The Three Caballeros (1944)

Director:

Norman Ferguson

Writers:

Homer Brightman (story) &
Ernest Terrazas (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 February 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Music

Tagline:

UTTERLY FASCINATING! ENTIRELY DIFFERENT! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Donald receives his birthday gifts, which include traditional gifts and information about Brazil (hosted by Zé Carioca) and Mexico (by Panchito, a Mexican Charro Rooster).

Plot Keywords:

Brazil | Bird | Birthday | Mexico | Gaucho

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Aurora Miranda	...	The Brazilian Girl (as Aurora Miranda of Brazil)
Carmen Molina	...	Mexico Girl (as Carmen Molina of Mexico)
Dora Luz	...	Mexico Girl (as Dora Luz of Mexico)
Sterling Holloway	...	Narrator for 'The Cold-Blooded Penguin' / Professor Holloway
Clarence Nash	...	Donald Duck (voice)
Joaquin Garay	...	Panchito (voice)
José Oliveira	...	José Carioca / Zé Carioca (voice)
Frank Graham	...	Narrator
Fred Shields	...	Narrator
Nestor Amaral
Almirante
Trío Calaveras		(as Trio Calaveras)
Trío Ascencio del Río		(as Ascencio Del Rio Trio)
Padua Hills Players	...	Actors
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pinto Colvig	...	Aracuan Bird (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Ferguson

Writing credits
Homer Brightman		(story) &
Ernest Terrazas		(story) &
Ted Sears		(story) &
Bill Peet		(story) (as Bill Peed) &
Ralph Wright		(story) &
Elmer Plummer		(story) &
Roy Williams		(story) &
William Cottrell		(story) &
Del Connell		(story) &
James Bodrero		(story)

Production Management
Norman Ferguson	....	production supervisor
Daniel Keefe	....	production manager: live action sequences (as Dan Keefe)
Larry Lansburgh	....	assistant production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Holoboff	....	assistant sequence director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ken Anderson	....	art supervisor (as Kenneth Anderson)
Mary Blair	....	art supervisor
Robert Cormack	....	art supervisor
Richard Irvine	....	art director: live action sequences (as Richard F. Irvine)

Sound Department
C.O. Slyfield	....	sound recordist: live action sequences

Visual Effects by
Edwin Aardal	....	special effects animator
Ub Iwerks	....	process effects: live action sequences
Richard Jones	....	process technician: live action sequences
John McManus	....	special effects animator
Joshua Meador	....	special effects animator (as Josh Meador)
George Rowley	....	special effects animator

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Rennahan	....	photographed by: live action sequences

Animation Department
Bob Carlson	....	animator
Les Clark	....	animator
Claude Coats	....	background artist
Don DaGradi	....	layout artist (as Donald Da Gradi)
Al Dempster	....	background artist (as Albert Dempster)
Don Douglass	....	background artist
Yale Gracey	....	layout artist
John Hench	....	layout artist
Hugh Hennesy	....	layout artist
Ray Huffine	....	background artist
Ollie Johnston	....	animator
Bill Justice	....	animator
Milt Kahl	....	animator (as Milton Kahl)
Ward Kimball	....	animator
Hal King	....	animator
Eric Larson	....	animator
John Lounsbery	....	animator
Fred Moore	....	animator
Milt Neil	....	animator
Don Patterson	....	animator
Charles Philippi	....	layout artist
Art Riley	....	background artist
Herbert Ryman	....	layout artist
John Sibley	....	animator
McLaren Stewart	....	layout artist
Frank Thomas	....	animator (as Franklin Thomas)
Harvey Toombs	....	animator
Marvin Woodward	....	animator
Fred Kopietz	....	animator (uncredited)
Paul Murry	....	animator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Phil Dike	....	color consultant: live action sequences
Donald Halliday	....	editor: live action sequences (as Don Halliday)

Music Department
Edward H. Plumb	....	music director (as Edward Plumb)
Paul J. Smith	....	music director
Charles Wolcott	....	music director

Other crew
John Cutting	....	supervisor: Brazilian and Spanish
Billy Daniel	....	choreographer: live action sequences (as Billy Daniels)
Aloysio De Oliveira	....	associate supervisor: Brazilian and Spanish (as Aloysio Oliveira)
Walt Disney	....	presenter
Sidney Field	....	associate supervisor: Brazilian and Spanish
Clyde Geronimi	....	sequence director
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director: live action sequences
Jack Kinney	....	sequence director
Carmelita Maracci	....	choreographer: live action sequnces
Morgan Padelford	....	associate technicolor color director
Gail Papineau	....	technical advisor: live action sequences
Bill Roberts	....	sequence director
Edmundo Santos	....	associate supervisor: Brazilian and Spanish
Gilberto Souto	....	associate supervisor: Brazilian and Spanish
Harold Young	....	director: (Patzcuaro Veracruz Acapulco live action sequences)

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Pictures (uncredited)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1944) (USA) (theatrical)
• Daiei Motion Picture Company (1959) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2001) (Spain) (DVD)
• Kingdom (2006) (Japan) (DVD)

Runtime:

69 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Portuguese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1976) | UK:U | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

This movie and Saludos Amigos (1942) were created by Disney in order to improve the United States of America's relations with South American countries during World War II.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: During the flying zarape ride, Panchito tells Donald and Joe about the town of Patzcuaro and its lake Janitzio. Actually the lake is also named Patzcuaro; Janitzio is the main island in the lake.

Quotes:

[Donald is about to watch a movie on rare birds, one of his birthday presents]
Narrator: [on movie] Aves raras.
Donald Duck: Aves raras?
Narrator: Si, senor. That means "strange birds".
Donald Duck: Oh, sure, sure! I know! Birds!
[he forms his hands together and flaps them like the wings of a bird]
Narrator: Yes, amigo, your feathered cousins. You know, Donald, you have more relatives than there are coffee beans in Brazil.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Disney Sing-Along-Songs: Heigh-Ho (1987) (V)

Soundtrack:

You Belong To My Heart

A journey to Latin America

The 7th animated Disney classic is clearly not one of Disney's best works. Nevertheless, it is one of their most different. I guess I can say that this movie has something to offer.

This must have been the very first movie that combines live-action with animation... or at least one of the first movies to do so. This combination works out reasonably, but some movies are more successful in this "marriage": for example, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", "Pete's Dragon", "Mary Poppins" and the documentary "Man, Monsters and Mysteries". As much as this is true, it isn't any less true that this combination in "The Three Caballeros" works out clearly better than in "Space Jam", for example.

Without being a super movie and despite the fact that this movie doesn't age as well as most Disney animated classics ("Pinocchio", "Fantasia", "Bambi", "The Aristocats", "Robin Hood", "The Rescuers", "The Fox and the Hound", "The Little Mermaid", among many others...), it is however a curious and peculiar little film.

The most interesting thing about this movie is that it takes us through Latin America, mostly Brazil and Mexico.

The story takes place on Donald Duck's birthday and he receives lots of presents: shorts about tropical Latin America, different kinds of birds, etc... and he's joined by José Carioca aka Zé Carioca (the green parrot) and later by Panchito Pistoles (the pistol-packing red rooster). José Carioca represents Brazil and takes Donald Duck to Baía, while Panchito represents Mexico and takes both Donald Duck and Zé Carioca to Mexico.

During its last 15 minutes more or less, the movie gets gradually less interesting, becoming somewhat empty and lame, with things that don't make much sense to me.

By the way, this movie has some fabulous artwork. The "three caballeros" are very well designed (Donald Duck is very well drawn now) and the artwork of Latin America is spectacular. For example, Baía is very beautifully drawn, with gorgeous sunset, life, great monuments and a romantic atmosphere at the sound of a beautiful song with the same name as the city/village.

There's also some great voice actors: the inimitable Clarence Nash as Donald Duck, José Oliveira as José Carioca and Joaquin Garay as Panchito. Just for the record, Joaquin Garay is the father of Joaquin Garay III (Paco from "Herbie Goes Bananas").