This time around, I decided to compile several Disney feature films, because after Bambi, Disney went into a crisis fueled in part by the World War II, and part by a workers' strike in the Disney corporation.
As WWII raged in Europe and the U.S. begun its campaign against Germany, Disney faced financial uncertainty when sales went down due to the war cutting all revenue from europe, and it also coincided with a animator's strike which where not being payed well. Because of this, and Walt Disney signed a deal with the U.S. government to make a sympathy trip to Latin America, to rally support to the Allies and away from the Nazis, and to create a film pro-Allies.
In Latin America, the group known simply as "El Grupo" absorbed as much as they could about the cultures they visited. El Grupo spewed out a well intentioned cartoon featuring donald, goofy, and a new character modeled on a stereotypical, but charming Brazilian parrot. The film itself is a combination of a classical 40s-50s style documentary, with fatherly voiceover, and an experiment in song, and color. It starts as El Grupo begins its adventure to Latin America, and how they got their inspiration. Afterwards the viewer is eased into the Peruan culture in the form of Donald as the american tourist (which apparently was held in high regard at the time) as he tries to struggle with grasping the culture around him, symbolized in the form of a lama. After another short of 'Pepe' a small airplane we are presented by another American diving in the Chilean culture, this time Goofy. With an americanized comparison between the cowboy and the gaucho. Little regard for a continuation of style from previous Disney films is given here, instead a more stylized form of rendering is favored that would favor color and form over line and realistic interpretation of life. This style was introduced by Mary Blair, an animator and spouse of Lee Blair, which was a ate invite to El Grupo, but at the end it was her style which was influenced by the culture in Brazil, Chie and Peru that in turn influence the style in future Disney films. In Aquarela do Brazil the film wraps up the full expresion of music and color (or at least tries to) with a free form expresion of color, shapes and music. combining Donald and Pepe with surrealist images of Brazil.
On previous Disney feature films there where instances when live action and animation where combined, but to a certain extent. In one of the sections in The Three Caballeros, in the 1945 feature film, a "Bella" was introduced as the love focus of Donald; with a live action set, Donald and Jose Carioca (the Parrot) dancing in between her in other courters. The film also introduces a new character, Panchito Pistolas, a rooster with Mexican revolutionary clothing. Which in turn introduces Las Posadas, a Mexican tradition, in the form of moving pictures slide show. Closing the film is a number of Donald falling to said "Bella." Donald's Surreal Reviere, a pure expresion of color, and live animation experimentation. Which had a taste of Dumbo's drunken nightmare, coupled with a strange mushroom trip. Not much in terms of stylization inovation was presence here, instead a sense of relief that animators can animate and Disney can continue is presence in these films.
The Disney crisis is perhaps best represented, and blatantly so, in the second short of Fun and Fancy Free, wich chronicles Mickey, Goofy and Donald in a crisis in which inspiration has been literally taken away by a giant goof to his castle in the heavens. This makes the valley in which they reside to become barren and dead, with only one cow to milk in the barn, the three characters begin to turn on each other. A very apt metaphor of was was happening in the Disney studio. The brown palette of the dead valley is transformed with the transition in the form of the magic beanstalk. which transports the Disney corp... ehem Mickey, Donald and Goofy to the heavenly palace, which is filled with Axis-airplane-sound-mosquitoes. It seems that the threat of WWII looms even in the world of Mickey. But at the end the harp in question is rescued and all animation, color and sound is restored where Mickey resides. A hopefull wish by Disney no doubt.
With Melody Time, disney seems to take a break from expresion and doing art for art's sake. or rather for comedy's sake.The audience is introduced to cute stories about winter, bumble bees and several other characters. Most notable are Jonhy apple seed and Pecos Bill. Two characters and stories that would be imposible to mass produce now. The former being on a christian fable about the boy who conquered the west with peace and God. The latter about the idiot gringo who conquered it with brute and dumb luck. Still funny and amusing stories, with a clear style that would dictate the visuals of upcoming classical feature films.
The last film the would lead up to another major animated Disney film is broken up into two stories. Both set in a colonial backdrop.Most likely to give a sense of mystery and enchantment, but still firmly set in reality. In Mr. Toad's adventures, human and animals are interchangeable, much like in Pinocchio's world, where animals are the literal form of the character's role, or actions. But now the action is more light hearted than a fable with a moral at the end. There is a strange court in which the film does try to be political, and it is satyrical to some extent. But mostly depends heavily in slapstick comedy. The second short is the adventure of Ichabod which tells the story of Sleepy Hollow. Again a comedy bid with a thin layer of morality stacked over it. Bot mostly the misadventures of two courters, a brute and a goofy intelectual fighting over a beautiful woman. The short is not well written, an end abruptly, but does entertain with flashy animation, and a comical set between Ichabod and his horse. Which anthropomorphic character is introduced and disposed of in the last few frames of the short.
While entertaining, these films where used as a sort of buffer to keep Disney from bankrupting. And the films did serve as a sort of training ground for the animation and style of future Disney films to be laid out for several years.
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