Disney
Fantasia was an experimental film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released in 1940. Fans of the film now watch Fantasia streaming. Though it didn’t fare well at the box office at the time, the movie has since become a classic, with Fantasia streaming now on the Disney + service. The film was originally a short, set of feature Mickey Mouse, whom the company wanted to make a comeback.
There are eight total segments, all set to classical music. The different segments include parts of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite, Beethoven’s The Pastoral Symphony, and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. The film cost $2.8 million to make, and when costs began to rise past the $100,000 mark, Walt Disney’s brother, Roy Disney, who was a financial officer for the company, urged him to cut back.
This is when they decided to make the film a full-length feature rather that a short set to star Mickey Mouse. Over time, the film has gone on to make more than $76 million at the box office. Here’s how to stream Fantasia right now:
How to Stream Fantasia – Exclusively on Disney+
Fantasia is one of the fan-favorite Disney movies that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream Fantasia and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “Fantasia”
- 5. Tap on “Fantasia”
- 6. Tap the PLAY button
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
Fantasia: Overview
Release Date: November 13, 1940
Creators: Joe Grant, Dick Huemer, Walt Disney, Deems Taylor, Leopold Stokowski
Director: Samuel Armstrong, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen, David D. Hand, Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, Ford Beebe, T. Hee, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson
Starring: Deems Taylor, Leopold Stokowski
Rating: G
Synopsis: Fantasia is a collection of eight short musical segments, set to classical music.
How Long Is Fantasia?
Fantasia has a running time of 126 minutes.
Fantasia Plot
Conductor Leopold Stokowski conducts the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra in seven of the eight classical music pieces featured in Fantasia. As the movie opens, viewers listen to Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor as images of the orchestra fade into shadow. From there, the film includes “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, which features Mickey Mouse as an apprentice magician who oversteps his abilities. In “The Rite of Spring” viewers learn the evolution story from single-celled beings to the death of the dinosaurs. “Dance of the Hours” features a ballet of ostriches, elephants, and alligators. The fight between good and evil are featured in both “Ave Maria” and “Night on Bald Mountain”, and in “The Nutcracker Suite” fairies, fish, and even flowers dance in scenes of the changing seasons. In “The Pastoral Symphony” centaurs, cupids, and fauns gather for a festival until Zeus arrives, disrupting the celebration.
Fantasia Cast
Unlike other Disney films, the cast of Fantasia is relatively small with only two leading roles. Several Disney mainstays, including Walt Disney, himself, lent their voices for small parts. Over the years, additional narrators have been added for the different theatrical releases. Here are the main cast members for Fantasia:
Leopold Stokowski as Himself
Leopold Stokowski was a popular conducted and musician who helped to popularize classical music. In addition to Fantasia, he would also arrange music for episodes of The Magical World of Disney along with series like Star Pilot, Omnibus, and would perform at Carnegie Hall.
Deems Taylor as Himself, Narrative Introductions
Deems Taylor acted as the narrator for Fantasia, introducing the different segments. In addition to Fantasia, he is best known for his appearances on TV series like What’s My Line, The Jackie Gleason Show, General Electric Guest House, and the Ted Mack Family Hour.
Tim Matheson as Himself, Narrator for 1985 release
For the 1985 re-release of Fantasia, Tim Mathison took on the narrator role. In addition to the film, he is best known as the Vice President in The West Wing TV series and as the grumpy doctor in Hart of Dixie.
‘FANTASIA’ Songs and Soundtrack
Fantasia is an animated musical and was an experimental film. It began as a featurette that would star Mickey Mouse, but bloomed into a full-length production because of the costs associated with it. The soundtrack was first released in 1957, 17 years after the theatrical debut, and again in 1990. The 1990 release was certified Platinum, selling more than 1 million copies.
‘FANTASIA’ at the Box Office
The original box office release for Fantasia was tepid at best, with weak sales attributed to World War II and its inability to get into European movie theatres. However, it has been re-released and remastered for home video releases and has since earned $83 million, making it the 23rd highest-grossing animated film of all time, when adjusted for inflation.
‘FANTASIA’ Reviews – What the Critics Said
Fantasia boasts a 94% positive rating on the site Rotten Tomatoes, and was quite popular with critics during its initial theatre run. The problem was in distribution, with World War II closing many markets and keeping profits down. Still, the film’s experimental nature was lauded by many as a masterpiece.
Where ‘Fantasia’ Fits in the Disney Movie Pantheon
Fantasia has been nominated for nine awards and has won eight, including two Academy Awards, a National Board of Review Top Ten Films award (1940), and was named to the National Film Registry in 1990. In addition, it has made several ‘best of’ lists including the AFI’s 100 Years…100 Films list, at number 58, and AFI’s 10 Top 10 list, at number 5. Fantasia was a pioneer at the time of its release, the first movie to be presented using stereophonic sound. The studio wanted the film to sound as if a symphony was inside the theatre, and worked with RCA to create what was called Fantasound, a multi-channel audio recording technique. The sequel, Fantasia 2000 went into production in 1990 and was released in 1999 with musical segments played by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. A third sequel, Fantasia 2006 was slated to be released as another full-length musical but was instead released as short films or film segments after the full-length concept was canceled.
‘FANTASIA’ Trailer
‘FANTASIA’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
Fantasia was the first of its kind of film, featuring classical music and animation, it has captured the attention of children and adults for more than fifty years. Here are five fast facts about the film:
1. Two Oscars for Fantasia
Fantasia was nominated for nine awards and would win eight including two Oscars. Walt Disney, William E. Garity, and J.N.A. Hawkins shared an Honorary Academy Award for their work to the advancement and use of sound in motion pictures, and Leopold Stokowski was awarded an Honorary Academy Award for creating a ‘new form of visualized music’ in Fantasia.
2. Disney Pioneers ‘Fantasound’
Walt Disney wanted the people in the movie theatres to feel as if the musicians were inside the theatre, but theatre sound at that point was not developed enough to provide the experience Walt wanted. Along with RCA, Disney’s sound engineers developed a new kind of sound system, dubbed Fantasound, that would make it seem as if the music ‘cascaded’ from one speaker to the next.
3. Disney Taps Philly Orchestra for Fantasia
The Philadelphia Orchestra is known as one of the “Big Five” orchestras in the United States. Leopold Stokowski became the music director for the orchestra in 1912, helping to bring the program into national recognition. He was conductor in 1939 when he and Walt Disney began collaborating on Fantasia, so it was natural for the Orchestra to be tapped to provide the music for the film.
4. Stokowski to Head Disney’s Fantasia
Leopold Stokowski was a rather flamboyant orchestra conductor and the famous music director for the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1912 through 1941, which he would leave the group. He would return, off and on, to conduct for special events. He was famous for using the ‘free hand’ style of conducting rather than the baton that many associate with orchestra conductors.
Fantasia is Longest Disney Film
Coming in at just over two hours, Fantasia is the longest of the Disney produced films to date.