History and Review written by Michael J. Ruhland
Year Released: 1940
Michael's Movie Grade:A
History
Walt Disney was fond of saying of his studio that it all started with a mouse. Well that is the way Fantasia started as well. Mickey Mouse at this time was losing popularity, partly due to the popularity of other Disney cartoon characters such as Donald (Who at this time was more popular than Mickey) and Goofy. It was decided to make an extravagant short with Mickey called The Sorcerer's Apprentice, that would be based off the classical music piece of the same name. To add to the prestige of the short famous classical music conductor Leopold Stokowski was hired. Animator Fred Moore was in charge of redesigning Mickey, making him fit in better with the more elaborate animation. This design was used for all the shorts that followed. The short however went quickly over budget. There was no way Disney could make the money back and keep it as a short. It was decided then to make a feature combining classic music and animation. This film then called The Concert Feature would feature a selection of short cartoons set to classical music.
Fantasia and Pinocchio were being made at the same time. However Walt had much more interest in working on Fantasia. He envisioned this as a completely new style of film-making, and even though Ben Sharpsteen was the supervising director for the film, there is no doubt that this was Walt's film (of course this is no insult to Sharpsteen who was very talented). However revolutionary Walt saw Fantasia as being, he did not want it to be too much of an art film. He wanted it too appeal to a wide audience not just intellectuals and classical music lovers. For instance even though Oskar Fischinger (a German film-maker who excelled in abstract animation) was hired to work on the movie, very little of his work appeared in the film because it was considered too experimental for the average movie-goer.
One of the things this film pioneered was stereo sound. It was released along with this film, under the name fantasiasound. This was done to make going to the film feel and sound like a concert.
After all the work done on this film though it was a box office failure. Many music fans felt it had insulted the classical music by altering it to fit the action, while many Disney fans considered it too artsy and different from what Disney is know for. This was a big disappointment to Walt who had planned to constantly release Fantasia, with some sections replaced with new ones while still keeping some of the old. This plan would not see the light of day until 1999's Fantasia 2000. Fantasia would gain a new popularity during the 1960's from much of the hippy culture, many of who enjoyed it for a much different reason than intended. However 1940, with the box office failures Pinocchio and Fantasia, had not been a good year financially for Disney.
Review
Since Fantasia is a collection of different segments, I am going to give a short review and grade to each part.
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor: Although it takes a while for the segment to truly get to be as abstract as the introduction tells you it will be when it does it is a treat. The images though may have a bit too much basis in reality at times, and it would have probably been better with the work of Oskar Fischinger. However the images fit the music quite well, which is very impressive considering how abstract the piece is. Grade: C
The Nutcracker Suite: Some of the best imagery in Fantasia comes from this segment. To think that this was accomplished in 1940 is extremely impressive, and it remains one of the most beautiful piece of animation. This segment tackles a very difficult task, such as trying to create a magical movie-going experience without the aid of plot, and it succeeds beautifully. Grade: A+
The Sorcerer's Apprentice: The short that started Fantasia, is a near perfect Mickey Mouse cartoon. Fred Moore's design works absolutely perfect in this short. Mickey is at his most likable and relateable here. While many have accused Mickey of being a very bland character, this shows that he doesn't have to be if he is handled right. The effects animation here is among Disney's best. Grade: A+
Rite of Spring: Slow moving, but incredible segment. The animation is top notch. The segment like The Nutcracker Suite wants to create an experience rather than tell a story, and it does that masterfully. Grade: B+
Meet the Soundtrack: A fun little break, brings a very lighthearted touch to one of Disney's most serious films. While not ever hilarious this segment is quite charming, and succeeds very well on it's own terms. Grade: B
The Pastoral Symphony: Only segment of Fantasia that doesn't quite work. It has some good effects animation, but that seems at odds with the silly simplistic character designs. The animation style makes it seem like it is going to be a silly funny cartoon, but there is little humorous about it. This is also the only part of the film that the action does not match the music. There are good things in this segment but they all seem at odds with each other. Grade: D
Dance of the Hours: Another lighthearted addition to the film. Animator/caricaturist/director T. Hee really shines in this segment. These indelicate cartoon animals performing such a delicate ballet is just comedy gold. This is pure cartoon humor at it's best. Hilarious. Grade: A+
Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria: Questionably the most powerful segment of the film. Bill Tytla's animation of Chernaburg the demon is spectacular. The pure evil in this character can be downright terrifying at times, but it never loses it's spectacle. He is one of the best rendered villains in film history. The music truly adds to what a powerful creature this character is. In fact this segment would be completely different with any other music. Of course no demon is a match for a light down from heaven, leading to a fantastic lead in from one part of this segment to the next, the Ave Maria part is one of the most profoundly moving moments ever seen in a Disney film. This section is just pure art at it's best. Grade A+
Supervising Director: Ben Sharpsteen
Sequence Directors: Norman Ferguson, James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe Jr., Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield
Story Department: Joe Grant, Dick Huemer, Lee Blair, Elmer Plummer, Phil Dike, Sylvia Moberly-Holland, Norman Wright, Bianca Majolie, Graham Heid, Perce Pearce, Carl Fallberg, William Martin, Leo Thiele, Robert Sterner, John McLeish, Otto Englander, Webb Smith, Erdman Penner, Bill Peet, Joseph Sabo, Vernon Stallings, Campbell Grant, Arthur Heinemann, Phil Dike
Live-Action Cast: Leopold Stokowski (Himself), Deems Taylor (Himself)
Voices: Walt Disney (Mickey Mouse), Julietta Novis (Singing voice for Ave Maria)
Producers: Walt Disney, Ben Sharpsteen
Cinematography: James Wong Howe
Songs by: Johann Sebastian Bach (Toccata and Fugue in D Minor), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (The Nutcracker Suite), Paul Dukas (The Sorcerer's Apprentice), Igor Stravinsky (Rite of Spring), Ludwig van Beethoven (Pastoral Symphony), Amilcare Ponchielli (Dance of the Hours), Modest Mussorgsky (A Night on Bald Mountain), Franz Schubert (Ave Maria)
Art Direction: Ken Anderson, Bruce Bushman, Arthur Byram, Tom Codrick, Robert Cormack, Harold Doughty, Yale Gracey, Hugh Hennesy, John Hubley, Dick Kelsey, Gordon Legg, Kay Nielsen, Lance Nolley, Ernie Nordli, Kendall O'Connor, Charles Payzant, Curt Perkins, Charles Philippi, Thor Putnam, Herbert Ryman, Zack Schwartz, Terrell Stapp, McLaren Stewart, Al Zinnen
Unit Manager: Walt Pfeiffer
Assistant Directors: Jack Bruner, Mike Holoboff, Larry Lansburgh, Bob Ogle, Erwin L. Verity
Sound Department: C.O. Slyfield, J.N.A. Hawkins, William E. Garity
Visual Effects Artists: Dan MacManus, Joshua Meador, Gail Papineau, Leonard Pickley, Miles E. Pike, John Reed, Edwin Aardal, Tom Barnes, Andy Engman, Frank Follmer, Abra Grupp, Dan MacManus, John McManus, Joshua Meador, Cornett Wood
Camera Operator: Max Morgan
Character Maquettes: Wah Chang
Musicians: Leopold Stokowski (Conducter), James MacDonald (Percussion), Paul J. Smith (Violin)
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Musical Director: Edward H. Plumb
Musical Adviser: Deems Taylor
Supervising Animators: Art Babbitt, Norm Ferguson, Ollie Johnston, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Fred Moore, Joshua Meador, Wolfgang Reitherman, Bill Tytla, Don Towsley
Background Artists: Dick Anthony, Nino Carbe, Claude Coats, Charles Conner, Merle Cox, Al Dempster, Roy Forkum, John Hench, Ray Huffine, Ed Levitt, Ray Lockrem, Brice Mack, Gerald Nevius, Art Riley, Stan Spohn, Joe Stahley, Ed Starr, Robert Storms, Ethel Kulsar
Character Designers: James Bodrero, Earl Hurd, Ethel Kulsar, Elmer Plummer, Martin Provensen, Duke Russell, Lorna S. Soderstrom, John Walbridge
Animators: Edwin Aardal, Art Babbitt, Preston Blair, Jack Bradbury, Paul Busch, Jack Campbell, Bob Carlson, Les Clark, Ugo D'Orsi, Phil Duncan, Art Elliott, John Elliotte, Hugh Fraser, Franklin Grundeen, Harry Hamsel, Bill Justice, Lynn Karp, Walt Kelly, Paul B. Kossoff, Hicks Lokey, John Lounsbery, Ed Love, Don Lusk, Dan MacManus, Murray McClellan, John McManus, James Moore, Milt Neil, Art Palmer, Don Patterson, Ray Patterson, George Rowley, William Shull, Grant Simmons, Robert Stokes, Howard Swift, David Swift, Riley Thomson, Don Tobin, Harvey Toombs, Bernard Wolf, Cornett Wood, Marvin Woodward, Cy Young, Jerome Brown, N. Brown, Brad Case, George De Beeson, Russ Dyson, Art Fitzpatrick, Joseph Gayek, M. James, Volus Jones, Jerry Madison, Fred Madison, Art Moore, Paul Murray, Amby Paliwoda, John Reed, M. Rossi, Retta Scott, D. Stark, Sandy Strother, Frank Thomas, Bob Wickersham, Jim Will, Vernon G. Witt
Assistant Animators: Lee J. Ames, Xavier Atencio, William T. Hurtz, Hank Ketcham, Bill Melendez, Kenneth Muse, Willis Pyle
Inbetweener: Jack Dunham
Live Action Model: Nigel De Brulier
Choreographer: Jules Engel
Resources Used
Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in it's Golden Age by Michael Barrier
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032455/?ref_=nv_sr_1
-Michael J. Ruhland
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