Fantasia Premieres: Disney Redefines Animation
Walt Disney premiered Fantasia on November 13, 1940, at the Broadway Theatre in New York using a revolutionary multi-channel stereo sound system called Fantasound that required 33 speakers installed throughout the theater. The film set classical music by Bach, Beethoven, Stravinsky, and others to animation sequences ranging from abstract geometry to a terrifying 'Night on Bald Mountain.' Leopold Stokowski conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra. The sequence of Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice became the most iconic. Fantasia cost $2.28 million, double the budget of Snow White, and lost money on its initial release because only 13 theaters could afford the Fantasound installation. Critics were divided. Audiences were confused. It took decades of re-releases for Fantasia to become profitable and achieve recognition as a landmark in cinematic art.
November 13, 1940
86 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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