Music,Fantasy,Animation,Family,Comedy
United States of America
The Reluctant Dragon is a 1941 American live-action/animated film directed by Alfred Werker and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It is a combination of live-action and animation, and it was Disney's first attempt at the genre.
In the movie, Robert Benchley plays himself, a humorist who is on a mission to discover whether or not Walt Disney is truly interested in making a movie out of his story about a gentle dragon. He arrives at the Disney Studios and is given a tour of the facilities by a studio guide.
During the tour, Benchley wanders through the animation department, witnessing the process behind the creation of an animated film, including storyboarding, pencil animation, ink and paint, and sound editing. He also gets a chance to meet some of the Disney animators, including Clarence Nash, the voice of Donald Duck.
As Benchley continues his tour, he finally meets Walt Disney himself and makes his pitch for the adaptation of his story. Disney agrees to produce the film, and the animators get to work creating the character of the reluctant dragon.
The animated portion of the film features the dragon, who is voiced by Barnett Parker, reciting poetry and generally being uninterested in being ferocious. The film also includes a short cartoon of a baby weasel named Wee Willie who attempts to capture a chicken, as well as a musical number featuring the song "Baby Weems."
Overall, The Reluctant Dragon serves as both a showcase for the animation process at Disney Studios and a charming story about a lovable dragon.
