Fantasia (1940)

A collection of animated interpretations of great works of Western classical music.

Writers:

Joe Grant (story), Dick Huemer (story),

Stars:

Leopold Stokowski, Deems Taylor, Corey Burton

6 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Leopold Stokowski	...	Himself - Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra
Deems Taylor	...	Himself - Narrative Introductions

Storyline

Disney animators set pictures to Western classical music as Leopold Stokowski conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" features Mickey Mouse as an aspiring magician who oversteps his limits. "The Rite of Spring" tells the story of evolution, from single-celled animals to the death of the dinosaurs. "Dance of the Hours" is a comic ballet performed by ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators. "Night on Bald Mountain" and "Ave Maria" set the forces of darkness and light against each other as a devilish revel is interrupted by the coming of a new day.

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Plot Keywords:

classical music | apprentice | sorcerer | orchestra | dance | 

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Taglines:

Where every sound creates a picture

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Genres:

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Music

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 July 1941 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Concert Feature

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,280,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$361,800 (USA) (14 February 1941)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min 124 min (restored roadshow) 125 min (original release) 80 min (cut) 118 min (VHS)

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Premiered at the Broadway Theatre at 1681 Broadway at 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019.

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Goofs

In the Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence, as Mickey walks toward a stone wall his shadow grows slowly larger. Instead, it should grow smaller.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: How do you do? My name is Deems Taylor, and it's my very pleasant duty to welcome you here on behalf of Walt Disney, Leopold Stokowski, and all the other artists and musicians whose combined talents went into the creation of this new form of entertainment, "Fantasia". What you're going to see are the designs and pictures and stories that music inspired in the minds and imaginations of a group of artists. In other words, these are not going to be the interpretations of trained ...

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Crazy Credits

Originally, the production credits were on a booklet distributed at the roadshow showings. They were finally put on screen for the 50th anniversary re-release.

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Connections

Edited into Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color: Your Host, Donald Duck (1957)

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Soundtracks

"Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565"
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Orchestrated by Leopold Stokowski (uncredited)
Played by The Philadelphia Orchestra (as The Philadelphia Orchestra)
Conducted by Leopold Stokowski

User Reviews

Best Animated Film Ever

This without a doubt the greatest animated film in history. While highly acclaimed and well-known today, it was not terribly popular when it was first released. The idea of "Fantasia" is to take great pieces of music and draw animated sequences that match them. In doing so, it reverses the purpose of a movie's score; the movie serves and matches the music, not the other way around. This set up also means that there is no typical formula plot that is present in the vast majority of movies. In the first piece, the animation is vague and abstract, but in later ones it is of definite actions, objects, and stories. The two most famous(and my favorite) parts are probably "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Rite of Spring". "Fantasia" is not only the best animated film ever made, but one of the greatest films period.