DMFE Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.00 out of 5 stars)
Caution: Possible Spoilers Ahead!
Make Mine Music consists of 10 animated musical segments:
The Martins and the Coys
A long-running feud between two backwoods families escalates into an all-out shootout that wipes out nearly everyone on both sides. The only survivors, Grace Martin and Henry Coy, meet afterward and instantly fall in love, ending the feud—at least temporarily—as their fiery personalities suggest the conflict may live on in their marriage.
Blue Bayou
Set in a dreamy, moonlit swamp, two elegant egrets glide through the water and sky in search of companionship. Their gentle movements and eventual pairing create a serene, romantic mood, with the story told entirely through music and graceful imagery rather than dialogue.
All the Cats Join In
In a lively depiction of 1940s youth culture, a group of teenagers prepares for a night out filled with swing music and dancing. A young couple gets ready and heads to a malt shop where they join friends, and the sequence playfully breaks the fourth wall by showing the animator’s pencil interacting with the characters.
Without You
This abstract and emotional segment portrays the pain of lost love through symbolic visuals like rainstorms, shadows, and empty spaces. Without a traditional narrative, it conveys heartbreak and loneliness purely through mood, music, and shifting imagery.
Casey at the Bat
In the town of Mudville, the struggling baseball team pins all its hopes on the mighty Casey. Confident to the point of arrogance, Casey lets two perfect pitches pass, certain he’ll win the game with one swing, but he strikes out, crushing the crowd’s expectations and leaving himself humiliated.
Two Silhouettes
Featuring live-action dancers animated in silhouette, this segment presents a graceful ballet performance. The dancers move elegantly across stylized backgrounds, accompanied by soft, romantic music and whimsical cherubic figures that enhance the dreamlike atmosphere.
Peter and the Wolf
A young boy named Peter ventures into the snowy wilderness with his animal friends and encounters a dangerous wolf. Using courage and cleverness, Peter captures the wolf with the help of hunters, and though the duck appears to be eaten, it’s revealed to be alive, bringing the story to a lighthearted conclusion.
After You’ve Gone
This fast-paced, abstract sequence features anthropomorphic musical instruments interacting in a colorful, surreal world. The animation visually interprets the rhythm and energy of jazz, focusing more on movement and musical expression than a traditional storyline.
Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet
Two hats displayed together in a department store window fall in love, but are separated when Alice is sold. Johnny spends months searching the city for her, enduring various owners and situations, until they are finally reunited, now worn by horses, and happily together again.
The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met
Willie, a whale with an incredible singing voice, dreams of performing opera. A suspicious impresario wrongly believes Willie has swallowed a singer and hunts him down, ignoring proof of his talent. Tragically, Willie is killed, but in a bittersweet ending, he is shown in heaven joyfully singing, finally fulfilling his dream.
Make Mine Music as a whole has not appeared on Disney's anthology television show, but a few segments have appeared. On September 11, 1957, on the opening show of Walt Disney's Disneyland's 4th season, the "Peter and the Wolf" segment was shown. On January 30, 1966, the episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color featured clips from Make Mine Music.
First released on home video (VHS and DVD) on June 6, 2000, as part of the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection. First released on Blu-ray on November 2, 2021, as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive. Make Mine Music is not available on Disney+. The only film from the studios' animated feature films that is not available on Disney+.
CAST & CREW
After You’ve Gone
This fast-paced, abstract sequence features anthropomorphic musical instruments interacting in a colorful, surreal world. The animation visually interprets the rhythm and energy of jazz, focusing more on movement and musical expression than a traditional storyline.
Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet
Two hats displayed together in a department store window fall in love, but are separated when Alice is sold. Johnny spends months searching the city for her, enduring various owners and situations, until they are finally reunited, now worn by horses, and happily together again.
The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met
Willie, a whale with an incredible singing voice, dreams of performing opera. A suspicious impresario wrongly believes Willie has swallowed a singer and hunts him down, ignoring proof of his talent. Tragically, Willie is killed, but in a bittersweet ending, he is shown in heaven joyfully singing, finally fulfilling his dream.
Make Mine Music as a whole has not appeared on Disney's anthology television show, but a few segments have appeared. On September 11, 1957, on the opening show of Walt Disney's Disneyland's 4th season, the "Peter and the Wolf" segment was shown. On January 30, 1966, the episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color featured clips from Make Mine Music.
First released on home video (VHS and DVD) on June 6, 2000, as part of the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection. First released on Blu-ray on November 2, 2021, as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive. Make Mine Music is not available on Disney+. The only film from the studios' animated feature films that is not available on Disney+.
CAST & CREW
Director: Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimo, Hamilton Luske, Bob Cormack, Josh Meador Story: Homer Brightman, Dick Huemer, Dick Kinney, John Walbridge, Tom Oreb, Dick Shaw, Eric Gurney, Sylvia Holland, T. Hee, Ed Penner, Dick Kelsey, Jim Bodrero, Roy Williams, Cap Palmer, Jesse Marsh, Erwin Graham Production Supervisor: Joe Grant Art Supervision: Mary Blair, Elmer Plummer, John Hench Composers: Eliot Daniel (uncredited), Oliver Wallace (uncredited), Charles Wolcott (uncredited) With the Talents Of: Nelson Eddy, Dinah Shore, Benny Goodman, Andrews Sisters, Jerry Colonna, Andy Russell, Sterling Holloway, Tatiana Riabouchinska, David Lichine, Pied Pipers, King’s Men, Ken Darby Chorus.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
MPAA Rating: N/A (The MPAA rating system was not introduced until November 1, 1968)
Runtime: 75 minutes
Sound: Mono (RCA Sound System)
Format: Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Genre(s): Animation, Family, Musical (from movies.disney.com)
BOX OFFICE (from IMDb.com)
Runtime: 75 minutes
Sound: Mono (RCA Sound System)
Format: Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Genre(s): Animation, Family, Musical (from movies.disney.com)
BOX OFFICE (from IMDb.com)
Budget: N/A
Opening Weekend (U.S. & Canada): N/A
Gross (U.S. & Canada): N/A
Gross (Worldwide): N/A
RATINGS
Opening Weekend (U.S. & Canada): N/A
Gross (U.S. & Canada): N/A
Gross (Worldwide): N/A
RATINGS
My Rating: 2.00 (out of 5)
Rotten Tomatoes: 58% (Tomatometer) | 40% (Popcornmeter)
Metacritic: 60 (Metascore) | 6.3 (User Score)
IMDb: 6.1 (out of 10)
The Movie DB: 58% (User Score)
Letterboxd: 2.7 (out of 5)
Combined Rating: 54.25
MY THOUGHTS
Disney's Make Mine Music stands as one of the studio's more uneven efforts, functioning as a collection of musical shorts rather than a cohesive feature. Produced during the World War II era, its anthology format results in a disjointed experience that lacks the emotion found in earlier classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio. While a few segments, notably "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met," capture some genuine charm and creativity, and the "Casey at the Bat," which I enjoy, most of the entries are forgettable. Though it offers some historical value as part of Disney's wartime "package film" era, it ultimately lacks the lasting impact that defines the studio's best work, making it more of a curiosity than essential viewing.
Have you seen Make Mine Music? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Great care has been taken to be as accurate as possible when it comes to details in each of the entries I post. As with anything, mistakes can happen, dates can be wrong, information not readily available, etc. If you see a mistake, information that is incorrect or inaccurate, or missing information, please contact me at disneymovieandfilmencyclopedia@gmail.com so I can make corrections.
Rotten Tomatoes: 58% (Tomatometer) | 40% (Popcornmeter)
Metacritic: 60 (Metascore) | 6.3 (User Score)
IMDb: 6.1 (out of 10)
The Movie DB: 58% (User Score)
Letterboxd: 2.7 (out of 5)
Combined Rating: 54.25
MY THOUGHTS
Disney's Make Mine Music stands as one of the studio's more uneven efforts, functioning as a collection of musical shorts rather than a cohesive feature. Produced during the World War II era, its anthology format results in a disjointed experience that lacks the emotion found in earlier classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio. While a few segments, notably "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met," capture some genuine charm and creativity, and the "Casey at the Bat," which I enjoy, most of the entries are forgettable. Though it offers some historical value as part of Disney's wartime "package film" era, it ultimately lacks the lasting impact that defines the studio's best work, making it more of a curiosity than essential viewing.
Have you seen Make Mine Music? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Great care has been taken to be as accurate as possible when it comes to details in each of the entries I post. As with anything, mistakes can happen, dates can be wrong, information not readily available, etc. If you see a mistake, information that is incorrect or inaccurate, or missing information, please contact me at disneymovieandfilmencyclopedia@gmail.com so I can make corrections.
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