Welcome back to Rhode Island Movie Corner’s ongoing series
of Disney Retrospectives in which I look back upon the many, many animated
classics that have been made by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Previously I’ve
covered the Disney films that have come out during the 90’s, the 2000’s to today, the 60’s and 70’s, and
the 80’s. And today, we’re going back to the beginning of it all as we’ll be
covering the first few feature-length animated films that Walt Disney and his
team produced. Before 1937, the studio was known solely for their short films,
namely those starring Mickey Mouse as well as their famous musical series Silly Symphonies. But that changed when
Walt decided to adapt the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale Snow White into a feature-length film.
At first, Walt’s plan was met with much doubt and the industry originally
referred to it as ‘Walt’s Folly’. But of course, we all know that it did not
end up as a folly. Instead, it kick-started the studio’s prestigious line of animated
films that is still going strong today. Of course we’ll looking at that first film
today but it happens to be the only Disney animated feature film of that
decade. So today I’m also adding in the 10 subsequent Disney films that came
out during the 40’s. It was an interesting decade for the studio and one that
was also unfortunately hampered by World War II. In fact, World War II affected
things so much (e.g. animators getting drafted, overseas markets being cut off)
that many of Disney’s animated features released during this time weren’t even
full stories. Instead, they were known as ‘package films’, consisting of a
series of vignettes that weren’t usually connected narratively. It wouldn’t be
until the 50’s when Disney returned to the feature-length narrative. We’ve got
a lot to talk about today so let’s not waste any more time. These are ‘the
first 11’ feature-length animated films produced by Walt Disney Animation
Studios.
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
Of course we start things off with the film that started it
all for Walt Disney Animation Studios. As I just noted in the intro, at first
people thought that it couldn’t be done but Walt and his team very much made it
happen. And so, Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs became the first ever feature-length traditionally animated film,
though not the very first animated film as some claim it is as there were a few
animated films that were made prior to it (sadly most of them are now lost). And
I must say that for a film that will officially be eight decades old starting
next year (seriously, Eight. Decades. Old!), it still holds up extremely well.
I mean sure, compared to a lot of the Disney films that would come after it,
it’s certainly much simpler in terms of story and design but it’s still an
excellent animated film regardless. It has plenty of memorable characters,
especially the titular seven dwarfs (My personal favorite, you ask? I’d
probably say either Dopey or Grumpy), some really nice music highlighted by the
iconic ‘Heigh Ho!’, and of course excellent animation that still looks good
today. And while Snow White and the Evil Queen may not be as developed as some
of the other Disney princesses/villains are, respectively, they’re still pretty
great characters with Snow White being rightfully kind and the Queen being
delightfully evil just as her ‘title’ suggests. All in all, this is still a great
film and one that is very much recommended. In fact, it’s kind of a must-see in
that regard if you ask me because of its place in the history of both animated
films and Walt Disney Animation. Even though Disney has come a long way since Snow White, it will always remain as one
of the main highlights of the studio’s prestigious resume. After all, they
probably wouldn’t be where they are today if it wasn’t for this film.
Rating: 5/5!
PINOCCHIO (1940)
It is often said that that you get better and better as you
go on and that is definitely true in regards to what happened with Disney in
1940 when they released their second feature-length animated film, Pinocchio. Obviously Snow White is still very much an
animated masterpiece but as for Pinocchio…
I’d argue that it’s actually even better than Snow White. It’s one of Disney’s Top 10 best for sure. Every aspect
of this film is terrific. It’s full of memorable and lovable characters, from
Pinocchio to Jiminy Cricket to Geppetto to his two pets Figaro and Cleo.
Pinocchio himself has a really solid arc in this as he learns to be ‘brave,
truthful, and unselfish’ in order for him to truly become a real boy and the
lessons that he learns in the film are good lessons for kids as well. As for the
main song of the film, ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’? Well, what hasn’t been said
about it… it’s one of the best Disney songs ever. Why else would it be the
company’s flagship theme and after watching this film again, I was very much reminded
why. Now I’ve heard some of the complaints about how this song could send a bad
message to kids but I never really felt that it did because not only is the
song a really sweet melody but it’s not like it’s telling kids that all that
they need to do for things to get better is to wish upon a star. I’m pretty
sure that wasn’t the intention. Instead, the idea of the song is keeping hope
alive even in the darkest of times. It’s like what Andy Dufresne says in The Shawshank Redemption, “Hope is a
good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” And to me,
this song very much personifies that belief.
This film may not have a ‘main villain’ (though with that
said, there are a few antagonistic characters from the duo of Honest John and
Gideon to Stromboli to the Coachman that owns Pleasure Island who at one point
makes one of the scariest faces ever) or a lot of songs but in this case it’s
not really needed because the characters are so likable and the writing is rock
solid. Plus, this film is not afraid to get dark sometimes and I mean dark. Whether
it’s because of a giant man-eating whale or a place called ‘Pleasure Island’
where kids are turned into donkeys to be used as slaves in salt mines and the
main bad guy involved in this scheme actually sort of gets away with it because
we’re left to presume that the kids who were turned into donkeys aren’t getting
rescued or are going to be changed back into normal kids anytime soon, there
are some pretty darn messed up moments in this film. Though with that said, I’m
aware that the book this was based on, The
Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, is even darker. Like for example in
the book, the character of the Cricket is killed after trying to give some
advice to Pinocchio… thankfully that didn’t happen in the film. To put it
simply, Pinocchio has to learn his life lessons the hard way in this film. He’s
nearly subjected to a hard life of showbiz, is nearly turned into a ‘jackass’,
and is nearly eaten by a whale. But even with all of the dark imagery in this
film, it still has a great message for kids and the happy ending in this is
very satisfying. All in all, this is an absolute must-see in regards to
Disney’s animated filmography… actually no, that’s an understatement. It’s a
requirement that you watch this film and then years later show it to your kids
because it’s one of the best animated films of all time and easily one of
Disney’s best.
Rating: 5/5!
FANTASIA (1940)
For his third animated feature, Walt Disney took a much
different approach than what he had done before. Instead of having a single
story, Fantasia is a series of
animated ‘short films’ set to classical music performed by the Philadelphia
Orchestra, led by legendary conductor Leopold Stokowski, with the entire
‘feature’ being hosted by the Master of Ceremonies, music critic Deems Taylor
(Though for the record, beginning with the film’s 60th anniversary
release, Taylor’s vocals were redubbed by prominent Disney voice-over artist
Corey Burton due to the fact that the original audio tracks for Taylor’s
narration had deteriorated beyond use at that point). Originally just one
single short that was meant to revive the popularity of Mickey Mouse, rising
production costs eventually led to the short being reworked into a whole film
of animated shorts. However, when the film was first released, unfortunately it
was a severe underperformer at the box-office. This was namely due to the expenses
that arose over producing a special ‘roadshow’ release as well as the start of
World War II, which kept the film from being released in European markets. However,
the film did do better when it ended up getting re-released multiple times over
the years. And although the critical reception towards the film was initially
rather polarizing, it has since become regarded as one of the studio’s finest
efforts. And having recently watched this film for the first time (having
actually seen part of the ‘sequel’, Fantasia
2000, first when I was younger), I must say that I do pretty much agree
with this statement.
Obviously this is a much different kind of animated film
than what most are probably used to given the fact that it’s primarily music
based. In fact, the combination of animation and classical music was actually an
issue upon initial release with fans of the music. But really that’s what makes
this film so breathtaking in the first place because the classical music does
match perfectly with the classic Disney animation. The end result is a vibrant
array of animated sequences that carry a very nice natural feel to them. If I
have to choose my ‘favorite’ sequences from this film, I have two particular
favorites. The first is the second sequence set to Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker
Sequence’, which in turn is set to the changing seasons of the year and a
series of dances involving flora and fauna. My other favorite sequence is the
one that was responsible for this film being made in the first place; ‘The
Sorcerer’s Apprentice’. It’s a very energetic piece that stars Mickey Mouse as
he tries to perform the magic of his master Yen Sid (guess what his name is
when spelled backwards?) but ends up causing a whole lot of trouble when the
magic starts to get out of hand. But really, all of the sequences in this film
are terrific in terms of both animation and how they’re paired with classical
music. In short, Fantasia is a Disney
film that admittedly isn’t for everyone. But if you’re willing to give it a
try, I have a feeling that you’re probably going to like it. And while Walt
Disney may not have gotten the chance to fully enact his plan of turning this
film into an anthology series, with new editions of the film being released
every few years with new sequences added, this film definitely stands as one of
his finest projects.
Rating: 4.5/5
DUMBO (1941)
As the result of Fantasia
being a box-office flop upon initial release, Disney decided to go a much
simpler route with their next film, Dumbo.
At just one hour and four minutes, it’s one of the shortest Disney films ever
made. But even with that simplicity in mind, Dumbo is still a very charming and colorful animated film about a
misfit circus elephant, who is given the titular nickname of Dumbo due to his
big ears, that discovers that those ears allow him to fly. However, Dumbo
actually isn’t the primary focus of the film. In fact, the whole part of him
flying only occurs in the final five minutes of the film. Instead the film
spends a lot of time showcasing the other acts of the circus, allowing for some
really fun and zany visuals involving Dumbo’s fellow circus performers. And of
course, if we are talking about visuals, we cannot forget about the film’s
infamous sequence in which Dumbo and his friend, Timothy Q. Mouse, accidentally
get drunk (yes drunk) from drinking out of a champagne filled bucket and start
seeing pink elephants ‘on parade’. Talk about one of the most surreal moments
in animated history. There’s also a nice little emotional element to the film
in the form of Dumbo’s relationship with his mother, who he is separated from
after she is locked up for attacking a circusgoer when he mocks her son. I
guarantee you that you’re probably going to get rather emotional during the
scene where she comforts him while still locked up in her cage. Ultimately, Dumbo may not be Disney’s most
‘profound’ animated film but it’s still one that the whole family can enjoy,
even when taking its simplicity into account.
Rating: 4/5
BAMBI (1942)
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about
Disney’s fifth feature-length animated film, Bambi… which, let’s be honest, is nowadays usually remembered
primarily for the scene in which Bambi’s mother is killed by hunters, a scene
which certainly must’ve emotionally scarred a lot of young kids when they first
watched it (myself included, probably). But beyond that, Bambi is actually a really beautiful animated film. Like Dumbo, the plot is fairly simple; it’s
the story of how the young Bambi grows up to become the protector of the forest
AKA ‘the Great Prince’. This was pretty much the first time that Disney did a
‘coming of age’ story and it’s handled excellently. We’re fully engrossed by
Bambi’s growth into adulthood, from him learning to walk and talk to him
dealing with the tragic loss of his mother to him falling love with a female
deer named Faline and later having to fight another deer for her affections.
The film also does a great job in establishing its villain; ‘man’. They’re
never seen in the film but their presence is very much felt throughout, the
obvious example being, well, you know what. In short, Bambi is like Dumbo in
that it is a very simple story. However, also like Dumbo, the film also very much wears its heart on its sleeve and
there is a genuine charm factor to the simplicity of watching Bambi grow up.
Pair that with some of the studio’s most absolutely gorgeous animation and it’s
quite easy to see why this is widely regarded as another one of Walt’s
masterpieces.
Rating: 4.5/5
SALUDOS AMIGOS (1942)
Ok, show of hands… who actually knew about this film before
I brought it up here just now? If you didn’t then don’t worry because I was in
the exact same boat as you when I first heard about this film. It was sometime
in 2010, a year which saw the release of the studio’s 50th animated
feature, Tangled. I remember looking
through the studio’s filmography, seeing Saludos
Amigos, and being completely surprised about the fact that it was an
official entry in the Disney canon because I had never heard about it before
that point. Seriously I was more familiar with this film’s successor and that
was without me ever seeing the latter, mind you. So with all of that said… what
exactly is this film then? Well, in 1941, Walt Disney and his team of animators
went on a goodwill tour of South America as part of the ‘Good Neighbor Policy’
that had been implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. World War II had
already been happening for a few years but this was before the Japanese’s
attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 that effectively
resulted in the U.S. joining in on the fight. Because some of the governments
in Latin America had ties with the Nazis, the U.S. looked to counteract those
ties and Walt Disney was chosen as an ambassador for the U.S. due to the fact
that many of his studio’s characters, especially Mickey Mouse, were very
popular in Latin America. This goodwill tour resulted in not one but two Disney
films inspired by Latin America; Saludos
Amigos and The Three Caballeros. Saludos Amigos would also serve as the
very first in the series of package films that would become Disney’s primary
source of production during the 40’s.
Admittedly there’s not much that I can really say about this
film. At just 42 minutes long, this admittedly feels more like a bonus feature
that you’d find on a DVD/Blu-Ray. It’s more or less just a series of animated
shorts as well as some live-action footage of Disney and his team exploring
South America. But while this particular entry in the Disney canon may lack
quite a bit in terms of content, the quality of said content more than makes up
for the shorter run-time. I feel that fans of animation will really like this
film as it showcases a prime example of how some animated films utilize the
method of location scouting to help inspire their animators. Other Disney films
like The Emperor’s New Groove and Frozen had utilized location scouting to
great effect and this can also be said for this film. The animation is excellent
and does a nice job in capturing the beauty of Latin America. Not only that but
the four sequences featured in this film are all quite charming. This includes
a segment in which Donald Duck explores the area of Lake Titicaca, a segment
centered around a small airplane named Pedro that travels across the Andes in
order to collect mail, a segment that feels very reminiscent of Disney’s ‘How
To’ series in which Goofy, as an American cowboy, spends some time living the
life of the Latin American equivalent of a cowboy, gauchos, and the final
sequence in which an animator brings to life the city of Brazil which is then
explored by Donald and a new character, a parrot named Jose Carioca. All in
all, Saludos Amigos is a very
pleasant Disney flick that will no doubt appeal greatly to fans of animation.
However, at the same time this is not one that I can easily recommend to most
people due to the fact that it is just a 42-minute feature.
Rating: 3/5
THE THREE CABALLEROS (1944)
Of the two Disney films that were produced as a result of
the aforementioned goodwill tour that Disney and his crew went on, The Three Caballeros definitely has more
to offer than Saludos Amigos,
especially due to the fact that it is a feature-length affair. And overall, Caballeros is just as solid as Saludos when it comes to its content.
Like Saludos, the film and its
animation do a really nice job in bringing the world of Latin America to life
in animated form. The group of shorts that this film features are all pretty
nice, from the one in which a penguin decides to migrate to a warmer climate to
the one in which a little boy comes across a winged donkey. It’s also pretty
cool when the animation is combined with live-action sequences, something that
Disney very much perfected. These segments are all connected to a simple plot
in which Donald Duck has a bunch of adventures with his Latin American friends,
including Jose Carioca, who of course was first introduced in Saludos Amigos, and a new character in
the form of the energetic rooster Panchito. Together they come to form the
titular musical group, paving the way for a fun musical number and some nice
camaraderie amongst themselves. It’s also interesting to note how Donald is
basically ‘on the prowl’ for most of the film, pining over every woman he comes
across. All in all, The Three Caballeros is
a very lively animated affair. Admittedly it may prove to become rather tiring
for some due to the fact that it never really lets up at any point, especially
during the finale where, simply put, all hell breaks loose. But its Latin
American flair certainly allows it to stand out amongst its fellow Disney
animated films. And while I don’t like to compare films that much, I will say
that this film has a ‘slight’ edge over its predecessor only because it has
more to offer content-wise.
Rating: 3.5/5
MAKE MINE MUSIC (1946)
Make Mine Music is
an interesting entry in the Disney canon because, technically speaking, it’s
kind of like a spiritual sequel to Fantasia.
It follows the same general formula of that film by being a series of animated
segments set to music. However, instead of being set to classical music, the
segments in this film are mostly set to more contemporary music. There are 9
segments in total, though originally there was actually another segment titled The Martins and the Coys, which depicted a feud between the
Hatfields and McCoys. This segment was cut from the home media release in North
America and the other areas in the NTSC region due to its heavy use of gunplay.
It’s nothing too crazy now but then again this segment does end with most of
the characters dying so I do kind of understand why it got cut. Instead the
film now starts with Blue Bayou, a
segment originally intended for Fantasia.
The original version, set to ‘Clair de Lune’, still exists and while both
versions of it are nice, admittedly the one for Fantasia is the superior version. All the Cats Join In is a toe-tapping swinging tune set to a
sequence based around teens in the 1940’s. It’s also fun how the animation in
this sequence is done ‘on-the-spot’ as we see a pencil create all of the
visuals. Without You is a somber
ballad set to some nice animation that has a pretty cool paint-like look to it,
which is the result of the segment’s rainy backdrop. Casey at the Bat is easily one of the big highlights of the film.
Admittedly it’s not really a musical segment as the poem the segment is based
on is only recited. Still, this is definitely one of the best segments of the entire
film thanks to its fast-paced antics and plenty of humorous moments.
Two Silhouettes is
simply a pair of ballet dancers. This sequence was done in rotoscope (aka
animating over live-action footage) with the dancers only seen in silhouette,
hence the title of the segment. Peter and
the Wolf is another classic segment highlighted by the original
composition’s unique method of having each character in the piece, from Peter
to the bird to the hunters to the wolf, represented by a different musical
instrument. After You’ve Gone is
another lively segment in which a group of anthropomorphized instruments get
into all sorts of shenanigans. Then there’s Johnnie
Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet, a tale of two hats at a department store, a
fedora and a bluebonnet (hence the title), who fall in love but get separated
when the latter is bought, resulting in the fedora (once he’s bought) trying to
find her again. It’s a cute little sequence that, having looked at it from a
modern perspective, reminds me of the Pixar short The Blue Umbrella that was released with Monsters University. Finally, there’s The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met, in which a giant Sperm
Whale named Willie is shown to be a very talented opera singer. Sadly, the tale
ends on a tragic note but it’s still an excellent story highlighted by the fact
that all of the voices were done by one man, Nelson Eddy. So in short, Make Mine Music’s collection of segments
is pretty solid with my personal favorites being Casey and The Whale. My
only real problem with this film is that some of the segments are rather short.
Segments like Casey, The Whale, and Peter and the Wolf are all fairly lengthy while basically all of
the other segments are less than five minutes each. As a result, admittedly I don’t
think this film leaves as big of a long-lasting impression compared to its
‘spiritual predecessor’ Fantasia.
Regardless, though, this is yet another highly entertaining Disney animated
flick that benefits greatly from its selection of shorts.
Rating: 4/5
FUN AND FANCY FREE (1947)
Out of all of these Disney ‘package films’, Fun and Fancy Free was the one that I
watched the most when I was younger. In fact, it was sort of the only one of
those films that I had watched in its entirety… from what I can remember. But
even with that said, this was certainly one Disney film that I watched quite a
few times back then on VHS (ah, the good old days…). And upon re-watch, it’s
still one of my favorites. Unlike the other ‘package films’, this film only
consists of two half-hour long animated segments. However, I’d argue that both of
these stories are pretty darn memorable. After an opening introduction from
everyone’s favorite conscience Jiminy Cricket, the first of these two segments
are played, Bongo. Narrated by Dinah
Shore and based off of the children’s story Little
Bear Bongo by Sinclair Lewis, the short follows a circus bear named Bongo
who dreams of living free and in the wild instead of being a caged circus
animal. When he does get that chance, he meets a pretty girl bear named
Lulubelle but ends up getting into a love triangle with her other suitor, the
brutish Lumpjaw, which of course then leads to a fight between the two males.
While certainly a fairly simple short, it’s still pretty darn charming and
Dinah Shore’s lovely voice serves as a nice complement to the visuals. Heck,
there’s even a pretty darn funny musical number during this segment in which
Bongo learns that, apparently, the way that bears express their love for one
another is by slapping each other, which at first he does not get when
Lulubelle starts slapping him around.
The other short, Mickey
and the Beanstalk, is narrated by ventriloquist Edgar Bergen who is shown
in live-action sequences telling the story to child actress Luana Patten at her
birthday party. As you probably deduced form the title, this is an adaptation
of the classic fairy tale Jack and the
Beanstalk but one that stars the trio of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and
Goofy. This was also notably the last time that Walt Disney himself voiced
Mickey, though some lines were done by his replacement Jimmy MacDonald. This is
the best of the two segments if you ask me. I’ve always loved the animated
shorts centering around Mickey, Donald, and Goofy and this is definitely a
classic with a wide array of funny moments, from a scene where Donald actually
goes berserk as a result of him dealing with hunger to the scenes where the
trio interact with the giant Willie, who has the power to shape-shift into
anything he pleases. Really the only downside to this part of the film is,
believe it or not, the scenes with Bergen. I can’t really explain why but even
as a kid I found these scenes to be rather dull and perhaps even a bit drawn
out. Thankfully there is an alternative. On Netflix there are a series of
‘collections’ of Disney animated shorts. One of these collections contains Mickey and the Beanstalk except this
version is narrated by Ludwig von Drake and his beetle assistant Herman, which
I feel are a better narrator duo. Still, despite my issues with the Bergen
scenes, I can safely say that Fun and
Fancy Free is my favorite of these Disney ‘package films’. I wouldn’t go as
far as to say it’s one of the company’s best ‘animated features’ but this one
does bring back fond memories of watching it back when VHS was still relevant.
Rating: 4.5/5
MELODY TIME (1948)
Remember when I said that Make Mine Music is sort of like a ‘spiritual sequel’ to Fantasia? Well, 1948’s Melody Time is basically Make Mine Music’s ‘spiritual sequel’.
It’s the same general premise; a series of animated shorts set mostly to contemporary
music. This time, however, there are only seven segments but as a result,
they’re much longer than some of the sequences in Make Mine Music. It opens with Once
Upon a Wintertime, in which a pair of young couples (a human couple and a
rabbit couple) enjoy a nice day of ice skating. Before I ever saw this film, I
remember first seeing this ‘sequence’ on one of the Disney Sing Along Songs videos. As for its use in this film, I
really like it, especially for its wintry setting. Bumble Boogie is an enjoyably chaotic sequence. It follows a single
bumblebee as he wards off a bunch of instruments as they perform, fittingly
enough, Flight of the Bumblebee. Like
Blue Bayou in Make Mine Music, this segment was originally considered for Fantasia. Then there’s The Legend of Johnny Appleseed. This
one’s a really great one, establishing a nice atmosphere and providing us with
a fun retelling of the story of the legendary farmer who brought apple trees to
various areas of the United States. Plus, the main song of this sequence,
performed by Dennis Day (who voices the narrator (a ‘settler’), Johnny
Appleseed, and the friendly angel who sends Johnny on his way), is quite
catchy. Little Toot is a charming
little tale of a tugboat who tries to stay out of trouble and act more like his
father.
Trees is an
animated adaptation of the 1913 poem of the same name by Joyce Kilmer. It’s
quite arguably the most beautifully animated out of all of the segments in this
film with some terrific nature animation. That is then followed by Blame it on the Samba, a toe-tapping
segment in which Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, and the rowdy Aracuan bird that was
first seen in The Three Caballeros have
a fun time dancing to the samba. Like The
Three Caballeros, it also features some scenes in which the animated
characters interact with live-action people and as noted earlier it’s always
really cool to see this implemented in a film. Finally, there’s Pecos Bill, another retelling of a
legendary folktale, this one of the cowboy who had many adventures in Texas.
This one is also pretty fun and features some good humorous moments. It’s the
longest of the 7 segments and even features some live-action parts starring the
segment’s narrator(s), Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers, as they tell
the story to Bobby Driscoll (who starred in some notable live-action Disney
films including Song of the South and
Treasure Island and was the original
voice for Disney’s Peter Pan) and
Luana Patten (who of course had been in the previous Disney animated film Fun and Fancy Free). So with that said, Melody Time, like its ‘spiritual
predecessor’, has a great array of animated shorts. But if I had to pick the
better of the two films, I’d actually go with Melody Time. As I noted before, this one doesn’t have as many
segments as Make Mine Music but this
allows for the segments to be longer and as a result, I find them to be much
more memorable. Ultimately, though, both are pretty darn good.
Rating: 4.5/5
THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD (1949)
The Adventures of
Ichabod and Mr. Toad is probably the most famous of the 40’s Disney
‘package films’ and it is understandable why. Like Fun and Fancy Free, this consists of two 30-minute short films and
also like that film, both segments are incredibly memorable. The first of these
is The Wind in the Willows, based off
of the children’s novel of the same name by Kenneth Grahame and narrated by
perhaps the most iconic on-screen Sherlock Holmes of them all, Basil Rathbone.
It tells the tale of J. Thaddeus Toad, a rambunctious adventurer who becomes
fascinated with motor cars. His obsession with them ends up resulting in him buying
a car from a pack of weasels in exchange for the deed to his home, Toad Hall.
However, this ends up backfiring on him and he is arrested on the charge of
‘car theft’. This is a very entertaining and light-hearted short full of fun
characters and plenty of humorous scenes. Probably my favorite moment in the
short is when Mr. Toad’s horse friend Cyril is on the witness stand defending
him in court. When the judge pressures him into explaining how Toad acquired
the motor car, Cyril responds by saying that he did it ‘the honest way’. And when
the judge asks what the honest way is, Cyril jokingly responds “Haha, I thought
you would’ve known that, guvnor!” But the finale in which Toad and friends try
to steal the deed from the weasels and their leader, a conniving con man named
Mr. Winky, is also full of humorous moments as well, being just as mad-cap as
any other scene like it in Disney animation. Simply put, this whole story is
enjoyably loony.
The other short is Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hallow, narrated by Bing Crosby. It’s the tale
of schoolteacher Ichabod Crane and his run-in with the infamous spook, the
Headless Horsemen. This segment actually starts off a lot like The Wind in the Willows and sets up a
light-hearted tale in which we see Ichabod interact with the people of Sleepy
Hollow, cross paths with the burly town hero Brom Bones, and fall in love with
Katrina van Tassel, the daughter of a rich farmer. All of this is set quite
well to a bunch of catchy tunes provided by Bing ‘boo boo boo boo boo boo’
Crosby. But this is ultimately just set-up for a particularly spooky finale in
which Ichabod is confronted by the Headless Horsemen. Said finale is set up
very well and establishes a really cool dark atmosphere. On a side note, as
Channel Awesome’s Doug Walker pointed out in his review of the film, it’s
interesting to note that despite the fact that he’s the main character in the
piece, Ichabod is actually a rather smug egotist. Sure he may act like a
charmer amongst the ladies of Sleepy Hollow but he also mooches off of people
and when he decides to romantically pursue Katrina, he envisions himself taking
over her father’s farm. This is a case where Ichabod’s ‘antagonist’ Brom Bones
is actually sort of a more likable character… strange, right? Anyway, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is
another excellent entry in Disney’s line of package films. Both of its stories
are quite excellent and because one is more zany and fast-paced while the other
establishes a spooky atmosphere, that actually results in a neatly balanced
double feature.
Rating: 4.5/5
And that, folks, is
the end of this Disney Retrospective of Walt Disney Animation’s first 11
animated features. As always, thanks for following along with me on this
journey through the history of Disney Animation. We’ve got one more of these to
go before the big Disney related thing that I have planned for this blog in
November. You can expect the final installment of these Disney Retrospectives
sometime next month. Until then, as always, what are your thoughts on the
Disney films discussed here today? Be sure to sound off in the comments below.
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