[chajin]

The problem with Fantasia was that it put Disney between a rock and a hard place. The highbrows who liked the classical music thought that animation was a defamation of the music, since cartoons were lowbrow entertainment. The lowbrows, conversely, who liked cartoons wanted to be entertained rather than art-ed, and thought the classical music was too snooty to be heralded in a very long cartoon that couldn't keep the attention of children in the theater.

Like many artworks, it was ahead of its time, and only later has received the praise it deserves. One of its effects, though, was that Disney decided never to be artistic again, and that was when he took the highway exit leading to pure entertainment, from Disneyland and WDW to the Mickey Mouse Club and Wonderful World of Color.

[Chickensoup]

It was a wonderful piece. I wonder if it is available in HDTV

[telescope115]

You’re right- it WAS ahead of its time. Classical music itself tells a story, we just use our imaginations to complete the experience. Disney did it in such a wonderful way.

I wouldn’t trust the current powers-that-be at Disney to to pair music with a blank movie screen.

[Albion Wilde]

it was ahead of its time, and only later has received the praise it deserves. One of its effects, though, was that Disney decided never to be artistic again, and that was when he took the highway exit leading to pure entertainment

A brilliant assessment.

It was one of the first movies I ever saw in childhood, and my first introduction to classical music, which opened a whole world of listening delight that would last a lifetime. Still among my life's favorite movies.

[BlueLancer]

Between Fantasia and the various "Looney-Tune" classical music cartoons .."Kill da wabbit, kill da wabbit", and the Rabbit of Seville, and Bugs playing Leopold Stokowski making a classical singer's performance a complete torture .. those fed my classical music hunger for the rest of my life.