Fantasia came into Disney's mind because of Walt Disney's concern for the career of Mickey Mouse. To Walt, Mickey Mouse was not just a "money making" cartoon character or a repeated gag maker. Walt Disney was Mickey's voice, alter-ego, and it troubled Walt to see Mickey Mouses career decline.

In 1938 Walt Disney decided to include his star Mickey Mouse in a cartoon version of The Sorcerer's Apprentice, a fairy tale which had been interpreted as a poem by Goethe and a concert piece by french composer, Paul Dukas. Mickey was cast as the apprentice whose misuse of the sorcerer's powers makes disaster.

Walt decided to use the conduction of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski to conduct the music for the short. Stokowski once said, "The beauty and inspiration of music must not be restricted to a privileged few but made available to every man, woman, and child. That is why great music associated with motion pictures is so important, because motion pictures reaches millions all over the world.

Prior to the production of Fantasia, Walt was making "Silly Symphonys". Most of these shorts included wonderful music and amazing animation. Shorts such as "The Three Little Pigs" combined music and animation to create a thrilling theatrical experience.

Walt's idea for Fantasia was that it be "music you hear, and pictures you see." Production began in 1937 with the Sorcerer's Apprentice as the main segment. In this animated sequence, Mickey Mouse would star as the "everyday man". There was no dialogue, just the music, and of course, the animation. As animation continued, Walt and Strokowski expanded the segment to multiple pieces.

The cost of Fantasia kept on rising during production. One year after production started, cost rose to four times the amount a silly symphony would normally cost. Walt struggled to find more funds and realized that when the movie was released that the viewer should truly "hear" the music. Thus began the creation of "Fantasound". A new revolutionary sound system, especially made just for Fantasia. This new system would ensure proper sound synchronization and quality.

Walt Disney asked Strokowski to help advice him with choosing the other pieces for the rest of the feature. Walt also hired noted music critic and composer, Dean Taylor to help select extra musical pieces for the movie. After much research, listening, and work, final pieces were chosen.

In case you were wondering by now, Fantasia does actually have a meaning. It means two things: A composition in which the composer strays from the accepted form and a potpourri of familiar arts, both apply to film. A contest was held among Disney employees to choose a title. Over 2000 entries came in and Fantasia was picked out.

Nearly 1000 people were involved in the production of Fantasia. The full magnitude of Fantasia was not realized until everything was brought together. Each part of the film was specialized and compartmentalized. Walt Disney didn't set out to establish their conceptions as the depiction of the music, but the familiarity of Fantasia has produced memories that seem tied to the music in the world today.

Walt Disney's comment about Fantasia was this, "Fantasia is timeless. It may run ten, twenty, or even thirty years. Fantasia is an idea in itself. I can never build another. I can improve. I can elaborate. That is all."

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8