In 1934, Walt Disney had a dream to do something that had never been done in Hollywood before – create the first animated feature film. When he shared this idea with the public he was met with a plethora of jeers and criticism. Early in the production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, many critics labelled the film “Disney’s Folly” as they predicted it would be a massive and costly failure for the company.
However, when the movie was released in 1937, Disney proved the critics wrong, and grossed over $8 million on its initial release, becoming the highest grossing film of the year. The success of Snow White led to the release of a slew of new animated feature films, all five of which were critically acclaimed and financially successful through re-releases. Unfortunately, the Golden Age was abruptly cut short due to World War II in 1942, when a number of Disney animators were drafted into the war, and left Disney unable to create feature length films until 1950 due to financial and creative instability.
To this day, these Disney films are still acclaimed by movie connoisseurs and critics alike, not only for the beautiful stories but also for breaking barriers in the genre of animation. In full disclosure, these weren’t the Disney films I grew up with and my first watch of most of them were pretty recent, a fact that definitely comes into play with the below rankings. Nevertheless, here are my rankings of the films that established Disney as the powerhouse animation production it’s known as today.
5. Pinocchio (1940)
Most Disney fans would balk at the idea of Pinocchio being ranked last on this list. It’s beloved by so many and considered one of the greatest Disney films of all time. Perhaps hearing all this praise for the film is what left a lot to be desired for me during my first watch. Don’t get me wrong, the animation is absolutely stunning, probably the best in the Golden Era, however, what I don’t love is the story. At times I was left terrified and I was a full grown adult during my first watch. I can only imagine how much this scarred children – from Pinocchio being turned into a Donkey to him and his friends getting “eaten” by a whale – it’s practically a horror show for kids.
All in all, there is just too much happening in this film and if it weren’t for the lovable Jiminy Cricket, I might’ve given up on the movie before it was over as Pinocchio himself is actually quite annoying and whiny. So while I agree with critics that Pinocchio is a technical masterpiece, I can’t help but feel disconnected to what had the potential to be a sweet and simple story, if so many jumbled plot elements weren’t included.
4. Fantasia (1940)
Fantasia is one of those movies that people either put on a pedestal or find totally overrated. This divisiveness is what left me hesitant to watch the film until I got Disney+ and could no longer run away from it. As soon as it shifted from live classical music to the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor segment, I was immediately hooked. The animation is absolutely spectacular, some of the best I’ve ever seen and a majority of the stories are perfectly told, with excellent music guiding each story from start to finish. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Rite of Spring shorts are particular favourites, with The Sorcerer’s Apprentice giving Mickey Mouse his first chance to shine on the big screen and Rite of Spring telling one of the most underrated stories of the Dinosaur experience.
There are only two major downfalls of Fantasia, the first being the introductory segments from the live actors and artists. While I can understand why they seemed necessary at the time of the film’s release, they actually take away from the the masterpiece animation and remove us from the magical experience we’re witnessing. The other minor issue of Fantasia is that with every masterpiece like Night on Bald Mountain and Rite of Passage there are fluff pieces like The Pastoral Symphony and The Nutcracker Suite. If each animated segment had the same artistic reverence, I would consider the film pretty much perfect, but instead it just ends up being a really good movie.
3. Dumbo (1941)
Dumbo is basically the exact opposite of Pinocchio. There isn’t really anything to write home about regarding the animation in Dumbo, in fact Dumbo’s simplistic, and at-times disjointed animation was merely a case of a receiving a low budget. With that being said, the simplicity of the animation led to more of an investment in Dumbo’s story and characters, meaning we were left to actually care about what happens to Dumbo, Timothy and Mrs. Jumbo, unlike with Pinocchio.
It’s a story about triumphing in the face of diversity and just like Pinocchio, it has some extremely sad and dark moments. For example, the moment when Dumbo’s mother is locked in a cage and can no longer see Dumbo is a real cry fest. However, what it does better than Pinocchio is give a satisfying reason for all the darkness. Dumbo is tormented by everyone around him so much throughout the film, and although it’s hard to watch sometimes – it leads to a satisfying conclusion. He overcomes adversity and becomes the hero we all knew he could be. While it’s certainly not the best film of the Golden Age, it does what it was made to do, leave us absolutely smitten with the adorable and misunderstood big-eared elephant.
2. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Despite being Disney’s oldest animated feature, Snow White still manages to stand the test of time. While Disney would go on to create bigger and artistically better animated features, Snow White changed the game and forged the path for every beloved Disney classic. Sure, it has a lot of artistic flaws compared to the rest of the films from the Golden Age, but it still manages to tell one of the greatest and most impactful stories of the 20th century. It’s a story of a young princess who has basically had everything taken away from her, but still manages to find beauty in the small things and dreams for something more.
Even after she’s driven out of her own home by the Evil Queen, she manages to find a new home and family with the Seven Dwarfs and gets to live the dream she’s always wished for. The character development of the Evil Queen and the Seven Dwarfs is a true testament to what Disney is capable of, as these fun and unique personalities, particularly Dopey and Grumpy, have become some of the most beloved and marketable Disney characters of all time. Snow White’s biggest downfall though is the underdeveloped Prince, who makes very few appearances in the entire film, but yet, still ends up being the hero in the end. If it weren’t for this major flaw, which is simply a product of its time, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs would’ve not only been the first film released during the Golden Age, but also the best.
1. Bambi (1942)
The last film released during the Golden Age also happens to be best of the era. It’s evident throughout the film that Walt Disney and his team really hit their stride in animation using the technological advancements available to them such as multi-plane camera angles to deliver gorgeous atmospheres and detailed animal work that makes you feel like you are fully immersed in Bambi’s world. What makes Bambi stand out from the rest of the movies of its time is how simple of a concept it truly is, we’re following the life of a deer and his friends as they grow into maturity. A classic coming of age story that really set the pace for a new wave of films in the coming decades.
Despite its simple concept, Bambi doesn’t shy away from delivering powerful emotion. It leads us on a journey of unequivocal sweetness before hitting us with incredible sadness, and the roller coaster of the emotions experienced after each and every watch is one of the main reasons this film is so beloved and detested all in one sitting. This isn’t the first time Disney goes dark, but it is the first time that death is full-on addressed. Actually hearing the gun shot that kills Bambi’s mom is gut-wrenching to kids and adults alike. Yet, getting to watch Bambi grow from the devastating experience and become the strong and confident adult deer his mother knew he could be, makes the journey all the more worth it and perfectly captures the spirit of Disney’s Golden Age.
What’s your favourite movie from Disney’s Golden Age? Let us know in the comments below or on one of our social media channels. And make sure to follow Frozen Mouse Fever for all your Disney needs.
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