Customer Reviews

Saludos Amigos [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was not really fimiliar with Walt's "Package Features" until their DVD release. "Saludos Amigos", Disney's 6th feature for the first time on DVD, is the first of these features, a style that Walt wouln't abandon until "Cinderella".

Since this movie is considered one of Disney's "Classic Films", it would make it the shortest one ever (45 minutes), but don't let the short time put you off, it is actually a very good length to tell the stories of the film.

"Saludos Amigos" is split into 4 animated stories, with some live action intros in between, all taking place in South America. The first, and the best one, is Donald Duck's "Lake Titicaca", where the feathered tourist explores the lake and the town arround it, with some comical twists, narrated all the way through. "El Gaucho Goofy" is a funny story, of transplanting a Texas Cowboy (Goofy), in the middle of South America. The other subjects are "Pedro", the story of a determined plane, and "Aquarelo Do Brasil" where we meet Joe Carioca.

The film on the whole has more of a documentary tone, giving us insight on South America ("The Three Caballeros" focuses more on Mexico).

The Gold Collection DVD, has a great documentary which shows us Walt Disney's trip to South America, and the development of the film.

Being a fan of all Disney animated cartoons and features, I regret to say that I was quite disappointed by this release. The problem isn't with the subject matter, but with what's actually on the DVD. As an earler reviewer mentioned, scenes were cut in which characters were seen smoking. I have to ask why? (Espcially when they leave in a scene which shows a "young" airplane drinking gasoline). What else was removed from the movie that we don't know about? In the bonus material they mention two other characters, an armadillo and a burro, which weren't part of the feature. Were they originally? I recall seeing the burro character as a child while watching the Wonderful World of Disney on NBC. Maybe an expert on Disney movies could enlighten us.

Disney, let parents decide what their children should watch. Remain true to the original films.

This rather cute collection of four Disney cartoons are kinda interconnected with a travelogue of South America that is very dated by today's standards, but entertaining nevertheless.

The best of the four cartoons is "El Gaucho Goofy". Previously unavailable on DVD, "Gaucho Goofy" is Goofy at his all time best. Watch the bit with the bolas - simply hilarious.

The next best is "Pedro". The story of the little airplane that could (think "The Little Engine That Could" with wings) is very good at telling a story - and you almost believe for a moment that Pedro didn't get through the Andes.

Next best is "Lake Titicaca". This hilarious romp with Donald Duck fighting a reluctant Llama (could this be the inspiration for "The Emperor's New Groove"?) will leave most anyone laughing.

Finally, there's "Aquarela do Brasil" - probably closest to the material that links the four stories and introducing the great Jose Carioca.

It's kind of a mystery to me why Disney considers this mixture of animation with live-action to be a "canon" movie. It's simply a collection of four Disney cartoons joined together with a live-action look at travelling in parts of South America.

The supplementary material, about Disney artists travelling in South America is a nice addition to the material on this disc, and also helps explain that this material is presented as a courtesy to the Office of Inter-American Affairs.

The interconnecting material that tries to tie together these four Disney cartoons is sadly dated, and is live-action and not animation. It also does not do near as good a job at tying together the various cartoons as "Three Caballeros" would later do.

An entertaining look at what movie theaters used to do - provide news, travel info, and cartoons together and all for a dime. But not recommended for anything but Disney purists.

An enchanting product of the Good Neighbor policy with Latin America, Saludos Amigos gives viewers a nostalgic trip back. The film chronicles the good will tour Walt Disney and his animators made to Latin America in 1941. Footage of Walt and company on their trip tie the four cartoons that make up this feature (Lake Titicaca staring Donald Duck, Pedro, El Gaucho Goofy, and Aquarela do Brasil). The four cartoons are cleaver and very well done in the Disney tradition, staring existing Disney favorites such as Donald Duck and Goofy, and new characters such as Pedro the airplane and Jose Carioca (the last of which would go on to appear with Donald in two other features during the 1940s). However, it is truly the live action at the artists finding inspiration that elevates the film to more than just a collection of four shorts. Also included with the film is a travelogue entitled "South of the Boarder with Walt Disney" which includes even more footage of Disney and company and their travels in South America. To any Disney fan, this is a hidden gem and a nostalgic treasure.

My young kids enjoy Saludos Amigos just as much as any other Disney offering. Indeed, its format of short animations loosely linked by live footing describing the Disney team's ventures in South America is well suited to them in not requireing a full hour's sustained attention.

Speaking for myself, I find it extremely interesting, over and above its entertainment value. There are lots of small incidental details that illustrate the difference between life in the mid-twentieth and early twentyfirst century, one of the first being when they mentioned their three day flight from the US to Rio.

Visually and aurally, given the age of the feature, the quality is excellent. The restoration team have done an outstanding job, particularly on the animated sections. José Karioka is a particularly vibrant character visually and Donald Duck sounds great. However, in this day of Dolby Surround Sound with everything, the mono soundtrack is very noticeable (but you can't change history).

There are at least some extras. In this area Disney is (slowly) improving but I guess we'll have to wait for a 'Collector's Edition' before we really get the extras we want (i.e. a selection of such background material as is still available, such as discarded clips, interviews, early artwork etc.). But for a relatively minor feature such as this that could be many years away.

Overall? Well it's not in the same league as contemporaries such as its predecessor Bambi but is certainly the match of anything subsequently released in the forties. The animation has more in common with Disney's shorts than his films. It's different and that alone makes it worth checking out.

In this film, we see Disney and his fellow animators travel to Latin America. In this however, you feel as if you are watching the Discovery channel with a little Disney thrown in. The film is whimsical when you come across a Disney cartoon, but all the inbetween bits are lackluster and boring. If maybe you traveled along with Mickey or Goofy it may have been more exciting. Sorry. Good but lacks.

This film was made during the war and Walt didn't have the money to turn out another full length animated film. To appease his fans, he made a film which is basically a trip with him and some of his best animators "South of the Border." The animators where then inspired to make several short animated films, which are all packaged together to make this feature. The back of the box says "Total Running Time: Approc. 75 Minuites." By total running time, the mean with special features. The film is only 45 minuites, and the bonus "South of the Border With Disney" was a television show he did. If you are not a Disney fan, I don't recomend this film to you, because it is not like the other well known animated films you are used to. The picture and sound are not very good. Disney didn't feel the need to tough it up because hardley anyone knew of it's existance.

As a product of wartime material, this 'package' film (a number of bits and bobs) was not an ideal format for Disney artists, but it was a way of putting together a feature-length release at a time when wartime shortages and economic pressures made true features impractical. Although made after the war, this is a Disney money-saving effort of that time which is much lesser now. In all honesty it's ironic that something which was once money saving has been turned around by the very same company to become money-making! HOWEVER, I love Disney and would say that those interested in the progression of Disney material would benefit. It wouldn't make a great long-term entertainer for children though.

This movie was one of two movies made at the request of the Office of Inter-American Affairs during World War II. The goal of the trip that created this movie was to help improve relations with South America during the war. Some countries in South America had little reason to be friendly with the United States during the war, and some of these countries had relatively friendly relations with the Axis powers. Walt Disney's goodwill trip was a relatively low-key way for the United States to show South Americans how friendly the Unites States was.

There are three problems with this "full-length" animated feature. First, the animation is actually four cartoons that Disney wove into the visit by Walt Disney and a team of artists to South America. The second problem is that this feature is only 42 minutes long, which is well short of feature length. The 75 minutes shown on the box includes a documentary titled "South of the Border with Disney." The third problem with this "full-length" animated feature is that it is very dated. South America has changed a lot in the six-plus decades since this movie was initially released. The result of these problems is that the movie falls well short of being a "must-have," unless you are a die-hard Disney fan and you must have everything created by Disney.

This DVD does have two redeeming features.

First, the four cartoons woven into this feature are cute and clever. "Lake Titicaca" shows Donald Duck in various locations in South America. Donald shows some interesting and exciting aspects of riding a llama on suspension bridges, among other things. This short is funny, clever and worth watching multiple times. "El Gaucho Goofy" has Goofy showing the similarity between American cowboys and South American gauchos. The demonstration is hilarious. "Pedro" is similar to "The Little Engine That Could," only Pedro is a small mail plane rather than a train. This short is quite clever and is one of the best reasons to have this DVD. The fourth short is "Aquarela do Brasil," or "Watercolor of Brazil." Donald Duck and José Carioca experience the wonders of 1942 Brazil in colorful and clever ways.

Second, the film shows Disney and a team of artists in action as they gather information and sketch scenes. Though this portion of the feature is dated, fans of Disney Studios and Disney artists may find scenes of their favorite artists from this era that they would be unable to find anywhere else.

I am a huge fan of Disney movies, with a collection of probably more than 300 movies. There are parts of this one that I like a lot. However, most modern audiences will consider this "feature" to be four cartoons connected by a lot of boring stuff. You may want to consider just how valuable this feature is to your collection considering how difficult and relatively expensive it will be to add it to your collection.

Good luck!

While most of the reviews have been critical of this 1943 "package feature", it is really cute and informational. It is a Disney classic, featuring the animation of many classic artists and animators, such as Mary Blair, Fred Moore, Norm Ferguson, Les Clark, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball and others. It is the first feature which combines live action with animation, and would pave the way for other features to come, such as "Mary Poppins", "Bedknobs and Broomsticks", and many others.

"Saludos Amigos" is comprised of 4 shorts, "Lake Titicaca", "Pedro", "El Gaucho Goofy", and "Aquarela De Brasil". Many classic Disney characters are included, including the slapstick Goofy and Donald Duck. New characters are introduced, which include Jose Carioca, the samba dancing friend of Donald.

There is also an array of bonus features, including an original theatrical trailer from 1943, and a documentary on the making of the film, which displays many of the films' crew members at work.

Overall, I think this is a very charming feature film.