Directed by Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson
Written by Winston Hibler, Harry Reeves, Ken Anderson, Erdman Penner, Homer Brightman, Ted Sears, Joe Rinaldi, William Cottrell, Jesse Marsh, Art Scott, Bob Moore, and John Walbridge
Premiered May 27, 1948
75 minutes
Not Rated
Synopsis
A talking master of ceremonies mask (Buddy Clark) introduces a series of animated shorts set to different genres of music.
Before We Begin
If you remember anything from world history, you'll know that World War II ended in 1945. If you remember anything from my post on The Three Caballeros, you'll know that Disney spent the war years trying to stay afloat by packaging together pretty much whatever they had lying around and calling it a movie.
Melody Time, released in 1948, was the fifth of these package films. By then, Disney was getting back on its feet (and working on Cinderella.)
It's their second version of Fantasia with "contemporary" music, by the way. (Ah, how I love the confusion the random drawing brings!)
Mötley Müsings
• Master of Ceremonies mask makes us feel welcome!
• Segment #1 -- "Once Upon a Wintertime" sung by Frances Langford. This shows a nineteenth century couple going for a ride in two horse open sleigh and then ice skating. Danger ensues after a lover's quarrel causes the silly female to walk onto thin ice, putting herself in danger and forcing her man to come to her rescue. Meanwhile, a pair of bunnies emulate the couple.
• "Don't you kind of love December?" No! Winter sucks the big one!
• Bunny rabbits! Disney needs to do more films about bunnies! (Yeah, I know Zootopia just came out.)
• Skating in a hoop skirt is ridiculous.
• Both the menfolk get their women covered in snow. No apologies are given. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
• Gender studies classes would have a field day with this.
• The characters are named Joe and Jenny. #uselesstrivia
• Segment #2 -- "Bumble Boogie" performed by Freddy Martin and his Orchestra with Jack Fina on piano. This jazzy version of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" shows a bee in a surrealistic musical nightmare land where music notes and piano keys are out to get him.
• Short. Fun. Nonsensical. Why not?
• Segment #3 -- "The Legend of Johnny Appleseed" performed by Dennis Day. This is a highly fictionalized version of John Chapman, a pioneer who spent his life planting apple trees all over the frontier.
• This is probably the most pro religion Disney movie moment, at least in the DAFs. (I mean, is Hunchback really positive about religion?) Johnny thanks the Lord for his apple trees bearing good fruit, he has an angel, and of the three items he takes west, one is a Bible. Dude doesn't even wear shoes but he has a Bible.
• "Just think of all the things apples make."
• Sometimes I can't help myself with The Simpsons references.
• Bunnies!
• Oh. Oh my. It's nice to see the white settlers dancing and breaking bread with the Native Americans, but...
 |
| Oh my. |
• It's Chip and/or Dale!
• This is the perfect kind of story for a Disney short.
• "My husk!"
• I want some apple pie.
• Segment #4 -- "Little Toot" performed by the Andrews Sisters. An anthropomorphic child tugboat causes trouble for his father and is eventually banished to uncharted waters until he has the chance to prove himself.
• My dad worked on tugboats for awhile. #doxyfacts
• Apparently some people hate the Andrews Sisters because of the video game Fallout? Um, sorry?
• "Bad boy. Bad boy. SHAME. SHAME."
• But he saves the day.
• Segment #5 -- "Trees" performed by Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians. This musical rendition of Joyce Kilmer's poem about, you guessed it, gorgonzola, shows several lovely nature shots featuring, you guessed it, camembert.
• "Quite lovely."
"Yes, quite."
• They're definitely going for more naturalistic vs. cartoony with this one. Just beautiful.
• Hey, they're doing that cycle of the seasons thing I suggested during Fantasia!
• Segment #6 -- "Blame it on the Samba" performed by The Dinning Sisters and Ethel Smith. Gah. Here's Donald Duck and José Carioca feeling blue and are introduced by the samba by the Aracuan Bird.
• Enough with South America already! The war is over!
• I'm going to take this time to mention José Carioca is smoking his token cigar.
• Live action Ethel Smith playing the organ.
• So was the Aracuan Bird more popular than Panchito Pistoles?
• I am so annoyed right now.
• Segment #7 -- "Pecos Bill" performed by Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers. Another story from American folklore, this one is about a legendary cowboy raised by coyotes who does great feats until he falls in love with Slue-foot Sue.
• But first "Blue Shadows on the Trail" and scenes of the animated Old West.
• Wow. Western wear. So Roy Rogers, Trigger and company are gathered 'round the campfire with Disney's favorite live action child actors Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten (fresh from Song of the South) for some reason. Where are their parents? What is going on here?
• "Widowmaker?"
"That's a funny name!"
Is it?
• "Aw, shucks! A woman in the story!" The cry of the ten year old boy.
• "Homeless as a poker chip."
• This one's goofier than "Johnny Appleseed".
• So remember how I mentioned José's cigar? The bigwigs at Disney feared Pecos Bill's near constant cigarette would make the kiddies want to take a trip to Marlboro country just like their favorite package film hero, so they had it digitally removed for the VHS release.
• Painted Injuns stayed tho.
• Slue-foot Sue, Bill's gal, is wearing a frightfully short skirt for the nineteenth century. Her wearing jeans would be more acceptable not to mention more practical.
• Widowmaker ain't having it.
• I like her bustle.
• The treatment of women in this film is not too good. See, Sue wants to ride Widowmaker who bucks like hell and her bustle bounces her straight to the moon. Silly women and their fashion!
• One wonders why Disney didn't gather up all the tall tales of American folklore and make a package film with that unifying theme. John Henry! Paul Bunyan! Casey Jones! Calamity Jane! Etc.!
Final Thoughts
Well. Boy, that sure was Melody Time, wasn't it? Good parts, bad parts. A little of this, a little of that. I...I don't know what else to say.
Meh.
Favorite Character
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| Johnny's Angel |
Favorite Moment -- "Trees"
Favorite Song -- "Blue Shadows on the Trail"
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