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Fantasia (1940)
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Overview
User Rating:
Directors:
Writers:
Joe Grant (story) &
Dick Huemer (story) ...
(more)
Release Date:
6 January 1942 (USA) more
Tagline:
Walt Disney's Technicolor FEATURE triumph more
Plot:
A collection of animated interpretations of great works of Western classical music. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
5 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(41 articles)
Time Out’s Top 50 Animated Movies of All Time Curated by Terry Gilliam
(From Slash Film. 7 October 2009, 9:20 PM, PDT)
Marge Champion Goes Back with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
(From MovieWeb. 5 October 2009, 2:27 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Fantastic more (125 total)
Cast
(in credits order) (verified as complete) | Leopold Stokowski | ... | Himself (Conductor, The Philadelphia Orchestra) |
| Deems Taylor | ... | Narrator (1940 original) |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Julietta Novis | ... | Soloist (segment "Ave Maria") (voice) |
 | Corey Burton | ... | Narrator: Deems Taylor overdubs (2000 restoration) (voice) (uncredited) |
 | Walt Disney | ... | Mickey Mouse (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (voice) (uncredited) |
| James MacDonald | ... | Percussionist (uncredited) |
| Paul J. Smith | ... | Violinist (uncredited) |
Directed by | |||
| James Algar | (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | ||
| Samuel Armstrong | (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "The Nutcracker Suite") | ||
| Ford Beebe | (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | ||
| Norman Ferguson | (segment "Dance of the Hours") (as Norm Ferguson) | ||
| Jim Handley | (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | ||
| T. Hee | (segment "Dance of the Hours") | ||
| Wilfred Jackson | (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | ||
| Hamilton Luske | (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | ||
| Bill Roberts | (segment "Rite of Spring") | ||
| Paul Satterfield | (segment "Rite of Spring") | ||
| Ben Sharpsteen | (uncredited) | ||
Writing credits | ||
| Joe Grant | (story direction) & | |
| Dick Huemer | (story direction) | |
| Lee Blair | (story development) (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor") & | |
| Elmer Plummer | (story development) (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor") & | |
| Phil Dike | (story development) (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor") | |
| Sylvia Moberly-Holland | (story development) (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") & | |
| Norman Wright | (story development) (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") & | |
| Albert Heath | (story development) (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") & | |
| Bianca Majolie | (story development) (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") & | |
| Graham Heid | (story development) (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") | |
| Perce Pearce | (story development) (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") & | |
| Carl Fallberg | (story development) (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | |
| William Martin | (story development and research) (segment "Rite of Spring") & | |
| Leo Thiele | (story development and research) (segment "Rite of Spring") & | |
| Robert Sterner | (story development and research) (segment "Rite of Spring") & | |
| John McLeish | (story development and research) (segment "Rite of Spring") (as John Fraser McLeish) | |
| Otto Englander | (story development) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") & | |
| Webb Smith | (story development) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") & | |
| Erdman Penner | (story development) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") & | |
| Joseph Sabo | (story development) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") & | |
| Bill Peet | (story development) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as Bill Peed) & | |
| Vernon Stallings | (story development) (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as George Stallings) | |
| Campbell Grant | (story development) (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") & | |
| Arthur Heinemann | (story development) (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") & | |
| Phil Dike | (story development) (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | |
Produced by | |||
| Walt Disney | .... | producer | |
| Ben Sharpsteen | .... | producer (uncredited) | |
Cinematography by | |||
| James Wong Howe | (uncredited) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| John Carnochan | (1990 restoration) | ||
Art Direction by | |||
| Ken Anderson | (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as Kenneth Anderson) | ||
| Bruce Bushman | (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") | ||
| Arthur Byram | (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") | ||
| Tom Codrick | (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | ||
| Robert Cormack | (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "The Nutcracker Suite") | ||
| Harold Doughty | (segment "Dance of the Hours") | ||
| Yale Gracey | (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | ||
| Hugh Hennesy | (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | ||
| John Hubley | (segment "Rite of Spring") | ||
| Dick Kelsey | (segment "Rite of Spring") | ||
| Gordon Legg | (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as J. Gordon Legg) | ||
| Kay Nielsen | (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | ||
| Lance Nolley | (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | ||
| Ernie Nordli | (segment "Dance of the Hours") (as Ernest Nordli) | ||
| Kendall O'Connor | (segment "Dance of the Hours") | ||
| Charles Payzant | (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | ||
| Curt Perkins | (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") (as Curtiss D. Perkins) | ||
| Charles Philippi | (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | ||
| Thor Putnam | (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | ||
| Herbert Ryman | (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | ||
| Zack Schwartz | (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | ||
| Terrell Stapp | (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | ||
| McLaren Stewart | (segment "Rite of Spring") | ||
| Al Zinnen | (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") | ||
Production Management | |||
| Ben Sharpsteen | .... | production supervisor | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Jack Bruner | .... | assistant director (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited) | |
| Mike Holoboff | .... | assistant director (uncredited) | |
Art Department | |||
| Wah Chang | .... | character maquettes (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| William E. Garity | .... | sound recordist | |
| J.N.A. Hawkins | .... | sound recordist | |
| Terry Porter | .... | sound restoration: 1990 restoration | |
| C.O. Slyfield | .... | sound recordist | |
| Alexander Rannie | .... | historian: Fantasound (1990 restoration) (uncredited) | |
Visual Effects by | |||
| Dan MacManus | .... | special animation effects (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") (as Daniel MacManus) | |
| Joshua Meador | .... | special animation effects (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | |
| Gail Papineau | .... | special camera effects (segments "Rite of Spring" and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | |
| Leonard Pickley | .... | special camera effects (segments "Rite of Spring" and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | |
| Miles E. Pike | .... | special animation effects (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | |
| John Reed | .... | special animation effects (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") (as John F. Reed) | |
| Edwin Aardal | .... | effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited) | |
| Tom Barnes | .... | effects animator (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") (uncredited) | |
| Jerome Brown | .... | effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited) | |
| Brad Case | .... | effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited) | |
| Nigel De Brulier | .... | animation model: Sorcerer (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited) | |
| Andy Engman | .... | effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited) | |
| Frank Follmer | .... | effects animator (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") (uncredited) | |
| Abra Grupp | .... | digital paint artist: restoration (uncredited) | |
| Dan MacManus | .... | effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited) | |
| John McManus | .... | effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited) | |
| Joshua Meador | .... | effects animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited) | |
| Sandy Strother | .... | effects animator (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") (uncredited) | |
| Cornett Wood | .... | effects animator (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") (uncredited) | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Max Morgan | .... | camera operator (uncredited) | |
Animation Department | |||
| Edwin Aardal | .... | animator (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "Rite of Spring") | |
| Dick Anthony | .... | background artist (segments "The Pastoral Symphony" and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") (as W. Richard Anthony) | |
| Art Babbitt | .... | animation supervisor (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Art Babbitt | .... | animator (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") | |
| Preston Blair | .... | animator (segments "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Dance of the Hours") | |
| James Bodrero | .... | character designer (segments "The Pastoral Symphony" and "Dance of the Hours") | |
| Jack Bradbury | .... | animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Paul Busch | .... | animator (segment "Rite of Spring") | |
| Jack Campbell | .... | animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Nino Carbe | .... | background artist (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "The Nutcracker Suite") | |
| Bob Carlson | .... | animator (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") (as Robert W. Carlson Jr.) | |
| Les Clark | .... | animator (segments "The Nutcracker Suite", "Dewdrop Fairies" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", Mickey Mouse) | |
| Claude Coats | .... | background artist (segments "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Charles Conner | .... | background artist (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| Merle Cox | .... | background artist (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | |
| Al Dempster | .... | background artist (segments "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Dance of the Hours") (as Albert Dempster) | |
| Ugo D'Orsi | .... | animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | |
| Phil Duncan | .... | animator (segment "Rite of Spring") | |
| Art Elliott | .... | animator (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| John Elliotte | .... | animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Norman Ferguson | .... | animation supervisor (segment "Dance of the Hours") (as Norm Ferguson) | |
| Roy Forkum | .... | background artist (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Hugh Fraser | .... | animator (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| Franklin Grundeen | .... | animator (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| Harry Hamsel | .... | animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Eric Hansen | .... | background artist (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | |
| John Hench | .... | background artist (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "The Nutcracker Suite") | |
| Ray Huffine | .... | background artist (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Earl Hurd | .... | character designer (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| Ollie Johnston | .... | animation supervisor (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as Oliver M. Johnston Jr.) | |
| Bill Justice | .... | animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Lynn Karp | .... | animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Walt Kelly | .... | animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Ward Kimball | .... | animation supervisor (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Paul B. Kossoff | .... | animator (segment "Rite of Spring") | |
| Ethel Kulsar | .... | background artist (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") | |
| Ethel Kulsar | .... | character designer (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") | |
| Eric Larson | .... | animation supervisor (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Ed Levitt | .... | background artist (segment "Rite of Spring") (as Edward Levitt) | |
| Ray Lockrem | .... | background artist (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | |
| Hicks Lokey | .... | animator (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| John Lounsbery | .... | animator (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| Ed Love | .... | animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (as Edward Love) | |
| Don Lusk | .... | animator (segments "The Nutcracker Suite" and "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Brice Mack | .... | background artist (segment "Rite of Spring") | |
| Dan MacManus | .... | animator (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor") (as Daniel MacManus) | |
| Murray McClellan | .... | animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| John McManus | .... | animator (segments "Rite of Spring" and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | |
| Joshua Meador | .... | animation supervisor (segment "Rite of Spring") | |
| Joshua Meador | .... | animator (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor") | |
| John P. Miller | .... | character designer (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Fred Moore | .... | animation supervisor (segments "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| James Moore | .... | animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Milt Neil | .... | animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Gerald Nevius | .... | background artist (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Lester Novros | .... | animator (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | |
| Art Palmer | .... | animator (segments "Toccata and Fugue D in Minor", "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Rite of Spring") | |
| Don Patterson | .... | animator (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | |
| Ray Patterson | .... | animator (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| Elmer Plummer | .... | character designer (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") | |
| Martin Provensen | .... | character designer (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| Wolfgang Reitherman | .... | animation supervisor (segment "Rite of Spring") | |
| Art Riley | .... | background artist (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as Arthur Riley) | |
| George Rowley | .... | animator (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | |
| Duke Russell | .... | character designer (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| William Shull | .... | animator (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") (as William N. Shull) | |
| Grant Simmons | .... | animator (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| Lorna S. Soderstrom | .... | character designer (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Stan Spohn | .... | background artist (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | |
| Joe Stahley | .... | background artist (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor") | |
| Ed Starr | .... | background artist (segment "Rite of Spring") | |
| Robert Stokes | .... | animator (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") | |
| Robert Storms | .... | background artist (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | |
| Howard Swift | .... | animator (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| Norman Tate | .... | animator (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| Riley Thomson | .... | animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (as Riley Thompson) | |
| Don Tobin | .... | animator (segment "Rite of Spring") | |
| Harvey Toombs | .... | animator (segment "Dance of the Hours") | |
| Don Towsley | .... | animation supervisor (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Bill Tytla | .... | animation supervisor (segments "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") (as Vladimir Tytla) | |
| John Walbridge | .... | character designer (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") | |
| Bernard Wolf | .... | animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") (as Berny Wolf) | |
| Cornett Wood | .... | animator (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | |
| Marvin Woodward | .... | animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | |
| Cy Young | .... | animator (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor", "The Nutcracker Suite" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | |
| Robert W. Youngquist | .... | animator (segment "The Pastoral Symphony") | |
| Xavier Atencio | .... | assistant animator (uncredited) | |
| Jack Dunham | .... | inbetween artist (uncredited) | |
| William T. Hurtz | .... | animation assistant (uncredited) | |
| Bill Melendez | .... | assistant animator (uncredited) | |
| Paul Murry | .... | animator (uncredited) | |
| Paul Murry | .... | inbetween artist (uncredited) | |
| Retta Scott | .... | animator (uncredited) | |
| David Swift | .... | animator (uncredited) | |
| Frank Thomas | .... | animator (uncredited) | |
| Bob Wickersham | .... | animator (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (uncredited) | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Bill Wilner | .... | assistant editor (1990 restoration) (uncredited) | |
Music Department | |||
| Stephen Csillag | .... | musical film editor | |
| Charles Henderson | .... | choral director (segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria") | |
| Irwin Kostal | .... | conductor (1982 rerecording) | |
| Shawn Murphy | .... | score mixer: 1982 rerecording | |
| Edward H. Plumb | .... | musical director | |
| James MacDonald | .... | musician: percussion (uncredited) | |
| Paul J. Smith | .... | musician: violin (uncredited) | |
| Leopold Stokowski | .... | orchestrator (segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria", also parts of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", "Rite of Spring" and "Dance of the Hours") (uncredited) | |
| Deems Taylor | .... | musical advisor (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| Leon Briggs | .... | technical manager (1990 restoration) | |
| Pete Comandini | .... | color restoration (1990 restoration) | |
| Richard Dayton | .... | color restoration (1990 restoration) | |
| Jules Engel | .... | choreographer (segment "The Nutcracker Suite") | |
| Don Hagens | .... | color restoration (1990 restoration) | |
| Marge Champion | .... | movement model (uncredited) | |
| Oskar Fischinger | .... | concept (segment "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor") (uncredited) | |
Production CompaniesDistributors
- Walt Disney Productions (1940) (USA) (theatrical) (1940 roadshow release)
- RKO Radio Pictures (1941-1953) (USA) (theatrical) (1941 roadshow release and regular wide release)
- Daiei Motion Picture Company (1955) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Apurock (????) (Japan) (DVD)
- Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
- Buena Vista Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
- Buena Vista Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
- Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2000) (Japan) (DVD)
- Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
- Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
- Buena Vista Pictures (re-releases)
- Cosmo Coordinate (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
- DHV (1991) (Japan) (VHS)
- GP Museum Soft (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
- Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
- Orustak Pictures (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
- Walt Disney Home Video (video)
- RCA Corporation sound recording
- The Philadelphia Orchestra music performed by
- Walt Disney Records soundtrack (1990-re-mastered edition) (uncredited)
- Westminster Choir of Westminster Choir College choir (segment "Ave Maria")
- YCM Labs film restoration: 1990
Additional Details
Also Known As:
The Concert Feature (USA) (working title)
Walt Disney's Fantasia (USA) (poster title)
more
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
120 min | USA:124 min (restored roadshow version) | USA:125 min (original release) | USA:80 min (cut version)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (1956 re-release) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints) (re-release) | Fantasound (original release) | Mono (1941 roadshow screenings) | Mono (1947 re-release)
Certification:
Australia:G | USA:Approved (PCA #5920) | South Korea:All | Portugal:M/12 | USA:G (re-rating) (1969) | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:Atp | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-10 | Germany:6 | Peru:PT | Sweden:11 (re-release) | Sweden:15 | UK:U | Brazil:Livre
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The 1947 re-release was distributed with Peter and the Wolf (1946), which was originally a segment in Make Mine Music (1946), shown as a featurette, much the way the first two or three Disney "Winnie the Pooh" shorts were shown before the main feature in theaters. This was the closest Walt Disney ever got to continuously updating Fantasia with new segments, although the "Peter and the Wolf" cartoon was not actually incorporated into "Fantasia." more
Goofs:
Miscellaneous: The dancing ostriches in "Dance of the Hours" are portrayed as females, but it is only the male ostrich that is black and white. The females are grey brown. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Narrator:
How do you do? My name is Deems Taylor, and it's my very pleasant duty to welcome you here on behalf of Walt Disney, Leopold Stokowski, and all the other artists and musicians whose combined talents went into the creation of this new form of entertainment...
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Disneyland: Tricks of Our Trade (#3.16)" (1957) more
Soundtrack:
Dance of the Hours more
FAQ
How many different versions of Fantasia are there?more
more (125 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Fantasia (1940) moreRecommendations
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There cannot be one verdict on "Fantasia". There must be eight: one for each of the seven segments, and an eighth for the film as a whole - for, varied though the seven segments are, they undeniably belong together. And, alas, space does not permit me to lay out all eight verdicts. I shall have to confine myself to details representative of the whole. At any rate, I shall try.
We learn the modus operandi of "Fantasia", the linking theme, in the second segment - an abridged version of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" suite. (Missing are the overture and the march.) Tchaikovsky's ballet involves anthropomorphising inanimate things, plus the odd tiny animal. So does Disney's "Nutcracker". But Disney has thrown out the particular details. The Chinese Dance is danced by mushrooms (who look, but are not, Chinese); the Arabian Dance by "Arabian" goldfish; the Russian dance by "Russian" thistles and orchids. Sometimes it goes further: "Waltz of the Flowers" shows two entire changes of seasons, with leaves, fairies, seed pods, seeds, snowflakes - everything but flowers. But in ignoring the letter of the instructions Disney is perfectly true to the spirit. Indeed he is more true to the spirit than the original ballet - for, let's face it: stage ballet is a degenerate and over-formalised art, which makes some of the world's most exciting music dull as wallpaper. Disney's amazing images express Tchaikovsky's sense of motion more than earthbound dancers ever could. This, one feels, is the kind of thing ballet music was TRULY designed for. The same goes to a lesser extent for the other two pieces of ballet music on the program.
This basic device - ignoring explicit instructions, but remaining true to the spirit - is carried through into every segment. (Some segments are better than others, but none can be called a failure.) Dukas's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" has been turned into a Mickey Mouse cartoon - but it's the best Mickey Mouse cartoon ever made; and we realise that the story of the Sorcerer's Apprentice is really the archetype that all of the best Mickey Mouse cartoons had been reaching towards, all along. The Pastoral Symphony adheres to Beethoven's program but moves everything from the woods of Central Europe to a dreamland from classical mythology. (The second movement - the section with the courting centaurs - is a failure. For once the spirit as well as the letter of Beethoven is ignored. Unfortunately some critics cannot see beyond this movement to the superb interpretations that flank it on either side.)
I doubt that so much genuine creative work has gone into a film, before or since - even if you don't count the contributions made by the composers. What's my favourite film? I really don't know. But if you tell me that I must sit in a large dark cinema for two hours; and ask me what I would like to occupy my eyes and ears over those two hours, I would answer, without hesitation, Fantasia.