The Three Caballeros (1944)

Directors:

Norman Ferguson
Clyde Geronimi
(more)

Writers:

Homer Brightman (story) &
Ernest Terrazas (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 February 1945 (Brazil)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Music

Tagline:

UTTERLY FASCINATING! ENTIRELY DIFFERENT! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Donald receives his birthday gifts, which include traditional gifts and information about Brazil (hosted by Zé Carioca) and Mexico (by Panchito, a Mexican Charro Rooster).

Plot Keywords:

Brazil | Bird | Mexico | Birthday | Dance

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Aurora Miranda	...	The Brazilian Girl (as Aurora Miranda of Brazil)
Carmen Molina	...	Mexico Girl (as Carmen Molina of Mexico)
Dora Luz	...	Mexico Girl (as Dora Luz of Mexico)
Sterling Holloway	...	Narrator for 'The Cold-Blooded Penguin' / Professor Holloway (voice)
Clarence Nash	...	Donald Duck (voice)
Joaquin Garay	...	Panchito (voice)
José Oliveira	...	José Carioca / Zé Carioca (voice)
Frank Graham	...	Narrator (voice)
Fred Shields	...	Narrator (voice)
Nestor Amaral
Almirante
Trío Calaveras		(as Trio Calaveras)
Trío Ascensio del Rio		(as Ascencio Del Rio Trio)
Padua Hills Players	...	Actors
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pinto Colvig	...	Aracuan Bird (uncredited)
Billy Daniel	...	Dancer - Brazilian Sequence (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Ferguson
Clyde Geronimi		(sequence director)
Jack Kinney		(sequence director)
Bill Roberts		(sequence director)
Harold Young		(live action sequences: Patzcuaro/Veracruz/Acapulco)

Writing credits
Homer Brightman		(story) &
Ernest Terrazas		(story) &
Ted Sears		(story) &
Bill Peet		(story) (as Bill Peed) &
Ralph Wright		(story) &
Elmer Plummer		(story) &
Roy Williams		(story) &
William Cottrell		(story) &
Del Connell		(story) &
James Bodrero		(story)
Joe Grant		story (uncredited)
Dick Huemer		story (uncredited)
Webb Smith		story (uncredited)

Produced by
Walt Disney	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Edward H. Plumb
Paul J. Smith
Charles Wolcott

Cinematography by
Ray Rennahan		(photographed by: live action sequences)

Film Editing by
Donald Halliday		(film editor: live action sequences) (as Don Halliday)

Production Management
Norman Ferguson	....	production supervisor
Daniel Keefe	....	production manager: live action sequences (as Dan Keefe)
Larry Lansburgh	....	assistant production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Holoboff	....	assistant sequence director (uncredited)
Rusty Jones	....	assistant sequence director (uncredited)
Ted Sebern	....	assistant sequence director (uncredited)
Bee Selck	....	assistant sequence director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ken Anderson	....	art supervisor (as Kenneth Anderson)
Mary Blair	....	art supervisor
Robert Cormack	....	art supervisor
Phil Dike	....	color consultant: live action sequences
Richard Irvine	....	art direction: live action sequences (as Richard F. Irvine)

Sound Department
C.O. Slyfield	....	sound recordist: live action sequences

Visual Effects by
Edwin Aardal	....	special effects animator
Ub Iwerks	....	process effects: live action sequences
Richard Jones	....	process technician: live action sequences
John McManus	....	special effects animator
Joshua Meador	....	special effects animator (as Josh Meador)
Gail Papineau	....	technical advisor: live action sequences
George Rowley	....	special effects animator

Animation Department
Bob Carlson	....	animator
Les Clark	....	animator
Claude Coats	....	background artist
Don DaGradi	....	layout artist (as Donald Da Gradi)
Al Dempster	....	background artist (as Albert Dempster)
Don Douglass	....	background artist
Yale Gracey	....	layout artist
John Hench	....	layout artist
Hugh Hennesy	....	layout artist
Ray Huffine	....	background artist
Ollie Johnston	....	animator
Bill Justice	....	animator
Milt Kahl	....	animator (as Milton Kahl)
Ward Kimball	....	animator
Hal King	....	animator
Eric Larson	....	animator
John Lounsbery	....	animator
Fred Moore	....	animator
Milt Neil	....	animator
Don Patterson	....	animator
Charles Philippi	....	layout artist
Art Riley	....	background artist
Herbert Ryman	....	layout artist
John Sibley	....	animator
McLaren Stewart	....	layout artist
Frank Thomas	....	animator (as Franklin Thomas)
Harvey Toombs	....	animator
Marvin Woodward	....	animator
Jack Boyd	....	animator (uncredited)
Karl Karpé	....	layout artist (uncredited)
Fred Kopietz	....	animator (uncredited)
Paul Murry	....	animator (uncredited)
Lance Nolley	....	layout artist (uncredited)
John Reed	....	animator (uncredited)

Music Department
Ray Gilbert	....	songs: lyrics by
Edward H. Plumb	....	music director (as Edward Plumb)
Paul J. Smith	....	music director
Charles Wolcott	....	music director

Other crew
Jack Cutting	....	supervisor: Brazilian and Spanish (as John Cutting)
Billy Daniel	....	choreographer: live action sequences (as Billy Daniels)
Aloysio De Oliveira	....	associate supervisor: Brazilian and Spanish (as Aloysio Oliveira)
Aloysio De Oliveira	....	choreographer: live action sequences (as Aloysio Oliveira)
Walt Disney	....	presents
Sidney Field	....	associate supervisor: Brazilian and Spanish
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director: live action sequences
Carmelita Maracci	....	choreographer: live action sequnces
Morgan Padelford	....	associate technicolor color director: live action sequences
Edmundo Santos	....	associate supervisor: Brazilian and Spanish
Gilberto Souto	....	associate supervisor: Brazilian and Spanish

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Pictures
• Walt Disney Productions

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (as R.K.O. Radio Pictures, Inc.)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1954) (USA) (TV)
• Daiei Motion Picture Company (1959) (Japan) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1948) (France) (theatrical) (as RKO Radio Films)
• Sascha Filmverleih (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2001) (Spain) (DVD)
• Kingdom (2006) (Japan) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:71 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Portuguese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #10044) (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1976) | UK:U | USA:G | West Germany:6 (nf) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

With the exception of Mickey Mouse's brief appearance in Fantasia (1940), this was the first time Walt Disney attempted to combine animation with live actors since the Alice Comedies in the 1920s.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When visiting Chile, the map shows several misspellings: Valparaiso is "Valpraiso" and the Juan Fernandez Islands are "Juan Ferndez Islands". On the postcard it says Vina del Mar instead of "Viña del Mar"

Quotes:

Panchito:Some fun, eh kid?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "House of Mouse: The Three Caballeros (#1.3)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Jesusita en Chihuahua (The Cactus Polka)

For all - and only - animation lovers

People who went to see Disney's compilation features of the 1940s expecting another "Fantasia" were always disappointed - however good the material in some of them. They weren't really films. This one is just a collection of beads from the studio's Latin American years on a pretty string. Some of the beads are short cartoons, not really any different from Disney's other short cartoons of the period - which is, although I don't need to say this, praise. To be honest I find it hard to remember, without looking it up, exactly which South American Disney cartoons are featured in this movie and which aren't.

The linking segments with Donald Duck are weird and - now and then - wonderful. Disney seems to have tried every possible way of combining animation and live action (the live action is usually Carmen Miranda). Some of the attempts fall flat - many shots are obviously Miranda walking in front of a movie screen onto which Donald Duck is being projected; and the section featuring Donald Duck flying on a magic carpet over South American countryside is just a cheap and gruesome mis-match. But other times it's dazzling. The transformation of animated cacti into human dancers, or human dancers into animated roosters, are technical marvels which made me gasp. Perhaps if I saw them on the big screen I'd be able to work out how they were done - but they'd still be spectacular. More so.

In short, this certainly has its moments - some of the most anarchic moments Disney or any other studio had produced. People who aren't fans of animation will probably find it unendurable. (I don't blame them. It's not really a film.) People who are fans HAVE to see it.