osprey_archer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
osprey_archer) wrote2019-10-08 07:06 am
osprey_archer) wrote2019-10-08 07:06 am
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The Three Caballeros
Disney got weird in the 1940s. Maybe it was the success of Fantasia that did it: maybe they decided that they should try to shift permanently to this anthology format, because that’s what they did in Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros, and I’ve also got to get through Make Mine Music and Melody Time before they get back to regular movies with one big story.
As it turns out, Fantasia was a lightning-only-strikes-once moment, but it took them four films to figure it out.
Anyway, The Three Caballeros is a compilation of seven short films, all contained within a frame story: Donald Duck receives a birthday present from Latin America, a large box full of smaller boxes, each of which leads into a new animation. Along the way, he reunited with the Brazilian parrot Jose Carioca, and then the two of them meet up with the Mexican rooster Panchito, whereupon the three of them become The Three Caballeros, which unfortunately does not lead to them having adventures together.
Instead, Donald Duck dives into a photograph of a beach at Acapulco, whereupon the animation fuses with live action as Donald chases a bunch of amused bathing beauties around the beach. He is at last dragged away by Jose Carioca and Panchito, who only soothe his ruffled feathers by promising to show him the nightlife of Mexico City, which leads to a hallucinogenic sequence. “This is where the Dumbo animators got in on the act,” Julie said, and indeed, it is reminiscent of the pink elephants sequence in Dumbo, only this time rather than elephants, it’s Donald Duck multiplying himself in all directions as the screen flushes different colors and fireworks happen and God knows what else.
I’ve wondered in the past why there was such a big gap between Snow White and Cinderella - Snow White was made in 1937, Cinderella not till 1950 - and clearly it was because Disney had wandered away to chase a totally different vision of animation up the garden path. I guess all of us have false starts in life.
As it turns out, Fantasia was a lightning-only-strikes-once moment, but it took them four films to figure it out.
Anyway, The Three Caballeros is a compilation of seven short films, all contained within a frame story: Donald Duck receives a birthday present from Latin America, a large box full of smaller boxes, each of which leads into a new animation. Along the way, he reunited with the Brazilian parrot Jose Carioca, and then the two of them meet up with the Mexican rooster Panchito, whereupon the three of them become The Three Caballeros, which unfortunately does not lead to them having adventures together.
Instead, Donald Duck dives into a photograph of a beach at Acapulco, whereupon the animation fuses with live action as Donald chases a bunch of amused bathing beauties around the beach. He is at last dragged away by Jose Carioca and Panchito, who only soothe his ruffled feathers by promising to show him the nightlife of Mexico City, which leads to a hallucinogenic sequence. “This is where the Dumbo animators got in on the act,” Julie said, and indeed, it is reminiscent of the pink elephants sequence in Dumbo, only this time rather than elephants, it’s Donald Duck multiplying himself in all directions as the screen flushes different colors and fireworks happen and God knows what else.
I’ve wondered in the past why there was such a big gap between Snow White and Cinderella - Snow White was made in 1937, Cinderella not till 1950 - and clearly it was because Disney had wandered away to chase a totally different vision of animation up the garden path. I guess all of us have false starts in life.