First shot of animation: a paintbrush comes to life, and paints a concert hall stage.

It’s Fantasia 3: Make Mine Music 2: Cowboy Academy. Seven music-based shorts with no frame story, but there are small introductions for each by the performers, which are appreciated.

I’m still surprised when there’s explicit Christianity. The song of praise Johnny Appleseed sings in his first scene was used as a grace at meals when I went to church camp as a kid (anyone else go to Judson Collins? Probably not). Johnny won’t go to heaven until an Angel tells him he gets to do work, which is painfully Protestant.

Little Toot is a cute little guy. Joe Carioca comes back for yet another Samba segment. Bumble Boogie is fun. None of these impress though, Make Mine Music had Blue Bayou and All the Cats Join In, nothing in Melody Time measures up to those.

Best segment is the long pass through the southwest at night, following tumbleweeds and prairie dogs before the singing cowboys start the Pecos Bill story proper. I wonder how much influence the package films had going forward, because the lesson seems to be that reliable money comes from being fun enough, pleasant, and reliable. We’re so close to real features again, please.