Film Study: Disney Animated Movies (1st Golden Age)

The main reason I subscribed to the new Disney streaming service last fall was to watch the Star Wars show, The Mandalorian. As expected the show was incredible and well worth the value. After I finished the 1st season, I almost debated cancelling my Disney subscription until the 2nd season was released. That was until I decided to embark on a Disney Animated phase around Christmas time. I decided to watch every major animated film released by Disney studios.

The Disney Streaming service offers three major niche markets to its customers; The Star Wars Universe, the Marvel Universe, and obviously the Disney universe. Some of this content has been available on Netflix the past few years but not to this extent. What I found to be especially enticing was the Disney animated gems available, often deemed as "Out-of-the-Vault" classics. 

In looking at some of the classics I realized there were many I have not even seen such as Snow White, Bambi, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty to name a few. Then of course there were the ones I grew up with as a kid but had not seen in a very long time such as Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Lion King. So I decided to take this on as a film culture study, considering Disney as one of the major key-players in the history of Hollywood. I also was able to share this phase with my younger nephews which made it all the more enjoyable. 

I have written several times now on Disney and animated films, see Walt Disney, Animated Classics, Top Ten Animated Movies (10-4), Top Ten Animated Movies (3-1). This post however will be a chronological order of the major Disney theatrical releases highlighting their significance and my overall review of each film. I've broken the timeline into 5 groupings; the 1st golden age of Walt Disney (1937-1942), the 2nd golden age of Disney (1950-1967), the post Walt Years (1970-1988), the Disney Renaissance (1989-1999), the Digital Pixar Age (2000-present). 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Release Date: 1937

Authorship: "Snow White" by the Brothers Grimm (published in 1812; German)

Running Time: 83 minutes

Synopsis: The wicked queen asks a mirror who is the fairest in the land of which the mirror replies that is Snow White, which makes the queen extremely jealous. She sets a huntsman out to kill Snow White, however the hunter has a change of heart and warns Snow White to run away. Snow White flees to the forest where she befriends a band of dwarfs. However the queen is able to eventually locate Snow White, and disguised as an old hag she tricks her into biting a poisonous apple. The dwarfs arrive too late to save Snow White, however are able to chase the evil queen down a cliff to her demise. The apple puts Snow White into an eternal sleep in which the dwarfs chose not to bury her, yet encase her in a glass tomb. However a dashing prince whom once loved Snow White later discovers her and gives her a kiss that breaks the spell and brings her back to life. 

Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Honorary Award for Significant Screen Innovation
• Oscar nomination for Music Score by Frank Churchill

Songs:

• With a Smile and Song
• Whistle While you Work
• Heigh-Ho
• The Dwarfs Yodel Song
• Someday my Prince will Come

Significance: This was Disney Studios first theatrical animated release that set a groundbreaking new benchmark in the film business. In moving away from the Mickey Mouse satire, Walt Disney decided to embark on a new era of fairy tale animations. The release of Snow White became a major success that remained one of the highest grossing animated films until the 1993 release of Aladdin. This film ushered in the 1st golden age of Disney Studios. 

My Review: Sure, I've always known the story and was familiar with the animation and it's iconic songs such as Heigh-Ho and Whistle While you Work. However I can shockingly say that I had no memory of watching this movie from beginning-to-end until a few months ago. I found the watch to be very enjoyable, bursting with German culture and fantasy elements reminiscent of Lord of the Rings. I can understand why it is such an iconic Disney film and would give it an overall rating of 8 out of 10. 

Pinocchio

Release Date: 1940

Authorship: "The Adventures of Pinocchio" by Carlo Collodi (Published in 1883; Italian)

Running Time: 88 minutes

Synopsis: An old woodcarver named Gepetto builds a wooden puppet he names Pinocchio and wishes he could become a real boy. The wish is somewhat granted by a fairy who brings the wooden puppet to life, however still in his puppet form. Pinocchio is an innocent curious young child who is guided by his conscious, Jiminy Cricket. However he undergoes various tribulations such as being kidnapped and sold into Stromboli's Puppet Show. He is able to escape yet is once again tricked into traveling to Pleasure Island, where young boys transformed into donkeys. He is yet again able to escape with the help of Jiminy Cricket, but when he returns to Gepetto, he learns that his father was swallowed by a whale. Pinocchio thus bravely sets sail to rescue his father and in doing-so the fairy transforms him into a real boy. 

Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Win for Best Music Score by Leigh Harline
• Oscar Win for Best Song, "When you Wish Upon a Star"

Songs:

• When you Wish Upon a Star
• Give a Little Whistle
• Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee
• I've Got No Strings

Significance: Walt Disney's 2nd theatrical release of Pinocchio was somewhat of a box office bomb, mostly due to WWII, however was still critically acclaimed upon it's release. It went on to win 2 academy awards and perhaps it's greatest claim to fame was the song "When You Wish Upon a Star" which would later become Walt Disney's theme song. 

My Review: While I have always been familiar with the story, shockingly I had never seen this film from beginning-to-end. I came away with mixed feelings about the film, enjoying the general theme, the characters, and the music. However I found some of it's content to be somewhat misleading such as how the young innocent Pinocchio is kidnapped and sold to Stromboli. Even more distasteful was when Pinocchio is brisked away to Pleasure Island where children are transformed into donkeys and sold to slave labor. I understand the intent of these conflicts, however think they are somewhat dated and perhaps a bit on the harsh side. Despite some of these peculiar sub-plots, the film is still quite iconic and I would give it a 6 out of 10. 

Fantasia

Release Date: 1940

Musical Composer: Leopold Stokowski 

Running Time: 126 minutes

Synopsis: Collection of animated short stories and visual interpretations set to classical music. 

Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Honorary Award for Innovation in Visualized Music
• Oscar Honorary Award for Advancement of Sound

Segments:

• Tocacata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach 
• The Nutcracker Suite by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
• The Sorcerers Apprentice by Paul Dukas
• Rite of Spring by Igor Stravisnky
• The Pastoral Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven
• Dance of the Hours by Amilcare Ponchielli
• Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky
• Ave Maria by Franz Schubert

Significance: This was yet another truly innovative creation by Walt Disney to present an animated film unlike any before that's sole purpose was to celebrate music. The film is broken up into 7 segments of classical music, in which a visual story is presented without any dialogue to encapsulate the musical piece. Similar to Pinocchio the theatrical release did not make much profit due to WWII, however went on to become very critically acclaimed. 

My Review: I have written numerous times about the genius of Fantasia and would include it in my top 25 greatest films of all time. It was very influential to me as a kid, having a musician for a father. I enjoyed the entire film, but some of my favorite segments included the Nutcracker Suite's presentation of forest plants and animals; the Rite of Spring's presentation of the earth's beginning and the evolution of life; and especially the Pastoral Symphony's presentation of a Greek mythological setting. This film has become a very nostalgic classic for me, and I give it an impressive 9 out of 10.

  

Dumbo 

Release Date: 1941

Authorship: "Dumbo, the Flying Elephant" screenplay by Helen Aberson (American)

Running Time: 64 minutes 

Synopsis: In a traveling circus, a baby elephant named Dumbo is bullied for his large ears. He is later separated from his mother after she goes on an uproar to defend her son, and as a result she is imprisoned. Sadly Dumbo must learn to fend for himself in the circus and befriends a talking mouse named Timothy Q. Together they discover that Dumbo has an odd ability to fly with his abnormally large ears. Thru this new found skill, and the help of some humorous talking crows, Dumbo is able to achieve fame and fortune in the circus with his flying act. As a result of his fame, his mother is freed and reunited with her son. 

Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Music Score by Frank Churchill
• Oscar Nominee for Best Song, "Baby Mine"

Songs:

• Casey Junior
• Baby Mine
• Pink Elephants on Parade
• When I see an Elephant Fly

Significance: Walt Disney's fourth theatrical film of Dumbo was an attempt to regain loss revenue from his previous endeavors of Pinocchio and Fantasia. The film was thus a return to animated simplicity and due to it's low budget cost it was able to rake in a sizable profit. The film also went on to acheive some critical acclaim most notably for it's music. It later became criticized for it's racial stereotypes of the talking crows. Dumbo is one of Disney's shortest animated films at 64 minutes. 

My Review: I distinctively remember watching this movie as a kid and recall how sad it is when poor Dumbo gets separated from his mother. The scene of mamma Jumbo rocking her baby from a jail-car, to the song of Baby Mine, has to rank among the saddest movie scenes of all time. However once you get past that very depressing moment, the movie becomes quite entertaining and has a happy ending. Some memorably scenes include Dumbo's drunken hallucination that produces the iconic Pink Elephants on Parade song. Later on he befriends some talking crows who sing one of my favorite songs, When I see an Elephant Fly. This movie is the first example of Disney's parental loss format, which demonstrates an early emotional tragedy by which the protagonist must overcome. This movie was included in my top 10 animated films a few years ago, and I give it a favorable rating of 7 out of 10.  

Bambi

Release Date: 1942

Authorship: "Bambi, A Life in the Woods" by Felix Salten (Published in 1923; Austrian)

Running Time: 70 minutes 

Synopsis: The life of a young deer named Bambi living in the forest with his mother. He befriends other animals in the forest such as an owl, a rabbit, and a skunk. However his mother is tragically killed by a hunting part and Bambi must endure the forest life on his own. He later grows into a young buck with the help of his friends and his father, and later finds love.  

Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Nominee for Music Score by Frank Churchill
• Oscar Nominee for Song, "Love is a Song"
• Oscar Nominee for Sound

Songs:

• Love is a Song
• Little April Shower

Significance: The film was yet another box office flop in the midst of World War II, and received mixed criticism. However it's musical score and sound was acclaimed with three Oscar nominations. Bambi also demonstrated groundbreaking depth to it's animated forest thru the use of overlapping planes.  

My Review: This was a film I never watched at all as a kid and hardly knew much about it growing up. It was not until a college course of film studies, where we studied it's groundbreaking animation, that I realized it's significance. I just recently watched this film with Philip, Shawnna, and my little nephews over the Christmas holidays. My general assessment was that the story was quite weak, without much of a hero/villian story arch often associated with Disney works. In contrast to most of Disney's fairy tale films, this is perhaps one of it's most realistic and dramatic animated stories. Once again Disney demonstrates it's iconic parental loss format with the loss of Bambi's mother. I felt this movie had some very tense and dramatic elements for a children's movie, perhaps reflective of the ongoing crisis that was World War II. Despite it's weak story the movie still had top quality music and animation and for that reason I give it a 6 out of 10.