Between 1937 to 1942, the Walt Disney Company was on a high, producing five of the greatest animated films of all-time. While some did cost more money than they earned, Walt Disney knew he captured a new audience that became enamored with the feature-length stories he was telling through animation.
Unfortunately, this Golden Age for Disney was cut short due to World War II. Many of the studio’s animators were drafted to the war, leaving the company to struggle both creatively and financially. As a way to keep afloat, Walt Disney would stop producing feature length films and instead spend his company’s focus on package films: movies that featured multiple animated shorts instead of one contained story. The animators who weren’t working on these films were busy working on propaganda films and marketing materials for the war. This era would come to an end in 1950, the same time the war came to an end.
To be frank, this writer isn’t a fan of package films. I didn’t grow up with any of these movies and only watched them in my young adult life. Having said that, most of them do feature Mickey Mouse and the gang, which is always a treat for Disney lovers. So, let’s travel back to an interesting time for Walt Disney Animation Studios and countdown the best of Disney’s Wartime Era.
N/A. Make Mine Music (1946)
“Make Mine Music” is not on Disney+ for unknown reasons, and I’ve never seen the film, so it wouldn’t be fair to include this package film in these rankings.
5. Melody Time (1948)
“Melody Time” is basically a cheaper version of “Fantasia”, with seven animated shorts told through not nearly as memorable music numbers as the film it tries to emulate. The animation is fine, but nothing to write home about and the segments are cute enough but nothing memorable. The last two, “Blame It On The Samba”, which features Donald Duck and “Pecos Bill” are the most entertaining shorts of the bunch, but unfortunately the Wartime Era’s penultimate film is a pretty forgettable addition to Walt Disney’s collection of animated films.
4. Saludos Amigos (1943)
The film that kicked off the Wartime Era, “Saludos Amigos” barely counts as a feature-length film, only clocking in a running time of 42 minutes. It features Donald Duck and Jose Carioca as well as Goofy who each have their own little adventures in South America. It’s an obvious piece of propaganda aimed at strengthening the relationship between the United States and South American countries. It’s not great, but it does emulate some classic Goofy and Donald shorts from years past, which adds a bit of fun to an otherwise mediocre and harmless feature.
3. The Three Caballeros (1945)
This movie is truly wild. It starts out normal enough with a celebration of Donald Duck’s 10-year anniversary. It’s followed by some shorts featuring penguins and donkeys. These are perfectly okay. Then, Donald begins to travel around South America with his fellow Caballeros and that’s when things take a strange turn. Donald lusts after live-action Latina women in almost an offensive way, and then a bunch of artistic nonsense happens that you have to see to believe. “The Three Caballeros” is such a mind boggling experience with an extremely catchy theme song. It’s not very good, but it does take some risks which is always appreciated.
2. Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
Unlike the previous films that were average at best, “Fun and Fancy Free” is actually a good, (and as the title suggests) fun film. A big reason for that is because it only focuses on two stories, “Little Bear Bongo” and “Mickey and the Beanstalk”. Bongo is a cute love story that doesn’t break any barriers, but does have a lot of heart. Mickey’s story with Donald and Goofy is one of his best shorts to date, and is also the last film to feature Walt Disney voicing Mickey. Its only downfall is the narration that separates the two films. Jiminy Cricket does a fine job, but the real-life people and puppet are all super creepy. If it wasn’t for this minor hiccup, it might have been ranked above the rest.
1. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
The last film of the Wartime Era is also its best. Similar to “Fun and Fancy Free”, this film tells two different short stories. The first is an adaptation of “The Wind in the Willows” following the eccentric Mr. Toad. The character has become a Disney legend thanks to his dark ride at Disneyland. The second story is an adaptation of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, following Ichabod Crane, a superstitious man whose rival terrifies him with the tale of the Headless Horseman. Both stories are given ample time to breathe, and the narration adds to the story rather than ruins it. “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” ends this era of mediocrity with a bang!
What’s your favourite movie from Disney’s Wartime Era? 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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