Hello my fellow Disney lovers, today is our Uncle Walt's birthday (He would have been 117 years old). Now if you are like me you have seen Disney films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Mary Poppins, Pinocchio, and many more highly praised Disney films more than a few times. That is why today we are going to look at some of the lesser known movies from Walt Disney's career. Keep in mind since this is Walt's birthday, I am not including any Disney films from after Walt passed away. There are so many of these movies that I can guarantee you I will have more than one post of this. Summer Magic (1963) I love Hayley Mills and her presence brightened up so many great Disney films of the 1960's. While movies like The Parent Trap or Pollyanna still receive the attention they deserve, it is unfortunate that such a delightful movie as Summer Magic goes practically unnoticed. This is not a plot heavy or fast moving film. However the movie is covered in atmosphere. Director James Neilson and writer Sally Benson (Meet Me in St. Louis and Shadow of a Doubt) provide us with a great sense of small town Americana that I find irresistible. The Sherman Brothers are also at the top of their game, providing some songs that are up to par with their best work for Disney. This is especially true of On The Front Porch and The Ugly Bug Ball.
Miracle of the White Stallions (1963) Watching this movie many would have no idea the Disney studio actually worked on it. It is very slow paced and dialogue heavy. It is also a movie that a kid would have trouble following. This does not mean it is not a great movie in its own right though. The characters here are extremely well fleshed out and the story is a very good one. The scenes with the horses performing are absolutely breathtaking, especially if you are a horse lover like me. This movie requires patience on the part of the audience, but if you give it this patience you will find very rewarding.
The Three Lives of Thomasina (1964) Highly intelligent and spellbindingly beautiful movie. Don Chaffy was one of Disney's great live action directors though he hardly gets the credit as such. This movie perfectly shows why. This movie is fantastic. It has a leisurely pace that it uses perfectly to its advantage. This pace lets you get completely sucked into the atmosphere. This movie also offers a compelling character examination of the father. He is not a bad guy but a man who has lost his faith in both humanity and God and this has made him cold and distant. With his daughter and our main character we have some of the most heartbreaking scenes in Disney history. Though this is a fantasy movie these elements make it feel so real.
The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) I have to confess when people say Disney's Robin Hood, this live action movie is what comes to my mind. For those who have seen this movie that might be very understandable. This movie focuses much more on the relationship between Robin and Marion than any previous film version, and this is handled beautifully. This is especially true with how well the two leads (Richard Todd and Joan Rice) work together. What is interesting is that Todd was not happy with Rice being cast saying it should go to a more experienced actress and according to all accounts he never warmed up to her. This is not felt in the movie at any time and the chemistry between them is phenomenal. This was the first Disney movie for director Ken Annakin, who would later direct The Sword and the Rose, Third Man on the Mountain and Swiss Family Robinson for the studio. This movie already shows him in full force as it is unbelievably visually beautiful and the action scenes are excellently handled.
So Dear to My Heart (1949) Walt considered this one of his favorite films he worked on. It is not hard to see why. This is one of the finest and most charming pieces of small town Americana ever put on screen. This use is irresistible and I can't help but have a smile on my face. For a country boy like Walt a film like this must have felt like going home. This is the type of charm that makes so many Disney movies special and one of the studio's most underrated classics. There is just such a simplicity and honesty to this movie that I love revisiting again and again.
The Three Caballeros (1945) Made as part of the goof neighbor policy work the Disney studio did during World War 2, this movie overcomes its topicality to become something timeless. This is one of the craziest, silliest and cartoon-est animated features the studio ever made. There is so much absolutely hilarious humor, great imagination and wild fantastic animation here, that the movie is simply breathtaking. There are those who view Disney cartoons as tame compared to the work from Warner Brothers or MGM. This perfectly proves them wrong as the climax is one of the craziest, cartoon-est and all together funniest things in cartoon history. If you want fast paced cartoon fun look no further. Plus it stars our good pal Donald Duck.
Victory Through Airpower (1943) On the other side of Walt's animated work for the World War 2 effort was Victory Through Air Power. This was a completely serious animated documentary about the importance of using air power to win World War 2. This movie was based off a book by Major Alexander de Servesky about how he felt airpower could win World War 2. Walt was inspired by this book and wanted to make a film out of it. He got Seversky to appear in live action between the animation to discuss his ideas. The animation itself was different from any previous Disney feature. The animation would be much more limited and much less character based than ever before. However the studio accomplished this just as well, providing many truly memorable images. This may not be for every Disney fan, but it is a great film.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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