize for beating my own drum. Look at Oliver Stone. Electioneering clearly helps.”