Rediscovering (Walt) Disney

From Boxoffice Magazine , January 6, 1940. The first article announces the soon to be opened Walt Disney Co. Burbank Studios. In the second, Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is sited as one of the factors in a surge of animated features going into production. Click on the images to enlarge. And in related news...

Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, the Librarian of Congress each December names 25 films to the National Film Registry that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. Bambi (1942) One of Walt Disney’s timeless classics (and his own personal favorite), this animated coming-of-age tale of a wide-eyed doe’s life in the forest has enchanted generations since its debut nearly 70 years ago. Filled with iconic characters and moments, the film is filled with beautiful images, the result of extensive nature studies by Disney’s animators. Its realistic characters merged human and animal qualities in the time-honored tradition of folklore and fable, enhancing the movie’s resonating, emotional power. Treasured as one of film’s most heart-rending stories of parental love, Bambi also has come to be recognized for its eloquent message of nature conservation. Read more at THR.com

Boxoffice Magazine 11/9/46 - Click on Image to Enlarge Song of the South is an 1946 animated film based on the Uncle Remus stories written by Joel Chandler Harris, which were based on African-American folk tales. The film have not been released on VHS in the U.S.A. and on DVD & Blu-Ray worldwide because of accusations of racism, but the film maintains a strong following with many Disney fans. It features the song Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, which won the Academy Award for Best Song and is still a popular favorite; James Baskett's performance as Uncle Remus won him a Honorary Academy Award in 1948. The film's animated segments inspired the popular Splash Mountain ride and the 8 main characters, Sally, Toby, Favers Brothers, Mrs Favers, Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, and Brer Fox are still frequently seen at the Disney Parks. However, because many children today have not seen Song of the South due to the fact it has not been released on home video in the United States, visitors to ...

Boxoffice Magazine 1/27/45 - Click on Image to Enlarge The Three Caballeros is the seventh full-length animated feature film in the Disney canon. It is a sequel to Saludos Amigos and like that film features Donald Duck and the Brazilian parrot Jose Carioca, as well as a new character, the Mexican Panchito Pistoles. Like its predecessor, the film was part of a good will effort for South America, however, it is considered to be less propagandist than Saludos Amigos . (via The DisneyWiki )

Boxoffice Magazine 7/3/43 - Click on Image to Enlarge Victory Through Air Power is a film that was produced during World War II based on a book of the same title by Alexander P. de Seversky that urged the US Government to put more resources into aviation for the war effort. It utilized both live-action and animation. (via DisneyWiki )

1942. Boxoffice Magazine Der Fuehrer's Face is a 1943 animated cartoon by the Walt Disney Studios, starring Donald Duck. It was directed by Jack Kinney and released on January 1, 1943 as an anti-Nazi propaganda movie for the American war effort. The film won the 1943 Academy Award for Animated Short Film, and was the only Donald Duck cartoon to win an Oscar. In 1994, it was voted #22 of "the 50 Greatest Cartoons" of all time by members of the animation field. ~ Wikipedia Der Fuehrer's Face is available on DVD: Walt Disney Treasures: On The Front Lines

1941. Boxoffice Magazine 1941. Boxoffice Magazine 1941. Boxoffice Magazine Dumbo is a 1941 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released on October 23, 1941, by RKO Radio Pictures. The fourth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, Dumbo is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and illustrated by Harold Pearl for the prototype of a novelty toy ("Roll-a-Book").[1] The main character is Jumbo Jr., a semi-anthropomorphic elephant who is cruelly nicknamed "Dumbo". He is ridiculed for his big ears, but in fact he is capable of flying by using his ears as wings. Throughout most of the film, his only true friend, aside from his mother, is the mouse, Timothy — a relationship parodying the stereotypical animosity between mice and elephants. Dumbo was made to recoup the financial losses of Fantasia. It was a deliberate pursuit of simplicity and economy for the Disney studio, and at 64 minutes, it is one of Disney's shortest animated fe...

1941. Boxoffice Magazine 1941. Boxoffice Magazine The Reluctant Dragon is a 1941 American combined live action and animated film produced by Walt Disney, directed by Alfred Werker, and released by RKO Radio Pictures on June 20, 1941. Essentially a tour of the then-new Walt Disney Studios facility in Burbank, California, the film stars radio comedian Robert Benchley and many Disney staffers such as Ward Kimball, Fred Moore, Norman Ferguson, Clarence Nash, and Walt Disney, all as themselves. ~ Wikipedia Disney Animation Collection Volume 6: The Reluctant Dragon on DVD

While doing research for Project Movie House I came across these Disney movie ads from Boxoffice Magazine. February 1940 June 1949 November 1949 Boxoffice Magazine: The Vault