A collection of animated interpretations of great works of Western classical music, ranging from the abstract to depictions of mythology and fantasy, and settings including the prehistoric, ... Read allA collection of animated interpretations of great works of Western classical music, ranging from the abstract to depictions of mythology and fantasy, and settings including the prehistoric, supernatural and sacred.A collection of animated interpretations of great works of Western classical music, ranging from the abstract to depictions of mythology and fantasy, and settings including the prehistoric, supernatural and sacred.
- Awards
- 8 wins & 1 nomination
- Narrator: Deems Taylor overdubs (2000 restoration)
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Mickey Mouse (segment 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice')
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Narrator (1982 version)
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Percussionist
- (uncredited)
- Narrator (1985 version)
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Soloist (segment 'Ave Maria')
- (singing voice)
- (uncredited)
- Violinist
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- James Algar(segment The Sorcerer's Apprentice) (uncredited)
- Samuel Armstrong(segments Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, The Nutcracker Suite) (uncredited)
- Ford Beebe Jr.(segment The Pastoral Symphony) (uncredited)
- Writers
- Joe Grant
- Dick Huemer
- Lee Blair(segment Toccata and Fugue in D Minor)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe animators secretly modeled elements of the Sorcerer in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" on their boss, Walt Disney. The raised eyebrow was regarded as a dead giveaway. They call the character Yen Sid, which is "Disney" spelled backwards.
- GoofsIn the full-length introduction to the "Nutcracker Suite", heard only in the roadshow version of "Fantasia", Deems Taylor states that this music is from a longer ballet called "The Nutcracker" and "nobody performs it nowadays". The full-length "Nutcracker" had not been performed in the U.S. yet in 1940, but in both Russia and England it had been staged in 1934, and had already been staged in Russia twice before that, in 1892 and 1919. However, although the "Nutcracker Suite" was immensely popular even in 1940, the full-length ballet was still a long way off from becoming the annual phenomenon it now is in the United States.
- Quotes
Mickey Mouse: [Pulling on Stokowski's coat] Mr. Stokowski! Mr. Stokowski!
[Mickey whistles to get Stokowski's attention]
Mickey Mouse: My congratulations, sir!
Leopold Stokowski: [shaking hands with Mickey] Congratulations to you, Mickey!
Mickey Mouse: Gee, thanks! Hehe! Well, so long! I'll be seeing ya!
Leopold Stokowski: Goodbye!
- Crazy creditsThere are no closing credits of any kind. Not even the words "THE END" appear on the screen.
- Alternate versionsBefore the 1990 re-release, the film was shown with no credits other than the title and the RKO logo. Leopold Stokowski received a written credit only on the posters advertising the film. In the film's original roadshow release, not even the title was shown at the beginning of the film - that was saved for the intermission break.
- ConnectionsEdited into A World is Born (1955)
- SoundtracksToccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Orchestrated by Leopold Stokowski (uncredited)
Played by The Philadelphia Orchestra
Conducted by Leopold Stokowski
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.
- Snow Leopard
- Nov 5, 2004
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Bach to Stravinsky and Bach
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $2,280,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $76,408,097
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $980,798
- Feb 10, 1985
- Gross worldwide
- $76,411,819
- Runtime2 hours 4 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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