All Things Disney || Years 1950-1955

my reviews of the Disney films in chronological order

Nov 07, 2023

After an evening out seeing Disney 100 The concert, I started this goal on a whim. Though initially I didn't realise how big of a dream this would be, it has expanded my watching of films and documentaries. So far, and with more to go, there are many of these films and features I've not heard of or seen before.

Before this goal, I wouldn't have even considered watching them, even with them being Disney. Whether this goal takes me three years or my lifetime, I'm glad that I'm noticing things about what I'm watching and of myself.

My Disney film-watching continued into the 1950s. If you’d like to read my previous post in the series, click here. Disney created twenty-eight films in this decade, and because of that, I will be breaking up the 1950s into two parts. This post contains my thoughts on the first 14 films of this time, up until and including 1955.

Cinderella (1950)

It's a film I've watched many times before. I can't say what my favourite Disney film was growing up, but this film is my favourite out of the films/features in this journey. I love the animal inclusion within the film. I was smiling throughout and felt love within my heart. Although I wasn't a fan of Lucifer as a character's personality, I agreed with him on the sisters' singing skills. I loved the mice singing while making Cinderella's dress, and between that song and bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, I can't quite decide which is my favourite. This film made me want to watch the second Cinderella film, though I must wait a few decades. It opened my heart for the rest of the day.

Treasure Island (1950)

I've been trying to determine whether I've seen this one before. I get a sense that I’ve seen it before, but at the same time, I’m watching it, and I can’t remember it. I enjoyed this film, and it kept me engaged throughout. I would easily rate it a four out of five. I liked what looked like the use of painted scenery, and the fight scene was interesting. To see the difference between what it was like then and how realistic the effects are now. But do we get to know if they get off the island, or am I to read the book?

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

When I saw Alice in Wonderland was next up to watch, I had a smile as big as the cat. I remember loving the fantasy of the film. Surprisingly, I don't read more fantasy novels. I don't know if the animation has been remastered since I watched it when I was younger, but it doesn't look the same as what I remember. However, that could be my memory playing tricks on me. I continued to have a big smile on my face watching the film. There were parts it was like I was watching it for the first time but could easily remember the main characters. The film held my attention, and I will put it as my number one now.

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merry Men (1952)

I know Robin Hood's story; I've watched a few of the latest adaptations. This version was my first watch. My memory of the other versions of this film is a little hazy, but at this point on my Disney journey out of the Robin Hood films I've seen, I'm putting this at the top. It held my attention. It made me chuckle. I liked the concise telling of the story. It was interesting to watch the fight scenes. Like Treasure Island, the simplicity and lack of technological effects made it refreshing.

Peter Pan (1953)

The negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures' message is back again for this film. The scenes with the father at the start getting angry over the children's stories were funny and made me hold my breath. I felt so sorry for Nana, and in that situation with the father's reaction, I would have also gone to Nana. Watching the film this time is the first time I've taken note of Tinkerbell standing in the mirror and what she is doing when seeing her reflection. It made me a little sad to know that she was measuring the size of her hips. Then, she struggled to get out of the draw lock. I know it was 1953, but to put a message like that in a film designed for a younger audience could lead somewhere damaging. There were a few colour differences in some of the scenes. For example, Michael's night suit was pink; however, in another scene, it was white and then went back to pink again. I felt disheartened again at the mermaid scene where they were attempting to make Wendy go into the water. Despite these feelings, I still enjoyed watching the film. I'd pick other films to re-watch first. Even so, it was a good film.

The Sword and The Rose (1953)

This film isn't available on Disney Plus. The D23 website states it has historical inaccuracies. And if other writers on the internet are to be believed or not, this film has been seen as a bland take on romance that doesn't fit any audience type. I've been able to find the full-length film for free on YouTube. Some of the same names and faces from Robin Hood and His Merry Men are part of this film. I couldn't see what the storyline hook was for this film. It's not a film I would see a child watch. Within five minutes, they would be off doing something else. If this were a book, I would have DNF'd it. I watched it all, but I had to do so in parts. I spent most of the film thinking the actress who plays Mary is the actress who's in Mary Poppins.

True Life Adventures: Living Desert (1953)

Disney is now branching into documentaries, starting with the True Life Adventures featurettes. Looking at this title and thumbnail, I'm getting a David Attenborough documentary feel, unfortunately, with no David Attenborough. In just over 60 minutes, this feature shares different animals from the real world. It started with animation and videos with narration. The narration informs us of the desert for at least 5 minutes, and then the animals come into view. I found it quite interesting, although it sometimes had cheesy moments. How much factual information remains the same after 70 years, I don't know. But the show shows how this type of documentary is done in today's filming. The ones now don't have the cheesy moments. Even with that being the case, I would still choose David Attenborough shoes above this.

a small lizard sitting in a hole in the ground — Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash

Rob Roy, The Highland Rogue (1954)

This film is one I'm finding hard to locate, and I'm looking for a streaming version of it. I can see snippets of the film but not the full version; it is easy to determine the order of the clips. I've found it easier to locate a 1921 version of this film than this Disney one. I'm trying not to purchase a physical copy because I know I wouldn't want to have it after watching it. I will watch for this and potentially watch sometime in the future. I have put the ‘notify me bell’ on my Just Watch app to inform me if it comes to any of the streaming services it is linked to. To be watched and reviewed at a later date.

True-Life Adventures: The Vanishing Prairie (1954)

This is another true-adventure documentary film about the American Prairie. The film is 71 minutes long and has the same narrator as The Living Desert, with some animation dotted here and there. It had the same format as the previous true adventure documentary, starting by discussing the land before the animals are shown. I can't speak for how much the information is still accurate today. But I'm sure there is little change to the animals' information and hunting. With climate change and habitat loss over the years, there would be some differences in their way of life and if they are still in high numbers.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

This accompanies the running theme of seeing only some of these early releases. I'm glad to have a film breaking up the documentaries. This is the longest film in chronological order at over 2 hours. I felt sad about the capture of the sea creatures, especially the turtles. Otherwise, I have enjoyed this film. It kept me interested, and the seal is my favourite character in the film. I haven't much else to say about this film. I enjoyed it. I'd watch it again if it were on the telly, but I probably wouldn't put it on over other things.

Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955)

Before the film started, the message came up regarding negative depictions. That made me cautious about watching this film, another I haven't watched before. This is a film where three television episodes were combined, as stated by the D23 website. I liked this way of doing this film; it broke it down but also blended well, not being evident that they were television episodes. Overall, it's a good film. It wouldn't be my first choice, but I would have it on if it was the only option.

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

I looked forward to re-watching this one. It made me smile just thinking about it. I was surprised to see the misinterpretation and negative depiction message before this film. I couldn't rack my brain to think what these could be. While watching the film, a few terms wouldn't be said or at least not correct to say today and a few actions that aren't acceptable today. Besides that, the film has reached the top of my list of favourites. It brought tears to my eyes towards the end. I'd like to see how they've done the reboot of this film. But there is a Lady and the Tramp 2 to go before I get to that film.

True-Life Adventure: The African Lion (1955)

Another True-Life documentary is 72 minutes long. This one is called so because the Lion is the main feature, but it also features other animals in the region. Although there are parts of these documentary features that are interesting, they don’t hold my attention for the entirety of the film. I feel that I get zoned out and tired when I do.

lion lying on brown grass field during sunset — Photo by Keyur Nandaniya on Unsplash

The Littlest Outlaw (1955)

This was another film I hadn’t seen before. It was also one that wasn’t on Disney Plus, so I was able to rent it through another streaming service. I broke my heart multiple times while watching this film. The animal mistreatment was hard to watch. However, I’m glad there's a happy ending. I wouldn’t choose to watch this film again.

Have you watched any of these films? What are your thoughts on them?