“Fantasia” was released in 1940 and was directed by Samuel Armstrong, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen, David D. Hand, Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, Ford Beebe, T. Hee, Norman Ferguson and Wilfred Jackson. It is an animated fantasy musical anthology produced by the Walt Disney studios. At 2 hours and four minutes long, it is, so far, the longest Disney animated feature ever.
There are eight pieces of music used in the film, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach, The Nutcracker Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas, The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky, The Pastoral Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven, Dance of the Hours by Amilcare Ponchielli, Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky and Ave Maria by Franz Schubert. The score was performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra and conducted by Leopold Stokowski.
Fantasia is more of an experience than a movie. Animation combined with classical music enhances both mediums. There are several “restored” versions of the film out there. This is one of them and along with several other versions is available on the “Internet Archives” for download. This version of the film also includes a long intermission in the middle. Some of the restored versions vary slightly from one another but you get the idea. The original release included a black centaur named Sunflower who tended to the others. Although she appeared in the original film, many of the restored or rereleased versions removed her scenes due to their racist depictions.
The film boasts a soundtrack referred to as Fantasound. Developed by Disney and RCA, Fantasound is created using multiple audio channels. It was the first commercially created form of stereo and a precursor to surround sound. It used a three-dimensional sound technology and 96 speakers that surrounded the audience. It was expensive so few theaters had the capability to use the technology.
To this day parents complain to Disney that the "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence frightened their children. It also is the first appearance of Mickey Mouse in a Disney feature film. The voice of Mickey was done by Walt Disney. Animators gave the Sorcerer, in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” section of the film, characteristics that they observed in Walt Disney. The animators called the sorcerer Yen Sid which is Disney spelled backwards. The demon featured in “A Night on Bald Mountain” is called Chernabog.
Other than the orchestra scenes, the only live-action sequences in the film are portions of the primeval Earth scene. It was filmed using various ingredients including porridge and mud and then enhanced using animation. The film started out as a Mickey Mouse short but expanded into a full-length feature connected by music and animation into a series of vignettes. The film uses the expertise of over 1,000 artists and technicians and features over 500 characters, all animated. The film was redone as a sequel in 1999 and called “Fantasia 2000”. The new film uses all new animation except for the inclusion of the original “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” sequence.