Fantasia (1940)

VHS CASE/ SIDE

Length of film:  124 Minutes

Rated: U

Genre: Animation, Family, Fantasy

Director: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe Jr., Norman Ferguson, David Hand, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen

Starring: Leopold Stokowski, Deems Taylor, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Walt Disney

IMDB Rank: 7.7 /10

Part 1 Time:  66 Minutes

Part 2 Time:  60 Minutes

***The film is clearly split into two parts as Deems Taylor announces that there will now be a 15 minute intermission.

Where does the first part end? The Philadelphia Orchestra leaves the stage followed by a title screen Fantasia.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “And now we’ll have a 15-minute intermission,” announces Deems Taylor.

First line of dialogue on the second part: After a brief 2 minute jam session, Deems Taylor appears introducing the second half. “Oh yeah; Before we get into the second half of the programme.” 

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, the first half concludes with the musical score of The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky. During the performance a live action sequence shows planet Earth’s formation and the first living creatures, and concludes with the reign as well as extinction of the dinosaurs.

Which part is better? Part one is far superior to the second half, as it really sets the tone for the film with musical compositions from many masterful composers, such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Igor Stravinsky. Also included in the first half is The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Fantasia’s most widely recognized live action scene, featuring Micky Moose.

Academy Awards: 1942- Honorary Award (Leopold Stokowski), Honorary Award (Walt Disney, William E. Garity, J.N.A. Hawkins)