Disney at the Movies – Day 7
- Cartoon Shorts TheBig Bad Wolf and Mickey’s Parrot
- Main Feature The Three Caballeros
- Live Action The Sign of Zorro
The Disney Studio continued its celebration of Latin American culture with The Three Caballeros. While it’s similar to Saludos Amigos, it is substantially longer, includes more animation, and showcases several exotic birds. Donald Duck is the star and Jose Carioca returns as Donald’s cultural ambassador. There is a terrific dance sequence between Aurora Miranda (yes, Carmen’s sister) and Donald Duck. Disney historian Dave Smith notes this is the Studio’s first venture with combining live action with animated films since the Alice films from the 1920’s. This effect had significantly developed in two decades. While not one of the most beloved animated films, nor one of the most artistically significant, The Three Caballeros is colorful, lively and fun, and enjoyed a profound boost to its brand in 2010 when it was thematically incorporated in the Mexican boat ride in EPCOT’S World Showcase.
Our Silly Symphony selection is The Big Bad Wolf. Capitalizing on the success of The Three Little Pigs, Disney continued the story with three more cartoons. This installment introduces Little Red Riding Hood into the mix. We’ll continue the saga in chronological order and hope that the Pigs and Little Red will continue to outwit the Big Bad Wolf.
The next short will be Mickey’s Parrot. We chose this cartoon because the Parrot reminds us of Jose Carioca, one of the stars of today’s feature. This delightful cartoon features Mickey, Pluto and a Parrot who mimics the voice of a dangerous killer who is on the loose. No danger here, only laughs.
We’ll end the evening with The Sign of Zorro. This 1960 release is nominally repackaged episodes from the television show Zorro. No matter, it was released as a feature film in the United States in 1960, and fits in perfectly with today’s theme. Set in Southern California during the time of 19th century Spanish rule, it is full of action, adventure and Latin American culture showcased in today’s main feature. The story is familiar to Disney enthusiasts — a skilled nobleman dons a mask and costume to fight corruption incognito — but it is one that the Disney Studios executes exceedingly well.
The corn is popped, and we are ready to embark on Day 7 of Disney at the Movies. Hope you enjoy this! #sillysymphony #disneymovienight #mickeymouse #who’safraidofthebigbadwolf #thethreelittlepigs #thethreecaballeros #zorro
Sources:
Disney A to Z The Official Encyclopedia Fourth Edition Dave Smith c. 2015 Disney Editions
The Disney Films Leonard Maltin c. 1978 Popular Library
c.Martin Blanco, Kathryn Blanco, and Disney at Home May 21, 2020
Disney at Home 