Part cartoon and part documentary, this film offers a humorous look at birds and the ways people perceive them.Part cartoon and part documentary, this film offers a humorous look at birds and the ways people perceive them.Part cartoon and part documentary, this film offers a humorous look at birds and the ways people perceive them.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 1 nomination total
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIt was the last animated short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios to win an Academy Award, until Paperman (2012).
- GoofsThe evolutionary theory of how birds evolved from fish and reptiles (osteoderms, lobe-finned fishes, tetrapods, thecodonts, Proavis, and Archaeopteryx) is practically nonsense. They are separate kinds of animals.
- Quotes
Narrator: I got news for you. We birds were used by your early explorers as navigators because we usually flew into the direction of land. You remember what Columbus said, don't you?
Christopher Columbus: [Italian accent] Follow-a that-a bird.
Narrator: And Leif Erikson?
Leif Erikson: [Scandinavian accent] Follow the bird.
Narrator: Both these boys claimed to be the first to set foot in the New World.
Christopher Columbus, Leif Erikson: *overlapping arguing*
Narrator: But we birds know who was here first.
- Alternate versionsAn extended version aired as an episode of The Magical World of Disney (1954) a year after its initial release.
- ConnectionsEdited into All Because Man Wanted to Fly (1984)
Kimball had directed Disney cartoons before and they were highly successful, despite Disney himself not being a fan of the aesthetics. This title, similar to the educational featurettes that were put out earlier in the decade blends satire and irreverent humor. The animation looks like a mesh between the Sesame Street characters and Monty Python (both shows coincidentally premiered the same year). All these elements combined feel like a film produced by a studio other than Disney. The template is still there though. And at the same time, Kimball honors his Disney roots by juxtaposing a few clips from some classic Disney cartoons, with birds, with the absurdism.
Not suprisingly, few Disney executives and veterans were not crazy about this film, but the critics praised it and it won an Oscar. Despite the success, this film has fallen into obscurity, never having seen an official media release of any kind. Perhaps the Disney execs are still put off by it? Or perhaps it's too much a product of the late 60s?
A highly unusual Disney film, but one of Kimball's greatest achievements.
- Vimacone
- Jul 29, 2023
Details
- Runtime21 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1