Make Mine Music has been referred to as the “poor man’s Fantasia” because it really is the same concept with the caveat that the music would be considered “modern” at the time of its release. The creation of this film was in part due to America’s entrance into World War II. The moment America entered the war, the studio was no longer under the full control of Walt Disney. Walt was on good terms with the government, having completed a successful tour of Latin America and with the production and release of Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros. In short, he was able to continue with his main business – animation – while committing resources to the government.
The government consumed many resources including talent and manpower. It was impossible to create a streamlined picture with so many people working on other projects or contributing directly to the war effort. While Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros were designed to have separate segments yet tell a cohesive story, they are considered to be the first of the Package Films. Make Mine Music is a true package film in the sense that while music is the binding force, each segment has distinct styles, lengths, and stories that make the overall feature a bit clunky.
This feature was the premiere of some notable segments that became popular in their own right outside of the film. The most famous of these is Peter and the Wolf, followed by Casey at the Bat, Johnny Fedora & Alice Blue Bonnet, and Willie the Operatic Whale. With that said, here is my running commentary as I watched the film (and yes, I made liberal use of the pause button).
The Martins and the Coys
Ah, comedic gun play. The desire to remove this segment happened sometime after I turned fifteen or so, because once I started to watch this segment, it was really familiar. Meaning, I must have seen this in some context previously. The feud was started by Grandpa Coy (drunk) who decided to help himself to some eggs from the Martins’ hen house. They proceeded to scar the landscape and managed to wipe themselves out with the exception of Henry Coy and Grace Martin. Classic cartoon love ensues even with Grace’s silly pigtails and Henry’s giant feet.
As the introduction states, the accompanying music is sung by The King’s Men. I am not sure that they sang at the wedding reception or not, because the style is a bit of a break from the barbershop style quartet that was telling the story.
Oh, and good on Grace that she knows how to start the car and get on at the end of the festivities, comedic but empowering. The story concludes that the newly married couple fights just as well if not better than the Martins and the Coys did before. In short, sure it was a little thin on the plot (I mean, this is only a few minutes song), but enjoyable.
Removing this sequence because of comic gun play is still baffling to me, only because it seemed so brief to me. I think I would have been offended if Grace and Henry started actively shooting at each other on screen, but they didn’t. However, I am an adult watching this in an adult context, so I suppose that’s why it bothered me more about the edit than the guns.
Blue Bayou
Ah, this segment has a tie to Fantasia. I admit that I have not seen Make Mine Music before, but I knew that this segment was originally created and animated to Debussy’s Clare de Lune. Not wanting to waste the efforts of his animation team, the studio had a new piece of music commissioned to match the animation called a “Tone Poem” and performed by the Ken Darby Singers. I should watch this segment in comparison to the fully restored Clare de Lune sequence and see if they match shot for shot, or if the Blue Bayou segment was edited down.
There is some glorious use of the multiplane camera here and I admit that in a way, I am glad that the film was repurposed for use, even if the original music it was animated to was changed. As many of the Fantasia documentaries state, Walt Disney wanted to leave Fantasia in continuous release, changing segments, removing some, adding new ones.
All the Cats Join In
Hello, Benny Goodman and his Orchestra. I do have a soft spot for the swing sound.
I watched this and all I could think was that the hero appears just a little young for the babysitter sister to me. (By the way, whoa dog! She was a looker and they showed a little bit of her curves there in the changing sequence!) The ladies seem to be consistent in the story, yet the animators seem to be a little scattered when it came to the gentlemen. Some looked more like what I expected the teenagers of the era to look like. It’s a cute little glimpse of what a Friday night for the kids might have looked like.
This story also reminded me that my father-in-law back in his youth worked in a soda shop. I wonder if it really was all that buzz and carefree time relaxing? I’m sure not working there, but there has to be something said for being at the center of the action even if you’re working.
Without You
My age (or lack thereof) is going to show as I am going to wonder aloud and ask who Andy Russell is. (After using Google, I now know that he was a popular singer born to Mexican parents in Los Angeles in 1919. When the film was made, he was at the height of his popularity in the United States.)
There are no “characters” in this sequence as the opening starts with a long gaze outside and some of the abstract elements that were prevalent in the Toccata and Fugue sequence of Fantasia are revisited. Cathedral windows, beams of light, ripples and shadows dance over the ground. All of these elements, while pleasurable, succeed in doing what they ask you to do in the Fantasia film: stop and listen to the music.
Casey at the Bat
Oh, I’ve seen this. I’m not completely sure how but my first instinct is that it was shown as filler after television shows back in the day when the Disney Channel a.) had no commercials, b.) had no original programming, and c.) showed Disney cartoons. Now I do not want to call some of the other sequences in the film lesser, however, the production values on this sequence are higher. Without doing any research, my guess is that this was planned to be a short film release and was added to this film when completed. I have found nothing on the internet or otherwise to indicate that is the case, but I would not be surprised.
One thing that caught my eye was the unusual amount of detail and time spent on the opening segment of still images. Another thing that caught my attention was members of the band. My guess is that they are caricatures of the animation team that worked on the film. Oh, and the lyric that Casey was the Sinatra of 1902. (Frankie Sinatra!)
Two Silhouettes
This was sung by Dinah Shore and featured the technique of placing live actors (well, in this case, dancers) in an animated world. True to the song, they were silhouettes and the piece is a sweet and brief ode to love.
Peter and the Wolf
Oh, happy day! I think I’ll say that again. Oh, happy day!
Narrated by Winnie the Pooh! Er, I mean, Sterling Holloway. Sterling did quite a bit of voice work for the Disney Studios up until his retirement in the late seventies. Peter and the Wolf would be his second narrating gig after The Three Caballeros and fourth or so part for the studio. I haven’t seen this segment in years and Peter reminds me of my son. If Peter didn’t have that streak of blonde hair it very well could be my boy.
Just as with Casey at the Bat, it is obvious that the production values on this feature were high as well. The characters are consistent, delightful, and well rounded, especially considering that they do not speak or rather are spoken for by the instruments that they are assigned to. Out of the short features that came after the creation and release of Fantasia, this one is closest to the original concept of Fantasia; making classical music enjoyable and entertaining in an animated feature. In fact, it was released as a short feature with Fantasia when it was re-released in the late 1940’s.
(Peter! Don’t stand that way. Oh, don’t stand that way either.)
I forgot how overly cute this feature was. So cute, I found myself day dreaming if I could make that little red Russian suit for my son for Halloween. I also want to say that Ivan the Cat makes a brief appearance earlier in the film, drawn in the opening of the segment “All the Cats Join In”. I’m sure that was not intended but they look very similar.
After You’ve Gone
This abstract segment (well, representational abstractness that Disney liked) is the basis for the home video cover. This segment featured the Benny Goodman quartet. Animated instruments take the stage taking their dancing cues from the music.
There is also a, uh, well, creepy part of the segment where ladies’ fingers dance along a keyboard road. Just the fingers, like legs and a flowing skirt where the knuckles should be. There is nothing quite like some disembodied hands in a semi-abstract representation of music.
Johnny Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet
To my surprise, I have also seen this segment separately. I believe, much like the Casey at the Bat segment, most likely as filler or a standalone cartoon. Quickest internet search ever states that it was released as a short in 1954. The love of two hats will always prevail, even if their final meeting place is not the owners that acquired them. The story is told by the vocals of the Andrews Sisters.
The attention that is given to the inanimate objects as possible living beings is amazing. I would like to note that I always enjoy it when the Disney artists animate to the early 1900’s with the streetcars and detailed buildings, the horse-drawn transportation, and the small-town Americana they preserve from Walt’s childhood in the Midwest. This story really couldn’t be told in any other timeframe with much success. However, man, $23.94 was Alice’s price tag? Wow, was she made of gold? I mean, the cost of a stamp was only two cents in 1909.
The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met
I had never seen this segment before. I have to admit that upon learning that Nelson Eddy was every single voice in the feature, from the narration to the operatic performance of the Whale, was impressive. This segment was also released as a short in 1954. It really showcases the talent of Nelson Eddy in a way that doesn’t seem to be gloating or acting as a braggart. I’m not going to ruin the story for you, but the point is that no matter what, you should pursue what it is you love to do.
Overall, I enjoyed watching Make Mine Music and appreciate the time and talent that went into its creation. If the same thing had been done today, I believe that it would be a “straight to video” kind of feature. It doesn’t have the same professional flow that Fantasia does, nor do the segments have a sense of continuity that Fantasia or even Saludos Amigos have. It also is making me wonder if the next musical feature on the list (Melody Time) is similar in pacing and style.