#disneychronologically

[hayley-brynn]

101 DALMATIANS (1961)

Favorite Things: The incredible stylized backgrounds and “sketchy” look of the film, all of the London women looking just like their dogs 🇬🇧👩🏻‍🦳🐩, Roger and Anita’s sweetest meet cute 💕, the “Kanine Krunchies” jingle, the Twilight Bark, poor Sgt. Tibbs trying desperately to help the puppies escape Hell Hall, and of course all the pups disguising themselves as labradors to “fool the old mad lady”! 🐾😅

Biggest questions (just one): How in the world were Anita and Cruella EVER “dear schoolmates”?!?

Sad side note; I’ve had so little time for personal art lately! This probably doesn’t count as a digital #inktober huh? Nah, didn’t think so...

[hayley-brynn]

Did you think I forgot about this ongoing project? It’s taken WAY longer than I anticipated, but not a chance! 😉

SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959)

Favorite things: Of COURSE the stunning Eyvind Earle backgrounds (I just adore his square trees! 🍃), Eleanor Audley as the iconic voice of Maleficent, Phillip and Sampson being the very first prince/horse duo with personality🤴🏻🐴, the entire “Once Upon A Dream” sequence (I love the owl so much! 🦉), that bodice design on Aurora’s peasant dress👌🏻, and best of all: Maleficent as the most badass dragon ever! Yellow eyes? Green fire?! Come on! 🙌🏻😈🔥

Biggest questions: Why would the king and queen agree to let Aurora be taken away for her ENTIRE childhood instead of just having her watched closely at the castle? 🤔 If the 3 fairies had the power to put an entire kingdom to sleep, why were they struggling so hard to get past Maleficent’s guards? 🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏼‍♂️🧚🏼‍♀️ And did the budget for voice actors run dry half way through the film?? Because Aurora and Phillip literally don’t speak again for the last 30 minutes of the movie! 🤷🏻‍♀️😅

[hayley-brynn]

FUN AND FANCY FREE (1947) Favorite things: Dinah Shore's sweet narration of the "Bongo" short, Bongo's first unfortunate night in the woods 🌲🌙, "The Bear Likes to Say it with a Slap" song (I was dying! Completely forgot about that part 🐻💘😂), the entire "Mickey and the Beanstalk" short (minus the question you'll read below) it was one of my favorites as a kid! Specifically the bit where the stalk starts growing (so cool! 🌱), Goofy's food song, how snarky Mickey is with the giant, and ALL of Donald's fits of rage! I can't even. He's hilarious! 😡🤣 Biggest questions: Who decided Jiminy Cricket and Cleo should be featured in the opening of this film alongside a mean cat that WASN'T Figaro? But more importantly: WHY are Edgar Bergen, his ventriloquist dummies, and a little girl narrating and interrupting "Mickey and the Beanstalk"?!? You guys!! I swear this was never in the version I saw growing up! I'm so confused and SO creeped out! 😳 ✨As a side note, if these posts are confusing anyone who's just come on board, check out the tag #thebenfieldsdodisney to see what it's all about! ✨

[hayley-brynn]

MAKE MINE MUSIC (1946)⠀ ⠀ Favorite things: This series of shorts had some of my favorites from when I was a kid; I had no idea! Best ones: “Peter and the Wolf” with its fun orchestrated characters, (extra points for another stellar Sterling Holloway performance! 🐺🙌🏻) “Casey at Bat” (the most insanely hilarious facial expressions in this one you guys 😂), and the absolute sweetest: “Johnny Fedora and Alice Blue-Bonnet” sung by none other than the Andrews Sisters! Best. Ever. 🎩👒🎶⠀ ⠀ Biggest questions: Not too many on this one as the film is made up of short silly stories, but why don’t I remember “The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met” being so sad?! Oh my goodness, I did not see that coming… 🎭🐋😭

[hayley-brynn]

DUMBO (1941)⠀ ⠀ Favorite things: Sterling Holloway as the stork (an early Disney voice staple!), all of the animals receiving their adorable little bundles of joy, the highlighting of how terrible clowns are (the WORST, am I right?? 🤡🙅🏻), and absolutely EVERYTHING about that sweet baby elephant! 🐘⠀ ⠀ Biggest questions: Who decided the need for that sad "setting up the circus tents" scene? Did anyone believe the "Pyramid of Pachyderms" would actually be a success? How in the world could four adult elephants be SO mean to a baby?! And how did I not know for YEARS that the pink elephants were from Dumbo being completely sloshed on champagne?!?⠀ 🍾😳😩

[hayley-brynn]

THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD & MR TOAD (1949)

Favorite things: I didn’t remember much of these two, so I was pretty thrilled with everything! Basil Rathbone narrating “Mr. Toad” is amazing, I’ve always loved Toad and Cyril’s song “Nowhere in Particular” 🐸🐴, and Mr. Mole is so adorable; really the whole cast of characters are stellar! (Especially the weasels, they’re so insane! 😂) Then of course there’s Bing Crosby narrating “Ichabod” (BEST! Had no idea that was him when I was little! 🎶), the truly amazing character animation throughout, and Brom Bones throwing out some definite shades of an early Gaston 💪🏻🎃

Biggest questions: What kind of perspective was used in “Mr. Toad”? Humans are way bigger than the animals, except one who’s the size of a weasel, and the dogs are smaller than the toads?… so confusing. Also, why on the Disneyland ride do you get hit by a train and go to hell when there’s NOTHING about that in the movie?? 🚂💥🔥And in “Ichabod” it seems we’re suddenly suggesting that self-centered women who flirt and tease to get what they want are attractive and live happily ever after? Not too sure about that… 💅🏻💍🙄

[hayley-brynn]

Still slowly plugging away… MELODY TIME (1948)

Favorite things: The Andrews Sisters back singing about “Little Toot” 🚢, the fact that the horses and squirrels were the real saviors of “Once Upon a Wintertime” while the men just froze in a snow bank ❄️, the heavy and obvious influence Mary Blair’s concepts had on the “Johnny Appleseed” backgrounds (stunning!! 🍎), and Ma Coyote, baby Widowmaker, and Roy Rodger’s “Yippee Ki Yay” song from “Pecos Bill”! 🐴🌵⭐️

Biggest questions: Okay guys, haven’t we had enough of the Donald and Jose dancing with live-action Samba girls by now? It’s been practically 3 films in a row. Also, I didn’t remember MOST of the “Pecos Bill” legend and how random it was! I love that America has its own set of unique folk tales, but all of that for why the coyote howls at the moon?? Pretty intense. 🌙🐺

[hayley-brynn]

(A little slow, but we’re still getting through these guys!)⠀ ⠀ THE THREE CABALLEROS (1944)⠀ ⠀ Favorite things: The whole film really plays out like an extension of “Saludos Amigos” but their theme song has got to be one of the catchiest ever! Other faves would be the introduction of Panchito, their magic sarape taking them all over Mexico 🇲🇽 (and picking them up again when they start making fools of themselves 😂), the story of Pablo the penguin who hated the cold (narrated by none other than Sterling Holloway! Seriously guys, he’s the best), the mini dancing Donald cacti 🌵, and just all of the beautiful colors and sounds of South America! 💃🏽⠀ ⠀ Biggest questions: What in the world was happening in that final sequence?! Singing heads in flowers spinning around all over the place?? Lady legs coming out of horses?? So creepy you guys! 😳🌸🐴😂

[hayley-brynn]

SALUDOS AMIGOS (1942)⠀ ⠀ Favorite things: That the entire film is like the animator’s South American travel diary, Donald trying to get across the Peruvian mountains with his llama ⛰, seeing Walt and his team so young and excited about their research trip, the gauchos and stunning dances of Buenos Aires 💃🏽, the beautiful artwork and sketches throughout, meeting Jose Carioca for the first time, and the amazing water color Rio sequence! 🎨🌴⠀ ⠀ Biggest questions: Did Chile REALLY not allow cameras into their country back then? And what prompted the choice of main characters? (Donald, Goofy, Jose, and a little airplane named Pedro??) So. Random. 😂

[hayley-brynn]

BAMBI (1942)⠀ ⠀ Favorite things: Each stunning watercolor background throughout the film, the serious shade this duckling throws Bambi when he runs through the meadow splashing him 💦, Thumper’s “words of wisdom” from his father, Friend Owl’s adversity to being twitterpated 🦉💕, and the clashing cymbals sound as the bucks dash (impressively) around the meadow. ⠀ 🌾🦌💪🏼😂⠀ ⠀ Biggest questions: How could the tagline of this film NOT be something like “Human beings are the worst…”?!? 🔫🔥🤦🏻‍♀️

[hayley-brynn]

FANTASIA (1940)⠀ ⠀ Favorite things: The opening sequence with its abstract instrument pieces, everything about The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, (obviously 🌙✨) the sweet baby pegasus and unicorns from the Beethoven sequence, the centaurette fashion ensembles, and the overall insane state of the art special effects utilized!⠀ ⠀ Biggest questions: None really. The film is completely interpretive and came together solely out of the incredible minds of Disney animators. I would highly recommend watching the bonus feature about Schultheis Notebook though, amazing!! 🎥🎞⠀ ⠀ As a side note, I got to experiment with some fun new brushes on this one! 🎨

[hayley-brynn]

Next up is…⠀ ⠀ PINOCCHIO (1940)⠀ ⠀ Favorite things: Incredible character design on all fronts, how adorable Dickie Jones’ voice was for Pinocchio, the underwater effects for the Monstro sequence, (on point animators! 🐋) ALL of the music, and FI-GA-RO!! I could die, that cat is everything!! 🐾⠀ ⠀ Biggest questions: How are Honest John and Gideon accepted as walking, talking, clothed animal citizens when Figaro and Cleo are average household pets? How is Jiminy Cricket breathing underwater?? Wizardry. ✨

[hayley-brynn]

Second star to the right and straight on till morning!✨

PETER PAN (1953)

Favorite things: There is so much to love about this classic! Peter’s silhouette on the Darling’s rooftop, the beautiful design of Neverland island (so lush and colorful!)🌿🌈, the way Captain Hook’s mustache ticks up and down as the crocodile approaches🐊⏰, Mr. Smee giving the captain a “shave”, the mermaid beauties as they innocently explain that they “were only trying to drown��� Wendy 🧜🏻‍♀️💦, the entire Skull Rock scene with Peter’s Hook impressions and Smee having no clue what to do with Tigerlily (it’s always been my favorite 😂), and of course that magical golden Jolly Roger flying off into the clouds at the end… gorgeous!✨

Biggest questions: Why was Tink’s dress designed so precariously short for a children’s film? And how in the world has that Pixie gotten popular enough to outshine Peter Pan in his own movie?! She’s a brat and she tried to kill Wendy!! 💫👱🏻‍♀️🙅🏻‍♀️ (Actually Wendy was almost killed quite a few times in Neverland now that I think about it…) 🤔

[hayley-brynn]

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951)

Favorite things: Everything about the Cheshire Cat is of course the best part of this film, hands down! 💗 But I also adore the quirky Mary Blair designs, poor Bill the chimney sweep (“Well, there goes Bill….” 😂🦎), the pure insanity of the Mad Tea Party led brilliantly by the talent of Ed Wynn ☕️🍰, the Door Mouse’s “Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat” rhyme, the Caterpillar’s colorful smoke letters 🐛, all of the adorable creatures in Tulgey Woods (especially those precious horn ducks amiright?!), little Dinah waving goodbye to Alice as she falls down the rabbit hole, and the giggly flamingo croquet mallets!

Biggest questions: Obviously this story is complete and utter nonsense, so there’s really nothing to judge but I’ve got to say: there’s always been something about the Tweedles that totally creeps me out… 😳

[hayley-brynn]

CINDERELLA (1950)

Favorite things: Mary Blair’s stylistic influence on the final backgrounds (gorgeous!), Ilene Woods’ sweet and soothing voice as Cinderella, watching the mice and birds work on her dress (there’s just something so satisfying about it) 🐭🐦👗, Gus trying to fit all of those corn kernels under his chin at once, the sparkles on that blue ball gown ✨, and the fact that in the end Bruno the dog was the real hero of this movie! 🐶🙌🏻

Biggest questions: Umm, Gus Gus’ real name is Octavius? Did NOT remember that! Why is this Prince Charming the WORST? He barely speaks or is seen for the entire film, and then can’t even be bothered to go out and look for his own bride?? Good luck with that Cindy. 🤴🏻🙅🏼And finally, did Lucifer the cat seriously die at the end of this movie?! I think that actually happened… 🙀☠️