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Rating:  - Melody Time is good, in parts
Melody Time was made by Walt Disney in a time when he needed to make a movie. He was bogged down in helping the USA with information and propaganda during WWII, so he needed something at the end of the war to help raise funds. So Walt Disney takes a series of shorts that have a musical theme in common (and nothing else)pieces them together and creates a feature length movie made up of short sketches. Very similar to Fantasia with the exception that this movie is not even in the same league as Fantasia.
Some of the shorts are really good, and others are rather forgetable. Blame it on the Samba, the bumble bee song, are boring, but their are a few shorts that capture the genius of Walt Disney short films.
1. Johnny Appleseed. This is one of Disney's tall tales that is done so well it could have easily been the signature part of the film, if it didn't have the other short film,
2. Pecos Bill, This short is GREAT! It is told by Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers. You will also see Bobby Driscol a child star in Disney who ended in a tragic death in his twenties. The story is great, the music is perfect for the piece, this really is a masterpiece found in an other wise average film.
Little Toot, and once upon a wintertime are not as good as Appleseed and Pecos Bill, but they do have a good quality about them that anyone can enjoy.
In the DVD one of the Bonus features is the short, Lambert, the sheepish lion. THis is also a unique little cartoon that is as good as Appleseed, and almost as pecos bill.
I would normally say pass on this little Disney film, but I think that this is the only way you can get Pecos Bill on DVD, so if you like good quality cartoon films by Walt Disney go ahead and pick this one up, but skip over some of the shorts.
Rating:  - A great bedtime video
My son is a year and a half and this is his favorite video. It's beautifully done and has soft but catchy music. It's now become a part of bedtime - before my son jumps into bed, he points to the television for me to play this video. We love it so much, I'm on a search for more like it.
Rating: - Nostalgia
This is Walt Disney as he originally was. Creative, innocent, entertaining and uplifting. As you watch these animations you realize the current corporate entity that calls itself the Walt Disney Company would have Walt turning in his grave. The very things that made him famous, trusted and loved are represented in this DVD which makes it a must for anyone who grew up on them and want their kids to see what the true Disney was like.
Rating: - Disney Gold Classic
I bought the DVD because it included the ballad of Pecos Bill. This was done with Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers back in the late 40s. The story is animated and narrated by Roy and the band with song and clever lyric. It is a great story and the music is pure western lore. It is interesting that it has been edited to make it politically correct meaning that Pecos Bill doesn't roll and smoke his cigarettes as he did in the original version. It is certainly a classic and enjoyable to have in DVD quality sound and picture. JBW
Rating:  - Better than Make Mine Music but doesn't equal to Fantasia.
The third attempt to remake Fantasia Disney comes across better. In this film they are telling little stories than really little musical dittys that we saw in Make Mine Music. The plots are more gripping, and the characters are more iconic. The highlights of the movie are Pecos Bill and Johnny Appleseed. I highly reccomend this for a whimsical good time.
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