Walt Disney Studios has always had a knack for combining classic stories with high-spirited music and unforgettable characters. Following the success of Fantasia, Disney continued their foray into the world of technicolor musicals with the release of Melody Time.
Released to theaters by RKO Radio Pictures on May 27, 1948, Melody Time is the tenth theatrically released animated feature produced by Walt Disney. It is also the fifth Disney package film following Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, and Fun and Fancy Free. Similar to Fantasia, Melody Time takes classic stories and turns them into mini-musicals. The musical stories featured on this film includes Once Upon a Wintertime, Bumble Boogie, The Legend of Johnny Appleseed, Little Toot, Trees, Blame It on the Samba, and Pecos Bill.
In Once Upon a Wintertime, Frances Langford sings the title song about two romantic young lovers in December. This short was later featured in Very Merry Christmas Songs, part of Disney Sing Along Songs, as a background movie for the song “Jingle Bells.” Bumble Boogie presents a surrealistic battle for a solitary bumble bee, set to a variation of “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Freddy Martin And His Orchestra. Dennis Day narrates the following segment, retelling the story of John Chapman better known as Johnny Appleseed. Based on the story of “Little Toot” by Hardie Gramatky, this short follows a small tugboat who wants be like his father Big Toot.
Trees is a recitation of the Joyce Kilmer’s 1913 poem with music by Oscar Rasbach performed by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians. Donald Duck and José Carioca star in Blame it on the Samba, which sees the pair introduced to the pleasures of Brazilian dancing by the Aracuan Bird. The final segment centers around Texas’ famous hero Pecos Bill. This retelling features Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan, Trigger, the Sons of the Pioneers, Bobby Driscoll, and Luana Patten, all live-acted.
Although the feature received mixed reviews by critics, the segments were later released as shorts and went on to receive huge popularity upon individual release. Even after 75-plus years, Melody Time is remembered as one of Disney’s most beautifully designed and scored features.
