The Bad:This is a compilation of shorts, not a cohesive story. Some of the shorts are fun, but some are pretty bad. The short "Blame it on the Samba" - in which Donald dances around while a live-action woman sings and plays instruments – made me try to fast-forward through the never-ending scene. I strongly disliked that one. Although someone who is a fan of that style of music might find it more palatable. "Pecos Bill" contains Indian stereotypes which are outdated and potentially offensive, along with a depiction of the hero smoking. The Good:I really loved the "Johnny Appleseed" segment. It's loosely based on a true story (hey, history education!), plus had an unexpectedly positive view of Christianity (in something like two lines). The "Little Toot" segment was also pretty cute. The handful of other segments were fairly forgettable in my opinion, but not unwatchable. The Mom view:Created after Fantasia, it feels like it is a much lesser cousin – or even simply a grouping of completely unrelated shorts rather than a harmonious concert experience. Since the music can be so varied (and not contemporary), I find this could be educational for a child. Exposure to music style that a parent doesn't regularly listen to can be a very good thing. Also, the American folk hero aspect of this compilation was nice. If I could snip out the segments I liked and discard the irritating ones, this would make for an okay movie for my kids, but the "Samba" segment simply kills this for me. I'll get Fantasia instead.

All through my childhood of watching Disney movies on video, I'd somehow never seen MELODY TIME (although some footage had been used in sing-along montages).MELODY TIME (1948) is similar to Disney's FANTASIA (1940), setting short animated stories to music, only this time Disney uses popular contemporary vocalists and musical acts instead of classical masterpieces. The Andrews Sisters sing a tale about a little tugboat and Dennis Day croons the saga of Johnny Appleseed. There's some live-action footage of organist extraordinaire Ethel Smith (integrated with Donald Duck and his feathered pal Jose) and Roy Rogers's singing posse (relating the legend of Pecos Bill). "Once Upon a Wintertime" (sung by Frances Langford) is the sleigh ride romance that is edited into Disney's Christmas sing-alongs.This is definitely a second-tier Disney production, but it has its charms and is nicely animated. Kids should enjoy it, and it's an interesting sample of the musical 1940s.

Melody Time a successor to Walt Disney's Make Mine Music didn't quite reach the standards of the previous film, but it still has a lot to recommend it. As in the previous film, some of the segments of Melody Time are better than others.Buddy Clark who died the following year provides the overall narration and the animation effects of the paint brush. Clark was one of the best singers of the Thirties and Forties, his was a great law to American popular music.Pecos Bill the final segment proved so popular that it got issued as a short subject feature. But I like Dennis Day in the Johnny Appleseed segment. Also Donald Duck and Jose Carioca doing the Blame It On The Samba dancing to the music the Andrews Sisters sing and that Ethel Smith plays on the Organ. Ethel is the only other participating artist who is actually seen other than the Pecos Bill segment.Melody Time is a good cartoon anthology still holding up well for today's audience.

All possibly to reflect Walt Disney's dreams and possibly some of his new ideas, while the world was recovering from the terrifying Second World War, Disney released "Melody Time", a collection of beautiful, heartwarming, musical and entertaining shorts. At the beginning, a speaking mask (who at times is the narrator), explains that there is something for everyone and there indeed just about is! A lot of different kind of shorts await you and you are bound to like at least one a little bit.In order of when the shorts are shown:"Once Upon A Wintertime": A different kind of Disney animation, including pristine backgrounds, Disney shows a rather messy winter love story. Not the best short in the bunch, but definitely not the least best, with a good woman singer. "Bumble Boogie": Good for the eye, this short shows a very angry and upset bee trapped and flustered in a world of musical caterpillars and images. A good short mainly for the older, for the young it may be a bit upsetting, especially as the bee is quite a likable character."Johnny Appleseed": One of the few shorts with a proper plot, with some of the best animation in the set, Johnny Appleseed is a heartwarming story, you may even be inclined to believe this beautiful American story is true! Good for all ages."Little Toot": Unfortunately, this short is rather tedious babyish and a slight bit depressing, probably the least good of the lot. However, it is likely to entertain the wee ones and maybe some grown-ups would not mind watching it."Tree": Is basically a poem, a moving painting and a picture of a tree. Like "Bumble Boogie", it is plot less and another feast for the eyes, hopefully it will become your favourite of the set. Very beautiful for any animation and stunning."Blame It On The Samba": Featuring Donald Duck, a parrot friend of his and a rascal of a waiter bird! Showing a naughty bird bullying and entertaining Donald Duck and his friend with the amazement and annoyance of the samba."Pecos Bill": The last of the set, Pecos Bill is pretty entertaining - even with a rather tedious beginning and animation that could do with some work. The songs and characters are certainly entertaining. It shows a young boy being bought up by coyotes and becoming a "rooting, tootin' cowboy".So, enjoy "Melody Time"!