Dumbo

Dumbo was released in 1941, right after their big flop, Fantasia. Dumbo was created cheaply by using less detailed animation and making a shorter film. The production cost for the film was only $950,000, a stark difference compared to the millions of dollars spent in production of it's previous four films. Despite their financial difficulties, Disney still pulled through and created a classic, worth watching again and again.
I never really pieced it together as a kid, but Dumbo's got a rough life. I just thought he was cute and I liked to ride inside him whenever I went to Disneyland. In all seriousness though, I don't know how it was for the other animals the stork dropped off, but Casey Jr's Circus is not the place to raise an elephant. Literally from his birth, Jumbo Jr is bullied for his abnormally large ears. At this point I'm sure you're all thinking I typed his name wrong in the last sentence. Well, that thinking is wrong. That's right, the baby elephant's name is not Dumbo. Dumbo is the name that the gossipy lady elephants gave him when they saw how odd he looked with his giant ears. Poor kid. But he's got one good thing going for him: his mother. She just ignores those snarky lady-phants and loves her baby. Unfortunately, Dumbo's bad luck has only begun.
Soon after the aforementioned incident, Dumbo and Mrs. Jumbo are chilling in the big top, like elephants do. Some kids come by and start throwing things at Dumbo and teasing him about, you guessed it, his ears. Well Mama Jumbo is fed up with bullies and will be having none of that. She goes completely bananas over these kids and is captured and locked up.
Now remember, Dumbo is just a little guy. He can't really take care of himself and all the other elephants shun him. At this point, he is completely alone. And then a little luck comes his way. Timothy Q. Mouse, a character somewhat reminiscent of Jiminy Cricket, feels sympathy for Dumbo. He makes it his own personal mission to protect him and try and cheer him up.
The next scene is just excruciating to me. Maybe because I really sympathize for Dumbo or maybe because I can't help but imagine how physically uncomfortable it would be to stack that many elephants on top of each other. Either way, this scene is painful. Dumbo is a part of a very intense stunt where all the elephants make a type of pyramid shape, with Dumbo at the very top, waving his little flag of triumph. Disappointingly, he doesn't make it that far. Before he can even jump on the trampoline that takes him to the top, he trips on his ears and rolls into the pyramid, causing extreme chaos and bringing down the entire big top. Just to add insult to injury, Dumbo is demoted from acrobat to clown.
Well, after such a hard night, Dumbo does what any sensible person would do. He goes to his mom. This reunion, accompanied by the song, "Baby Mine" is so tender and heartbreaking I always feel like I need to go hug my mom afterward. (love you Mum)
After all that crying that you Dumbo did, he needs a serious drink. Now, I'm sure we all remember this part. Dumbo and Timothy drink out of a water barrel that has been inadvertently spiked with champagne. (I'm still pretty sure those clowns were drinking something much stronger.) They vividly hallucinate about pink elephants. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying this part gave me nightmares.
The next morning, Dumbo and Timothy wake up in a tree. (Partied a little too hard, eh fellas?) Some slightly racist crows come along and marvel at the elephant in the tree, and between them and Timothy, they realize the only way Dumbo could have gotten up there, was if he flew up there. Dumbo is still pretty nervous about flying, who can blame him really, so Timothy gets him a "magic feather."
That evening, Dumbo gets up to do his usual embarrassing clown routine, but stuns everyone, including himself, by flying all over the room. Dumbo realizes he never even needed the feather, and that his weakness was actually his strength. *children cheering*
I love this movie. The art isn't as stunning as the previous movies, but for what little Disney was working with, I'm actually impressed by it. It's a story that brings a new meaning to short, sweet, and to the point.
Next Movie: Bambi

If Dumbo can do it, so can you!

The Reluctant Dragon

The Reluctant Dragon was created in 1941. This is Disney's second hybrid film, and after watching it, I was very surprised to see that it was not very well received and that it didn't make a profit. I was even more surprised that I had never seen this before. Why had I not seen this before? It was witty and clever and highly entertaining. I think The Reluctant Dragon needs to be a part of everyone's Disney collection.
The story begins with Mr. and Mrs. Benchley talking about the picture book that Mrs. Benchley recently discovered: The Reluctant Dragon. Mr. Benchley, or Robert, plays with his toy gun while she goes into great depth about her fondness of the aforementioned book and how it would make a great Disney movie. She then drags Robert to Disney studios and ditches him there with the book. An uptight and extremely dull lackey comes to get Robert and bring him to Walt Disney. (Wow, I wish it were that easy today.)
Robert escapes from the guide by sneaking into a drawing class. I found this part to be extremely hilarious. Robert, coming in, hears that there is a model in use and tries to sneak a peek at her. He is quickly spotted and as he comes out of his hiding spot, he finds that the model is a charming, young elephant. (Who doesn't like to sneak a peek at elephants?) You learn about the artists at Disney Studio and Robert leaves to go escape explore elsewhere.
Through a series of events, Robert meets Donald Duck, gets a sneak peek of the song "Casey Junior" from Dumbo, the movie goes from black and white to technicolor, and we get to see a very trippy montage of the paint making process. (We also get to see a sneak peak of Bambi). All the while, Robert is collecting souvenirs and continuing to avoid his guide.
We are then rewarded with a series of shorts that Robert experiences on his adventures. Starting out with "Baby Weems" about the smartest baby who ever lived, then "How to Ride a Horse" starring Goofy - hijinks naturally ensue- and finishes off with one last cartoon.
Robert walks in to pitch the movie idea to Walt right as a final screening for a cartoon is taking place. Walt invites Robert to come and give his opinion on it. (naturally, since this has happened to our protagonist in every other situation he's been in.) Then all of them sit down to watch "The Reluctant Dragon".
In brief, the cartoon is about a dragon who is reluctant to fight any knights and hides in his cave all day. When people discover he is where he is, they send in a knight, who has previously befriended the dragon. Neither wants to fight the other, so they do what any person would do. They fake it! (That'll come in handy for those late nights when you procrastinate your homework kids.)
I was only a little disappointed with this movie. If it wasn't already pretty clear, this movie is fantastic. I literally laughed out loud on more than one occasion. It was fun and clever and did a really good job of suspending reality. Part of me really wants to believe that this is how Disney studios is actually run. The only disappointment I had, was that the one thing that everything was leading up to, the movies namesake, fell a little flat. It was just average. And if there's one thing we can all  agree on about Disney, it's that average, just isn't enough.
Next Movie: Dumbo

Ah yes, the sword through the armpit illusion. Classic.

Fantasia

Fantasia was released in 1940 and was Disney's first hybrid film. (This is where they use both animation and live action.) It's production cost was very high, it got mixed reviews, and it was released during World War II, which lost most of Disney's European audience. Mix it all together, and it's not surprising that Disney couldn't turn a profit on this movie.
Another problem the public had with Fantasia, is a lot of people felt like it was too "uppity" for them. They liked the cartoons that Disney produced for the theaters. Many people felt like this was a Disney that was too classy for them.
I can see how Fantasia would be viewed that way. It is made with classical music, which has a reputation for being hoity-toity.  It is often seen by your regular Jo, as ancient, boring, and irrelevant.
Now please, don't think that I, in any sense, feel this way about classical music. I think that classical music is not only beautiful but stimulating and beneficial. Many pregnant ladies like to believe their unborn children also feel this way. I think the only thoughts a fetus has are about how dark it is inside a uterus.
Another thing about Fantasia: it's odd. It is very fitting with the music, sure, and I find it entertaining, yes, but you have to admit that crocodiles kidnapping hippos and ostriches (while dancing ballet no less) is not a common occurrence.
Note* if crocodiles kidnapping hippos and ostriches all while dancing ballet IS a common occurrence for you, please contact me. I would like to know more.
Another thing Fantasia's got going against it: Disney's previous movies and shorts were based on a solid (Or at least some what linear) story line, whereas Fantasia doesn't really have that. It's a collection of musical shorts that, while entertaining, can easily become boring.
The brother recently informed me that this movie was released as part of a traveling roadshow. This basically meant that not as many people had the opportunity to see it, and it was very costly for Disney to rent out theaters and install the special sound system that was required.
Basically, Fantasia has a lot going against it. Let's make a list:
The Various Short Comings of Fantasia
1. High production cost
B. European audiences were *cough* busy
III. Viewed as too "high brow" by common audiences
4. It was (as the brother so kindly put it) "experimental"
E. It was not released like Disney's other films had been, and not to a very large audience.
And yet, it still has that one thing going for it: it's memorable. Who's childhood wasn't studded with the entrancing fairies or the happy go lucky satyrs? Or those incredibly adorable mushroom people? (I just want one of those in plush) Disney knew that this movie was long lasting, which is why they were able to create Fantasia 2000. Disney is very intuitive. You've never seen a Charlie the Lonesome Cougar: All My Friends are Dead  have you?
So while Fantasia did not do very well at the time of it's release, with a little bit of Disney Magic, it has stood the test of time.
Next Movie: The Reluctant Dragon

The epitome of cute.

Pinocchio

Pinocchio was released in 1940. It was critically acclaimed (it won two academy awards), but did not do so well commericially. This was mainly due to World War II. (remember that kids, you'll be tested on it later.)
I've always thought Pinocchio was an odd story. An old lonely toy maker finds that one of his creations has come to life, and sends him out into the world the day after being created. (But he'll be okay right? He has a grasshopper to guide him!) Unfortunately, the questionable vagrant grasshopper fails in his duties pretty quickly when Pinocchio runs away with a fox to become an actor. He gets kidnapped by an extremely creepy beard man and is put in a bird cage. A fairy comes and bails them out.
On his way home, Pinocchio runs into the aforementioned fox, and he convinces Pinocchio that he is sick. Pinocchio runs away AGAIN and goes to Pleasure Island. A bunch of boys go crazy on said island and get turned into donkeys, which are then sent to work in the mines. Pinocchio escapes before going full donkey and runs home. (How he expected to explain his newly acquired donkey parts to his father, I'll never know.) But lo! What is this? Gepetto is gone! He somehow got swallowed by a whale! Somehow...
Naturally, Pinocchio goes to save him. (take notice, the water has no effect on his ability to survive. Jiminy is also unaffected which makes zero biological sense.) They eventually find the whale. (He probably got picked on in whale school for being named Monstro, which is probably why he's so angry.) Gepetto accidentally pulls Pinocchio and Jiminy out of the water while fishing. There is a happy reunion. Then they light the whale on fire from the inside. He sneezes them out. Somehow Pinocchio manages to almost drown himself during the ruckus, despite his insensitivity to water earlier in the movie. Gepetto finds him washed up on the beach and Pinocchio becomes a real boy. Yay.
Trippin' right?
But while the story is very strange, (especially through a child's eyes) there is something to say for the smaller things in Pinocchio.
While watching this, my brother pointed out something called "Mickey Mousing". This is the style that many early Disney films share in respect to sound. When something happens visually, it also happens musically. Instead of sound effects as we know them, these effects were more playful and pleasant. For instance, when something crashes or drops or anything loud happens, it was usually accompanied with a drum or a cymbal or a triangle.
Another thing that is great about Pinocchio is the music in general. "When You Wish Upon a Star" won an academy award for Best Original Song. It later went on to be a Disney icon seconded only by Mickey Mouse himself. And the other songs in the movie aren't so terrible either. For one thing, they're extremely catchy. ("Give a Little Whistle" is stuck in my head as I type this.) And anyone who has seen Pinocchio will recognize the songs "An Actor's Life for Me" and "I Got No Strings".
The animation has something to be said for it too. It is very detailed, especially scenes in Gepetto's workshop with creative, funny little toys and clocks scattered everywhere and kittens and goldfish dancing and singing along with the old toy maker.
So, while Pinocchio is a very strange movie in and of itself, it is still a Disney classic with great aesthetic value.
Next movie: Fantasia

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was Disney's first full length movie. It premiered in 1937 and is still quite popular to this day.
As a kid, I didn't really care for this movie. I thought that Snow White, as a princess, was very thin in character, too much of a follower, and was likely to get herself into trouble wandering into strange houses. I craved princesses with more spunk and quality. More modern princesses like Tiana or Belle (Belle should also be wary of wandering in to strange houses/castles.)
After watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs this time around, I did find some virtues in Snow White. It is a major plot point in the story that she is extremely beautiful. (Her step mother tried to kill her out of jealousy. I see serious therapy in need here.) But she is not vain whatsoever, quite the opposite. She is kind and sweet and loving to everyone, which saves her in the end. The assassin that the queen sends, doesn't kill her. Not because she is beautiful, but because she is such a selfless princess.
That being said, I don't think that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs would survive in today's movie industry. If you kept the plot and the characters the way they are and changed the quality of the animation and sound to modern levels, the movie would still bomb. For the time period, this movie was revolutionary and extremely well done. But today, Snow White is just too flimsy in comparison to modern princesses.
Snow White is the kind of character that just sort of lets things happen to her. When the hunter comes to kill her, she stands there in shock. When she runs into the forest and gets the willies scared out of her, she collapses to the ground in tears and stays there until the animals come and help her. She falls asleep in random people's beds. She eats apples after being warned not to take anything from anyone. This is not a strong female character.
And yet, despite all this, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is still seen as quite the Disney classic. It is a movie that somehow, (perhaps with a little help from Disney magic) has truly stood the test of time.
Next movie: Pinocchio

Introduction Part 2

I know I said I would write about Snow White in this post, but Miss White will have to wait.
In my last post I was a little vague about exactly what I would be doing for my challenge.
So let's lay down some of the rules.

1. I must watch all the movies in order. The only exception being, if someone invites me to watch it with them. (I don't want to be a party pooper!)

2. If I do watch one with somebody (upon their request), I must re-watch said movie when I get to it on the
list.

3. After I watch the movie in it's rightful place in line, I can go back and watch it again any time after that.

4. I must watch every movie in its entirety. (blinking excluded)

5. The means of acquiring said movies are irrelevant. Do what it takes.

6. Crying when Mufasa dies is not optional.

 We will now return to your regularly scheduled program.

Introduction

I like lists. I love the way you can organize things using a list. What a great invention. Whoever thought of that, give him a prize.

Anyway.

I was looking at a list of Disney movies and I realized I had seen almost all of the animated Disney movies. Suddenly I had the urge to watch all the animated Disney movies in order. BUT NO. That's not good enough. No, I must watch all the Disney movies! WATCH ALL THE MOVIES!!

Okay, no, not technically. Only the theatrically released Disney movies. But that is still not to be underestimated! This still makes up a list of 359 movies to date. 

So I guess the best place to start is at the beginning...

Next post, Snow White!