#6 Saludos Amigos

In 1941, Disney sent a team of animators and artists on a tour of South America with the goal of making a film as part of Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy of goodwill between the US and South America. The result of their journeys was Saludos Amigos, the first of Disney's package films - compilations of shorts with a framing device to tie them together. In the case of Saludos Amigos, the framing material consists of live-action documentary footage of the Disney team's journey, making the film seem a bit like a 1940's-era travelogue at times, although it does offer a fascinating look at the animators creating characters and settings from the inspiration around them, essentially making the film a chronicle of its own production.

The shorts themselves are all themed around the culture and locations of South America. First is "Lake Titicaca," essentially a travelogue spoof starring Donald Duck, with Disney's favorite misanthrope getting roundly abused - amusing, but typical of Donald cartoons. Next is "Pedro," about a mail plane setting off on his first flight. It's cute, but inconsequential. "El Gaucho Goofy" gives us Goofy as the device for comparing the American cowboy to the Argentine gaucho, with antics ensuing. The finale is "Aquarela do Brasil," with a paintbrush creating a lush rainforest landscape, and featuring Donald Duck being introduced to Brazil by the parrot Jose Carioca (the pair would return in The Three Caballeros).

Ultimately, there's not much to say about Saludos Amigos. Since the package films aren't truly narrative films, but compilations, it's difficult to critique them as anything but the sum of their parts. While the shorts are all of the good quality one could expect from Disney, none are truly exceptional. Saludos Amigos is best viewed as a piece of Disney history; in terms of artistic value or originality, it offers little.