Fantasia: Disney's Revolutionary Symphony of Sound and Animation

On October 23, 1940, the iconic animated film "Fantasia" premiered at the Broadway Theatre in New York City. This groundbreaking movie, produced by Walt Disney Productions, was the third feature-length animated film in history and the first to be produced in stereophonic sound.

"Fantasia" is a unique blend of classical music and imaginative animation, featuring eight segments set to pieces performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski. The film's most famous segment, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," stars Mickey Mouse as an aspiring magician who attempts to use his master's powers to control an army of enchanted brooms, ultimately leading to chaos.

Other memorable segments include "The Nutcracker Suite," which features dancing mushrooms, flowers, and fairies; "Dance of the Hours," a comedic ballet performed by ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators; and "Night on Bald Mountain," a dark and ominous piece depicting a demonic figure summoning evil spirits, which transitions into the serene "Ave Maria."

The film's innovative use of animation and music was a departure from Disney's previous works, and it initially received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised its artistic ambition, while others found it too abstract and lacking in narrative structure. Despite this, "Fantasia" has since been recognized as a milestone in animation history and a testament to Walt Disney's creative vision.

The film's production was an ambitious undertaking, involving over 1,000 artists, animators, and technicians. It pioneered new techniques in animation, such as the use of multiple layers of cels to create depth and the synchronization of animation with pre-recorded music. The soundtrack was also a technological feat, as it marked the first use of stereophonic sound in a film.

Over the years, "Fantasia" has been re-released several times, often with updated soundtracks and restored visuals. In 1999, Disney released "Fantasia 2000," a sequel featuring seven new segments set to classical music, along with a re-mastered version of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice."

Today, "Fantasia" is regarded as a classic in the world of animation and a testament to the power of combining music and visuals to create a truly immersive and enchanting experience. Its influence can be seen in countless animated films, music videos, and live performances, cementing its place in cinema history.


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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to this moment in film history, and let's get
rolling and find out what happened in film. On October
twenty third, nineteen forty, the iconic animated film Fantasia premiered
at the Broadway Theater in New York City. This groundbreaking movie,
produced by Walt Disney Productions, was the third feature length

(00:21):
animated film in history, and the first to be produced
in stereophonic sound. Fantasia is a unique blend of classical
music and imaginative animation, featuring eight segments set to pieces
performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski. The
film's most famous segment, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, stars Mickey Mouse

(00:44):
as an aspiring magician who attempts to use his master's
powers to control an army of enchanted brooms, ultimately leading
to chaos. Other memorable segments include the Nutcracker Suite, which
features dancing mushrooms, flowers and fairies, Dance of the Hours,
a comedic bellt performed by ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators,

(01:08):
and Night on Bold Mountain, a dark and ominous piece
depicting a demonic figure summoning evil spirits, which transitions into
the serene Ave Maria. The film's innovative use of animation
and music was a departure from Disney's previous works, and
it initially received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised its

(01:31):
artistic ambition, while others found it too abstract and lacking
in narrative structure. Despite this, Fantasia has since been recognized
as a milestone in animation history and a testament to
Walt Disney's creative vision. The film's production was an ambitious undertaking,
involving over one thousand artists, animators, and technicians. It pioneered

(01:53):
new techniques in animation, such as the use of multiple
layers of cells to create depth and the synchronization of
animation with pre recorded music. The soundtrack was also a
technological feat, as it marked the first use of stereophonic
sound in a film. Over the years, Fantasia has been
re released several times, often with updated soundtracks and restored visuals.

(02:15):
In nineteen ninety nine, Disney released Fantasa two thousand, a
sequel featuring seven new segments set to classical music, along
with a remastered version of the Sorcerer's Apprentice to day.
Fantasia is regarded as a classic in the world of
animation and a testament to the power of combining music
and visuals to create a truly immersive and chanting experience.

(02:39):
Its influence can be seen in countless animated films, music videos,
and live performances, cementing its place in cinema history. And
that is cut for this day in film history. This
has been a Quiet Please production. For more check out
Quiet Please Dot A. I thank you for listening.