Film and Radio Guide (Oct 1945-Jun 1946)

May, 1 946 FILM AND RADIO GUIDE 43 A Guide to the Appreciation of Walt Disney's "Make Mine Music" Reviews by Frederick H* Law and Carolyn Harrow MAKE MINE MUSIC. Walt Disney's color fantasies. RKO Radio. Recommended for oil. A kaleidoscopic melange of color, lines, and modernistic symbolism delights the eyes of all who see Walt Disney’s latest presentation, a series of ten musical cartoon acts, all of which carry humorous or poetic stories. Chief among these is “Peter and the Wolf,’’ in which a small boy with a popgun, accompanied by a small bird, a duck, and a cat, goes out in a Russian winter to hunt “a big, bad wolf.’’ Appropriate orchestral music symbolizes each character and accompanies each action of a Russian fable that will hold the rapt attention of every child — old or young. Then there is the cartoon exaggeration of the famous “Casey at the Bat,’’ now an American legend. “A Mountain Feud’’ tells a “Huckleberry Finn’’ story of two mountain clans whose battling became perpetuated, instead of being stopped, by the marriage of what we may call a mountain Capulet and a mountain Montague. The most original acts are those that tell the story of “The Singing Whale’’ and “Alice Bluebonnet and Johnny Fedora.” Certainly it took cartoon imagination to picture a whale standing on the stage of grand opera and singing to a delighted audience. The cinematic “figure of speech” implies that Nelson Eddy has a “whale of a voice.” To some persons the romantic narrative of the gentleman’s fe dora hat that fell in love, in a show window, with a lady’s Easter bonnet will prove most pleasing of all the vaudeville cartoon acts that form a kind of silly symphony of story, song, music, charming effects of line and color, and pleasing symbolism. Such tone poems as “The Bayou” and “Silhouettes” pleasingly unite many sense appeals. Not in the least intended to equal Snmv White and the Seven Dwarfs, Make Mine Music skilfully combines humor and artistic effects. F. H. LAW. Mrs. Harrow Present's the Woman's Viewpoint And now Walt Disney has given us a revue, which includes Nelson Eddy, Benny Goodman, and other famous favorites. In the matter of Technicolor, it surpasses anything so far achieved on the screen. Particularly in the number entitled “Tone Poem,” the color effects are most artistic, and in “Song in Blue” the design is ultra-modernistic and esthetic. Disney’s gift for comedy is shown to great advantage in his interpretation of “Casey at the Bat” and “The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met.” The latter number shows rich imagination when the whale is seen towering over the operatic audience. In “Peter the Wolf” the cat, bird, and duck are as lovable as any of the animals in Snow White. Of all the numbers, this one is the most instructive and enjoyable for the child. The impersonation of the instruments is charmingly explained, and the music is beautifully rendered. Of all wolves, this present creation of Disney’s is the most terrifying. But he is vanquished in the end, and Peter survives with his pals, the duck, the cat, and the bird, much to the relief of all in the audience. CAROLYN HARROW ★ ★ ★ SYNOPSES OF NOTABLE STORIES IN THE FILM "Peter and the Wolf" Narrated by Sterling Holloway This is a short musical cartoon, based on the Serge Prokofieff musical theme and characters. The opening scene is a forest in winter — deep snow, in Russia. There is a storm in the woods. The wind is howling and snow is blowing about. We see the footprints of the Wolf and then, in the shadows of the trees, we see his fearful form slinking in and out until we come suddenly face to face with him in a closeup. The scene shifts to a cottage in the distance. The camera trucks toward the house in a creeping movement. The door opens slowly and the boy, Peter, comes out. A huge hand yanks him back quickly; Grandfather administers a sound smack and admonishes him sternly to stay in the house, frightening him with a tale of the dangerous Wolf outside, and making a Wolf’s shadow on the wall with the aid (Continued on Page 46)