Wonderfully entertaining documentary from writer-director Theodore Thomas, working alongside the Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distribution arm, chronicles a turbulent time in Mr. Disney's life: the years 1940 and 1941, when an animators strike and the looming threat of a dominant union threatened to tear the Disney Company apart. With the war in Europe putting a financial damper on Disney's output overseas, "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia" fell into the red, causing Walt to owe the bank four million dollars. An invitation, then, from President Roosevelt for Disney and his hand-picked team to make a good will tour of South America came as a godsend, although Disney was initially reluctant to travel through Latin America "just shaking hands". He turned the trip to his advantage, however, and released two pictures dedicated to the culture of our neighbors and their people, "Saludos Amigos" in 1942 and "The Three Caballeros" in 1944. Looking back, the movies, though certainly entertaining, were just a stop-gap while Disney came up with bigger ideas, but the underlying notion here--that Walt felt utterly betrayed by his employees--lends this documentary a tough emotional core. Walt also lost his father during the trip, and one senses the emotional weight on him as he is photographed on boats and emerging from planes, waving at the crowds. This is a beautifully-produced sentimental journey, wherein still shots come to life and (now-aged) witnesses and relatives recount this fascinating chapter in Disney history. *** from ****
