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The Disney film, Three Caballeros, follows Donald Duck (voiced by Clarence Nash) around Latin America on his birthday. Released first in Mexico City in 1944 and then in the United States in 1945, it’s a live-action animated musical, and the very first of it’s kind.
Before you watch Three Caballeros online, know that the film consists of seven self-sustaining parts. Each part follows Donald Duck around Latin America as he collects birthday presents from his friends, including José Carioca (voiced by José Oliveira), the cigar-smoking parrot from Saludos Amigos and a pistol-packing rooster named Panchito Pistoles (voiced by Joaquin Garay). It was filmed as part of the studio’s goodwill message towards Latin America at the time.
Three Caballeros streaming is available online. Running 77 minutes long, the film includes several well known Latin American singers from that time period, including Aurora Miranda, Dora Luz, and Carmen Molina. Directed by Norman Ferguson and written by Homer Brightman and
Ernest Terrazas, it’s the seventh Disney animated feature film.
Here’s how to stream Three Caballeros right now:
How to Stream ‘Three Caballeros’ – Exclusively on Disney+
Three Caballeros is one of the many animated 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 Three Caballeros 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 “Three Caballeros“
- 5. Tap on Three Caballeros
- 6. Tap the Play Button
- 7. Enjoy!
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.
‘Three Caballeros’: Overview
Release Date: February 3, 1945
Creators: Norman Ferguson
Director: Norman Ferguson
Starring: Clarence Nash, José Oliveira, Joaquin Garay, Aurora Miranda, Dora Luz, and Carmen Molina
Rating: G
Synopsis: A live-action animation featuring Donald Duck on a trip around Latin America visiting his friends on his birthday.
How Long Is ‘Three Caballeros’?
Three Caballeros is 71 minutes long, or 1 hour and 11 minutes.
‘Three Caballeros’ Plot
It’s Donald Duck’s (Nash) birthday and his first birthday present is a film projector, which allows him to watch a film on the Aracuan Bird. The second gift he receives is a book about Baia, one of Brazil’s 26 states, from his friend José Carioca (Oliveira). José and Donald shrink themselves so that they can enter the world created by the book. Here they speak to locals and learn about the area’s culture.
Donald is too small to open his next gift, so José uses magic to bring him back to the proper size. They make a new friend with Panchito Pistoles (Garay) and adopt the name “The Three Caballeros.” Pistoles gifts Donald with a pinata, explains its tradition, and how to use it. They break open the pinata and find a few surprises inside.
‘Three Caballeros’ Cast
As a live-action animation musical, when you stream Three Caballeros online, you will come across a variety of characters. From Latin American singers from the ’40s to some of your favorite Disney cartoon characters, this classic movie has a diverse cast.
CLARENCE NASH as DONALD DUCK
Clarence Nash is the brain and voice behind Donald Duck. The cartoon character first appeared in a short feature, The Wise Little Hen, in 1934. The personality stood out so much that Donald Duck quickly grew in popularity. Nash voiced the character for decades until he died in 1985.
JOSE OLIVEIRA as JOSE CARIOCA
José Oliveira was a Brazilian voice actor behind the character José Carioca, a cigar-wielding parrot from Rio de Janeiro. It’s rumored that Walt Disney came up with the idea for the character when he spotted a parrot on a trip to Brazil. Oliveira also played the voice of José Carioca in the television show “The Magical World of Disney.”
JOAQUIN GARAY as PANCHITO PISTOLES
Joaquin Garay is a Mexican actor best known for voicing the cartoon character, Panchito Pistoles. His character is a gun-happy rooster with a horse named Señor Martinez.
AURORA MIRANDA as YAYA
Aurora Miranda was a Brazillian actress and singer who played Yaya in Three Caballeros. She is seen in the live-action scenes dancing and singing “Os Quindins de Yaya” after Donald and Jose hop into the book about Brazil.
DORA LUZ as HERSELF
Mexican singer Dora Luz appears in Three Caballeros as herself singing “You Belong To My Heart (Solamente una vez).” She ends up becoming the love interest of the one and only Donald Duck.
CARMEN MOLINA as HERSELF
Mexican actress and singer Carmen Molina appears in Three Caballeros as herself. She is Aurora Miranda’s sister and performs a duet with Donald Duck, singing “La Zandunga.”
‘Three Caballeros’ Songs and Soundtrack
Three Caballeros streaming will introduce you to a Latin American inspired soundtrack featuring a variety of artists including “Have You Been to Bahia?” by Dorival Caymmi, “Pandeiro & Flute” by Benedito Lacerda, and “Jarabe Pateño” was written by Jonás Yeverino Cárdenas. Several of the songs were altered to be relevant to the film or entirely rewritten with lyrics in English. It was nominated for two Oscars in 1944, one for Best Musical Score and another for Best Sound Recording.
‘Three Caballeros’ at the Box Office
Three Caballeros earned $3,355,000 in which more than $700,000 was from its release in Mexico alone.
‘Three Caballeros’ Reviews – What the Critics Said
Three Caballeros was no very well received when it was released. Critics found that it was flashy and abstract, far from what Disney was known for at the time. They also felt the concept of a cartoon character lusting after a live-action woman to be obscene and inappropriate.
Where ‘Three Caballeros’ Fits in the Disney Movie Pantheon
As the first Disney film to mix live-action with animation, it’s safe to say that Three Caballeros helped to pave the way for some of our favorite movies. It also shows how bold Disney was from the very beginning, as this was just their seventh film to ever be produced.
‘Three Caballeros’ Trailer
‘Three Caballeros’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
As one of Disney’s earlier films, it wasn’t uncommon for Walt Disney to be hands-on during filming and production. Here are some of the most interesting Three Caballeros facts:
1. Walt Disney Thought Clarence Nash Sounded Like A Duck
Clarence Nash stopped by Walt Disney studios in 1934 after hearing they were looking for bird and animal recordings. As a longtime bird imitator, Nash was eager to show off his repertoire of practiced voices. It’s rumored that Walt himself walked into the room after hearing Nash’s interpretation of Donald Duck for the first time and said: “That fellow sounds like a duck, let’s keep him in mind if we ever create a duck character.” The rest is Disney history.
2. The Film Intended To Improve Relationships With South American Countries
During World War II, Disney created Three Caballeros, as well as another Latin American inspired film Saludos Amigos, to improve the country’s relationship with South America. It was Disney’s last film produced during the war.
3. Panchito Pistoles Is The First Mexican Disney Cartoon Character
Donald befriends Panchito Pistoles during his journey in this film, a gun-wielding rooster from Mexico. He is the first Mexican cartoon character to be created by Disney.
4. Panchito Pistoles Became A Military Symbol During World War II
Panchito Pistoles became the mascot for the 201st Fighter Squadron, a Mexican fighter airplane squadron that assisted American forces. He was also painted on the nose of an American bomber airplane. A replica of this plane can still be seen flying in air-shows.
5. Donald Duck Cheats On His True Love Daisy Duck
Even though Daisy Duck has been Donald Duck’s love interest on Disney since 1940, this film fails to even mention her. This is likely because it would ruin the storyline where Donald falls in love with Dora Luz.
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How to Stream the Three Caballeros: Your Family Viewing Guide