Disney Movie Eras: Live Action Films Thru 1959
This month continues a new series of blogs for fans of popular culture. Whereas in the past explorations of Walt Disney films we highlighted individual works, we will now be talking about the larger groupings of movies, and the various artistic and commercial visions sought for and achieved from said movies.
A quick run though of the eras:
The Golden Age: 1937-1941
Wartime: 1942-1949
The Silver Age: 1950-1967
The Bronze Age: 1968-1988
The Renaissance: 1989-1999
Post-Renaissance: 2000-2009
Revival: 2010-Present
As you can see, the various eras are inspired by historical art movements over the year, as well as comic books. You can draw the parallel, for instance, between the Italian Renaissance, or between the iterated variations of popular superheroes like Batman and Superman.
We will also be covering Disney live action films. The list of films owned by the Walt Disney Corporation is quite expansive because it includes multiple studios and production companies, such as Touchstone Pictures, Pixar, and more. And for good measure, we will also cover animated films that released without the official Walt Disney Pictures branding, as well as films that only released via television or Disney +.
So buckle up everyone as we retread the Disney films of years passed:
Animated films formed the bedrock of efforts from Walt Disney Studios. In an effort to increase their audience and profitability over time, it was not long before the studio turned to making live-action films.
To be accurate, there were some films produced in the 1930s and 40s (and beyond) which featured live-action segments, but included animation as well. The most famous of these were the already discussed Good Neighbor films Saludos Amigos and The Three Cabaleros, both prominently featuring Donald Duck. As the decades have gone on, however, only those two partially live-action films have been considered part of the official list of Walt Disney animated films. Other films, such as 1941's The Reluctant Dragon and 1948's So Dear To My Heart, have never been considered part of that esteemed list.
Starting in 1950, the studio released their first entirely live-action film, Treasure Island. Filmed entirely during the third quarter of 1949 in England, the film based on the popular Robert Louis Stevenson novel was quite the hit, despite some legal controversy over Bobby Driscoll's employment on the project.
The success of Treasure Island was astounding, relatively speaking. The entire film had been produced, captured, and finished in the span of five months, a blazing speed compared to the production of any of the animated films. In addition, the film cost far less, a paltry $1.8 million, allowing the company to quickly make a profit. Inspired by this victory, the company quickly greenlit several other films for production.
Production of live action films increased so much over the years that even listing them all would be a challenge. Below are some of the highlights of the decade:
The Story of Robin Hood released in 1948, the second of the live-action films, and the first attempt by Disney to tell such a familiar story. Starring Richard Todd as the titular character, this film also went on to gross over $4 million dollars on a relatively thin budget.
In 1953, Disney released Rob Roy The Highland Rogue. While not quite a success, neither was the film a colossal disappointment. More importantly, the film being a loss did not threaten to ruin the company. By 1953, Cinderella had already premiered and was such a success, that whether Rob Roy failed or not hardly mattered.
1954's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea stands as the most successful and memorable live action film the company produced in the 1950s, and arguably since the company started. The film was a huge hit, and to this day remains the 'gold standard' among all adaptations of the Jules Verne novel. For several years, the Nautilus submarine enjoyed time as an attraction at Walt Disney World, and even after being formally shut down in 1994, remained present for a further decade.
Fans of later animated direct-to-video films may be surprised to learn Disney started cutting up television shows much earlier. In 1955, the company compiled pieces of their popular Davy Crockett miniseries and combined it all into a 93 minute film. Made up of three episodes of the series, the film was quite successful, and later followed by a sequel, Davy Crockett and the River Pirates in 1956.
Our final highlight needs no introduction. Old Yeller is based on a book of the same name, released in 1956. Disney quickly secured rights to the film, and a year later brought Old Yeller to the silver screen. While not the biggest production, no Disney film, animated or live-action, enjoyed such universal acclaim as this film. It remains one of the most memorable films, not only in the Disney catalog, but also the American film industry. Old Yeller was added to the National Film Registry in 2019 as a landmark film of historical significance.
And that's it for our brief walk through the 1950s Disney live action films. Stay tuned as we continue our coverage over the decades.
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