Melody Time (1948)

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

best movie i've ever seen.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

...but no one in the 21st century is going to recognize any of the people who did the music for "Melody Time". Dennis Day? Fred Waring? Frances Langford? And besides, the movie has some of the hokiest sketches. As for Roy Rogers, maybe he and John Wayne were seen as role models in the '40s and '50s, but can we in the 2010s truly see them as such?* So, it's not just that I'm the sort of person who prefers to watch all sorts of different movies from around the world. I prefer it if family movies have a more complex purpose than being happy-go-lucky. For example, I wouldn't call "Frozen" a masterpiece but I thought that it made a good point about accepting oneself as one is and others as they are. But more than anything I always preferred the Looney Tunes cartoons; their irreverence and grittiness starkly contrasted with Disney's cuteness.The point is that I don't recommend "Melody Time".*Read John Wayne's comment about relations between white settlers and American Indians if you want to know what I mean.

In the years following Fantasia, Disney came up with some animated films which are a collection of shorts. Melody Time is one them. It contains seven unrelated musical vignettes.1. Once Upon a Winter Time: A lovey-dovey young couple go ice-skating and there they have a cutesy misunderstanding but make up cutesy-ly in the end. As though this doesn't ooze enough icky cuteness, there is a rabbit couple imitating the human couple. A poor beginning.2. Bumble Boogie: The movie starts getting good. This is Disney's take on Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" and a very interesting one too. If anything it ends too soon.3. Johnny Appleseed: A romanticized story of Johnny Appleseed, a real- life, pioneer apple-cultivator, this short has some of the best animation in any Disney movie. 4. Little Toot: The good run continues with the story of a naughty little tugboat who eventually learns to be responsible.5. Trees: A short, totally forgettable song on how trees shelter animals and birds.6. Blame it on the Samba: Donald Duck and Jose Carioca dance to some Samba music played on piano by Ethel. It has some interesting animation but nothing special.7. Pecos Bill: This is the longest feature and has a live-action sequence. It tells the tale of the folklore hero, Pecos Bill and it is really enjoyable.Watch the better shorts separately rather than the entire movie.

All possibly to reflect Walt Disney's dreams and possibly some of his new ideas, while the world was recovering from the terrifying Second World War, Disney released "Melody Time", a collection of beautiful, heartwarming, musical and entertaining shorts. At the beginning, a speaking mask (who at times is the narrator), explains that there is something for everyone and there indeed just about is! A lot of different kind of shorts await you and you are bound to like at least one a little bit.In order of when the shorts are shown:"Once Upon A Wintertime": A different kind of Disney animation, including pristine backgrounds, Disney shows a rather messy winter love story. Not the best short in the bunch, but definitely not the least best, with a good woman singer. "Bumble Boogie": Good for the eye, this short shows a very angry and upset bee trapped and flustered in a world of musical caterpillars and images. A good short mainly for the older, for the young it may be a bit upsetting, especially as the bee is quite a likable character."Johnny Appleseed": One of the few shorts with a proper plot, with some of the best animation in the set, Johnny Appleseed is a heartwarming story, you may even be inclined to believe this beautiful American story is true! Good for all ages."Little Toot": Unfortunately, this short is rather tedious babyish and a slight bit depressing, probably the least good of the lot. However, it is likely to entertain the wee ones and maybe some grown-ups would not mind watching it."Tree": Is basically a poem, a moving painting and a picture of a tree. Like "Bumble Boogie", it is plot less and another feast for the eyes, hopefully it will become your favourite of the set. Very beautiful for any animation and stunning."Blame It On The Samba": Featuring Donald Duck, a parrot friend of his and a rascal of a waiter bird! Showing a naughty bird bullying and entertaining Donald Duck and his friend with the amazement and annoyance of the samba."Pecos Bill": The last of the set, Pecos Bill is pretty entertaining - even with a rather tedious beginning and animation that could do with some work. The songs and characters are certainly entertaining. It shows a young boy being bought up by coyotes and becoming a "rooting, tootin' cowboy".So, enjoy "Melody Time"!

One thing children don't have anymore is appreciation for (or even knowledge of) legendary American heroes, whether fictional, exaggerated, or real. Public "schools" have even gotten in the habit of eradicating our Founding Fathers from American History. Here in this wondrous Walt Disney classic the Magic Paintbrush will take us back to the days of Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyon, Pecos Bill and others. I'm writing this from fond memory of having seen it 55 years ago. I remember it well. If me and the wife go to a movie this weekend, one thing is certain: If we successfully choose the very best movie at the multiplex we will have forgotten it by the next day. Hollywood simply does not make quality movies anymore. Cars? It wasn't bad; but who will remember it in 5 weeks let alone 50 years? Melody Time was Walt Disney at his low ebb. He would soon regain his reputation with Cinderella, Peter Pan and Treasure Island. Disney at his low ebb beats the pants off today's Hollywood at their very best.