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| Disney Avenue |
1943-1949 - The Wartime Era
After The Golden Age, the Walt Disney Studios faced lower budgets and fewer animators due to World War II. This lead the Studios to the Wartime Era, which was also known as the Package Era. Instead of full length films, this era featured six films that were comprised of multiple short films. These six films are often considered some of the most obscure films in the Disney archive and as such were not widely popular when they were released.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Saludos Amigos
Before the US entered World War II, the United State Department of State commissioned a Disney
tour of Central and South America as part of the Good Neighbor Policy as Disney characters were
popular there. Walt Disney served as the ambassador on the tour that was lead by Nelson Rockefeller.
The tour also included a group of nearly twenty composers, artists, and technicians from the Walt
Disney Studio. In addition to the animated aspects of the film, it also featured live action documentary
sequences that showed the modern Central and South American landscapes.
tour of Central and South America as part of the Good Neighbor Policy as Disney characters were
popular there. Walt Disney served as the ambassador on the tour that was lead by Nelson Rockefeller.
The tour also included a group of nearly twenty composers, artists, and technicians from the Walt
Disney Studio. In addition to the animated aspects of the film, it also featured live action documentary
sequences that showed the modern Central and South American landscapes.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Saludos Amigos is set in Latin America and featured four different short films within it. The first is Lake Titicaca
in which Donald Duck visits Lake Titicaca and meets the locals, including a llama. The second film
is Pedro. It features the title character as a small airplane that lives in an airport near Santiago,
Chile. The film follows Pedro as he embarks on his first flight to pick up air mail. El Gaucho
Goofy is the third film in Saludos Amigos. American cowboy Goofy gets taken to Argentina where
he learns the ways of the native gaucho. The final film isAquarela de Brasil in which Jose Carioca
from Rio De Janeiro was first introduced. Jose shows Donald Duck around South America and
introduces him to the native culture.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Saludos Amigos was directed by Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Hamilton Luske, and Bill Roberts. It was produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures in August of 1942. The music was by Paul Smith and Edward H. Plumb. At only 42 minutes long, it is the shortest Disney animated film to date.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The Three Caballeros
The Three Caballeros is comprised of seven short films that steam off of Donald Duck’s birthday. He
receives three gifts for his birthday that take him down the path of discovering new aspects of Central
and South America. It’s in this film that we are introduced to Panchito Pistoles, the final member of
the Three Caballeros.
receives three gifts for his birthday that take him down the path of discovering new aspects of Central
and South America. It’s in this film that we are introduced to Panchito Pistoles, the final member of
the Three Caballeros.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The Three Caballeros was directed by Norman Ferguson, Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney, BIll Roberts,
and Harold Young. It was produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures in December
1944. The film has a run time of 72 minutes and featured music by Edward H. Plumb, Paul Smith,
and Charles Wolcott.
and Harold Young. It was produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures in December
1944. The film has a run time of 72 minutes and featured music by Edward H. Plumb, Paul Smith,
and Charles Wolcott.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Make Mine Music
With most of the animators drafted into the army during World War II, the Studios were left with a
bunch of unfinished story ideas. To keep the animation division going during this time, they kept
making the package films that featured smaller segments in the film. Make Mine Music featured ten
such segments.
bunch of unfinished story ideas. To keep the animation division going during this time, they kept
making the package films that featured smaller segments in the film. Make Mine Music featured ten
such segments.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The Martins and the Coys features The King’s Men singing about a Hatfield and McCoys style feud.
Blue Bayou was original intended to be a part of Fantasia and featured two egrets flying through the
Florida Everglades on a moonlit night. The third segment is All the Cats Join In and portrays teens
of the 40s being swept away by popular music. The Without You segment of the film features a ballad
of lost love sung by Andy Russell. Casey at the Bat retells the classic poem by Ernest Thayer.
Blue Bayou was original intended to be a part of Fantasia and featured two egrets flying through the
Florida Everglades on a moonlit night. The third segment is All the Cats Join In and portrays teens
of the 40s being swept away by popular music. The Without You segment of the film features a ballad
of lost love sung by Andy Russell. Casey at the Bat retells the classic poem by Ernest Thayer.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The sixth film is Two Silhouettes and features two live action ballet dancers played by David
Lichinie and Tania Riabouchinskaya. Peter and the Wolf is an animated dramatization of the 1936
musical composed by Sergei Prokofiev. After You’ve Gone features music by Benny Goodman and
his quartet as the instruments parade through a musical playground. Johnnie Fedora and Alice
Bluebonnet, as the title suggests, is a love story about two hats that fall in love. The finale of Make
Mine Music is The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met. It told the story of Willie, a sperm whale
who wanted to sing at the opera.
Lichinie and Tania Riabouchinskaya. Peter and the Wolf is an animated dramatization of the 1936
musical composed by Sergei Prokofiev. After You’ve Gone features music by Benny Goodman and
his quartet as the instruments parade through a musical playground. Johnnie Fedora and Alice
Bluebonnet, as the title suggests, is a love story about two hats that fall in love. The finale of Make
Mine Music is The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met. It told the story of Willie, a sperm whale
who wanted to sing at the opera.
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| Walt Disney World |
Make Mine Music was directed by Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Joshua Meador, and
Robert Cormack. It was produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures in April 1946.
It has a run time of 75 minutes.
Robert Cormack. It was produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures in April 1946.
It has a run time of 75 minutes.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Fun and Fancy Free
Fun and Fancy Free is a compilation of two stories. The first story, Bongo, was based off Little Bear
Bongo by Sinclair Lewis. It is hosted by Jiminy Cricket and narrated by Dinah Shore. The story
follows a circus bear named Bongo who wishes to live in the wild after being raised in captivity. But
as soon as he escaped into the forest, he’s unprepared for the trials that meet him. However, he soon
meets Lulubelle and the two fall in love.
Bongo by Sinclair Lewis. It is hosted by Jiminy Cricket and narrated by Dinah Shore. The story
follows a circus bear named Bongo who wishes to live in the wild after being raised in captivity. But
as soon as he escaped into the forest, he’s unprepared for the trials that meet him. However, he soon
meets Lulubelle and the two fall in love.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The second story was Mickey and the Beanstalk. The live action sequences feature ventriloquists
Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd, who tell a young child the story. Jiminy Cricket is listening
in to the story after the first story ended. As the title suggests, Mickey and the Beanstalk retells the
classic story and features Donald and Goofy as well.
Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd, who tell a young child the story. Jiminy Cricket is listening
in to the story after the first story ended. As the title suggests, Mickey and the Beanstalk retells the
classic story and features Donald and Goofy as well.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Fun and Fancy Free was directed by Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts, Hamilton Luske, and William Morgan.
It was produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures in September of 1947. It has a
runtime of 73 minutes.
It was produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures in September of 1947. It has a
runtime of 73 minutes.
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| Walt Disney World |
Melody Time
The tenth film by the Studios was Melody Time. The film featured popular music as well as folk music.
There are seven mini-musicals in the film.
There are seven mini-musicals in the film.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Once Upon a Wintertime featured Frances Langford singing the title song about two lovers named Jenny and Joe in December. Bumble Boogie had the music of Freddy Martin and his orchestra in a swing-jazz variation of Flight of the Bumblebee. The third mini-musical is The Legend of Johnny Appleseed which, as the title suggest, tells the story of Johnny Appleseed. Little Toot is based off the story by Hardie Gramatky and features a tugboat as the protagonist. Trees was a recitation of the 1913 poem by Joyce Kilmer and featured music by Oscar Rasbach. Blame It on the Samba features Donald Duck and Jose Carioca meeting the Aracuan Bird that introduces them to the samba. The finale mini-musical was Pecos Bill, which retells the story of the famous Texas hero.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The Adventures of Icabod and Mr. Toad
Similar to Fun and Fancy Free, The Adventures of Icabod and Mr. Toad is divided up into two
segments. In 1955, the two portions of the films were divided and televised as part of the Disneyland
television series.
segments. In 1955, the two portions of the films were divided and televised as part of the Disneyland
television series.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The first segment is The Wind in the Willows. It was based off the book by Kenneth Grahame.
The story is set in London, England, between June 1909 and January 1910. J. Thaddeus Toad, Esq. is
the main character who struggles with bankruptcy despite his perceived wealth. Toad’s friend Angus
MacBadger agrees to do Toad’s bookkeeping so Toad can keep his pride in the community. The Wind
and the Willows follows the shenanigans of Toad and his friends as he attempts to reform himself.
The story is set in London, England, between June 1909 and January 1910. J. Thaddeus Toad, Esq. is
the main character who struggles with bankruptcy despite his perceived wealth. Toad’s friend Angus
MacBadger agrees to do Toad’s bookkeeping so Toad can keep his pride in the community. The Wind
and the Willows follows the shenanigans of Toad and his friends as he attempts to reform himself.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The second segment is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It is based on the book by Washington Irving.
Ichabod Crane lives in Sleepy Hollow, New York, that is known for ghostly hauntings. One night,
Ichabod is involved in a chase where he discovers the Headless Horseman. After the Horseman’s
death, it’s rumored that Ichabod became the Headless Horseman that still haunts Sleepy Hollow.
Ichabod Crane lives in Sleepy Hollow, New York, that is known for ghostly hauntings. One night,
Ichabod is involved in a chase where he discovers the Headless Horseman. After the Horseman’s
death, it’s rumored that Ichabod became the Headless Horseman that still haunts Sleepy Hollow.
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| Walt Disney World |
The Adventures of Icabod and Mr. Toad was directed by Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, and James
Algar. It was produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures in October of 1949. It
has a run time of 68 minutes.
Algar. It was produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures in October of 1949. It
has a run time of 68 minutes.
Now that we've covered the six films in The Wartime Era of Disney Animation, it's time for you to tell us your favorite! Tweet your favorite film to @TMKBpodcast!
Robyn Fleenor is a contributing writer for The Mouse Knows Best Podcast. She is an avid Disney fanatic and would rather be at Walt Disney World eating glazed almonds than anything else. When she isn't working to pay for her next Disney vacation, she likes to binge watch TV shows and fall in love with fictional characters. She can be found tweeting at @rahrah6263.
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