Willie the Operatic Whale

By Darrell Stoddard, [email protected] be the best cartoon ever. (Not an overstatement) I spent a good part of my life in motion pictures on both sides of the screen, and I review only films that you will never forget and that will change your life forever, for better or for worse. Although shorter and much simpler, as an unforgettable animated film 'Willie' ranks right up there with 'Bambi' and 'Snow White'.I saw this cartoon as a child (before TV) when on those wonderful Saturdays we could go the historic Egyptian Theater or the Paramount Theater in Ogden, Utah and see two feature films and three cartoons for a dime. Those were the days my friend. I thought they'd never end, but they have ended and now I am an old man. They just don't make films like this any more.My six children saw this cartoon on TV and they have never forgotten it either, even though they are now all grown with children of their own. My girls and I now all love opera, I believe because we were introduced to opera by a magical whale.Willie the Whale is destroyed in the film, like so many of the hero's and saviors of mankind that were killed by people who didn't know who they were. The end where Willie goes on singing in heaven suggests a life after death - not a bad idea to put into the heads of children. Nelson Eddie is superb in singing all of the parts in the film. Short film cinema doesn't get any better than this.See all of my Reviews. I write only about books, events, or motion pictures that have changed the course of history or unforgettable books or motion pictures that will totally change peoples lives.Darrell Stoddard, Founder - Pain Research Institute and saveusa.biz

I saw this movie many (MANY) years ago, when I was quite young. I never forgot it. It was sad and depressing back when I was a child, and I still feel it is sad and depressing now that I am an adult. I watched it the first time when I was young, and the second time as an adult with children of my own...and I didn't let my children watch it. I didn't think they needed that type of negativity in their cartunes, when reality showed them enough negativity to be dealing with. And, now that I am a senior citizen, I still won't watch it again because I find it just too depressing...and that's the last thing we need in this world today.

I've always loved all three of the wonderful short cartoons on this tape, as do my children, even now when they're all grown. Of course I cried as a child - and still get teary-eyed - when Willy is harpooned! And, yes, there IS a message about the way we treat those who are different, as well as a very early critique indeed of the manner in which we abuse nature and its creatures. And I have absolutely no problem with Willy singing in heaven at the end! This is a fairy tale-cum-morality- tale after all, and there has to be a happy ending of some kind. I believe that it shows that Willy is appreciated in the highest echelons! For those commentators who go in for psychoanalysing the story: When children are really deeply touched and even perhaps upset by something bad happening to a character they love and identify with, they can learn empathy and sympathy, What about Bambi's or Tod's mothers getting shot? Anyway, the real reason for this post is: Why on earth don't they put these three charming cartoons on a DVD?

When I was a child, I cried when the whale died. Now, I think the cartoon is pretty silly (especially since the words to the operatic melodies have been changed). It seems to me that the writer was pulling his audience's leg! Loved seeing it again, along with Ferdinand and Lambert.

My children grew up watching this video, and it was a wonderful introduction to opera. After several years of Willie the Whale, my son asked me to take him to the opera. At Lucia di Lammermoor, when the wonderful sextet began, he turned to me and whispered, "It's Willie the Whale's music!". He is grown now, and still a lover of opera, thanks to this lovely video. I wish Disney would re-issue this on DVD so I could buy it for my nieces.

The three stories on this video are probably a bit corny for today's jaded kids, but make them watch it anyway!!! The loving detail, the handpainted animation (each of the three stories in a very different style), the music and the wonderful voice narration can clearly show kids how QUALITY animation developed from these terrific short subjects to the amazing movies we see today like SHREK, MONSTERS INC., etc.Also, the stories are very short and should hold the attention of just about anyone. Naturally, these short films are not the awesome classics like SNOW WHITE or PINOCCHIO, because those films had a full movie to develop their themes, but for 10-minute movies...nothing going today holds a candle.And the low, low prices I'm seeing on this video now make me think you'd be crazy not to have one in your home!

This is one of Disney's cutest shorts - the tragic story of awhale who can sing grand opera. Nelson Eddy does all the voices,and the result is a true Disney delight. Both of my daughtershave loved this story and the two others accompanying it:Ferdinand the bull and Lambert the Sheepish Lion, to the pointof watching the video many times over the years. All threeshorts are simply superb. We bought our copy of this video atK-mart around 1990 and have not seen it on sale anywhereelse since that time.

Too bad Pixar doesn't remake this. It's soooo old!