The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men

Release Date: March 13, 1952

I have loved the story of Robin Hood as long as I can remember. The multiple stories that have been written and movies that have been made are a testament to the timeless appeal to this story. It was a perfect choice for Walt Disney's second live action film. As with Treasure Island, this movie was made using the funds that were frozen during World War II. Walt wanted to make the film as authentic as possible by actually filming it in Sherwood Forest.

The movie is a delight to watch and holds its own decades later. Richard Todd plays the titular character perfectly and is easy to cheer for. He portrays Robin Hood with wonderful confidence and a charismatic smile that makes him instantly likeable. It's no wonder that he went on to star in two other films by Disney. Walt hand picked Joan Rice to play Maid Marian, and although certain members of the cast were not fans of her acting, I think she is wonderful in her role and her chemistry with Richard Todd is great in my opinion. Hubert Gregg does an excellent job portraying the evil and conniving Prince John, with Peter Finch playing his henchman, the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Everything to love about Robin Hood is in this movie--the battle with Little John on the bridge, the fight with Friar Tuck, the capture of the Sheriff and his "invitation to dine" with the merry men. My favorite scene is probably when Robin and his men "help" the sheriff make a large donation for the king's ransom. It is so fun to watch Robin and his men outsmart the traitorous prince and his sheriff, and to see them do so with laughter and wit.

I personally find the poster for this movie hysterical. It portrays a shirtless Robin Hood in the stance of shooting an arrow from his bow, with Maid Marian hanging onto him. It makes the movie look sensual, when in reality the movie is very family friendly. It isn't the only Disney movie that featured the actor shirtless on the movie poster, so clearly someone thought seeing the actor shirtless would help draw in audiences to see the movie. It is funny to me!

Alice in Wonderland

Release Date: July 26, 1951

Walt Disney was inspired by Lewis Carroll's stories about Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass from very early on in his career. His first big breakthrough in animation was his Alice comedies, where a young live actress found herself in the animated world. When he began making feature length animated films, Walt wanted to do Alice in Wonderland. Many attempts were made to get started, but the style wasn't quite what Walt was looking for, and soon World War II put everything on hold.

After the war, animated projects that were put on hold were taken off the shelf. This time, Mary Blair was put in charge of the art style. Her use of colors and whimsy were exactly what Walt was looking for in his film. The animators and artists in the studio brought Mary Blair's vision to life and created the Wonderland that we know today.

The voice cast for this movie was golden. Walt wanted an English actress to play Alice, but also wanted someone whose accent wouldn't be too jarring for American audiences. He found the perfect voice in Kathryn Beaumont. Sterling Holloway, a familiar voice in the Disney studio, voiced the Cheshire Cat. Comedians such as Ed Wynn and Jerry Colonna were brought on to voice characters such as the Mad Hatter and the March Hare.

There is a fun story about Ed Wynn in this movie. The actors who supplied the voices were also used as models for the animators. They would set up a simple set and record the actors saying their lines and interacting with props to guide the animators in bringing the movie to life. While Ed Wynn's parts were recorded, he had everybody laughing. When they did the official voice recording for the movie, Ed Wynn's humor didn't come across as strong. So they decided to use the recorded audio from the live action reference instead--and that is what we hear when we watch the movie! This might be why the unbirthday sequence is one of the most memorable scenes in the film!

Another interesting fact about this movie is that it holds the record for the most songs in a Disney movie. Most of the songs are very brief and perhaps forgettable, but other songs have become timeless classics in the Disney catalog. There are other songs that didn't even make it into the movie! The music and songs are an important part of this movie because they add to the quirky atmosphere in Alice's Wonderland.

Although the movie was not a huge success when it was first released, today it is beloved by Disney fans all over the world. I admit that this movie has grown on me over the years. I watched it as a child, and there were parts of the movie I really liked, but there were other parts of the movie that I found to be dull. As I have grown older, I have come to appreciate the movie a lot more, and I especially appreciate all the work that went into making it and bringing the story to life. Some of the humor that went over my head as a child is very funny to me now!

My favorite scene in the movie is probably the tea party sequence with the Mad Hatter and March Hare. This is easily the scene I quote the most, especially the Mad Hatter's lines! But I also love the scene where Alice gets stuck inside the White Rabbit's house and poor Bill the lizard is tasked with getting her out. My third favorite scene is probably when the cards are painting the roses red. I also love that at the end of the movie we see all the characters we've met throughout the film.

Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland has, in a way, come full circle. It began with Walt's Alice Comedies, where a live young actress entered the world of cartoons. Then a full-length animated feature was created. Then Walt created, not just one, but two attractions at Disneyland based on the animated film. Now guests from around the world can have their own adventures in Walt's Wonderland!

Cinderella

Release Date: February 15, 1950

Walt's animation team had grown leaps and bounds since their first full animated feature. But whenever a new movie was released, the press always seemed to compare it to Snow White, and the new movies just didn't seem to compare. Walt, who was focused on the progress and improvement of the art of animation, grew frustrated that the progress seemed to be ignored. That all changed with his second princess movie: Cinderella.

The Cinderella story is a story that never gets old. I personally have no idea how many movies, plays, books and more have been done based on the Cinderella story, but Walt found a way to make it his own and to make it stand out among all other versions. Now when most people in America think of Cinderella, this is the movie they think of!

One cannot think of Disney's Cinderella without thinking of the supporting cast of characters--especially the mice Jaq and Gus. Ward Kimball, drawing inspiration from his own cat, brought the mischievous Lucifer to life in a way that simultaneously makes him a villain and a comedic character. He makes the best faces in the film and they make me laugh every time I watch the movie.

The voice cast for this film is also legendary. Ilene Woods knew the two composers who wrote the songs for the movie, and they asked her to sing the demos for the song. Walt listened to everyone who auditioned for the role of Cinderella, but he didn't like anybody as much as he liked Ilene Woods, and she ended up getting the part. She brought such a beautiful quality to Cinderella's character. My personal favorite moment is during the song Sing, Sweet Nightingale, which she sings in harmony with herself. My other favorite voice actress in the film is Eleanor Audley, who was a perfect choice for the Wicked Stepmother. She brought such richness to the character and made her a truly terrifying villain.

This movie also contains Walt Disney's favorite piece of animation--the transformation from Cinderella's rags to her beautiful ball gown. As I mentioned previously, Walt was irked when brilliant advancements in the art of animation went unrecognized. It must have been very satisfying to have the audience fall in love with a film that also showed so much progress in animation.

This movie proved that the Disney studio would have some of its greatest success with movies depicting fairy tales. Unfortunately, many years later (in my lifetime), the "Disney Princess trope" would be disparaged. People have spoken out about the danger Disney princess movies pose to a rising generation of girls, who feel that they need a man to whisk them away from all their problems. Such an idea is even made fun of in recent Disney films.

First of all, I think it's incredibly unfair to act like Disney is the only studio to use a "damsel in distress" trope. Most Hollywood movies of the early 1900's depict women being inferior to men. In fact, the most "helpless" and "dependent" women I've seen depicted in film weren't in movies done by Disney at all! So I personally really don't like that Disney has gotten a bad rap for that.

Second of all, one who says that Cinderella is just another Disney princess waiting for a prince to solve all her problems is missing a huge part of the story. Cinderella is trapped in an abusive household. Anyone in an abusive relationship understands how hard it can be to escape. At no point in the movie is she expecting to be rescued by a prince. In fact, when she's at the ball she doesn't even realize she is dancing with the prince! In her mind, she gets to escape her abusive situation and truly enjoy just one night of her life. When she discovers that the man she was dancing with was the prince and that he is looking for her, she is so shocked that she drops the tray of dishes and has a glimmer of hope to leave her awful life behind forever.

The fact that Cinderella marries a prince and becomes a princess is not what makes her such a timeless heroine. It is her fortitude to keep trying to be her best self when everyone around her treats her like dirt. As she sings, "No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing the dream that you wish will come true." At a particularly low point, a soft choir is singing these words to Cinderella, and she responds through sobs, "It's just no use. No use at all. I can't believe. Not anymore. There's nothing left to believe in. Nothing." At this moment, after years and years of abuse, she feels like she has finally broken. And at that moment, her fairy godmother appears and everything begins to change for her.

Cinderella's fairy godmother appeared because of who Cinderella was. Cinderella was rescued by Jaq and Gus at the end because she was kind to them. It was not the prince who saved Cinderella; it was her own faith and goodness that brought her a happy ending. I feel like this is made even more apparent in the 2015 live action remake, but it is all right there in the original animated film.

Cinderella deserves its place as a timeless Disney classic. It rightfully serves as a reminder that happy endings are possible to those who never stop believing in their dreams, and that find strength in kindness.

Treasure Island

Release date: June 22, 1950

Up to this point, Walt had never made a movie that was completely live action. Song of the South and So Dear to my Heart were mostly live action, but they had animated sequences in the movie as well. That all changed with Treasure Island, Walt Disney's first fully live action film! This story was a great choice to break into the genre!

In some ways, you could say Walt was forced into making this movie. His funds from the UK were frozen during World War II, so Walt filmed this entire movie in the UK to make good use of the funds. Thank goodness that he did! Not only was this movie an amazing success, but Walt realized the benefit of making live actions movies in addition to animated ones. He could make live action movies on a much faster timeline than animated movies, providing additional income to his studio. 

The casting for this movie was absolutely perfect. Robert Newton's portrayal of Long John Silver is brilliant! He perfectly captures the greed of the wicked pirate captain contrasted with the almost fatherly care he has for young Jim Hawkins. Newton's performance was so incredible that he went on to portray the same character in other productions. His "pirate talk" has influenced the way pirates are portrayed in cinema to this very day!

Jim Hawkins is played by Bobby Driscoll, who happens to be the only American actor in the film. By this time, Driscoll has had a few film credits to his name, and it is fun to see him in such a different role compared to the previous Disney films he starred in. He and Robert Newton have great chemistry and the two of them sell the entire movie.

I have loved the story of Treasure Island as long as I can remember, and I have loved this movie since the first time I ever saw it. It captures the adventurous spirit of the original story and has me on the edge of my seat, even though I know the outcome of the story. Again, I have to praise Robert Newton's performance as Long John. He does such a great job that you almost want to cheer for his character. He is certainly no hero, but he is not as villainous as the other pirates either. I think Dr. Livesey sums it up best with his final quote as Long John Silver sails away: "Blast him! I could almost find it in my heart to hope he makes it!"

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

Release Date: October 5, 1959

This film is the last in a line of feature length films comprised of shorts. However, both shorts in this film were originally meant to be individual feature length films. Wind and the Willows was brought to Walt's attention in the early 1940's, and perhaps if the studio strike and World War II had never happened, it would have eventually become a full-length film. It isn't the only story to get side-lined due to the strike and the war, but unlike some other stories, at least it re-emerged.

The opening of the movie finds us in a library. We see all sorts of books, some of which will later become Disney films. But the camera settles on Wind and the Willows. The book is removed from the shelf and opens to tell us its story, narrated to us by Basil Rathbone. The story tells of Mr. Toad, a wild character who develops manias and only lets go of one when he finds another. This creates quite the headache for a trio of friends who have his best interests in mind, even when Toad himself does not!

My personal favorite part of this movie is at the end when Toad and his friends try to sneak into Toad Hall to retrieve evidence of Toad's innocence. What could have been a fairly easy and stealthy mission erupts into chaos due to Toad's inability to remain calm and serious. His antics are fun to watch despite the danger he places himself and his friends in.

Upon the conclusion of this story, the narrative switches from English literature to American literature. Bing Crosby takes over as the narrator as he tells the story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Almost all songs are sung by Bing Crosby, and his voice is perfect in every single performance. Interestingly enough, I believe this is the first movie where the main villain sings a song--a tradition that would be continued in many other future Disney films.

This short has so many fun gags, and I imagine Ichabod Crane must have been a fun character to animate. There are many laugh-out-loud moments, especially as we see Ichabod and Brom Bones compete for Katrina's hand. But by far the most memorable part of this entire film is the Headless Horseman. The scene is intense, and perhaps the scariest animated Disney scene up to this point in time.

One thing that is fascinating to me about these two shorts is how the storytelling was approached so differently. Basil Rathbone narrates Mr. Toad's thoughts, and otherwise provides the viewer with important plot information. But when the story itself is happening, each character has a different voice actor. But in the story of Ichabod Crane, Bing Crosby pretty much tells the whole story without the characters doing any talking. Other voice actors are brought in for some of the musical numbers, but there isn't really any dialogue in the movie at all. And yet, the story is so full of life and is very engaging to the viewer! Bing carries the weight of the entire story and does a marvelous job of it. I love that such a talented actor and performer is part of the Disney legacy!

As I said at the beginning, this film concludes the period of feature length movies being comprised of two or more shorts put together. While I am personally grateful that the studio moved on to create bigger and better things, these feature films certainly had value! They were opportunities for animators to hone their craft and prepare for the next big animated hit of the Walt Disney Studio.

Melody Time

Release Date: May 27, 1948

This movie is very similar in format to the previously released Make Mine Music, as it features multiple cartoons featuring musical performances by famous artists of the day. 

The first segment is "Once Upon a Wintertime," which features a song by Frances Langford. This cartoon features a couple that goes out for a sleigh ride to an ice skating rink. The couple is clearly in love, and animal couples at the rink mimic what the humans are doing. However, the love in the air is threatened when the males accidentally cause some harm by trying to show off. In the end, love is restored when the women face danger and the men heroically rescue them. 

The next vignette is "Bumble Boogie" and features Freddy Martin and his orchestra. This cartoon follows a bumblebee exploring a world where both plants and creatures take on the features of musical instruments. The animation in this sequence is fun. For example, a piano keyboard could be a caterpillar or a snake. The music is especially fun and is timed so perfectly with the animation. It's truly a work of art!

Next we have Dennis Day telling the story of and portraying the characters of Johnny Appleseed. This cartoon is a classic, and one that I saw many times in my childhood, along with other Disney shorts of American Tall Tales. I love the music in this cartoon, and I especially love the relationship between Johnny Appleseed and his guardian angel. This is my personal favorite cartoon in the entire movie.

The Anderson Sisters return to perform the next cartoon, "Little Toot." This short is about a little tugboat who is constantly getting into trouble and ends up accidentally causing a major catastrophe which ends up disgracing his family and causing his own banishment. But while banished, he discovers a large ship in distress and is the only tugboat able to save it, earning the respect of everybody at home.

The next segment, featuring Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians, is simply titled, Trees. This short features the poem by Joyce Kilmer and combines words, music, and art to create a beautiful and simplistic short. The storm sequence readily brings to mind Bambi. The ending shot of the tree looks like a cross on a hill with a cloud forming a halo around it, creating a striking Christian image. I'm not positive that was the intent of the animators, but it sure looks intentional to me!

Blame it on the Samba is the next segment and features Donald Duck and Jose Carioca returning together. Ethel Smith and the Dinning Sisters perform the music in this short. At the beginning, Donald and Jose are very blue and gloomy. But soon they are touched by the music of the Samba and everything becomes bright and colorful. This introduces live action combined with animation--something that continues in the next segment.

In the final short, we begin with an animated desert and various animated desert animals. The camera then focuses on a group of live action people gathered around a campfire. There we see familiar faces like Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten. Roy Rogers and The Pioneers are with them, and Roy tells the story of Pecos Bill. This is the longest segment, and a great way to close the movie as it brings the tall tale to life.

So Dear To My Heart

Release Date: November 29, 1948

This movie was a personal favorite of Walt Disney's. He once said, "So Dear was especially close to me. Why, that's the life my brother and I grew up with as kids in Missouri." 

Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten were reunited in this movie after appearing together in Song of the South. Bobby plays Jeremiah in this story and Luana plays his cousin Tildy. Jeremiah is a young boy living with grandmother in a small town. One day, a train stops in their town bearing the famous racing horse Don Patch. Jeremiah gets very excited about the famous race horse and dreams of owning his own champion animal. That night, he and his grandmother check on the ewes and find they have given birth to lambs, one of which is a little black lamb who is rejected by its mother. Jeremiah chooses to care for it himself and names the lamb Danny.

Unfortunately, as he grows, Danny is more than Jeremiah can handle, and more than his grandmother could stand. She wants to get rid of him, but when she sees how much Jeremiah loves the sheep, she can't quite bear to do it. Jeremiah continues to dream of his black sheep becoming a champion and wants nothing more than to take him to compete in the county fair.

Jeremiah's grandmother tells him that they can't go to the fair because they don't have the money to pay for the train ride or anything else once they get there, and their family doesn't spend money they don't have. Determined to go to the fair, Jeremiah works hard to earn the money. But just as he makes enough, Danny runs away! While Jeremiah is forced to wait out a storm to look for his prize lamb, his grandmother teaches him the importance of faith and putting God first no matter what. 

The movie is framed through a family scrapbook, which contains memorabilia from the movie, along with wise sayings from a cartoon owl. Throughout the movie, the owl becomes animated and teaches lessons of morality. He quotes wise sayings, and also uses both biblical and historical figures to teach a point. As Jeremiah grows and cares for Danny, he learns just how true these sayings are, and he also learns to respect and trust in the faith of his grandmother and the things she has taught him. These lessons come full circle at the end of the movie when Jeremiah recognizes the reward that comes from following these wise sayings.

This movie also features actors such as Harry Carey (who sadly passed away before the film's premiere), Beulah Bondi and Burl Ives. Today, people young and old all over the country know Burl Ives's voice as Sam the Snowman in the 1964 film Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but at the time of this movie, Burl Ives was relatively new to the world of film. The song Lavender Blue (Dilly, Dilly), performed by him in this movie, was nominated for Best Song at the 1949 Oscars and became one of the most popular songs of the year. 

I saw this movie for the first time a couple of years ago, and I fell in love with it! I wish it were more well known and more available. In the Disney catalog, this is definitely a gem worth discovering! It's no wonder to me that this film was dear to the heart of Walt Disney.