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The 1941 Walt Disney Animators Strike

The Walt Disney Corporation has such a good family-friendly image.  It really styles itself as an ideal place to work.  We can only imagine that things were even better in Disney’s golden era, when the man himself was still running things.  But that wasn’t always the case; in fact, in 1941 hundreds of Disney animators went on strike. The Business Insider has some fantastic photographs of and other images from the strike, and of the materials the strikers were circulating.  But it’s a bit lacking on the specific details of why animators would go on strike, especially so soon after … Continue reading →

The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)

Zzzzz……… Zzzzzz………… Oh, I’m sorry. How embarrassing! I must have fallen asleep. But then, that’s what this movie will do to you. “The Secret of Roan Inish” is the PG-rated story of a ten-year-old girl named Fiona whose mother has recently died. Her father isn’t able to take proper care of her and her older brothers are all working long hours to keep the rest of the family afloat, so Fiona is sent to the small fishing village of Donegal, Ireland, to live with her grandparents. Upon her arrival, she starts hearing tales of her ancestors, all true Irishmen and … Continue reading →

Anchors Aweigh (1945)

“Anchors Aweigh” is a charming film. When Clarence Doolittle (Frank Sinatra) and Joseph Brady (Gene Kelly), members of the gun crew on a Navy submarine, take heroic action in the face of danger, they are awarded the Silver Cross and given three days of leave on shore in California. They immediately head to Hollywood, where Lola, one of Joe’s many girlfriends, is waiting for him. However, he’s not fated to meet up with Lola—he keeps getting sidetracked. First, there’s Clarence, who has never had a girlfriend and badly wants Joe to teach him how to get one. Clarence is a … Continue reading →

Disney’s 10 Best Non-Animated Features

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We’ve talked about the best animated features, but Disney makes non-animated features as well. Some are great, some are classics and some are just films that could have been so much more. We’ll talk about the bad movies later, but for now, let’s look at my top ten picks for best non-animated features. 10. Rocketeer (1991). In this utterly charming, live action pulp comic, Bill Campbell plays a young Cliff Secord, a pilot who stumbles over a rocket pack and uses it to stop the Nazis. Sure, it’s pure cheese, but it’s sharp cheese. 9. Sky High (2005). Heroes are … Continue reading →

Strike Up the Band (1940)

I would be a neglectful movie reviewer indeed if I thought I could discuss classic movies without giving a nod to the team of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. Arguably the most famous teenaged duo of Hollywood history, these two teamed up for several films that were loved by the younger set and the older set as well. “Strike Up the Band” stars Rooney as Jimmy Connors, a young man who plays the drums in his high school band. He wants to have his own orchestra someday and play for dances at clubs, but his mother has her heart set … Continue reading →

Long Movies—Love Them Or Leave Them?

Quite honestly I can’t remember the last time I paid money to see a movie (in a theater) that wasn’t animated. My two-year-old daughter is the official movie selector in our home and frankly, I have no complaints about her choices. I have always had a hard time sitting through long movies. I get antsy. Seriously, I fidget so much it becomes annoying to the person seated next to me. Which is why kid-friendly animated films–that last about 80 minutes–are perfect for me. Recently, I learned that I might not be the only one who struggles to sit through long … Continue reading →

Saludos Amigos (1943)

During World War II, Disney made two films as part of the Good Neighbor policy with South America. One was “The Three Caballeros,” also reviewed here on Families.com, but before that came “Saludos Amigos.” Our film begins with some artists from the studio boarding a plane for South America. The narrator tells us that they are going in search of new and exciting material for their artwork, and we see live action shots of the peoples of the various countries as well as the cartoonists’ renditions of what they see. Donald Duck appears to take us on a tour of … Continue reading →

Mickey Mouse is Back: New Shorts to Air on TV

Mickey Mouse is back.  Whether this is the reinvention that Disney execs promised years ago remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Disney’s most famous character is going to be a star yet again.  Mickey’s returning to his roots, in a series of animated shorts to debut on the Disney Channel and Disney Online this June.  Entertainment Weekly has the details. Disney Television Animation has been hard at work creating 19 new shorts starring the famous mouse, his girlfriend Minnie, and surely many of his other most popular cohorts, all to reintroduce Mickey to fans young and old.  … Continue reading →

Happy Hobbit Day!

Fans of Tolkien celebrate September 22 as the birthday of two of his most famous characters. By “Shire Reckoning”, both Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins would be celebrating their birthdays today. Hobbit Day has been celebrated for around thirty years now. Here is a brief look into the Baggins family tree. J.R.R. Tolkien is the author who wrote “The Hobbit”, and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. If you haven’t read at least one of those books yourself, then you probably saw the movies. I can remember watching the animated version of “The Hobbit” when I was a kid. Fans … Continue reading →

“Princess and the Frog” Hints at New Era for Disney

For the past decade, Disney Animation has meant little without Pixar. All of the sharp storytelling and visual artistry that made Walt Disney famous came not from the studio he started, but from a company originally founded by George Lucas. Some movies made in that time stood out, such as “Lilo and Stitch” and “Enchanted.” But they never quite achieved the magic Disney had lost. By 2004, Disney altogether stopped making hand-drawn animated movies. “Princess and the Frog” restores the glimmer of Disney’s previous glory to a respectable glow. The movie isn’t perfect, but the studio’s finally returning to form. … Continue reading →