Make Mine Music (1946)
With animators being drafted into World War II and a lack of funding and ability beyond their propaganda films ordered by the U.S. government, Disney was left in a rough situation that saw multiple unfinished stories and projects left without the ability to fully come together into a feature presentation. Taking a note from Fantasia which the studio released 6-years earlier, Disney decided to combine these shorter works into an anthology titled Make Mine Music. Once again pairing animated shorts with the beauty of music, this time a more diverse offering than the classical notes of Fantasia, Make Mine Music has a handful of joyful moments but overall struggles to find a direction and purpose.
Like the studio at the time which it belongs to, Make Mine Music is immediately a noticeably stripped down project even for this era of Disney. Unlike Fantasia, which tied its shorts together with a clearer focus on the magic of music with help of the conductor who spoke to the audience between the shorts, or Saludos Amigos, which tied its shorts together with a road trip style narrative of exploring South America, Make Mine Music has seemingly no larger identity or purpose. While the film does have a connective tissue of music being used within the individual shorts, this feels far more hollow and empty as a workaround for not having stronger narratives that would require larger performances rather than a purposeful choice of artistic intent.
It also doesn't help that the animation itself is some of Disney's weaker efforts. While some shorts do have inspired experimentation of the medium and build strong style, Blue Bayou and The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met are particularly strong, many look out of place compared to the traditional Disney standards and fail to hold up under a modern lens. Whether due to a lack of resources or a lack of time, there is a level of standards held in Fantasia that simply isn't present here with the film itself suffering as a result.
The actual narratives are equally uneven. While the feature as a whole struggles to captivate for its entire 75-minute runtime considering its weaker identity, there are a few individual bright spots. Segments such as All the Cats Join In bring enough of an energy that audiences can get sucked into the segment but none stand out quite as much as The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met. Bringing the most powerful emotion and narrative of any segment within the film, this is a wonderful high note to end on and it is easy to see why the short has become iconic outside of the larger feature it belongs to.
Considering the state of both the studio and the larger world at the time, it should be seen as a success that Disney was able to release any animated feature. While Make Mine Music might be a success in this sense, there remains little reason one should seek out the feature today. Make Mine Music might have a few memorable moments, but these are not enough to save this disjointed and overall underwhelming feature.
Like the studio at the time which it belongs to, Make Mine Music is immediately a noticeably stripped down project even for this era of Disney. Unlike Fantasia, which tied its shorts together with a clearer focus on the magic of music with help of the conductor who spoke to the audience between the shorts, or Saludos Amigos, which tied its shorts together with a road trip style narrative of exploring South America, Make Mine Music has seemingly no larger identity or purpose. While the film does have a connective tissue of music being used within the individual shorts, this feels far more hollow and empty as a workaround for not having stronger narratives that would require larger performances rather than a purposeful choice of artistic intent.
It also doesn't help that the animation itself is some of Disney's weaker efforts. While some shorts do have inspired experimentation of the medium and build strong style, Blue Bayou and The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met are particularly strong, many look out of place compared to the traditional Disney standards and fail to hold up under a modern lens. Whether due to a lack of resources or a lack of time, there is a level of standards held in Fantasia that simply isn't present here with the film itself suffering as a result.
The actual narratives are equally uneven. While the feature as a whole struggles to captivate for its entire 75-minute runtime considering its weaker identity, there are a few individual bright spots. Segments such as All the Cats Join In bring enough of an energy that audiences can get sucked into the segment but none stand out quite as much as The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met. Bringing the most powerful emotion and narrative of any segment within the film, this is a wonderful high note to end on and it is easy to see why the short has become iconic outside of the larger feature it belongs to.
Considering the state of both the studio and the larger world at the time, it should be seen as a success that Disney was able to release any animated feature. While Make Mine Music might be a success in this sense, there remains little reason one should seek out the feature today. Make Mine Music might have a few memorable moments, but these are not enough to save this disjointed and overall underwhelming feature.