Melody Time

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Melody Time

Released May 27, 1948

1h 15m

Kids & Family

Musical

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

75%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Many animated tales are set to a rousing array of music from the 1940s from the likes of Roy Rogers, Ethel Smith and Frances Langford. The stories include wintertime lovers who get a helping hand from forest animals, a bumblebee surrounded by jazzy caterpillars, the oft-told tale of Johnny Appleseed, Donald Duck and his parrot buddy getting pushed around by a bully bird to a Latin-inspired soundtrack, and the legend of Pecos Bill -- a man raised by coyotes and turned into a cowboy.

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Critics Consensus

Melody Time is a charming musical anthology film that's expertly crafted and filled with high-spirited numbers.

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TIME Magazine

The straight technical expertism is still one of the wonders of the movie world.

Nov 16, 2009

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Like healthy, imaginative children, those Disney boys are full of strange caprice. One minute they are doing something charming; the next minute they are slopping in the jam.

Rated: 3.5/5

Mar 25, 2006

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Keith Phipps

AV Club

A charming, imaginative anthology of cartoon shorts set to music by the likes of such '40s favorites as Roy Rogers and The Andrews Sisters.

May 30, 2001

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Carson Timar

ButteredPopcorn

While Melody Time still suffers from some of the natural limitations of its formula, the film has to be seen as one of the best Disney films of its era.

Sep 16, 2023

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

This is very far from a perfect film, but in fits and starts it still provides that old-school Walt Disney magic.

Rated: 5/10

Jun 27, 2021

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Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

Peril, outdated cultural references in '40s Disney cartoon.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 9, 2020

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Animated R

When watching this Melody Time, it felt like Donald’s version of Fantasia. Basically overseasoned with shorts, and more or less underdone with Donald's main appearance.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/21/25

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Jacob B

Melody Time is admittedly not as well-constructed a film as the thematically similar Fantasia but, given the lighter tone, I don't think it's trying to be. Some of the segments in this package film are a bit more forgettable than others but overall, I don't regret seeing this collection of cartoons. The animation is vibrant, the songs are fun to listen to and, while not without sadder moments, there's more of a vibe similar to The Emperor's New Groove decades later where the crew decides to just have fun. Even the Disney Animated Canon needs a few breather episodes every once in a while. This might have come out around a time where Disney were finally in a position where they could quietly discontinue package films without too much of a fuss before the studio-saving Cinderella but that doesn't mean they rested on their laurels since now they can make real movies again. They still put in enough effort to make Melody Time an entertaining compilation of cartoons that might not be interested in being an artistic triumph like Fantasia but are still a fun watch. I'd gladly rewatch this film over Saludos Amigos, anyway, which probably makes sense since that was mostly made with the intention of getting in Latin America's good graces during WWII.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/28/24

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Jace E

Melody Time is possibly the worst animated film that Disney has ever released. With minimal redeeming qualities, the story dragged and was charmless.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/17/24

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Rami A

Disney's "Melody Time" is highly underrated. This animated film features great music, astonishing animation, and memorable songs; It's all blended perfectly.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

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Derek L

There were some segments within Melody Time that were decent, whilst some needed a bit more shine.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/24

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Daniel F

a Bland and forgettable disney film that has nothing memorable about it. The Songs are boring and feel very old-fashioned and we've seen much better films than this. 3.0/10

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/05/23

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Clyde Geronimi

Director

Wilfred Jackson

Director

Hamilton Luske

Director

Jack Kinney

Director

Roy Rogers

Self

Dennis Day

Johnny Appleseed

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82%

40%

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60%

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Synopsis

Many animated tales are set to a rousing array of music from the 1940s from the likes of Roy Rogers, Ethel Smith and Frances Langford. The stories include wintertime lovers who get a helping hand from forest animals, a bumblebee surrounded by jazzy caterpillars, the oft-told tale of Johnny Appleseed, Donald Duck and his parrot buddy getting pushed around by a bully bird to a Latin-inspired soundtrack, and the legend of Pecos Bill -- a man raised by coyotes and turned into a cowboy.

Director: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Jack Kinney
Production Co: Walt Disney Productions, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Genre: Kids & Family, Musical, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 27, 1948, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2020
Runtime: 1h 15m

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