The Reluctant Dragon (1941)

Humorist Robert Benchley learns about the animation process at Walt Disney Studios while trying to find the great man himself to pitch him the idea of making a cartoon about a shy dragon.

Directors:

Alfred L. Werker, Hamilton Luske

Writers:

Kenneth Grahame (story), Ted Sears (screenplay),

Stars:

Robert Benchley, Frances Gifford, Buddy Pepper

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Benchley	...	Robert Benchley
Frances Gifford	...	Doris (Studio Artist)
Buddy Pepper	...	Humphrey (Studio Guide)
Nana Bryant	...	Mrs. Benchley
Claud Allister	...	Sir Giles (segment "The Reluctant Dragon") (voice)
Barnett Parker	...	The Dragon (segment "The Reluctant Dragon") (voice)
Billy Lee	...	The Boy (segment "The Reluctant Dragon") (voice)
Florence Gill	...	Herself (Voice Artist)
Clarence Nash	...	Himself / Donald Duck (voice)
Norman Ferguson	...	Himself (as Norm Ferguson)
Ward Kimball	...	Himself (Goofy animator)
Jimmy Luske	...	Jimmy, Baby Weems model
Alan Ladd	...	Al, Baby Weems storyboard artist
Truman Woodworth
Hamilton MacFadden	...	(as Hamilton Mac Fadden)

Storyline

Humorist Robert Benchley attempts to find Walt Disney to ask him to adapt a short story about a gentle dragon who would rather recite poetry than be ferocious. Along the way, he is given a tour of Walt Disney Studios, and learns about the animation process.

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Plot Keywords:

dragon | disney studios | horse | art class | sound effect | 

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Taglines:

Sequences in MULTIPLANE TECHNICOLOR (original print media ad - many caps)

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Genres:

Animation | Family | Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 June 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Day at Disneys

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone) Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some of the maquettes shown are from early versions of Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mrs. Benchley: [Reading] "So they set off up the hill, arm in arm, the knight, the dragon, and the boy. The lights in the little village began to go out one by one."
[Is interrupted by a toy rifle going off]
Mrs. Benchley: "But there were stars and a late moon as they climbed the downs together."
[Toy rifle again]
Mrs. Benchley: Robert, please.
[Pan to Robert Benchley lying on a raft in the pool, with the toy rifle]
Robert Benchley: Go on, I can hear in any position.
[Shoots a dart at a duck decoy in the pool]
Mrs. Benchley: [Continues reading] "And as they ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The animation credits include caricatures and signatures of the crew.

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Connections

Referenced in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

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Soundtracks

"The Reluctant Dragon"
Music by Charles Wolcott
Lyrics by T. Hee and Erdman Penner (as Ed Penner)

User Reviews

Adorable but I think this will appeal best to an older audience.

I am sure a lot of younger folks watching it will be disappointed. That's because the story of the "Reluctant Dragon" only makes up a tiny portion of this movie. So, if you expect to see a full-length cartoon, you are in for a big surprise.

The film is a behind the scenes look at the Disney Studio, though I must confess that it's VERY heavily orchestrated to give a happy look to the workers--even though at the time a VERY divisive strike was taking place. To make this image of one big happy family, many of the animators and other workers at the studio are actually portrayed by actors! This is dishonest but interesting as you see a very young Alan Ladd pretending to be a Disney animator! In addition, you'll see the prolific character actor John Dehner along side Ladd--but you might not recognize Dehner, as he's VERY skinny here! However, I must confess that despite being a faux look, many of the techniques were real and it still was very satisfying to watch.

This is all part of an over-arching story involving the witty Robert Benchley. His wife nags him to go talk to Walt Disney about making a cartoon out of his story, "The Reluctant Dragon". But, Benchley's heart isn't in it and he mostly just wanders about the studio--watching the workers doing their craft and interacting with them. In addition, you see a rough version of a cartoon about a genius baby and, at the end, the story of this dragon--which is downright adorable. In fact, the film is worth seeing just to see this great dragon tale--it's among the studio's best work, albeit short in length.

The whole package is great--well worth seeing--especially if you are interested in the craft of animation. And, some of the scenes are shot in some of the most vivid color of the era. A nice film in every way--just not what the kiddies might be expecting!