The 1940s was a huge decade for Disney. After all, the animation studio had come out with its inaugural film in 1937 — Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — so 1940 was the year that Disney would start proving itself as a producer of quality features. Could the entertainment company dream up stories just as enchanting, musical, and beautiful as Snow White? Spoiler alert: yes. Though not every movie to jump out of the ’40s was a smash-hit, what did come out of the decade paved a way for future films to come.
To celebrate Disney’s first full decade of feature production, we’ll be looking at the company’s best works to be released between 1940 and 1949. We’ll be stacking them up using the ranking system on IMDb.
Every film created by the then-titled Walt Disney Productions has been assigned a star rating on the movie website. This score is based on the votes of registered users on a scale of 1 to 10, and those with the highest numbers will be showing up here. It’s worth noting that any documentary, anthology film, or traditionally structured movie is fair game. With that said, it’s time to turn back the clock; Here are the greatest Disney movies of the 1940s, according to IMDb.
Victory Through Air Power (6.6)
The United States was deep into World War II in 1943. Thus, a patriotic Walt Disney helped support the war efforts by using his studio to convey a message about the practicality of aerial bombing.
Sure, this one is definitely an outlier when put next to the other films of the era. Nevertheless, it remains interesting and educational decades after its release, communicating the realities of war yet still feeling “Disney.” That’s quite the feat, huh?
Fun And Fancy Free (6.6)
Though Fun and Fancy Free was released after World War II in 1947, it followed the format of other films released during the era by combining a set of previously animated short stories; This saved on production costs. The first story follows a bear cub, who after leaving the circus, falls for another bear in the wild. The second story retells “Jack and the Beanstalk” with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy taking on the leading roles.
The stories were cheerful and spirited. Though not Disneys’s most popular film, it remains a well-crafted compilation.
So Dear To My Heart (6.9)
This 1948 feature, based on Sterling North’s Midnight and Jeremiah, mixed live-action footage and animations to tell of a boy from 1900s Indiana who wishes to enter his black-wool lamb in the Pike County Fair.
The heartwarming tale was loaded with themes of love, dedication, and friendship. The old-timey story didn’t need a complex plot or layered gags to prove its relevance.
The Reluctant Dragon (6.9)
Though this 1941 Disney film might not be the most known of the bunch, it is one of the most charming. The Reluctant Dragon features a live-action tour of the Walt Disney Studios facility in Burbank, California. However, the movie also contains three Technicolor cartoons, a segment featuring Casey Junior from Dumbo, and a longer short about the titular dragon’s friendship with a young boy.
Though the movie was no stand-out at the time of its release, it has stayed intriguing due to its obvious ’40s-era animation elements.
The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad (7.0)
This 1949 animated package film combines two stories together. While “The Wind in the Willows” follows the affluent Mr. Toad’s affection for a car, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” catches up with a schoolmaster who gets stuck in a love triangle.
The stories were both enchanting and haunting. With imaginative animations to back up the plots, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad remains an underrated gem in the Disney library.
Song Of The South (7.1)
Though Song of the South has a controversial history, especially due to the way it inappropriately handles race, the 1946 live-action/animated musical retains a high score on IMDb. This likely has something to do with the charming animated portions of the film. Song of the South follows a 7-year-old boy, who is told the tales of the mischevious Brer Rabbit from Uncle Remus.
While Brer Rabbit and his friends can be seen inside the Disney Parks’ iconic Splash Mountain, the complete film probably won’t show up on Disney+ anytime soon for abundantly obvious reasons.
Dumbo (7.2)
Did you ever see an elephant fly?
Dumbo follows a circus elephant who is made fun of for his giant ears. After learning he can fly with them, however, his future is transformed.
The sweet story and playful humor left critics impressed. Because the 1941 fantasy has become iconic, it managed to score itself a live-action adaption in 2019.
Bambi (7.3)
Disney’s Bambi has the titular deer, his rabbit buddy Thumper, and his skunk friend Flower discovering the beauty and the tragedy of the forest as they grow up together.
Though Bambi received mixed reviews upon its release, with many finding it strange for Disney to produce a story free of fanciful elements, its admiration later grew. The layered themes and gentle narrative has turned it into a classic. Disney is planning to turn Bambi into a live-action CGI film.
Pinocchio (7.4)
Woodworker Geppetto decides to build a boy in Disney’s first feature-length film to follow Snow White. After puppet Pinocchio is brought to life by the Blue Fairy, he must get through a series of tests. If he can prove his character, he will be turned into a real boy; If not, he will remain a puppet forever.
The soft colors, interesting characters, and overall charm of Pinocchio has cemented this one as a Disney great. Yes, like Bambi, this fantasy is also being developed into a live-action film.
Fantasia (7.8)
Topping off the list as the best film of the decade is Fantasia.
This animated musical set hand-drawn animations to a classical soundtrack. It is divided into eight separate segments, each with a unique theme. For example, while the “Dance of the Hours” has hippos, ostriches, and other animals performing a ballet, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” sees Mickey learning to use his magic.
Today, Fantasia is highly regarded as an important step in animation history; This is because Disney chose to push the limits with its imaginative, new visuals.
