Saludos Amigos

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What’s the Story?

Walt Disney and staff explore the exotic charms of South America, accompanied by cartoon stars Donald Duck and Goofy. SALUDOS AMIGOS begins with documentary footage of Disney and staff embarking on a trip to South America in search of cartoon inspiration. Their visits to such countries as Peru, Argentina, and Brazil work as introductions to the animated segments, starting with "Lake Titicaca," in which Donald Duck visits the massive lake in the Andes Mountains. Next is the story of "Pedro," a little mail plane making his first flight over the dangerous Andean terrain. "El Gaucho Goofy" finds our hapless hero as an Argentine gaucho, attempting to catch an ostrich. In the last cartoon, "Aquarela do Brasil," Brazilian parrot Jose Carioca teaches Donald Duck to dance the samba. Also included is the featurette "South of the Border with Disney," a more straightforward documentary of Disney's Latin America trip.

Is It Any Good?

In 1941, Walt Disney agreed to a request by the U.S. government to undertake a public relations tour of South America. Saludos Amigos was the first movie to result from this trip, and it holds up reasonably well, although with its clear roots in the 1940s, it feels more dated than most Disney movies. While the documentary footage will be of interest primarily to Disney buffs, the cartoons themselves are definitely fun, if unexceptional. Kids will enjoy "El Gaucho Goofy," with its heavy emphasis on visual slapstick. Others may relate to the story of Pedro, a little plane who wants to prove himself.

Nevertheless, these segments feel like what they are: short cartoons crammed into a feature format. They lack the visual excitement one normally expects to find in Disney movies. The exception is "Aquarela do Brasil." Set to an intoxicating samba beat, the segment introduces Jose Carioca, a Brazilian parrot who initiates Donald Duck to the joys of Latin music. With its surreal, morphing imagery, this lively sequence set the stage for the more innovative and spectacular Three Caballeros, released two years later.