Melody Time Production Cels

Disney was known for combining his musical cartoon shorts into interesting feature-length anthologies and Melody Time is one of the best. But for the fact that all of the featured segments have musical themes, they vary widely in musical and artistic style. Included are the exciting "Bumble Boogie," with a jazzy version of Rimski-Korsakov's famed "Flight of the Bumblebee," played by Freddy Martin and His Orchestra; the legend of Johnny Appleseed, "Little Toot," the story of a courageous tug-boat narrated by the Andrews Sisters; "Trees," based on Joyce Kilmer's poem and featuring songs by Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians; "Blame It on the Cowboys," featuring Ethel Smith kicking up her heels with Donald Duck and his Three Caballeros pal Joe Carcioca, and cowboy stars Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers in a live-action/animated retelling of the legend of "Pecos Bill." Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide