It’s Film Strip Friday!
Melody Time
Release Date May 28th, 1948
SYNOPSIS:
This collection features seven classic stories, each enhanced with high-spirited music and unforgettable characters! Donald Duck puts on a display of jazzy antics as the star of "Blame It on the Samba." Music becomes a real adventure for a busy bumble bee in "Bumble Boogie." From the mischievous young tugboat in "Little Toot," to the heroes of legend and myth in "Johnny Appleseed" and "Pecos Bill," this feast for the eyes and ears entertains with wit and charm.
FUN FACTS:
Melody time is the tenth animated movie in the Disney animated features canon, produced by Walt Disney and first released to theatres by RKO Radio Picctures on May 27, 1948. Melody Time was first released on home video on June 2, 1998, under the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection title. Its next and so far last, release was on June 6, 2000 on DVD under the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection title.
Film Segments:
Melody Time has seven segments:
Once Upon a Wintertime
This segment features Frances Langford singing the title song about two romantic young lovers in December. The boy shows off on the ice for his girl, and near-tragedy and a timely rescue ensues. Like several other segments of these package films, Once Upon a Wintertime was later released theatrically as an individual short, in this case on September 17, 1954. This short is also featured in Very Merry Christmas Songs. which is part of Disney Sing Along Songs, as a background movie for the song Jingle Bells.
Bumble Boogie
This segment presents a surrealistic nightmare for a solitary bumble bee as he tries to escape from a visual and musical frenzy. The music is courtesy of Freddy martin and his orchestra (with Jack Fina playing the piano) and is a swing-jazz variation of Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee, which was one of the many pieces considered for inclusion in Fantasia.
The Legend of Johnny Appleseed
This segment is a retelling of the story of John Chapman, who spent most of his life roaming Mid-Western America (mainly Illinois and Indiana) in the pioneer days, and planting apple trees, thus earning his famous nickname. Dennis Day narrates and provides all the voices, except for the angel, who is voiced by Dallas McKennon (uncredited). This segment was released independently on December 25, 1955 as just Johnny Appleseed.
Little Toot
This segment is based on the story also titled Little Toot by Hardie Gamatky, in which the title protagonist, a small tugboat, wanted to be just like his father Big Toot, but couldn't seem to stay out of trouble. The Andrews sisters provide the vocals.
Trees
This segment is a recitation of the famous Alfred Joyce Kilmer poem by Fred waring and the Pennsylvanians with the lyrical setting seen through the seasons.
Blame It on the Samba
This segment has Donald Duck and Jose Carioca meeting with the Aracuan Bird, who introduces them to the pleasures of the samba. The accompanying music is the 1914 polka Apanhei-te, Cavaquinho by Ernesto Nazareth, fitted with English lyrics. The Dinning Sisters provide the vocals while organist Ethel Smith plays the organ.
Pecos Bill
The film's final segment is about Texas’ famous hero, the biggest and best cowboy that ever lived. It also features his horse Widowmaker, and recounts how Pecos was brought back down to earth by a woman named Slue-Foot Sue. This retelling of the story features Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan, and the Sons of the Pioneers to Bobby Driscoll and Luna Patten. This segment was later edited on the film's NTSC video release (but not the PAL release) to remove all scenes of Bill smoking a cigarette. The entire scene with Bill rolling the smoke and lighting it with a lightning bolt was cut and all other shots of the offending cigarette hanging from his lips were digitally removed.
Cast
· Roy Rogers - Himself; Narrator; Singer (Pecos Bill)
· Trigger, the Smartest Horse in the Movies - Himself
· Dennis Day - Narrator; Singer; Characters (Johnny Appleseed)
· The Andrews Sisters - Singers (Little Toot)
· Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians - Singers (Trees)
· Freddy Martin - Music composer (Bumble Boogie)
· Ethel Smith - Organist (Blame It On the Samba)
· Frances Langford - Singer (Once Upon a Wintertime)
· Buddy Clark - Singer; Narrator
· Bob Nolan - Himself; Singer; Narrator (Pecos Bill)
· Sons of the Pioneers - Themselves; Singers; Narrators (Pecos Bill)
· The Dinning Sisters - Singers (Blame It On the Samba)
· Bobby Driscoll - Himself (Pecos Bill)
· Luna Patten - Herself (Pecos Bill)
· Dullas McKennon - Himself; Narrator; Character (Johnny Appleseed)
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