The Rescuers 1977

June 22 1977

From Walt Disney's original team of legendary master animators who brought you THE JUNGLE BOOK comes a thrilling adventure and timeless tale overflowing with action, suspense, and extraordinary little heroes you can't help but love! Join the shy but brave mouse Bernard and his glamorous partner Miss Bianca -- two tiny heroes on a great big mission to save a young girl named Penny who has sent an urgent call for help! Taking off on the wings of their trusted albatross friend Orville, Bernard and Bianca soar to the marshy swamp of Devil's Bayou. There, they find themselves on the riverboat hideout of the hilariously evil Madame Medusa, who needs Penny to retrieve the world's largest diamond! But before Bernard and Bianca can bring Penny safely home, they'll have to enlist the help of some spirited local swamp critters in order to outwit Medusa ... and outrun her pet crocodiles Nero and Brutus. Featuring the unforgettable voice talents of Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor, as well as Oscar®-nominated music, THE RESCUERS is high-flying fun you'll want to share with your family again and again!>

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

March 11 1977

he Studio's first animated treatment of the famous children's books written by A.A. Milne. Winnie the Pooh and his friends, Christopher Robin, Eeyore the donkey, Owl, Kanga, and baby Roo, as well as Rabbit and Gopher, encounter a swarm of bees and a fabulous honey tree. Little modification was made to the original stories of the most famous teddy bear in the world. The most noticeable change was the introduction of a new character -- Gopher.
A special cartoon featurette. Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman.Starring: the voices of Sterling Holloway (Pooh), Bruce Reitherman (Christopher Robin), Ralph Wright (Eeyore), Howard Morris (Gopher), Barbara Luddy (Kanga), Hal Smith (Owl), Junius Matthews (Rabbit), and Clint Howard (Roo). 26 min. Sebastian Cabot narrated the story, and the theme song was written Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman. Sterling Holloway was perfectly cast as the voice of Pooh and added to the popularity of the short, which inspired three theatrical cartoon sequels and a feature compilation. Released on video in 1981.

Robin Hood

November 8 1973

he story of England's legendary hero of the common people is told by travelling minstrel Allan-a-Dale. The story is enacted by an assortment of cartoon animal characters (Robin Hood and Maid Marian are foxes, Little John is a bear, King Richard and Prince John are lions, etc.). Robin Hood rebels against the villainy of Prince John and his accomplices, Sir Hiss and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Prince John has usurped the throne of King Richard, his brother, who was captured on the Crusades. With Little John, Friar Tuck, and the townspeople of Nottingham, Robin defeats the runty prince and his minions and Richard is free to return and reclaim his kingdom.
The Robin Hood legend has long been popular with movie makers, inspiring the silent version starring Douglas Fairbanks, the Errol Flynn classic of 1938, Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn's "Robin and Marian" in 1976, Disney's own live-action version "The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men" in 1952, and Kevin Costner's latest version in 1991. Some 350,000 drawings were made for the production, with over 100,000 painted cels and 800 painted backgrounds. The film was rereleased in theaters in 1982. Released on video in 1984 and 1991.
Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. Starring: the voices of Phil Harris (Little John), Brian Bedford (Robin Hood), Roger Miller (Allan-a-Dale), Peter Ustinov (King Richard/ Prince John), Terry-Thomas (Sir Hiss), Andy Devine (Friar Tuck), Monica Evans (Maid Marian), and Pat Buttram (Sheriff of Nottingham). 83 min. The songs, by Johnny Mercer, George Bruns, Roger Miller, and Floyd Huddleston, include "Whistle-Stop," "The Phony King of England," "Love," "Oo-de-lally," and "Not in Nottingham." The song "Love," by George Bruns and Floyd Huddleston, was nominated for an Academy Award®. In several sequences, George Bruns sought to capture the flavor of the period by using medieval instruments such as French horns and harpsichords, and occasionally just a mandolin.

The Aristocats

December 24 1970

nimated feature in which a pedigreed mother cat, Duchess, and her three kittens, Toulouse, Berlioz, and Marie, are catnapped by a greedy butler named Edgar who hopes to get the inheritance left to the family of cats by their owner, Madame Bonfamille. Things look hopeless for the cats until they are befriended by Thomas O'Malley, an easygoing alley cat. After the cats have many misadventures getting back to Paris, the villainous butler is foiled when a gang of alley cats and a mouse named Roquefort join O'Malley to rescue Duchess and her kittens.
For the background musical score, George Bruns featured the accordion-like musette for French flavor, and drawing on his considerable background with jazz bands in the 1940s, provided a great deal of jazz music. The film was four years in the making, budgeted at over $4 million, and included more than 325,000 drawings made by 35 animators, with 20 main sequences having 1,125 separate scenes using 900 painted backgrounds. The project employed some 250 people. The film was a box-office success, earning reissues in 1980 and 1987. Released on video in 1996.
Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. Starring: the voices of Phil Harris (Thomas O'Malley), Eva Gabor (Duchess), Sterling Holloway (Roquefort), Scatman Crothers (Scat Cat), Paul Winchell (Chinese Cat), Thurl Ravenscroft (Russian Cat), Hermione Baddeley (Madame Adelaide), Roddy Maude-Roxby (Edgar), Bill Thompson (Uncle Waldo), and Maurice Chevalier, who sang the title tune. 78 min. This was the first feature-length animated cartoon completed without Walt Disney. The song "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat," was written by Floyd Huddleston and Al Rinker. "Thomas O'Malley" was written by Terry Gilkyson, and Richard and Robert Sherman composed "The Aristocats," "She Never Felt Alone," and "Scales and Arpeggios."

The Jungle Book 1967

October 18 1967

A human boy, Mowgli, is raised in the jungle by wolves until it is deemed unsafe for him to stay because of Shere Khan, the tiger, who has vowed to kill the mancub. Bagheera, the panther, is selected to accompany Mowgli on his journey back to civilization, but has a difficult time because the boy does not want to leave. Meeting Baloo the bear, a lovable "jungle bum," Mowgli is even more certain he wants to stay with his friends. But after an encounter with the mad King Louie of the Apes, when he is pressed to return to the man village by Baloo and Bagheera, Mowgli runs away. Alone in the jungle, he meets Shere Khan, but only after the last-minute intervention of his friends does he manage to defeat the tiger. Soon after, he meets a young girl from the man village and willingly returns to civilization.
Rudyard Kipling's classic tale of the jungle was the last animated feature Walt Disney supervised, and became one of Disney's all-time box-office winners. Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman wrote the songs, which include "I Wanna Be Like You," "Trust in Me," "My Own Home," "That's What Friends Are For," and "Colonel Hathi's March," and Terry Gilkyson provided the Oscar®-nominated "Bare Necessities."
Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. Starring: the voices of Phil Harris (Baloo), Sebastian Cabot (Bagheera), Louis Prima (King Louie), George Sanders (Shere Khan), Sterling Holloway (Kaa), J. Pat O'Malley (Vulture), and Bruce Reitherman (Mowgli). 78 min. It was rereleased in theaters in 1978, 1984, and 1990. Released on video in 1991. A live action version of the story was released in 1994.

The Sword in the Stone

December 25 1963

n the churchyard of a cathedral in London a sword appears imbedded in a stone, inscribed: "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is rightwise king born of England." Although many try, no one can budge the sword from the stone. Deep in the dark woods, kindly but absentminded Merlin the Magician begins to teach 11-year-old Arthur, who is called "Wart" and who lives in the castle of Sir Ector where he is an apprentice squire to burly, oafish Sir Kay when he is not washing mounds of pots and pans in the scullery. By being changed by Merlin into various animals, Wart learns the basic truths of life, but he also runs into the evil Madam Mim, who tries to destroy him. Merlin and Mim have a wizard's duel during which each changes into various creatures, with Merlin using his wits to win. On New Year's Day a great tournament is held in London to pick a new king. Wart, attending as Kay's squire, forgets Kay's sword and runs back to the inn to get it, but the inn is locked. Wart, seeing the sword in the stone, innocently -- and easily -- pulls it out. When the knights marvel at the wondrous sword and question where he got it, Wart has to prove himself all over again, and again he pulls the sword from the stone. Wart is proclaimed king by the marveling warriors. Wart as King Arthur is apprehensive of his ability to govern, but Merlin returns to reassure him.
The movie is somewhat dated because it is filled with 1960s references, but it has some wonderful moments, especially the highly imaginative wizard's duel. The songs, including "A Most Befuddling Thing," "That's What Makes the World Go Round," "Higitus Figitus," and "The Legend of the Sword in the Stone," were written by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman.
The film marked Wolfgang Reitherman's first solo directorial effort for a feature film. Based on the book by T. H. White. Starring: the voices of Ricky Sorenson (Wart), Sebastian Cabot (Narrator/Sir Ector), Karl Swenson (Merlin), Junius Matthews (Archimedes), Norman Alden (Sir Kay), and Martha Wentworth (Madam Mim). 79 min. The motion picture was rereleased theatrically in 1972 and 1983, and inspired the Sword in the Stone ceremony at the Disney Theme Parks. Released on video in 1986.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians 1961

January 25 1961

Animated feature about Pongo, a clever dalmatian who arranges to get married to the female of his choice, Perdita, and to round things out gets his master, Roger Radcliff, wed to Perdita's pretty mistress, Anita. Soon Perdita produces 15 puppies, which the evil Cruella De Vil arranges to have kidnapped in her quest to make a fabulous Dalmatian fur coat, also gathering many other puppies in order to accomplish her aim. Helped by the Twilight Bark, whereby dogs throughout the city and the countryside pass along the word of the missing puppies by barking, Pongo and Perdita go into action and locate 99 stolen puppies in Cruella's sinister-looking home, Hell Hall. Pongo, Perdita, and the puppies manage to escape and, through various ruses, elude the pursuing Cruella. Cruella and her henchmen, Horace and Jasper Badun, get their just desserts. Roger and Anita adopt the puppies, and with their new family of 101 dalmatians and Nanny to look after them, plan to build a "Dalmatian Plantation" and live happily ever after.
The first feature to solely use the Xerox® process for transferring the animators' drawings to cels. Prior to this, each one of the animators' drawings had to be hand-traced in ink onto a cel. The new process sped up production greatly, especially in a film that had so many dogs, and spotted ones at that. It would have been horribly time-consuming to hand-ink each of the cels. The famous "Twilight Bark," used to rescue the puppies, was later adopted as the name for the newsletter for Disney Feature Animation. Note the spelling of "dalmatians." This word is probably the most-misspelled Disney word, with most people misspelling it "dalmations." Dalmatia, however, is a place, so people, and dogs, from there are dalmatians.
Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton Luske, and Clyde Geronimi. Based on the book by Dodie Smith. The songs "Cruella De Ville [sic]," "Dalmatian Plantation," and "Kanine Krunchies Commercial" were written by Mel Leven. Costing $4 million, the film did phenomenal business on its original release, and in its subsequent reissues in 1969, 1979, 1985 and 1991. Released on video in 1992. 79 min. Starring: the voices of Rod Taylor (Pongo), Betty Lou Gerson (Cruella De Vil), Lisa Davis (Anita), Ben Wright (Roger), and Cate Bauer (Perdita).
In 1996, a live-action version of "101 Dalmatians" appeared, directed by Stephen Herek. Released on November 27, 1996, it starred Glenn Close (Cruella), Jeff Daniels (Roger), Joely Richardson (Anita), Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams (Jasper and Horace), and Joan Plowright (Nanny). Filmed on seven sound stages at Shepperton Studios in England, as well as at selected locations in and around London. A major task was finding and training over 200 dalmatian puppies. Their welfare was of top concern to the filmmakers.

Sleeping Beauty 5 1959

January 29 1959

n spectacular style, the film recounts the simple story of Princess Aurora, who is cursed by the evil fairy, Maleficent, to die at the age of 16 by pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. Despite the loving attempts of the three good but often bumbling fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, to protect her by raising her, disguised as Briar Rose, in a forest cottage, the curse is fulfilled. The good fairies put everyone in the castle into a deep sleep until the spell can be broken. It is only with the aid of Prince Phillip that Maleficent, transformed into a towering, fire-breathing dragon, is destroyed, and the Sleeping Beauty is awakened by his kiss.
Based upon the Charles Perrault version of "Sleeping Beauty," the film had an overall stylistic look conceived by artist Eyvind Earle, today known for his paintings and Christmas card designs. With a budget that exceeded $6 million in 1959, this was Walt Disney's most lavish and expensive animated feature to date. Though not an initial box-office success, the film has proven to be a unique asset, with popular reissues in 1970, 1979, and 1986, and a release on home video also in 1986.
Supervising director Clyde Geronimi. Animators: Marc Davis, Hal Ambro, Hal King, Harvey Toombs, Ken O'Brien, Iwao Takamoto, and John Kennedy. Starring: the voices of Mary Costa (Aurora), Bill Shirley (Prince Phillip), Eleanor Audley (Maleficent), Verna Felton (Flora), Barbara Luddy (Merryweather), and Barbara Jo Allen (Fauna). In Technirama 70. 75 min. George Bruns' orchestral score, which was nominated for an Academy Award®, expertly blended famous themes from Tchaikovsky's ballet, while Sammy Fain, Jack Lawrence, Tom Adair, Winston Hibler, Erdman Penner, and Ted Sears wrote lyrics to such songs as "I Wonder" and "Once Upon a Dream."

Lady and the Tramp 1955

June 22 1955(premiere June 16 1955)

ady, a young cocker spaniel from a respectable home, falls in love with Tramp, a mutt who lives in the railroad yards. They enjoy several outings together, including a memorable spaghetti dinner by moonlight at Tony's, but their relationship is strained not only by Lady's loyalty to her human family and their newborn baby, but by Tramp's devil-may-care attitude that at one point gets Lady thrown in the dog pound. Tramp redeems himself by saving the baby from a rat and thereby wins Lady's love and the affection of her human family.
The idea for the film came from a short story by Ward Greene entitled "Happy Dan, the Whistling Dog." The film was enlivened by such songs as "He's a Tramp" and "The Siamese Cat Song," by Sonny Burke and Peggy Lee. In early script versions, Tramp was first called Homer, then Rags and Bozo. A 1940 script introduced the twin Siamese cats. Eventually known as Si and Am, they were then named Nip and Tuck. Peggy Lee helped promote the film on the Disney TV series, explaining her work with the score and singing a few numbers.
Directed by Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, and Wilfred Jackson. 76 min. Starring: the voices of Barbara Luddy (Lady), Larry Roberts (Tramp), and Peggy Lee (Darling, Si & Am, and Peg). This was the first Disney animated feature filmed in CinemaScope®, which necessitated extra work in planning scenes and action to fill the entire screen. "Lady and the Tramp" was rereleased in theaters in 1962, 1971, 1980, and 1986. Released on video in 1987. World premiere in Chicago on June 16, 1955.

Peter Pan 1953

February 5 1953

peter Pan is the magical boy who won't grow up, and who teaches the three Darling children -- Wendy, John, and Michael -- to fly to Never Land with him. There they embark on adventures with the chief inhabitant, Captain Hook, and his crew of pirates. The fairy, Tinker Bell, is jealous of Peter's attentions to Wendy, and is duped into helping Captain Hook. After rescuing the Indian princess Tiger Lily, Peter must save his band, the Lost Boys, and the Darlings from Hook.
Walt planned as early as 1935 to make this film, arranging in 1939 with the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London (who had the rights to the play bequeathed by author James M. Barrie) for permission, but it was not until 1949 that production actually began.
Directed by Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, and Wilfred Jackson. Key animators: Eric Larson and Milt Kahl. Starring: the voices of Bobby Driscoll (Peter), Kathryn Beaumont (Wendy), Hans Conried (Captain Hook, Mr. Darling), and Bill Thompson (Mr. Smee). 77 min. Features the songs "You Can Fly, You Can Fly, You Can Fly," "The Second Star to the Right," and "Your Mother and Mine" by Sammy Cahn and Sammy Fain. It was rereleased in theaters in 1958, 1969, 1976, 1982, and 1989. Released on video in 1990.

Alice in Wonderland 1951

Alice in Wonderland
July 28 1951

ewis Carroll's famous story of Alice and her adventures after falling down a rabbit hole. Following a white rabbit, she meets such strange creatures as a talking doorknob, who helps her through a keyhole into Wonderland; Tweedledum and Tweedledee, who tell the story of "The Walrus and the Carpenter"; the Caterpillar; and the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, who celebrate an unbirthday at their tea party. Finally Alice has a showdown with the Queen of Hearts and her army of playing cards. The whole thing becomes such a nightmare that Alice awakens from her dream to the recitations of her sister and the purring of her cat, Dinah.This animated feature had been on Walt's mind since 1933, when he considered a live-action version starring Mary Pickford. He shelved the project after Paramount made a version, but later had artist David Hall, a Hollywood artist and designer, create some concepts for an all-animated film. World War II intervened, and it was not until the late 1940s that work began again in earnest. One of Walt's big problems with this film was that here he was dealing with a highly regarded classic, and what was charming and appropriately bizarre in book form seemed oddly out of place on the motion picture screen. Walt's feeling, expressed in later years, was that "Alice" had no "heart."The film was rediscovered by the psychedelic generation when it was made available on 16mm for schools, and it was rereleased in theaters in 1974 and 1981. Released on video in 1981 and 1986 and kept in release.Premiered in England and released in the U.S. two days later. Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson. Animators: Eric Larson, Les Clark, Milt Kahl, Oliver Johnston Jr., Marc Davis, Ken O'Brien, Don Luske, Hal Ambro, and Harvey Toombs. Starring: the voices of Kathryn Beaumont (Alice), Verna Felton (Queen of Hearts), Bill Thompson (White Rabbit), Ed Wynn (Mad Hatter), Jerry Colonna (March Hare), and Sterling Holloway (Cheshire Cat). Songs include "All in a Golden Afternoon" and "I'm Late," by Bob Hilliard and Sammy Fain, and "The Unbirthday Song," by Mack David, Al Hoffman, and Jerry Livingston. 75 min. Nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture.

Cinderella 1950

February 15 1950

he famous rags-to-riches tale of a beautiful girl reduced to being a servant by her jealous stepmother and stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella. With the help of a bit of magic from her fairy godmother, Cinderella is given a beautiful dress and use of a magnificent coach, and is able to attend the royal ball and inadvertently falls in love with the prince. Fleeing the ball at midnight, the hour when the magic spell is due to end, she leaves behind a glass slipper that the prince and grand duke use to search her out. With the help of her little mouse and bird friends, she is discovered and assured a happy future.During "Cinderalla's" original release, the public made the film one of the highest-grossing films of the year, and Disney's most successful release since "Bambi." Because of wartime economic problems, the Disney Studio had to be satisfied with its "package films" such as" Make Mine Music" and "Melody Time" for several years, but by the end of the 1940s, Walt was able to put together the financing for another full feature telling a single story. It was a gamble for Walt, and if it had been unsuccessful, it probably would have sounded the death knell for animation at the Studio. But its resounding success ensured that animation would continue.Directed by Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, and Clyde Geronimi. Starring: the voices of Ilene Woods (Cinderella), Eleanor Audley (Stepmother), and Verna Felton (the Fairy Godmother). Mike Douglas is the uncredited singing voice of Prince Charming. 74 min. Songs include "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," "The Work Song," "So This Is Love," and "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," all by Mack David, Jerry Livingston, and Al Hoffman, with "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Song. The film also received a nomination for Best Scoring of Musical Picture. "Cinderella" was rereleased in theaters in 1957, 1965, 1973, 1981, and 1987. Released on video in 1988.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad 1949

October 5 1949

Though The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad contains two half-hour films, it is more of a return to the top form of Disney's early '40s animated features than it is another anthology feature like the five package features that directly preceeded it.
Ichabod and Mr. Toad is two excellent films in one.

The first, "The Wind in the Willows", is based on Kenneth Grahame's novel, and narrated by Basil Rathbone. With its nonlinear narrative and witty depiction of adult characters, it's a unique Disney work.
At the center of the story is the charismatic J. Thaddeus Toad, Esq., a happy-go-lucky upper class amphibian who believes in fun and adventure, but has built a great deal of debt from disregarding the financial responsibilities of his various manias.
His manias define his character, and it is his latest fancy -- the automobile -- that puts him on trial; Toad is accused of stealing a car. Having cut to his arrest from scenes of Toad exuberantly pretending to drive a car to the point where his sensible friends, Rat and Mole, lock him in his room to dissuade this newfound passion, it seems entirely possible that Toad has indeed gone too far.
On a snowy Christmas Eve night, with Toad glumly sitting by his lonesome in a dungeon-like prison, Toad's loyal horse Cyril Proudbottom pays a visit and inspires the boisterous J. Thaddeus to escape, which he does. These Christmas sequences possess a warmth and exuberance that is more down-to-earth than the fairy tale tone of most Disney features and more refined than the slapstick cartoon shorts.
The film progresses as the characters try to determine Toad's innoncence or guilt, as he is being pursued by the law. It's a very smart and pleasing short film, with a keen visual sense to its domestic and countryside scenery. In a number of ways, "The Wind in the Willows" is unlike anything else Disney has put to film, which makes it stand out and above from the rest of the films from Walt's time.

The second story is "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Washington Irving's intriguing tale, aptly narrated by Bing Crosby. It's fall in the village of Sleepy Hollow, and lanky Ichabod Crane is the new schoolteacher in town. His somewhat odd behaviors make him the ridicule of the rambunctious and robust Brom Bones and his cronies. Either unaware or indifferent to the town's reaction to him, Ichabod is at ease with his mischevious pupils and speedy metabolism.
Things complicate when Ichabod becomes enamored with Katrina Van Tassel, a priviledged and beautiful young lady who is less than pleased with her primary suitor: Brom Bones. It is Brom, though, whose motives are most clear of the triangle of characters - he clearly wants Katrina's affections. Ichabod is stimulated by the potential for wealth, besides the striking Katrina's company. Katrina may or may not be genuinely interested in Ichabod, but she likes the power she holds, keeping both Ichabod and Brom in check.
Things come to a T at the Van Tassel's annual Halloween party. Ichabod's invitation to this comes with a personal note from Katrina, and he looks forward to another night of nonchalantly showing up Brom and spending time with young Katrina.
The arrogant Brom, though is displeased at the turn of events, and he plots to win back Miss Van Tassel.
After a number of insuccessful efforts, Brom decides to take advantage of Ichabod's belief in superstitions, a characteristic that only now comes to surface in the film. Brom tells the tale of the menacing Headless Horseman who terrorizes people in the forest that Ichabod is planning to ride through on his way home tonight. In spite of his best efforts, Ichabod cannot hide his fear.
Ichabod and Mr. Toad fantastically concludes with perhaps the most effectively atmospheric sequence put to film. Ichabod, of course, must face his fears and ride home through the forest, which with his heightened awareness becomes an engulfing conscious nightmare. This sequence works so well because of the subdued, almost non-existent musical score being overpowered by the cacophony of eery nightime sounds of the outdoors. That a animated film can be this chilling may seem remarkable to you, but even the comforting voice of Bing Crosby is distressful here without changing tone or character. It is a delightfully spooky end to a delightfully good pair of short films.

Both "The Wind in the Willows" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" work perfectly by themselves as literature or separate short films here, which is how they had been issued on video prior to this 2000 Gold Collection release. Nonetheless, they complement each other with their effective adaptation of the written word, their contrasting but equally engaging tones and characters, and their wonderful artwork and composition. It is this last trait that was awarded with a Golden Globe award for Best Cinematography (Color) in 1950. While most disregard the Golden Globes and an award like this may seem inconsequential, I think it's a noteworthy honor for a noteworthy film that unfortunately has not gotten the recognition it deserves among Disney's animated canon.

Melody Time 1948

May 27 1948

the film have seven segments :

Once Upon a Wintertime features Frances Langford singing the title song about two romantic young lovers in December. The boy shows off for his girl, and near-tragedy and a timely rescue ensue. This short was also featured in a Disney Sing-Along video as a background movie for the song Jingle Bells.

Fun and Fancy Free 1947

September 27 1947

Jimminy Crickett is your host for a collection of two stories told in Hollywood, first up Diana Shore ( ...) tells the story of " Bongo", a bear who runs away from Fame and into his own kind, but when he falls in love with an attractive bear, he figures out that the Boyfriend is jealous and wants to duke it out with Bongo.
Then next, famed Ventriloquist Edgar Bergan with his popular charlie Mccarthy and Mortimer Snerd tell the story of " Jack and The Beanstalk" only with Mickey Mouse and Donald with Goofy going to save a Harp from a shapeshifting but witty Giant named " Willy".
A very entertaining collection of stories well drawn and it was known as Disney's list performance as Mickey Mouse. But nevertheless this is a fun movie, but The Harp and Lulu Bear are both preety hot.

voice

Jiminy Cricket
Cliff Edwards
Mickey Mouse
Jim Macdonald
Donald Duck
Clarence Nash
the Giant
Billy

Make Mine Music 1946

August 15 1946

premiere April 20 1946

T en shorts are combined in a tuneful compilation. Disney's first postwar "package" picture, produced as shorts because financial problems prevented Walt from finding enough money to create a full animated feature. By tying a group of shorts together, he was able to get the production into theaters sooner.
The segments are:

(1) "The Martins and the Coys," which deals with two feuding families who shoot and kill off each other except for Henry Coy and Grace Martin, who fall in love, but continue fighting after marriage (sung by The King's Men).

(2) "Blue Bayou," originally created for "Fantasia" to accompany "Clair de Lune," this short, sung by the Ken Darby Chorus, follows a majestic crane who lands in a bayou, then rises again to join another in the moonlit sky.

(3) "All the Cats Join In," with Benny Goodman and his Orchestra playing while animated teenagers go out and dance at a malt shop.

(4) "Without You," in which Andy Russell sings a "ballad in blue" as a petal falls, changing to a tear; light reveals a love letter containing lyrics of the song, and rain washes paintings onto a window illustrating the lyrics.

(5) "Casey at the Bat", with Jerry Colonna reciting the sad story of Mighty Casey, a baseball player who loses his touch and can no longer hit the ball.
(6) "Two Silhouettes," with Dinah Shore singing as two figures dance in ballet, the boy meeting, losing, and finding the girl (live-action dancing was performed by Tania Riabouchinska and David Lichine).

(7)" Peter and the Wolf," told by Sterling Holloway, with Peter going with a duck, cat, and bird to catch a wolf.

(8) "After You've Gone," with the Benny Goodman Quartet and a musical cartoon fantasy of personified instruments.

(9) "Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet," sung by the Andrews Sisters, illustrating the romance between boy and girl hats.
(10) "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met," Nelson Eddy tellsthe story and sings the songs about a whale who is found singing grand opera with a beautiful voice; a dream sequence shows the whale at the Met as a sensation, but the return to reality shows him being harpooned because it is believed he swallowed an opera singer.
The film was never reissued or released in its entirety on video in the U.S. Many of the individual segments would later be used on television or released theatrically as shorts.
Premiered in New York on April 20, 1946; general production supervisor was Joe Grant; directors were Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Robert Cormack, and Joshua Meador. 75 min.

The Three Caballeros

February 3 1945(premiere December 21 1944)

our short films on Latin America, in a story about Donald Duck receiving birthday gifts from his Latin American amigos, José Carioca, the parrot, and Panchito, the Mexican charro rooster. Donald unwraps a 16mm projector and views "The Cold-Blooded Penguin," about Pablo Penguin who flees the cold for a tropical isle and then misses the winter. Then he views "The Flying Gauchito," about a racing donkey with wings; "Baia," in which Donald and José go to Baia, meet a cookie girl, and dance; and "La Piñata", in which Donald learns of Las Posadas, the children's procession before Christmas, and finds friendly shelter and the breaking of the piñata. Interspersed throughout the film is live-action footage of native dancing and Latin American songs.
Aurora Miranda, sister of Carmen, dances with Donald in the Baia sequence, showing how far the Studio had advanced the art of combining animation with live actors. This is the first time Walt had attempted the technique since the "Alice Comedies" in the 1920s. Songs from the film include "You Belong to My Heart," "Baia," and "The Three Caballeros."
The world premiere was in Mexico City on December 21, 1944; released in the U.S. on February 3, 1945. Directed by Norm Ferguson. 71 min. It was rereleased in theaters in an abridged version in 1977 at a time when the film had gained increased awareness because of its almost psychedelic sequences. Released on video in 1982. The motion picture was nominated for two Academy Awards® -- Best Sound (C. O. Slyfield) and Best Scoring of a Musical Picture (Edward H. Plumb, Paul J. Smith, and Charles

Saludos Amigos

August 24 1942 Brazil

February 6 1943 USA

animated feature film about Latin America, made up of four animated segments tied together by live-action footage of the activities of Walt Disney and his artists on their trip. The segments are "Lake Titicaca," chronicling Donald's exploration of the Andes; "Pedro," the story of a baby airplane who replaces his father in the job of getting the mail through; "Aquarela do Brasil," with art showing the various landscapes of Brazil and José Carioca, the parrot, teaching Donald to dance the samba; and "El Gaucho Goofy," in which American cowboy Goofy becomes a gaucho on the Argentine pampas, learning the habits through off-stage narration.
While the film is shorter (42 minutes) than a normal feature film, it has always been grouped with the Disney animated classic features.
Animation directed by Bill Roberts, Jack King, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson. C. O. Slyfield received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Sound, and additional nominations went to Charles Wolcott and Ned Washington for Best Song ("Saludos Amigos") and to Edward H. Plumb, Paul J. Smith, and Charles Wolcott for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture. 42 min. World premiere in Rio de Janeiro on August 24, 1942. It was rereleased in 1949. Released on laserdisc in 1995.

Bambi 1942

August 13 1942

ife story of a fawn, Bambi, who grows up, with friends Thumper, a rabbit, and Flower, a skunk, to become the Great Prince of the Forest. Meanwhile he suffers the death of his mother at the hands of hunters, falls in love with Faline, and barely escapes a catastrophic forest fire.
The film had been put into production while work on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was winding down. But the story of "Bambi" was different from anything the Studio had ever attempted. It was more serious, and all the characters were animals. In striving for realism, the artists heard lectures from animal experts, made field trips to the Los Angeles Zoo, watched specially filmed nature footage shot in the forests of Maine, and even studied the movements of two fawns that were donated to the Studio. The meticulous work was time-consuming; even taking care to see that the spots on the fawn's back remained constant meant fewer drawings could be finished in a day.
The film moved exceedingly slowly through the production process, but Walt was delighted with the results. "Fellas, this stuff is pure gold," he told the animators. "Bambi" was released at a difficult time, with the U.S. deep in World War II, so its initial profits were low, but the story of the little deer coming of age has endured, and today "Bambi" is universally regarded as one of Walt Disney's most charming films.
World premiere in London on August 8, 1942. Based on the book by Felix Salten. The supervising director was David Hand. Starring: the voices of Sterling Holloway (adolescent Flower), Peter Behn (young Thumper), and Donnie Dunagan (young Bambi). 70 min. Includes the songs "Love Is a Song" and "Little April Shower," written by Frank Churchill and Edward H. Plumb. The film received Academy Award® nominations for Best Sound, Best Song ("Love Is a Song"), and Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. It was rereleased in theaters in 1947, 1957, 1966, 1975, 1982, and 1988. Released on video in 1989.

Dumbo 1941

October 23 1941

The stork delivers a baby elephant to Mrs Jumbo, veteran of the circus, but the newborn is ridiculed because of his truly enormous ears and dubbed "Dumbo". Dumbo is relegated to the circus' clown acts; it is up to his only friend, a mouse, to assist Dumbo to achieve his full potential. Written

Fantasia

November 13 1940 roadshow

January 1942 (general)

story will show soon sorry

Pinocchio (1940)

February -7- 1940

Pinocchio is a fairy tale, written by Carlo Collodi in 1883. It is the story of a puppet, made by woodcarver Gepetto, who learns about being a real boy.
The most well-known version of the tale is the Disney animated movie from 1940.

1 . Snow White

February 8 1938

premiere December 21 1937

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first full-length movie by Walt Disney Pictures. It retells the classic story of a young woman. She is lost in the woods, and comes across the home of seven little men, or dwarves. She cleans their home, and they allow her to stay with them. Snow White eventually is poisoned by her jealous step-mother and falls into a deep sleep. Then Snow White is awakened by the kiss of a handsome prince.

Criticism

The worldwide commercial success of the Disney brand is viewed by some as detrimental to cultural diversity (see Disneyfication).
Disney is one among several American companies lobbying for harsher enforcement of intellectual property around the world and continued copyright term extensions, posing a perceived threat to the existence of the public domain; see Mickey Mouse Protection Act. Disney has aggressively protected its intellectual property, including suing three Hallandale, Florida daycares for featuring Disney characters on their walls. The images were removed and replaced with Hanna-Barbera characters instead [3].
While the Disney Company is fiercely protective of the copyright on its stories, those stories are frequently based on public domain materials, such as folk and fairy tales. Disney has also been accused of plagiarizing ideas from copyrighted sources; elements of The Lion King greatly resemble the Japanese animated series Kimba the White Lion, and several character designs in Disney's Aladdin bear a striking resemblance to those in Richard Williams' earlier animated film The Thief and the Cobbler.
The College Program at Disney World has attracted criticism. The program annually provides 8,000 college students with a five-to-eight month internship. Critics argue that Disney is exploiting the program as a source of cheap labor, as interns do the same work as regular employees, but at a substantially lower pay rate.[4]
Disney has also been accused of human rights violations regarding the working conditions in factories that produce their merchandise. Among these is a campaign by the National Labor Committee drawing attention to abuses at the Niagra Textiles factory in Bangladesh and the use of sweatshop labor.[5]
Another report, conducted in 2001 by The Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee on factories producing Disney merchandise in China's Guangdong province, concluded that "Disney's code of conduct and monitoring system are ineffective and of little use to workers", some of whom were as young as sixteen.[6] Based on this evidence, The Maquila Solidarity Network and Oxfam Canada awarded Disney their Sweatshop Retailer of the Year award for 2001; Wal-Mart came in second and Nike placed third.[7]

The Eisner era (1984–2005

1984: Touchstone Films is created after the studio narrowly escapes a buyout attempt by Saul Steinberg, and releases their first film Splash. Roy Edward Disney and his business partner, Stanley Gold, remove Ron W. Miller as CEO and president, replacing him with Michael Eisner and Frank Wells. The Walt Disney Classics and Masterpiece video collection starts up.
1985: The studio begins making cartoons for television beginning with Adventures of the Gummi Bears and The Wuzzles. The Black Cauldron, the studio's first PG-rated animated film, is released, but is a box office failure. The home video release of Pinocchio becomes a best-seller.
1986: The company's name is changed on February 6 from Walt Disney Productions to The Walt Disney Company. Disney's first R-rated film, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, is released under the Touchstone banner.
1987: The company and the French government sign an agreement for the creation of the first Disney Resort in Europe: the Euro Disney project starts.
1989: Disney offers a deal to buy Jim Henson's Muppets and have the famed puppeteer work with Disney resources; the Disney-MGM Studios open at Walt Disney World; The Little Mermaid sparks a Disney animation renaissance.
1990: Jim Henson's death sours the deal to buy his holdings; the anthology series is canceled for the second time.
1991: Beauty and the Beast is released, becoming the first animated film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
1992: The controversial Euro Disney Resort opens outside Paris, France.
1992: The Disney Company is granted permission for a National Hockey League expansion franchise. The team is named the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to co-incide with the release of The Mighty Ducks.
1993: Disney acquires independent film distributor Miramax Films; Winnie the Pooh merchandise outsells Mickey Mouse merchandise for the first time; the policy of periodic theatrical re-issues ends with this year's re-issue of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs but is augmented for video.
1994: Frank Wells is killed in a helicopter crash. Jeffrey Katzenberg resigns to co-found his own studio, DreamWorks SKG. Plans for Disney's America, a historical theme park in Haymarket, Virginia, are abruptly dropped. No explanation is given, and Disney announces a search for an alternate location. Euro Disneyland is renamed Disneyland Paris. The Lion King, the highest-grossing traditionally animated film in history (unadjusted for inflation), is released.
1995: In October, the company hires Hollywood super agent, Michael Ovitz, to be president. The world's first computer animated feature film Toy Story, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, is released by Disney, and becomes the year's top-grossing film.
1996: The company takes on the Disney Enterprises name and acquires the Capital Cities/ABC group, renaming it ABC, Inc. To celebrate the pairing, ABC's first Super Soap Weekend is held at Walt Disney World. Disney makes deal with Tokuma Shoten for dubbing and releasing of Studio Ghibli films in the U.S. In December, Michael Ovitz, president of the company, leaves "by mutual consent."
1997: The anthology series is revived again; the home video division releases its first DVDs. The Southern Baptist Convention votes to boycott The Walt Disney Company over opposition to the latter offering equal health and other benefits to gays and lesbians, as well as Disney allowing outside organizers to have "Gay and Lesbian Days" at Walt Disney World. Disney ignored the boycott, which failed and was withdrawn by the SBC on June 22, 2005.[2]
1998: Disney's Animal Kingdom opens at Walt Disney World. Kiki's Delivery Service, the first Studio Ghibli film under the Disney/Ghibli deal, is released on video.
2000: Disney-owned TV channels are pulled from Time Warner Cable briefly during a dispute over carriage fees; Robert Iger becomes president. Disney begins their Gold Classic Collection and Platinum Edition DVD line, replacing their Classic and Masterpiece Collection series.
2001: Disney's California Adventure and Tokyo DisneySea open to the public; Disney begins releasing Walt Disney Treasures DVD box sets for the collector's market. Disney buys Fox Family for $3 billion in July, giving Disney programming and cable network reaching 81 million homes.
2001: Ft Worth billionaire Sid Bass is forced to sell his Disney holdings due to a margin call caused partially by the stockmarket fall that followed the 9/11 attacks. That Bass didn't own his shares outright but had bought them on margin was unknown and a shock when it was revealed. Losing Bass is a blow to Eisner - Bass had been a major backer of Eisner - he had recruited Eisner to Disney.
2002: Walt Disney Studios open near Disneyland Paris (renamed Disneyland Park). The entire area is now called Disneyland Resort Paris. Disney finishes negotiations to acquire Saban Entertainment, owner of children's entertainment juggernaut Power Rangers. Subsidiary Miramax acquires the USA rights to the Pokémon movies starting with the fourth movie.
2002: Disney teams up with famous video game company Squaresoft (later known as Square-Enix) to release their first ever role-playing game with various Disney characters, Kingdom Hearts. Disney begins joint venture business with Sanrio for Sanrio's greeting cards.
2003: Roy E. Disney resigns as the chairman of Feature Animation and from the board of directors, citing similar reasons to those that drove him off 26 years earlier; fellow director Stanley Gold resigns with him; they establish "SaveDisney" to apply public pressure to oust Michael Eisner. Pixar computer animated film Finding Nemo is released by Disney, becoming the highest-grossing animated film in history until 2004's DreamWorks film Shrek 2. Live-action film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is released, becoming the first film released under the Disney label with a PG-13 rating.
2004: Comcast makes an unsuccessful hostile bid for the company. CEO Michael Eisner is replaced by George J. Mitchell as chairman of the board after a 43% vote of no confidence. Disney turns down distributing controversial documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11, which ends up making $100 million. On February 17, Disney buys the Muppets (excluding the Sesame Street characters).
2005: On July 8 Roy E. Disney rejoins the company as a consultant with the title of Director Emeritus. Disneyland celebrates its 50th anniversary on July 17. Hong Kong Disneyland officially opens on September 12.