Chocolate-box potpourri of Disney-animated shorts became Walt Disney's eighth animated theatrical feature, one that plays like a middling excuse to allow the studio's animators to blow off some creative steam. Divvied up into separate musical suites (utilizing pop, jazz, Big Band, and the Russian classical piece "Peter and the Wolf"), "Make Mine Music" is musically of its time, featuring the talents of Benny Goodman, Dinah Shore, Nelson Eddy, etc. In that regard, it dates far worse than "Fantasia", and comes to a virtual halt in the middle of an overstretched slapstick baseball satire, but there are incidental pleasures. The popular "Peter and the Wolf" segment, which was later serialized on Disney's TV program and found a large following, is the only segment that feels fully thought-out (and has involving animation), while "The Whale Who Wanted To Sing At The Met" is an interesting idea (with beautiful flourishes) in search of a narrative (the hero actually ends up in Heaven...complete with angel's wings!). Followed by "Melody Time", which featured more storytelling and less abstract whimsy. ** from ****
41 Reviews
A Small Fantasia
Rindiana18 July 2009
One of Walt's early package films and not bad at that! Some segments are cloyingly hokey, of course, but most shorts are surprisingly playful and charming. The highlights: "The Martins and the Coys" is full of stereotyping and comic gunplay and simply fun to watch; "Casey at the Bat" is a whirlwind of poem recitation; the two Benny Goodman segments feature nice tunes and "Peter and the Wolf" and, particularly, "The Whale Who Wanted To Sing At the Met" are two of Disney's best cartoons.
Just skip the padding and enjoy this compilation!
7 out of 10 triple-voiced Nelson Eddys
Just skip the padding and enjoy this compilation!
7 out of 10 triple-voiced Nelson Eddys
Some great sequences, and some duds...
waha9921 July 2002
An episodic musical tapestry a' la Fantasia, only this one utilizes the pop music of circa 1946. Some are worth viewing, and others are worth fast-forwarding through. My own personal favorites are the two Benny Goodman numbers, "All the Cats Join In" and "After You've Gone". I haven't seen the now-deleted "The Martins and the Coys" sequence, but I do oppose the tampering of classic films in the name of "PC". If I had known this was the case with "Make Mine Music", I would have never bought the VHS tape.
Some of my Dad's best work!
Drewster5831 December 2003
Make Mine Music:
What a great collection of stories! I watched it fairly recently with my Dad and some other family at his house in Pinon Hills. I still cry at the "Johnny Fedora" and "Willie The Whale" stories. I grew up watching these and so many Disney cartoons and movies on our old 16 millimeter projector. We still have it, but it needs a bulb. My nephew Kurt brought this cartoon up on DVD. It was great to see my Dad's "name up in lights," so to speak, at least for animation credits. He loved seeing it again, altho' his eyes aren't so good now at age 92. But he is still hanging in there.
What a great collection of stories! I watched it fairly recently with my Dad and some other family at his house in Pinon Hills. I still cry at the "Johnny Fedora" and "Willie The Whale" stories. I grew up watching these and so many Disney cartoons and movies on our old 16 millimeter projector. We still have it, but it needs a bulb. My nephew Kurt brought this cartoon up on DVD. It was great to see my Dad's "name up in lights," so to speak, at least for animation credits. He loved seeing it again, altho' his eyes aren't so good now at age 92. But he is still hanging in there.
'Martins & The Coys' missing from montage makes 'Make Mine Music' merely mediocre
bmrhye11 March 2006
The segments included in this anthology film are very good. I just think it's ridiculous that Disney would release a movie with the first chunk missing. The way it was done made it seem like they thought people wouldn't notice. I have to admit, I'm glad they released it even in part on DVD so we could enjoy the rest, but on the Walt Disney Treasures collection they have released several short subject cartoons on DVD with a disclaimer from Leonard Maltin beforehand. I think they could re-release 'Make Mine Music' in it's entirety with such a disclaimer because the segment is actually very entertaining. I remember seeing it as a kid and it left no impression whatsoever that I should grab a gun and start shooting. Maybe because I had smart parents that had a greater influence on me than what I saw on TV.
"...because miracles never really die."
utgard1428 September 2014
Animated anthology movie from Disney. They made several of these during and after World War II. It's a fun movie with cartoons of varying quality but none are bad. Many of these cartoons were released later as theatrical shorts. There are ten segments. The most popular of them is probably "Casey at the Bat," a recitation by Jerry Colonna of the famous poem. It's a funny, wacky baseball cartoon that was one of my favorites as a kid (seen on a compilation video). Other well-known parts include the Disney version of "Peter and the Wolf," "The Martins and the Coys," which is now considered politically incorrect by those who make such determinations, and "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met," featuring Nelson Eddy. These are all fine cartoons, though the last one has a surprisingly downbeat ending. The 'worst' shorts are the ones that have no real story, just offer a few minutes of animation to some song, almost like a music video of sorts. "Blue Bayou," "Without You," and "Two Silhouettes," for example. They aren't bad shorts, just slight. They feel like time filler. My two favorite shorts in the whole movie are "All the Cats Join In" and "Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet." 'Cats' is an energetic big band number with Benny Goodman music playing while a pencil draws the action as it happens. It's creative and cute with a surprisingly sexy part. You'll have to watch it to see what I mean. 'Fedora' is a sweet story about two hats (yes, hats) falling in love and becoming separated. This is narrated through song by the great Andrews Sisters. Overall, some nice little shorts that should please old-school Disney fans. Good animation and music. A very pleasant movie that will leave you with a smile on your face.
Mixed bag, but a winner overall!
nnwahler18 March 2008
These "potpourri" musicals Disney made in the late 40's are usually variable, but this feature's my favorite among that whole batch. The Disney guys are always at their best in animation emphasizing characterization, and those musical sketches stressing this are the ones that work best. But one of the centerpieces here always struck me as Disney at his all-time worst: his attempts to duplicate the artistic success of "Fantasia" with a jumbled treatment of "Peter and the Wolf." I have yet to see a successful visualization of this piece....better to hear it on records, since this is largely a "theater-of-the-mind" piece, geared to help youngsters learn about some of the instruments of the orchestra. The Disney guys turn it into pure sap. But "Casey at the Bat," "Johnny Fedora & Alice Bluebonnet," "The Martins & the Coys," and especially "All the Cats Join In" and "Willie the Singing Whale" more than make up for what surrounds them.
Not bad, but better seen as individual segments
Foux_du_Fafa1 May 2012
Unable to initially return to making true animated features like "Pinocchio" and "Bambi" after the Second World War, Disney turned to making "package features". Like "Fantasia", these films strung together various shorts and featurettes into a feature-length anthology. Between their release in the 1940s and the DVD age, these films were rarely, if ever, shown in their entirety. Instead, the individual segments were re-released as stand-alone pieces, some of which became quite popular. It's understandable why this was done. Whereas the individual elements of "Fantasia" have a similar enough artistic vision to be kept intact as a single experience, the package features do seem like a line of random, individual shorts that have been strung together. As such, the films can seem quite uneven and somewhat unsatisfying collectively.
In particular, "Make Mine Music" stands out as being one of the most inconsistent package features. It consists of ten shorts, all relying heavily on music. Some of the shorts are fairly conventional, story-driven, while others are quite experimental. The real stand-out pieces are "Peter and the Wolf" (initially considered for a sequel/continuation of "Fantasia") and "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met". The stories are engaging, and they are absolutely charming, although "Peter and the Wolf" relies a bit too much on narration. It comes as no surprise that these two shorts became the film's most famous segments. Special mention should also be given to "Blue Bayou", which uses footage from a deleted segment of "Fantasia" that was to be set to Debussy's "Clair de Lune" (here, though, it's set to a love ballad).
Other segments, however, vary. "The Martins and the Coys", which was rather stupidly removed from the American DVD, is not bad but hardly memorable. "After You've Gone", an interlude featuring anthropomorphised musical instruments, means well but falls quite flat, ultimately appearing as not much more than filler. "All the Cats Join In" and "Without You" equally seem like experimental filler, yet both are more successful. "Casey at the Bat", on the other hand, contains too many self-indulgent gags and overly caricatured animation to be of any real artistic or entertainment merit, a fact not helped by Jerry Colona's obnoxious narration. The two other segments, "Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet" and "Two Silhouettes", are so cutesy that they become nothing but pieces of unadulterated kitsch.
Ultimately, the only people I would recommend "Make Mine Music" to would be the people who would only be interested in it - Disney fans and animation buffs. To everyone else, as with a good number of package films, it would probably be best seeing individual segments, which is how these films work best.
In particular, "Make Mine Music" stands out as being one of the most inconsistent package features. It consists of ten shorts, all relying heavily on music. Some of the shorts are fairly conventional, story-driven, while others are quite experimental. The real stand-out pieces are "Peter and the Wolf" (initially considered for a sequel/continuation of "Fantasia") and "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met". The stories are engaging, and they are absolutely charming, although "Peter and the Wolf" relies a bit too much on narration. It comes as no surprise that these two shorts became the film's most famous segments. Special mention should also be given to "Blue Bayou", which uses footage from a deleted segment of "Fantasia" that was to be set to Debussy's "Clair de Lune" (here, though, it's set to a love ballad).
Other segments, however, vary. "The Martins and the Coys", which was rather stupidly removed from the American DVD, is not bad but hardly memorable. "After You've Gone", an interlude featuring anthropomorphised musical instruments, means well but falls quite flat, ultimately appearing as not much more than filler. "All the Cats Join In" and "Without You" equally seem like experimental filler, yet both are more successful. "Casey at the Bat", on the other hand, contains too many self-indulgent gags and overly caricatured animation to be of any real artistic or entertainment merit, a fact not helped by Jerry Colona's obnoxious narration. The two other segments, "Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet" and "Two Silhouettes", are so cutesy that they become nothing but pieces of unadulterated kitsch.
Ultimately, the only people I would recommend "Make Mine Music" to would be the people who would only be interested in it - Disney fans and animation buffs. To everyone else, as with a good number of package films, it would probably be best seeing individual segments, which is how these films work best.
Pre-CGI Animation
strong-122-47888516 May 2018
Presented by Disney Studios - This 1946 production consists of 9 animated shorts, each having a running time of approximately 6 minutes.
Containing almost no dialogue at all - "Make Mine Music" tells each of its individual stories mainly through the medium of music and song.
Featuring the musical talents of such notable "recording-artists-of-the-day", as - Benny Goodman, Nelson Eddy, and Dinah Shore - This presentation was very enjoyable, especially for someone, like myself, who is always impressed by Hollywood's golden age of animation (pre-CGI).
Containing almost no dialogue at all - "Make Mine Music" tells each of its individual stories mainly through the medium of music and song.
Featuring the musical talents of such notable "recording-artists-of-the-day", as - Benny Goodman, Nelson Eddy, and Dinah Shore - This presentation was very enjoyable, especially for someone, like myself, who is always impressed by Hollywood's golden age of animation (pre-CGI).
Fantasia's less talented cousin
Vartiainen21 June 2015
In 1946 the war was over, but Disney was still forced to tide things over because they hadn't had any chances to produce new material during the war years. And thus we get a string of short film collections, of which this is arguably the first. And arguably also the worst.
There are some good segments. Mostly the ones with a story. All the Cats Join In is a great, brief segment with some really great jazz tunes and lively animation style. Peter and the Wolf is a classic that has since been re-released numerous times, and for a reason. The animation style is great, the story lovable and as a whole it's a tight package. The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met, the finishing segment, is also great in its own bombastic way. Personally I find it perhaps a bit unambitious, but it's a fun idea done well.
There are also couple story segments that don't really grab you, like Casey at the Bat, a baseball story, and Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet, a hat love story, which are both animated well but lack a captivating storyline. And then there's The Martins and the Coys, where two hillbilly families duke it out until love enters the picture... and even then there's some roughhousing. Originally the opening segment, it has since been censored from many versions. Which is a shame, because it's easily the funniest of the segments.
But then there are the music segments, which make up about half of the segments, which basically just try to copy Fantasia, but lack the right music and animation talent. Instead they're meandering, boring and overly long in every way.
Make Mine Music is an interesting film to watch once, but it's not a movie I would see myself watching again. It has some good segments, though none which I'd call great, but on the average it's lacking in direction and vision.
There are some good segments. Mostly the ones with a story. All the Cats Join In is a great, brief segment with some really great jazz tunes and lively animation style. Peter and the Wolf is a classic that has since been re-released numerous times, and for a reason. The animation style is great, the story lovable and as a whole it's a tight package. The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met, the finishing segment, is also great in its own bombastic way. Personally I find it perhaps a bit unambitious, but it's a fun idea done well.
There are also couple story segments that don't really grab you, like Casey at the Bat, a baseball story, and Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet, a hat love story, which are both animated well but lack a captivating storyline. And then there's The Martins and the Coys, where two hillbilly families duke it out until love enters the picture... and even then there's some roughhousing. Originally the opening segment, it has since been censored from many versions. Which is a shame, because it's easily the funniest of the segments.
But then there are the music segments, which make up about half of the segments, which basically just try to copy Fantasia, but lack the right music and animation talent. Instead they're meandering, boring and overly long in every way.
Make Mine Music is an interesting film to watch once, but it's not a movie I would see myself watching again. It has some good segments, though none which I'd call great, but on the average it's lacking in direction and vision.
Beautifully crafted binding of Disney shorts
TheLittleSongbird2 March 2010
"Make Mine Music" is a beautifully crafted binding of Disney shorts, and I think it is an improvement over "Melody Time". "Melody Time" did have some memorable parts especially "Once Upon a Wintertime", "Bumble Boogie" and "Johnny Appleseed", but what made "Make Mine Music" better was that it had a somewhat better variety of music and that it contains some of my all time favourite Disney moments. But like it is with "Melody Time" the success of the shorts is variable.
"The Martins and the Coys"(10/10)-Man I loved this! Probably the most underrated of all the shorts featured in this film. It mayn't be to everyone's tastes now, and it does stereotype the Appalachians, but what makes it so enormously entertaining is the fluid and colourful quality of the animation, the rollicking soundtrack and the vocals.
"Blue Bayou"(10/10)- I don't know where to begin praising "Blue Bayou". Whether it was the stunning animation, with the pristine and perfect blue backgrounds, the poetic lyrics and the lyrical, sensual melody of the song. And the music is sublimely sung.
"All the Cats Join In"(10/10)-One cool and jazzy cartoon. I am not always that fond of jazz admittedly, but the music courtesy of Benny Goodman and his orchestra is wonderful. Topped with clever and sophisticated animation and the story, even for a combination cartoon, works effectively.
"Without You"(9/10)- I liked this, the animation is gorgeous in this sequence and the song itself is sweet and memorable. Andy Russell does a good job with the singing. I will say though it doesn't rank as a favourite, and I can't put my finger on why, maybe it was to do with where it was placed in the film.
"Casey at the Bat"(8/10)-The pace is rushed here, but this cartoon is entertaining. I for one liked Jerry Colonna's mini-commentary-like vocals here, and I liked the animation too. "Casey at the Bat" is also very funny, certainly makes a game of baseball entertaining.
"Two Silhouettes"(8/10)-Don't get me wrong, I really liked this sequence. It is sentimental and sappy of course, but it looked beautiful, with graceful dancing, and the song was lovely, sensitively sung by Dinah Shore.
"Peter and the Wolf"(9.5/10)-Easily one of the better shorts of the film. Not my personal favourite by all means, but definitely memorable. The animation is beautiful here, the music is outstanding and the story is effective. Not to mention the characters are very well done, in fact the Wolf when my sister and I were little was so scary for us, my sister still refuses to see this cartoon, as she got nightmares from the Wolf and the French horn motif played to signify his entrance.
"After You've Gone"(8/10)- I do prefer "All the Cats Join In" but this is full of jazz and pizazz. It's running time though is disappointingly scant, and it is a tad rushed. The artwork is beautifully done though, and the music is wonderful. Another example of a combination cartoon, and works well at it.
"Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet"(10/10)- I love how beautiful, simple and poignant this is. Coupled with nice animation, lovely music and beautifully blended vocals from the Andrews Sisters, this is a definite must.
"Willie the Operatic Whale"(or "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing At the Met")(10/10)-Save the best until last I'd say. Along with "Peter and the Wolf" this is the only other cartoon from the film I was familiar with before watching. This one is unforgettable, truly unforgettable with a truly special whale. The animation is gorgeous and charming, and the singing from undervalued Nelson Eddy is outstanding. What made this though was the opera music, it was wonderful to hear "Largo Al Factotum" from "Barber of Seville" and "Sextet" from "Lucia Di Lammermoor" to name a few. This was the cartoon that introduced me to the wonderful world of opera, that's why it is so special to be.
Overall, while there are one or two sequences that aren't as good as others, "Make Mine Music" is beautifully crafted, and I would recommend it. 8/10 Bethany Cox
"The Martins and the Coys"(10/10)-Man I loved this! Probably the most underrated of all the shorts featured in this film. It mayn't be to everyone's tastes now, and it does stereotype the Appalachians, but what makes it so enormously entertaining is the fluid and colourful quality of the animation, the rollicking soundtrack and the vocals.
"Blue Bayou"(10/10)- I don't know where to begin praising "Blue Bayou". Whether it was the stunning animation, with the pristine and perfect blue backgrounds, the poetic lyrics and the lyrical, sensual melody of the song. And the music is sublimely sung.
"All the Cats Join In"(10/10)-One cool and jazzy cartoon. I am not always that fond of jazz admittedly, but the music courtesy of Benny Goodman and his orchestra is wonderful. Topped with clever and sophisticated animation and the story, even for a combination cartoon, works effectively.
"Without You"(9/10)- I liked this, the animation is gorgeous in this sequence and the song itself is sweet and memorable. Andy Russell does a good job with the singing. I will say though it doesn't rank as a favourite, and I can't put my finger on why, maybe it was to do with where it was placed in the film.
"Casey at the Bat"(8/10)-The pace is rushed here, but this cartoon is entertaining. I for one liked Jerry Colonna's mini-commentary-like vocals here, and I liked the animation too. "Casey at the Bat" is also very funny, certainly makes a game of baseball entertaining.
"Two Silhouettes"(8/10)-Don't get me wrong, I really liked this sequence. It is sentimental and sappy of course, but it looked beautiful, with graceful dancing, and the song was lovely, sensitively sung by Dinah Shore.
"Peter and the Wolf"(9.5/10)-Easily one of the better shorts of the film. Not my personal favourite by all means, but definitely memorable. The animation is beautiful here, the music is outstanding and the story is effective. Not to mention the characters are very well done, in fact the Wolf when my sister and I were little was so scary for us, my sister still refuses to see this cartoon, as she got nightmares from the Wolf and the French horn motif played to signify his entrance.
"After You've Gone"(8/10)- I do prefer "All the Cats Join In" but this is full of jazz and pizazz. It's running time though is disappointingly scant, and it is a tad rushed. The artwork is beautifully done though, and the music is wonderful. Another example of a combination cartoon, and works well at it.
"Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet"(10/10)- I love how beautiful, simple and poignant this is. Coupled with nice animation, lovely music and beautifully blended vocals from the Andrews Sisters, this is a definite must.
"Willie the Operatic Whale"(or "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing At the Met")(10/10)-Save the best until last I'd say. Along with "Peter and the Wolf" this is the only other cartoon from the film I was familiar with before watching. This one is unforgettable, truly unforgettable with a truly special whale. The animation is gorgeous and charming, and the singing from undervalued Nelson Eddy is outstanding. What made this though was the opera music, it was wonderful to hear "Largo Al Factotum" from "Barber of Seville" and "Sextet" from "Lucia Di Lammermoor" to name a few. This was the cartoon that introduced me to the wonderful world of opera, that's why it is so special to be.
Overall, while there are one or two sequences that aren't as good as others, "Make Mine Music" is beautifully crafted, and I would recommend it. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Did not quite make my music.
OllieSuave-0078 August 2015
This is Walt Disney's eighth full length animated feature film. This film is another one of six package films (string of short stories bundled in one movie), which contains 10 featurettes from the semi-adventurous Peter and the Wolf to the sad Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met - all set through contemporary Golden Era oldies music.
This film's animation wasn't bad for its time and the music, well, you have to be true enthusiasts of jazz, blues, and big band in order to appreciate the music. Otherwise, you might find the soundtrack quite boring. Much of the segments weren't very appealing as it didn't stand out as far as personality, fun, or charm, which is something another segmented film, Fantasia, had. The Peter and the Wolf, fedora and bonnet love story, and the singing whale segments were the only ones that grabbed any of my attention.
While unique, the overall film is not an attention grabber and children certainly wouldn't be able to sit through it. It falls short of entertainment and it won't hurt to skip over this one. If you're looking to watch a Disney "package" film with a little more excitement, I would go with Fun and Fancy Free and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
Grade D
This film's animation wasn't bad for its time and the music, well, you have to be true enthusiasts of jazz, blues, and big band in order to appreciate the music. Otherwise, you might find the soundtrack quite boring. Much of the segments weren't very appealing as it didn't stand out as far as personality, fun, or charm, which is something another segmented film, Fantasia, had. The Peter and the Wolf, fedora and bonnet love story, and the singing whale segments were the only ones that grabbed any of my attention.
While unique, the overall film is not an attention grabber and children certainly wouldn't be able to sit through it. It falls short of entertainment and it won't hurt to skip over this one. If you're looking to watch a Disney "package" film with a little more excitement, I would go with Fun and Fancy Free and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
Grade D
Fantasia... Part II - featuring the Top 40's... OF the 40's
Incredible_Brightness16 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Of all Walt Disney's animated films, there are 5 features that a huge amount of people have never heard of. Saludos Amigos (1943) is one, but it's not fully feature-length (it's only 45 minutes, so it shouldn't even count when you always hear those Disney video & DVD announcements that say "Our 20-whatever-TH full-length animated classic...," but they actually do count it). The excellent Fun and Fancy Free (1947) is another. The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad (1949). And then, there are the 2 sequels to Fantasia (1940): Melody Time (1948) and this film, Make Mine Music (1946). The reason you probably haven't heard much about them is that, first- they were "Package Films" which were never really that popular AS package films, and second- they didn't make a lot of money for the studio when they were released in theaters in the 1940's. In fact, Disney would have gone extinct forever in 1950 (many say) if Cinderella had not have been a huge hit (which it was).
I say, they are sequels to Fantasia because they are made almost the exact same way. They lack a Composer / Orchestrator character to link them together, but when one segment ends, another simply begins. So basically, if you liked Fantasia, all you need to like this movie is some appreciation for the music you hear here. And this really is in the same sort of style as the music we hear in several Disney films. There's jazz (which you hear in The Aristocats, 1970), classical (every Disney film, animated or non), and interpretive stuff. I may not be a huge fan of any of these styles of music, personally, but that's what's great about Disney. They can put animation to it and make you like it or appreciate it more.
The first thing that should probably be said is that the wonderful people at Walt Disney Home Video, have taken it upon themselves to edit one of the musical segments entirely out of all prints of the film available on VHS and DVD. Isn't that nice of them? Without any proper explanation why - if you haven't seen it already, you're not going to see it ever (and I checked, it's not on You Tube). I've never seen it, so I can't comment on it.
The segments in the film can be put into 3 categories. 1- Storyline, 2- Interpretive, and 3- Combination. "Peter and the Wolf" and "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met" are Storyline. So they are longer than the others and take more time to tell. Both are good stories, if you like opera and folk / fairy tales. Though, "Peter" is probably the best (certainly it's been said it's Walt Disney's favorite), some of the animation / color choices here seem a little too wacky for Americans. "Whale" is underwhelming but has a memorable ending (it was a mistake, I think, to have the 1 opera singer doing all the speaking voices too).
"Blue Bayou," "Without You," "Two Silhouettes," and "After You've Gone," (big surprise) are Interpretive. No characters, no story. Just a song with some lyrics, and pure art. "Bayou" and "Without" are very beautiful and a little haunting. "Silhouettes" is truly classic and lovely, if also the most boring part of the movie. "After" has no lyrics but is very fun and upbeat.
Then finally, "All the Cats Join In," "Casey at the Bat," and "Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet" are Combination. Which means, they have stories, but they are entirely told through one long, continuous song or don't take any breaks. "Casey" is funny, without a doubt (even though it's quite offensive, in one moment, to overweight people). "Johnnie" is definitely a fan favorite, and is kind of sad too. And "Cats" is fast-paced, so it's entertaining. But it doesn't speak too kindly of the youth of the 1940's. They are portrayed as quite elitist and discriminating.
So, unlike most Disney films (and even their package films), this film rests entirely on the strength of each individual segment / short. And some of these aren't memorable, while most are slightly below average quality. No Disney movie to buy on DVD is cheap, but with these Disney titles, you usually get a bonus cartoon. So I recommend purchase for true Disney fans. If you're looking for something to rent - I recommend only for you alone, if you're a Disney completest. But for your family, there are more appropriate and sensitive Disney films. Most films act as art, and as that, Make Mine Music does provide some average stuff worth seeing. I recommend it for that reason alone. If you're looking for something else, I say, find something else.
I say, they are sequels to Fantasia because they are made almost the exact same way. They lack a Composer / Orchestrator character to link them together, but when one segment ends, another simply begins. So basically, if you liked Fantasia, all you need to like this movie is some appreciation for the music you hear here. And this really is in the same sort of style as the music we hear in several Disney films. There's jazz (which you hear in The Aristocats, 1970), classical (every Disney film, animated or non), and interpretive stuff. I may not be a huge fan of any of these styles of music, personally, but that's what's great about Disney. They can put animation to it and make you like it or appreciate it more.
The first thing that should probably be said is that the wonderful people at Walt Disney Home Video, have taken it upon themselves to edit one of the musical segments entirely out of all prints of the film available on VHS and DVD. Isn't that nice of them? Without any proper explanation why - if you haven't seen it already, you're not going to see it ever (and I checked, it's not on You Tube). I've never seen it, so I can't comment on it.
The segments in the film can be put into 3 categories. 1- Storyline, 2- Interpretive, and 3- Combination. "Peter and the Wolf" and "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met" are Storyline. So they are longer than the others and take more time to tell. Both are good stories, if you like opera and folk / fairy tales. Though, "Peter" is probably the best (certainly it's been said it's Walt Disney's favorite), some of the animation / color choices here seem a little too wacky for Americans. "Whale" is underwhelming but has a memorable ending (it was a mistake, I think, to have the 1 opera singer doing all the speaking voices too).
"Blue Bayou," "Without You," "Two Silhouettes," and "After You've Gone," (big surprise) are Interpretive. No characters, no story. Just a song with some lyrics, and pure art. "Bayou" and "Without" are very beautiful and a little haunting. "Silhouettes" is truly classic and lovely, if also the most boring part of the movie. "After" has no lyrics but is very fun and upbeat.
Then finally, "All the Cats Join In," "Casey at the Bat," and "Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet" are Combination. Which means, they have stories, but they are entirely told through one long, continuous song or don't take any breaks. "Casey" is funny, without a doubt (even though it's quite offensive, in one moment, to overweight people). "Johnnie" is definitely a fan favorite, and is kind of sad too. And "Cats" is fast-paced, so it's entertaining. But it doesn't speak too kindly of the youth of the 1940's. They are portrayed as quite elitist and discriminating.
So, unlike most Disney films (and even their package films), this film rests entirely on the strength of each individual segment / short. And some of these aren't memorable, while most are slightly below average quality. No Disney movie to buy on DVD is cheap, but with these Disney titles, you usually get a bonus cartoon. So I recommend purchase for true Disney fans. If you're looking for something to rent - I recommend only for you alone, if you're a Disney completest. But for your family, there are more appropriate and sensitive Disney films. Most films act as art, and as that, Make Mine Music does provide some average stuff worth seeing. I recommend it for that reason alone. If you're looking for something else, I say, find something else.
Make Mine Music review
JoeytheBrit26 April 2020
Best from Package era,i kinda like it....
topsuk10 January 2024
This is not this is not excellent but its slithgly great but nothing special,so i just made synopsis for every short in this movie:D
-(martins and the coys) Catchy but the ending makes me suffer case of depression. 5/10
-(Blue bayou) Zzzzzzzzzzzzz........sorry i sleeped! 2/10
-(All the cats join in) GREAT ANIMATION,GREAT MUSIC that i added to my playlist! 10/10
-(With out you) I dont like the style,but its not bad. The song is sad i cried little bit.....iii llike it 8/10
-(Casey at the bat) Kinda ok...but what this has to do with music? Nothing more. 6½/10
-(Two silhouettes) UGLY,BAD,BAD MUSIC. These are btw hippo and crocodile from Fantasia 1/10
-(Peter and the wolf) Its ok....animation is just off and ducks death has 0 sense,ending is rushed too but its still entertaining. 6/10
-(After you've gone) Catchy tune good animation,but nothing special 7/10
-(Johny.f and alice.b) Johnny Fedora met alice bluebonet.....why i cant find love and im watching hats in the heads of the horse!!!!!
-( Whale who wanted to sing at the met) Who everrrrrr hearrrrd of an operrratic whale?.........well me neither 10/10
Whole score for movie is 7½/10.
-(martins and the coys) Catchy but the ending makes me suffer case of depression. 5/10
-(Blue bayou) Zzzzzzzzzzzzz........sorry i sleeped! 2/10
-(All the cats join in) GREAT ANIMATION,GREAT MUSIC that i added to my playlist! 10/10
-(With out you) I dont like the style,but its not bad. The song is sad i cried little bit.....iii llike it 8/10
-(Casey at the bat) Kinda ok...but what this has to do with music? Nothing more. 6½/10
-(Two silhouettes) UGLY,BAD,BAD MUSIC. These are btw hippo and crocodile from Fantasia 1/10
-(Peter and the wolf) Its ok....animation is just off and ducks death has 0 sense,ending is rushed too but its still entertaining. 6/10
-(After you've gone) Catchy tune good animation,but nothing special 7/10
-(Johny.f and alice.b) Johnny Fedora met alice bluebonet.....why i cant find love and im watching hats in the heads of the horse!!!!!
-( Whale who wanted to sing at the met) Who everrrrrr hearrrrd of an operrratic whale?.........well me neither 10/10
Whole score for movie is 7½/10.
Make Mine Music
FKDZ18 November 2023
Make Mine Music is a fun sequence of shorts with some nice music. Some better than others, but the classic Disney animations stand their test of time, the stories for most them though, don't really do much.
The Peter and the Wolf and the Jazz sequence worked the best for me. The Jazz one being the most fun to watch, the animation was fantastic and the scenes for so much fun to watch. Peter and the Wolf had the most interesting story. Besides that there are some sequences that felt like just a nice idea, but didn't really do much beyond that. The music shoud've elevated them to more, but that didn't do it either. So it's a mixed bag in the end.
Is it worth a watch, sure. If you liked Fantasia, this will be a step down, but still enjoyable for it's short duration. Though the lesser parts do tend to drag quickly.
The Peter and the Wolf and the Jazz sequence worked the best for me. The Jazz one being the most fun to watch, the animation was fantastic and the scenes for so much fun to watch. Peter and the Wolf had the most interesting story. Besides that there are some sequences that felt like just a nice idea, but didn't really do much beyond that. The music shoud've elevated them to more, but that didn't do it either. So it's a mixed bag in the end.
Is it worth a watch, sure. If you liked Fantasia, this will be a step down, but still enjoyable for it's short duration. Though the lesser parts do tend to drag quickly.
Good variety of music.
briancham19942 June 2020
Horribly uneven--ranging from the very good and memorable to the insipid and awful.
planktonrules13 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
"Make Mine Music" is another post-war feature film that is actually a compilation of shorts all packaged together--like "Fun and Fancy Free", "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad", "Saludos, Amigos" and the like. And, for the most part, these films marked a low-point in Disney history--as the great quality and artistry of their earlier full-length films (such as "Snow White", "Bambi" and "Pinocchio") and before the studio's rejuvenated late 40s and 1950s (with films such as "Cinderella" and "Peter Pan"). Much of this is probably due to the studio staff experiencing HUGE changes after WWII and a protracted union strike--and a very sizable number of animators and other artists were lost. Unlike the other features released just after the war, the shorts in "Make Mine Music" were very, very short.
"Blue Bayou"--Thankfully this was a very short film, as I was contemplating suicide it was so boring and dreadful. The music was somewhat like Jeanette/Nelson Eddy music and seemed very dated...and dull. 1
"All Cats Come Join In"--Benny Goodman and his orchestra provide the music and the style is a jazzy big-band sort of tune. The animation VERY simple--with characters with very non-detailed faces and backgrounds. While the music integrated well with the music and it was enjoyable, it would NEVER be confused with "Fantasia" as the look of this short was rather cheap. 3
"A Ballade in Blue"--A dull affair as a whiny guy sings about how life sucks without his beloved. Sure to make kids angry and restless. 1
"Casey At The Bat"--Probably the best and most famous of the shorts in this film. Jerry Colonna narrated the famous poem and it really came to life due to the silliness of the animation--which was reminiscent of a Goofy short. Too bad this short was so unlike the rest of the film and didn't seem to really fit the theme--which was really dull music and animation! There was only incidental music and this short forgot to be boring. 8
"Two Silhouettes"--Dinah Shore sings as silhouettes of a man and woman dance together. Frankly, if the earlier shorts didn't drive kids crazy with boredom, this one is sure to do it. Dull. 1
"Peter and the Wolf"--Oddly, this one began with a narration (Sterling Holloway--who later played Winnie the Pooh) as he explains how various instruments represent various characters in the story--then he continues to explain the story as the music plays. While I am not a huge fan of this short, it is head and shoulders better than most of them--and certainly is entertaining. Not a great film for most kids (unless they are a Frasier or Niles Crane sort of kid who adores classical or neo-classical music). But, it might also serve as a nice way to introduce kids to this sort of music. The animation of this one is noticeably better than the rest of the film and most adults should enjoy this film. 8
"After You've Gone"--The Goodman Quartet (including Benny Goodman) provide some bouncy music during which musical instruments, keyboards, fingers, etc. come to life. While kids will also surely hate this one, adults will probably find the music and animation zippy good fun. I didn't hate it. 6
"Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet"--Sung by the Andrews Sisters, this is the story about two hats that fall in love---something you DON'T see everyday! This is a pretty weird cartoon. Again, kids probably won't love this one but it was amazingly cute seeing these anthropomorphic hats. And the Andrews Sisters' music is pretty enjoyable and cute. 7
"Opera Pathetique"--This is sung by Nelson Eddy whose style of music is not to my liking although it was popular back in grand-pappy's day. The animation is much more enjoyable than most of the rest of the film but the singing is very operatic. If that's your thing, then are you in for a treat. However, if you think this sort of music is LESS enjoyable than hearing a cat being tortured, then it will be a chore to watch even with the cute animation of a gigantic singing whale. Cute but probably not everyone's cup 'o tea. 5
Overall, the film was hard to watch because it was so wildly uneven---it just frustrates the viewer to no end. Some of the shorts are very nice but many are just plain awful. Kids will most likely hate most of it and it's best you only show them a few selections. Adults will be, on the whole, more patient and willing to stick with it--particularly if they loved "Fantasia"--though the quality of "Fantasia" was almost always much higher--especially in regard to the artwork. For huge Disney-philes it's worth seeing--others might want to try renting this one instead of investing in the DVD.
"Blue Bayou"--Thankfully this was a very short film, as I was contemplating suicide it was so boring and dreadful. The music was somewhat like Jeanette/Nelson Eddy music and seemed very dated...and dull. 1
"All Cats Come Join In"--Benny Goodman and his orchestra provide the music and the style is a jazzy big-band sort of tune. The animation VERY simple--with characters with very non-detailed faces and backgrounds. While the music integrated well with the music and it was enjoyable, it would NEVER be confused with "Fantasia" as the look of this short was rather cheap. 3
"A Ballade in Blue"--A dull affair as a whiny guy sings about how life sucks without his beloved. Sure to make kids angry and restless. 1
"Casey At The Bat"--Probably the best and most famous of the shorts in this film. Jerry Colonna narrated the famous poem and it really came to life due to the silliness of the animation--which was reminiscent of a Goofy short. Too bad this short was so unlike the rest of the film and didn't seem to really fit the theme--which was really dull music and animation! There was only incidental music and this short forgot to be boring. 8
"Two Silhouettes"--Dinah Shore sings as silhouettes of a man and woman dance together. Frankly, if the earlier shorts didn't drive kids crazy with boredom, this one is sure to do it. Dull. 1
"Peter and the Wolf"--Oddly, this one began with a narration (Sterling Holloway--who later played Winnie the Pooh) as he explains how various instruments represent various characters in the story--then he continues to explain the story as the music plays. While I am not a huge fan of this short, it is head and shoulders better than most of them--and certainly is entertaining. Not a great film for most kids (unless they are a Frasier or Niles Crane sort of kid who adores classical or neo-classical music). But, it might also serve as a nice way to introduce kids to this sort of music. The animation of this one is noticeably better than the rest of the film and most adults should enjoy this film. 8
"After You've Gone"--The Goodman Quartet (including Benny Goodman) provide some bouncy music during which musical instruments, keyboards, fingers, etc. come to life. While kids will also surely hate this one, adults will probably find the music and animation zippy good fun. I didn't hate it. 6
"Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet"--Sung by the Andrews Sisters, this is the story about two hats that fall in love---something you DON'T see everyday! This is a pretty weird cartoon. Again, kids probably won't love this one but it was amazingly cute seeing these anthropomorphic hats. And the Andrews Sisters' music is pretty enjoyable and cute. 7
"Opera Pathetique"--This is sung by Nelson Eddy whose style of music is not to my liking although it was popular back in grand-pappy's day. The animation is much more enjoyable than most of the rest of the film but the singing is very operatic. If that's your thing, then are you in for a treat. However, if you think this sort of music is LESS enjoyable than hearing a cat being tortured, then it will be a chore to watch even with the cute animation of a gigantic singing whale. Cute but probably not everyone's cup 'o tea. 5
Overall, the film was hard to watch because it was so wildly uneven---it just frustrates the viewer to no end. Some of the shorts are very nice but many are just plain awful. Kids will most likely hate most of it and it's best you only show them a few selections. Adults will be, on the whole, more patient and willing to stick with it--particularly if they loved "Fantasia"--though the quality of "Fantasia" was almost always much higher--especially in regard to the artwork. For huge Disney-philes it's worth seeing--others might want to try renting this one instead of investing in the DVD.
I noticed some risqué scenes
lee_eisenberg21 June 2014
OK, so "Make Mine Music" follows the "Fantasia" model of setting action to music. The Looney Tunes cartoon "A Corny Concerto" was probably the coolest incarnation. I understand that a sequence from "Make Mine Music" showing feuding hick families shooting at each other got cut out of concern that it made gun violence look funny. Isn't the problem easy access to guns? I noticed that the jitterbug sequence featured some scenes that probably irritated the prudes (a girl showers and then shows her naked upper back). It's always neat what animators managed to slip into their cartoons.
Overall, a lot of the content was too flowery for my tastes, but I did like the vignette about the singing whale. And of course, sarcastic person that I am, while watching the movie I made a few remarks similar to those that Mike, Servo and Crow make at the crummy movies sent them by Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank on "Mystery Science Theater 3000". Specifically, during "Peter and the Wolf" whenever it played Peter's theme, I referenced Otter in "Animal House" (you may recall that he whistles the theme).
Anyway, we can accept the movie for what it is.
Overall, a lot of the content was too flowery for my tastes, but I did like the vignette about the singing whale. And of course, sarcastic person that I am, while watching the movie I made a few remarks similar to those that Mike, Servo and Crow make at the crummy movies sent them by Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank on "Mystery Science Theater 3000". Specifically, during "Peter and the Wolf" whenever it played Peter's theme, I referenced Otter in "Animal House" (you may recall that he whistles the theme).
Anyway, we can accept the movie for what it is.
8/10 ****/5 ~ Walt Disney's Pop "Fantasia" for the Fightin' Forties.
Doctor_Mabuse14 September 2001
Make Mine Music finds Walt Disney in the midst of the transitional period between his first five animated features (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi) and the post-war revival begun with Cinderella (1950).
The idea of a casual variant of Fantasia featuring popular music was a good one. Even though the segments which comprise the film vary in quality, the film as a whole is a bright, colorful and amusing light entertainment which fit wartime needs ideally.
Highlights include two spirited Benny Goodman swing numbers ("All The Cats Join In" and "After You've Gone") and the unforgettable finale, "Willie the Operatic Whale", narrated and sung by Nelson Eddy. The animation is generally first-rate and the Technicolor film will dazzle any viewer not expecting a genuine masterwork.
Make Mine Music was successful enough to warrant a considerably better follow-up, Melody Time (1948).
The undistinguished but harmless "Martins and the Coys" segment, concerning the gun-feuding backwoods families of American folklore, has idiotically been removed from current editions, evidently for PC reasons. It's scary that Disney may start altering their classics to meet artificial modern standards. (If they had cut anything from Make Mine Music, it should have been the tasteless "Two Silhouettes" ballet, all doilies and valentines and icky fake sentiment.)
The idea of a casual variant of Fantasia featuring popular music was a good one. Even though the segments which comprise the film vary in quality, the film as a whole is a bright, colorful and amusing light entertainment which fit wartime needs ideally.
Highlights include two spirited Benny Goodman swing numbers ("All The Cats Join In" and "After You've Gone") and the unforgettable finale, "Willie the Operatic Whale", narrated and sung by Nelson Eddy. The animation is generally first-rate and the Technicolor film will dazzle any viewer not expecting a genuine masterwork.
Make Mine Music was successful enough to warrant a considerably better follow-up, Melody Time (1948).
The undistinguished but harmless "Martins and the Coys" segment, concerning the gun-feuding backwoods families of American folklore, has idiotically been removed from current editions, evidently for PC reasons. It's scary that Disney may start altering their classics to meet artificial modern standards. (If they had cut anything from Make Mine Music, it should have been the tasteless "Two Silhouettes" ballet, all doilies and valentines and icky fake sentiment.)
Disney disappointment...
PeachHamBeach18 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
MAKE MINE MUSIC is too jumbled. It's supposed to be a "mix" of the language of emotions, which is music, but it's an awkward attempt as we are treated to either boring ballet ballads or obnoxious jazz be-bop segments. I enjoyed "Blue Bayou" for its visual splendor, "Johnny Fedora & Alice Bluebonnet" for its cuteness, "Peter & The Wolf" because Sterling Holloway is the best! and "Casey At The Bat" because I also love Jerry Colonna's (sp?) voice, though "Casey" feels sad and incomplete when it ends with the ball player striking out and nothing more is said. The other segments, including the annoying singing whale, could have been axed in favor of part 2 of "Casey", which I've seen on TV years ago, about Casey having 9 daughters and coaching them as a baseball team. Walt Disney was trying to help audiences find an appreciation of different genres of music, but this mostly is a disappointment.
fantasia goes pop
didi-517 November 2002
This showed up on British tv a few years ago, *with* The Martins and the Coys still in. Good. Other high points - All The Cats Join In; Without You; Blue Bayou (a lake, two birds, sweet); and the wonderful The Whale Who Wanted To Sing At The Met (later to become a short feature, Willie the Operatic Whale). Low point - Casey At The Bat - there was never any need for Jerry Colonna's irritating voice! Otherwise, great film, some excellent animation, decent soundtrack, should be much better known than it is.
Wonderful animation, with some decent stories.
BoydudeReviews30 October 2018
A Mixed Bag
atleverton8 April 2023
Make mine music is a hodgepodge of animated vignettes created because Disney Studios at the time wanted to keep its film division alive, but they did not have enough animators due to the fact that during the second World War most of them were drafted and those who weren't drafted were creating propaganda films for the United States government. So different projects were mashed together, and this was released in 1946 as one of the last of these mash-ups. Some of the segments have a great deal of charm, for example Casey at the bat and Peter and the Wolf, which I am sure everyone has watched even though they haven't watched this film. Other parts are problematic - for example, there's a whale that sings minstrel songs and one segment seems to encourage domestic violence. So I would say it's the weakest of the 3 Disney compilation films from this era. If you want to watch a good example of this kind of film, check out Saludos Amigos.
My views about Walt Disney's "Make Mine Music"
magister2919 February 2006
I'm a UK viewer and I saw "Make Mine Music" in the late 1940's,when it was newly released . I had seen and been excited by "Fantasia" and the "MMM" numbers, as a late teenager, I found hugely enjoyable. I'm sad to learn that the "Martins and the Coys" number has been deleted - it was fun and the hill billy feuding' was something we'd found amusing and harmless. I disagree with some of the comments on the individual numbers, particularly "Without You" by Andy Russell and "Two Silhouettes" by Dinah Shore, both of which made an impression on me and I've been trying to obtain a record of the former for years, without success. I have fond memories of "Johnny Fedora and Alic Blue Bonnet" (absurdly sentimental though it was)and can sing the first lines to this day. The Benny Goodman numbers are superb - musically and animation-wise - but then I'm a B.G.fan and ever will be. "Peter and the Wolf" persuaded me to listen to the real classical version and, subsequently, to buy the sound track record. Perhaps I do agree with the viewer who found Jerry Colonna's rendering of "Casey" a lemon but then you either take Jerry's versions of things or you don't. Nelson ("The singing capon")Eddy's version of "Willie" was a delight, though in later years it may have made one more conscious of the bloody aspects of whale hunting. Anyway, it was good to hear Nelson without "Heart of Steel" Jeanette MacDonald. You see, without seeing the film again the memories come tumbling out and I've given it a 9 for more reasons than one. Please will somebody tell me where I can obtain a VHS copy ? David Miles
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