Saludos Amigos (1942)/ Three Caballeros (1944)
Caballero (plural: Caballeros), the Spanish word for "knight" or "gentleman"
I have wondered what a "Caballero" was for as long as it's been since I first saw both of these movies, and I'm ashamed to say that I finally learned it today after looking it up on the internet.
During World War II, Disney was not one to slack off when it came to doing his part for his country in it's time of need, and he did so by making both of these movies back to back, as a way to establish strong, friendly relations with the countries of South America and Latin America. Which I guess would make both of them technically war propaganda films.
I decided to review both of these movies together, mostly for the fact that they're both pretty short, and also they feel incomplete without each other. Saludos Amigos clocks in at only 44 minutes, while Three Caballeros is a little over an hour. It just felt right.
Both of these movies really showcase Disney's desire to educate and entertain his audiences. As a child, I probably learned more about the countries covered in them, then I ever did in grade school. I learned what a goucho was, along with the samba, sombreros, and many different kinds of birds. So, I guess you can say, Disney was one of my first educators.
Honestly, neither of these movies have very strong narratives. Mostly, they're simply a series of shorts, and vignettes showcasing the different cultures and customs of our neighbors to the south. The latter of the two movies would be the only one with a semblance of a story, showing Donald Duck opening a large package of presents for his birthday from his friends in Latin America. It also shows two relatively unknown characters from the Disney-verse; the Brazilian Parrot, Joe Carioca, and the obnoxiously loud Mexican Rooster, Panchito. One of the cool things about this movie is it's incorporation of green screen, blending live action actors with animated characters. One of which being a short featuring Carmen Miranda's younger sister, Aurora Miranda. Saludos Amigos even shows some behind the scenes footage of the writers and artists traveling around South America and gathering inspiration. Everywhere from Rio De Janiero, to Lake Titicaca (giggle).
It also marks the debut of longtime contributing voice actor to Disney projects, Sterling Holloway, who went on to voice the likes of the Chesire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, Caa in The Jungle Book, and Winnie the Pooh.
Overall, these movies are fun, and if you're a kid, they're even more enjoyable. Having said that though, there isn't much substance to them when it comes to a plotline. The first is honestly just a series of shorts, crammed together into one film, and Donald Duck spends most of the second film chasing and lusting after all the Latin American Women featured in the live-action sequences. These are not traditional movies in any way, and if they were to be released today, they would probably be lost to a bunch of ho-hums from today's movie going audiences along with some accusations of minor racism. I guess it's a true sign of the times.
It's honestly a shame that the blending of entertainment and education is becoming a lost art. Most animated movies today ARE unfortunately shallow in what we can walk away with in terms of knowledge. Disney's films varied over a large spectrum of topics and subjects, not just in the animated realm. And even his parks had a layer of teaching to them that have continued to this day.
Despite the fact that these movie's intentions were for an entirely different reason than what they ended up being, they still have something relative to offer to young kids still opening their eyes to the world around them, and Donald Duck is always entertaining in almost any situation.
So, for those of you wanting to delve a little deeper into the shadows of the Disney Vault, go ahead a take a gander at these movies. If anything, it's fun to see what Disney's attempt at being a diplomat looks like.
