IMDb > Fantasia (1940)
Fantasia
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Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   28,264 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Joe Grant (story) &
Dick Huemer (story) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Fantasia on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 January 1942 (USA) more
Genre:
Animation | Family | Fantasy | Music more
Tagline:
Walt Disney's Technicolor FEATURE triumph more
Plot:
A collection of animated interpretations of great works of Western classical music. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
5 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(43 articles)
A Japanese superhero whose backside fires bullets. Cool
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 16 November 2009, 1:43 AM, PST)
Time Out’s Top 50 Animated Movies of All Time Curated by Terry Gilliam
 (From Slash Film. 7 October 2009, 9:20 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Unusual & Very Creative more (126 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
Leopold Stokowski ... Himself (Conductor, The Philadelphia Orchestra)
Deems Taylor ... Narrator (1940 original)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Julietta Novis ... Soloist (segment "Ave Maria") (voice)

Corey Burton ... Narrator: Deems Taylor overdubs (2000 restoration) (voice) (uncredited)

Walt Disney ... Mickey Mouse (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (voice) (uncredited)
James MacDonald ... Percussionist (uncredited)
Paul J. Smith ... Violinist (uncredited)
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Directed by
James Algar (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Samuel Armstrong (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "The Nutcracker Suite")
Ford Beebe (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Norman Ferguson (segment "Dance of the Hours") (as Norm Ferguson)
Jim Handley (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
T. Hee (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Wilfred Jackson (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Hamilton Luske (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Bill Roberts (segment "Rite of Spring")
Paul Satterfield (segment "Rite of Spring")
Ben Sharpsteen (uncredited)
 
Writing credits
Joe Grant (story direction) &
Dick Huemer (story direction)

Lee Blair (story development) (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor") &
Elmer Plummer (story development) (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor") &
Phil Dike (story development) (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor")

Sylvia Moberly-Holland (story development) (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") &
Norman Wright (story development) (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") &
Albert Heath (story development) (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") &
Bianca Majolie (story development) (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") &
Graham Heid (story development) (segment "The Nutcracker Suite")

Perce Pearce (story development) (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") &
Carl Fallberg (story development) (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")

William Martin (story development and research) (segment "Rite of Spring") &
Leo Thiele (story development and research) (segment "Rite of Spring") &
Robert Sterner (story development and research) (segment "Rite of Spring") &
John McLeish (story development and research) (segment "Rite of Spring") (as John Fraser McLeish)

Otto Englander (story development) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") &
Webb Smith (story development) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") &
Erdman Penner (story development) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") &
Joseph Sabo (story development) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") &
Bill Peet (story development) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as Bill Peed) &
Vernon Stallings (story development) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as George Stallings)

Campbell Grant (story development) (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") &
Arthur Heinemann (story development) (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") &
Phil Dike (story development) (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")

Produced by
Walt Disney .... producer
Ben Sharpsteen .... producer (uncredited)
 
Cinematography by
James Wong Howe (uncredited)
 
Film Editing by
John Carnochan (1990 restoration)
 
Art Direction by
Ken Anderson (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as Kenneth Anderson)
Bruce Bushman (segment "The Nutcracker Suite")
Arthur Byram (segment "The Nutcracker Suite")
Tom Codrick (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Robert Cormack (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "The Nutcracker Suite")
Harold Doughty (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Yale Gracey (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Hugh Hennesy (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
John Hubley (segment "Rite of Spring")
Dick Kelsey (segment "Rite of Spring")
Gordon Legg (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as J. Gordon Legg)
Kay Nielsen (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Lance Nolley (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Ernie Nordli (segment "Dance of the Hours") (as Ernest Nordli)
Kendall O'Connor (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Charles Payzant (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Curt Perkins (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") (as Curtiss D. Perkins)
Charles Philippi (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Thor Putnam (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Herbert Ryman (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Zack Schwartz (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Terrell Stapp (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
McLaren Stewart (segment "Rite of Spring")
Al Zinnen (segment "The Nutcracker Suite")
 
Production Management
Ben Sharpsteen .... production supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Bruner .... assistant director (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited)
Mike Holoboff .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
Wah Chang .... character maquettes (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
William E. Garity .... sound recordist
J.N.A. Hawkins .... sound recordist
Terry Porter .... sound restoration: 1990 restoration
C.O. Slyfield .... sound recordist
Alexander Rannie .... historian: Fantasound (1990 restoration) (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
Dan MacManus .... special animation effects (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") (as Daniel MacManus)
Joshua Meador .... special animation effects (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Gail Papineau .... special camera effects (segments "Rite of Spring" and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Leonard Pickley .... special camera effects (segments "Rite of Spring" and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Miles E. Pike .... special animation effects (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
John Reed .... special animation effects (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") (as John F. Reed)
Edwin Aardal .... effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited)
Tom Barnes .... effects animator (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") (uncredited)
Jerome Brown .... effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited)
Brad Case .... effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited)
Nigel De Brulier .... animation model: Sorcerer (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited)
Andy Engman .... effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited)
Frank Follmer .... effects animator (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") (uncredited)
Abra Grupp .... digital paint artist: restoration (uncredited)
Dan MacManus .... effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited)
John McManus .... effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited)
Joshua Meador .... effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited)
Sandy Strother .... effects animator (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") (uncredited)
Cornett Wood .... effects animator (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Max Morgan .... camera operator (uncredited)
 
Animation Department
Edwin Aardal .... animator (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "Rite of Spring")
Dick Anthony .... background artist (segments "The Pastoral Symphony" and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") (as W. Richard Anthony)
Art Babbitt .... animation supervisor (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Art Babbitt .... animator (segment "The Nutcracker Suite")
Preston Blair .... animator (segments "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Dance of the Hours")
James Bodrero .... character designer (segments "The Pastoral Symphony" and "Dance of the Hours")
Jack Bradbury .... animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Paul Busch .... animator (segment "Rite of Spring")
Jack Campbell .... animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Nino Carbe .... background artist (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "The Nutcracker Suite")
Bob Carlson .... animator (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") (as Robert W. Carlson Jr.)
Les Clark .... animator (segments "The Nutcracker Suite", "Dewdrop Fairies" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", Mickey Mouse)
Claude Coats .... background artist (segments "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "The Pastoral Symphony")
Charles Conner .... background artist (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Merle Cox .... background artist (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Al Dempster .... background artist (segments "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Dance of the Hours") (as Albert Dempster)
Ugo D'Orsi .... animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Phil Duncan .... animator (segment "Rite of Spring")
Art Elliott .... animator (segment "Dance of the Hours")
John Elliotte .... animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Norman Ferguson .... animation supervisor (segment "Dance of the Hours") (as Norm Ferguson)
Roy Forkum .... background artist (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Hugh Fraser .... animator (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Franklin Grundeen .... animator (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Harry Hamsel .... animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Eric Hansen .... background artist (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
John Hench .... background artist (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "The Nutcracker Suite")
Ray Huffine .... background artist (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Earl Hurd .... character designer (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Ollie Johnston .... animation supervisor (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as Oliver M. Johnston Jr.)
Bill Justice .... animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Lynn Karp .... animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Walt Kelly .... animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Ward Kimball .... animation supervisor (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Paul B. Kossoff .... animator (segment "Rite of Spring")
Ethel Kulsar .... background artist (segment "The Nutcracker Suite")
Ethel Kulsar .... character designer (segment "The Nutcracker Suite")
Eric Larson .... animation supervisor (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Ed Levitt .... background artist (segment "Rite of Spring") (as Edward Levitt)
Ray Lockrem .... background artist (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Hicks Lokey .... animator (segment "Dance of the Hours")
John Lounsbery .... animator (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Ed Love .... animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (as Edward Love)
Don Lusk .... animator (segments "The Nutcracker Suite" and "The Pastoral Symphony")
Brice Mack .... background artist (segment "Rite of Spring")
Dan MacManus .... animator (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor") (as Daniel MacManus)
Murray McClellan .... animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
John McManus .... animator (segments "Rite of Spring" and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Joshua Meador .... animation supervisor (segment "Rite of Spring")
Joshua Meador .... animator (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor")
John P. Miller .... character designer (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Fred Moore .... animation supervisor (segments "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "The Pastoral Symphony")
James Moore .... animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Milt Neil .... animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Gerald Nevius .... background artist (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Lester Novros .... animator (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Art Palmer .... animator (segments "Toccata and Fugue D in Minor", "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Rite of Spring")
Don Patterson .... animator (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Ray Patterson .... animator (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Elmer Plummer .... character designer (segment "The Nutcracker Suite")
Martin Provensen .... character designer (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Wolfgang Reitherman .... animation supervisor (segment "Rite of Spring")
Art Riley .... background artist (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as Arthur Riley)
George Rowley .... animator (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Duke Russell .... character designer (segment "Dance of the Hours")
William Shull .... animator (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") (as William N. Shull)
Grant Simmons .... animator (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Lorna S. Soderstrom .... character designer (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Stan Spohn .... background artist (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Joe Stahley .... background artist (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor")
Ed Starr .... background artist (segment "Rite of Spring")
Robert Stokes .... animator (segment "The Nutcracker Suite")
Robert Storms .... background artist (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Howard Swift .... animator (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Norman Tate .... animator (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Riley Thomson .... animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (as Riley Thompson)
Don Tobin .... animator (segment "Rite of Spring")
Harvey Toombs .... animator (segment "Dance of the Hours")
Don Towsley .... animation supervisor (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Bill Tytla .... animation supervisor (segments "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") (as Vladimir Tytla)
John Walbridge .... character designer (segment "The Nutcracker Suite")
Bernard Wolf .... animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as Berny Wolf)
Cornett Wood .... animator (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Marvin Woodward .... animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Cy Young .... animator (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor", "The Nutcracker Suite" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Robert W. Youngquist .... animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Xavier Atencio .... assistant animator (uncredited)
Jack Dunham .... inbetween artist (uncredited)
William T. Hurtz .... animation assistant (uncredited)
Bill Melendez .... assistant animator (uncredited)
Paul Murry .... animator (uncredited)
Paul Murry .... inbetween artist (uncredited)
Retta Scott .... animator (uncredited)
David Swift .... animator (uncredited)
Frank Thomas .... animator (uncredited)
Bob Wickersham .... animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Bill Wilner .... assistant editor (1990 restoration) (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Stephen Csillag .... musical film editor
Charles Henderson .... choral director (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Irwin Kostal .... conductor (1982 rerecording)
Shawn Murphy .... score mixer: 1982 rerecording
Edward H. Plumb .... musical director
James MacDonald .... musician: percussion (uncredited)
Paul J. Smith .... musician: violin (uncredited)
Leopold Stokowski .... orchestrator (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria", also parts of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", "Rite of Spring" and "Dance of the Hours") (uncredited)
Deems Taylor .... musical advisor (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Leon Briggs .... technical manager (1990 restoration)
Pete Comandini .... color restoration (1990 restoration)
Richard Dayton .... color restoration (1990 restoration)
Jules Engel .... choreographer (segment "The Nutcracker Suite")
Don Hagens .... color restoration (1990 restoration)
Marge Champion .... movement model (uncredited)
Oskar Fischinger .... concept (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor") (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Concert Feature (USA) (working title)
Walt Disney's Fantasia (USA) (poster title)
more
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
120 min | USA:124 min (restored roadshow version) | USA:125 min (original release) | USA:80 min (cut version)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (1956 re-release) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints) (re-release) | Fantasound (original release) | Mono (1941 roadshow screenings) | Mono (1947 re-release)
Certification:
Australia:G | USA:Approved (PCA #5920) | South Korea:All | Portugal:M/12 | USA:G (re-rating) (1969) | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:Atp | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-10 | Germany:6 | Peru:PT | Sweden:11 (re-release) | Sweden:15 | UK:U | Brazil:Livre
Filming Locations:
Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, California, USA
Company:
Walt Disney Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The first feature film to be shown in multichannel sound. The original prints featured soundtracks that were recorded in a process known as Fantasound, a four-track directional stereophonic system that was invented especially to record the soundtrack for the film by RCA and the Walt Disney Studios technical team, led by William E. Garity. The Leopold Stokowski-conducted orchestra audio was recorded onto eight separate soundtracks (six channels recorded individual sections of the orchestra, the seventh recorded a mix of the first six channels and the eighth recorded a distant pickup of the entire orchestra), which were then mixed down to three tracks (left, center and right). The three music tracks were optically matted with a fourth control track (containing signal tones that varied the speaker dynamics) onto a filmstrip separate from the projector print. Over 90 speakers were used for the playback of the Fantasound audio during the premiere of the film on 12 November 1940. A more typical Fantasound setup used three speakers behind the screen and 65 others placed around the other three walls of the theater. However, Fantasound was discontinued due to the amount of sound equipment required and the time necessary to make the installation. The advent of wartime conditions also precluded the possibility of developing mobile units that could have lessened installation time and costs. Therefore, only 12 venues ever played the original Fantasound version of the film, and only 16 Fantasound-equipped prints were ever created. When RKO took over distribution for the roadshow version in January 1941, the film was shipped with a conventional monaural track. Disney technicians recreated Fantasound for the 50th Anniversary release in 1990 using modern digital technology and the original sound cues from the Disney archives, and this mix was encoded into the subsequent VHS and laserdisc releases. This mix is active, and even aggressive at times, with music swirling or jumping around the room. However, the DVD's mix sounds considerably different. While no official verification can be found that it was changed, the DVD's surround mix is more passive, with the music in the front channels and only concert-hall reverb in the rear channels. The sound is cleaner, but it is not Fantasound as it was described in 1940 and as it appeared in 1990. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When introducing the "Pastoral" sequence, Deems Taylor gives explanations of Greek mythology, but uses many of the deities' Roman names. more
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...
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "The Mouse Factory: Horses (#1.13)" (1972) more
Soundtrack:
Ave Maria more

FAQ

How many different versions of Fantasia are there?
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
12 out of 13 people found the following comment useful.
Unusual & Very Creative, 5 November 2004
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

This unusual and very creative classic of animation combines a very interesting idea with quite a bit of imagination, plus visual effects that still hold up quite well. All but a couple of the sequences are quite enjoyable, and some especially so. Even the segments that don't work as well are usually at least interesting, since you can at least appreciate what they were trying to accomplish.

You don't really have to be all that familiar with the specific pieces of music for it to be worthwhile, since in several cases they chose to match the music with material that is rather different in nature from any original context that it may have had. And in any case, the animated sequences are intended to provide the context, in terms of the movie.

No doubt, everyone will have his or her own favorite segments, based on the music itself and on the choice of accompanying visual material. The "Sorcerer's Apprentice" sequence, with Mickey Mouse, is certainly one of the most memorable. The adaptation of "The Rite of Spring" is quite imaginative in using an entirely different setting for the music. "Night on Bald Mountain" has striking and sometimes bizarre visuals.

Many of the classic Disney features still hold up well as family entertainment, but "Fantasia" is unique for its combination of imaginative concept and visual creativity. Not every minute of it works, but that's the price of being willing to experiment. It's an enjoyable and satisfying feature that well deserves to be remembered.

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The Blad Mountain/Ave Maria sequence forgetnorway
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Rank the segments from best to worst Coasterfreak10
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice with Mickey going B+W stitchfan82
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