About Fantasia

Fantasia, released in 1940, is a musical animation produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. It's a one-of-a-kind fusion of classical music and animated imagery.

Making / Production

Fantasia was a bold experiment and a gigantic undertaking for Disney. The production began in 1938 and took two years to finish. The film was presented in Fantasound, an early stereo sound system, and is notable for its use of abstract, impressionistic, and narrative visuals to interpret the music.

Actors

• Leopold Stokowski as Himself - Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra
• Deems Taylor as Himself - Narrative Introductions
• The Philadelphia Orchestra as Orchestra

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• At the time of its release, Fantasia was the most expensive animated film ever produced, with a budget of $2.28 million.
• The initial run of the movie was a commercial failure because of the expensive Fantasound system required for the projection of the film.
• It was the first commercial film shown in stereophonic sound.

Awards

In 1942, the film was honored with two Academy Honorary Awards. One award for the film's outstanding contribution to the advancement of the use of sound in motion pictures, and the other award for Leopold Stokowski and his contributions to the music in the film.

Quotes

• "Bach composed it as a sort of exercise, a demonstration of his ability to weave several melodies at one time." - Deems Taylor

Music, Soundtrack

• "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by Johann Sebastian Bach
• "The Nutcracker Suite" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
• "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Paul Dukas
• "Rite of Spring" by Igor Stravinsky
• "Pastoral Symphony" by Ludwig van Beethoven
• "Dance of the Hours" by Amilcare Ponchielli
• "Night on Bald Mountain" by Modest Mussorgsky
• "Ave Maria" by Franz Schubert