The 1940s was a difficult period at the Walt Disney Studios.
After the box-office triumph of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the artistic tour-de-force of Pinocchio, the “package” features (which contained unrelated stories loosely strung together) disappointed many film critics and Disney fans alike. It's important to keep in mind, however, that Walt Disney and his artists are really not to blame; the impact of World War II on the world, the country, and on the Disney Studios was the cause of this change of direction for Disney filmmaking.
These package films should not be dismissed; the impressive quality of the animation and the clever innovations found in these films keep them fresh. This overlooked period in Disney film production contains some truly entertaining—and some truly odd—films. While there's no denying the fact that few of the '40s films pack the emotional punch of the traditional Disney feature films, there is much to admire.
Surprisingly, there are many direct references pertaining to this period of Disney history found in the theme parks of Walt Disney World.
The Backstage Tour: The Reluctant Dragon (1941)
Partly in response to fan questions about the production of animated films and partly out of economic necessity, Walt decided to make a mostly live-action film tour of the newly built Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. The result, 1941's The Reluctant Dragon, is a true Disney oddity. It's also a lot of fun. In many ways, this film can be seen as the foundation for the many behind-the-scenes programs that would be featured on Walt's many anthology shows starting in the 1950s.
At the parks, the original Magic of Disney Animation tour at the then Disney-MGM Studios had much in common with the fictitious tour shown in the film. When the park opened in 1989, animation was still made in the traditional hand-drawn manner. The colorful jars of paint in the ink and paint department, the detailed maquettes, the hand sketched storyboards, and even the animators' desks looked surprisingly like those featured in the 1941 film. The architectural style and color palate of the Florida animation studios were inspired by the Burbank studio as well. As a bonus, the tour included many vintage materials used in the making of the Disney classics, including a case filled with Academy Awards won by Walt Disney himself.
The Animation Gallery, a beautifully styled upscale shop, was an interesting destination in itself. It was reminiscent of other long-gone shops that were part of the Disney “show”. After all, not everyone could afford to purchase original artwork or costly reproductions – but it sure was fun looking. For readers who miss the authentic tour of a working animation studio that the original “Magic of Disney Animation” provided, The Reluctant Dragon will be a welcome, and well-spent, 74 minutes.
Trivia note: The Mickey Ave. and Dopey Dr. sign at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank was designed for The Reluctant Dragon. It remains there today and is faithfully reproduced at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Educate and Entertain: Victory Through Air Power (1943)
On the Disney Treasures release of this film, Leonard Maltin refers to Victory Through Air Power as “the most unusual feature film Walt Disney ever made. It was meant to send a message rather than entertain.” Although there are no direct references to this rarely seen Disney film, the tone and the general approach to educating and entertaining have some clear descendents in many of the 1950s and 1960s era Tomorrowland attractions at Disneyland, in the 1964 World's Fair pavilions designed by Disney, and in the original spirit of some of the original Future World attractions at EPCOT Center.
Disney's sophisticated use of animation to explain complicated technical issues is reminiscent of the animation found in early EPCOT attractions, while the old-fashioned look of the “history of aviation” section of the film is similar to that found in the “wings of progress” section of The American Adventure in Epcot's World Showcase.
South of the Border: Saludos Amigos (1943) and The Three Caballeros (1945)
These two films, made under the auspices of America's Good Neighbor Policy, have several links to Disney World attractions. The first was an appearance by none other than Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, and Panchito, the animated stars of The Three Caballeros. They appeared in audio-animatronic splendor in the original Fantasyland attraction The Mickey Mouse Revue, located in the very same theater that now houses Mickey's Philharmagic. These three stars have recently invaded the Mexican Pavilion's El Rio del Tiempo in World Showcase as the stars of the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros in fine animated form. (Here's hoping that those Mickey Mouse Revue animatronics will some day, in the not too distance future, make an appearance in the grand finale section of this attraction.)
There is also a newly built meet-and-greet featuring these three animated favorites in the Mexican Pavilion. There are additional references to these characters at the All-Star Music Resort as well as Coronado Springs Resort, in topiary and fountain form, respectively.
The most significant influence of these two films, however, is subtle. Famed Disney artist and color-stylist Mary Blair was part of “El Groupo,” the party of Disney animators and musicians who accompanied Walt on his goodwill tour of South America. She was deeply influenced by her experiences on this trip and incorporated many of the colors and artistic styles of South American into her work for Disney. In The Three Caballeros, her influence is most evident in the “Las Pasados” segment, featuring Mexican children celebrating the holy season of Christmas. Look at the artwork here and at Mary Blair's work for the 1964 “It's a Small World” for the New York Work Fair and the similarities are clear.
The next time the monorail sails through the Contemporary Resort, be sure to note the 90-foot, floor-to-ceiling ceramic tile mural, another work by Mary Blair. Her early work in Disney's “South of the Border” films clearly influenced this splendid artist's celebration of the Grand Canyon. Look at those colorful children and the connection to the children of “Las Pasados” is readily apparent.
Buffeteria Films: Make Mine Music (1946), Fun and Fancy Free (1947), and Melody Time (1948)
Watching these films is a bit like dining at the Crystal Palace or Chef Mickey's—there's a little something for everyone. Each film contains several unrelated stories, loosely linked with narration or theme. Until the advent of home video, these films were rarely—if ever—seen in their entirety. Despite the relative obscurity of these films, there are a surprising number of references to the stories found in the films scattered throughout Walt Disney World.
If you've ever enjoyed a hot dog and fries at Casey's Corner on Main Street U.S.A., then you've enjoyed the sports theme drawn from the “Casey at the Bat” sequence from Make Mine Music (1946). This segment featured comedian Jerry Colonna reciting the Ernest Thayer poem. Much of the turn of the century charm of this clever short can be found in the décor of Casey's Corner, a perfect fit for the Main Street theme.
If you've shopped at Sir Mickey's, a charming little store located between Cinderella Castle and Snow White's Scary Adventures, then you've experienced an allusion to the 1947 film Fun and Fancy Free. While the image of Mickey Mouse is a direct reference to his role in The Brave Little Tailor (1938), the beanstalk that winds its way throughout both the exterior and the interior of the shop was inspired by the “Mickey and the Beanstalk” segment of Fun and Fancy Free. Both Tailor and Beanstalk feature giants as adversaries to the intrepid Mickey; however, even though tailor Mickey is featured on the shop's signs, it is Willie the Giant from “Mickey and the Beanstalk” who is shown inside the shop. Look carefully in the shop's center and you will see Willie's face peering at you while his giant hands and fingers lift the ceiling of the shop so that he can get a better look. This scene parallels the ending of Fun and Fancy Free in which an animated Willie lifts the roof of narrator Edgar Bergen's house as he searches throughout Hollywood for signs of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy.
At the end of this film there are some familiar architectural icons. As Willie strolls down Hollywood Blvd., he picks up the Brown Derby restaurant and uses it for a hat! Both the Brown Derby and the Chinese Theater that appear in the film have been recreated at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
The other portion of Fun and Fancy Free, a charming adaptation of the Sinclair Lewis story Bongo, is about a little circus bear who longs for the simple country life. The animation is gorgeous here, and the story is very entertaining. Let's keep our collective fingers crossed that Bongo will find a home—or at the very least be given a nod—at the Magic Kingdom's new Storybook Circus area scheduled to open later this spring.
The theme of the Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café in the Magic Kingdom's Frontierland can be traced back to a segment from Melody Time (1948). This clever short, narrated and sung by none other than Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers, tells the American tall tale of that famous Texas cowboy, Pecos Bill. The restaurant that bears his name contains many direct references to the film as well as other Disney produced westerns and adventure tales. Scattered throughout the many themed dining areas of this sprawling establishment, sharp-eyed Disneyphiles are sure to spot framed images of Pecos Bill himself, cases with ropes, guns, hats, scarves, and other mementos from the likes of Pecos Bill, Zorro, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crocket. Listen carefully and you will hear several musical references as well, including themes from Disney western themed productions.
Actors and Animation: Song of the South (1946) and So Dear to My Heart (1948)
Walt Disney's first foray into live-action/animation filmmaking, Song of the South, inspired one of the Magic Kingdom's more recent classics: Splash Mountain. This attraction captures the color, the music, and the sheer joy of the animated scenes in this rarely seen Disney classic as guests follow the irrepressible Brer Rabbit on his escapades with the villainous Brer Fox and Brer Bear. The Academy Award-winning “Zip a Dee Doo Dah” is not only featured here; it also appears in many Magic Kingdom shows throughout the day. Be sure to note the beautiful bronze Brer Rabbit in the Hub as well as the colorful wooden carving of the three Brers that greets guests near the entrance to Splash Mountain.
So Dear to My Heart, a lovingly fashioned bit of nostalgia, has no direct influences in the Disney parks. The atmosphere of this film, however, is alive and well throughout Main Street. Walt Disney's love of trains, evident in this film, figured into the original design of the Magic Kingdom. At “One Man's Dream” at Disney's Hollywood Studios, there is a miniature of Granny's cabin—a set piece from So Dear to My Heart. At one time, Walt considered creating a traveling show featuring miniature tableau such as this; luckily, he abandoned this idea as his vision for a permanent park—Disneyland—grew in his fertile imagination.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
With the release of this film, most critics agreed that Disney was on his way back to the glory days of the early Golden Age of Animation. While technically another “package” film, the two shorts—Kenneth Graham's “The Wind in the Willows” and Washington Irving's “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”—have the look and feel of feature films. They also have top-notch narration and wonderful song scores.
“The Wind in the Willows” had its own attraction, of course, in the form of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. While this classic dark ride is now no more than a Magic Kingdom memory, J. Thaddeus Toad lives on in a few clever tributes. There's one in “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” and one in the pet graveyard at the Haunted Mansion. Of course, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride continues to delight guests at Disneyland, so die-hard Toad fans can still visit a very faithful recreation of Toad Hall there
There's a small reference to the Washington Irving story in the Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square in the form of Sleepy Hollow Refreshments. This picturesque counter service restaurant greets guests as they enter Liberty Square and offers quiet seating tucked into a grove of mature trees with lovely views of Cinderella Castle and the Liberty Square area. During special performances of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, the Headless Horseman himself has been known to gallop through the Magic Kingdom in search of his head.
“My, what a happy day… when your cares are light and your heart takes flight and you're swept away . . .”
The Walt Disney World Resort maintains its ability to lighten our cares and sweep us away. The designers and historians at Walt Disney Imagineering continue the tradition of including countless details that create an unmistakable ambiance to which even the most casual visitors respond. These details also add layers of enjoyment for Disney fans and frequent visitors who delight in noticing—and all too frequently pointing out to patient fellow travelers—these little known nods to the work of Walt Disney Productions.
“My, What a Happy Day” from Fun and Fancy Free by Bill Walsh and Ray Noble.
Tom Richards is a life-long admirer of Walt Disney, something of a Disney historian, and a free-lance writer. His Disney interests include—but are not limited to—Walt Disney World, classic Disney animation, live-action films made during Walt's lifetime, and Disney-related music and art.
