It's hard to believe, but the original animated Beauty and the Beast turns 30 years old this month. Hailing from directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, the film was vital for Walt Disney Animation Studios in terms of proving 1989’s The Little Mermaid was no fluke, that Disney was back on its A-game when it came to animated features. Of course, history has shown that Beauty and the Beast rose to the challenge and then some. Becoming a box office smash and even a nominee for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, Beauty and the Beast was a rousing hit both critically and financially. It’s easy to parse out the obvious ways Beauty and the Beast has remained influential in the years since its release. All the Disney theme parks are drenched in materials based on this feature while a live-action remake became the second highest-grossing movie of 2017. Heck, just start humming the opening bars to the titular tune and random strangers will start murmuring “tale as old as time…”