Make Mine Music (1946)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Make Mine Music is one of the package features that Disney released in the 1940's to get by during the war and tough economic times. These films aren't too well known today by the General public, but many will recognize the short stories within as they were reissued separately in later years.Make Mine Music is a collection of ten stories of different music and moods and styles. It's like Fantasia but with then contemporary music. In fact 2 segments were actually leftovers from Fantasia. The Animation for Blue Bayou was originally set to Clair de Lune and Peter and the Wolf was planned for Fantasia. My favorite segments are All the Cats Join In, Two Silhouettes, and Peter And the Wolf. Two Silhouettes kinda has a similar mood to the song Colors of the Wind at times. After You've Gone is very impressive. Word of caution, the first segment, The Martins and the Coys has been cut from all VHS and DVD releases in North America.Make Mine Music is a lesser known gem from the Disney canon that will sure to joy any Disney enthusiast

"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

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

I saw this as a child in the 50s (imagine that) and have always loved Willie the Whale the most. This film kick-started my love of classical music and opera. The ballet scene was another favorite, and led to a period when I dreamed of dancing (luckily, I discovered how poorly that occupation suited my talents and gave it up, but I still love to watch). Unfortunately, while I was eventually able to find out that Lucia di Lammermoor was the name of the opera Willie (Nelson Eddy) sang to Tetti Tatti, I was never able to find anyone who knew the title of the piece he sang in Whale Heaven. I've given up humming it to librarians and music store clerks--it gets more embarrassing every decade. Does anyone recognize it?