The Three Caballeros

The Three Caballeros is a 1945 American animated musical film produced by Walt Disney Productions. The film premiered in Mexico City on December 21, 1944. It was released in the United States on February 3, 1945 and in the UK that March. The seventh animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon, as well as the first Disney canon to be a sequel (to Saludos Amigos), the film plots an adventure through parts of Latin America, combining live-action and animation. It is the second of the Disney package films of the 1940s.

The film is plotted as a series of self-contained segments, strung together by the device of Donald Duck opening birthday gifts from his Latin American friends. Several Latin American stars of the period appear, including singers Aurora Miranda (sister of Carmen Miranda) and Dora Luz, as well as dancer Carmen Molina.

The film was produced as part of the studio's good will message for South America, but is less obviously propagandistic than others. The film again stars Donald Duck, who in the course of the film is joined by old friend José Carioca, the cigar-smoking parrot from Saludos Amigos, representing Brazil, and later makes a new friend in the persona of a pistol-packing rooster Panchito Pistoles, representing Mexico.

It was severely edited and re-released in featurette form on April 15, 1977 to accompany a re-issue of Never a Dull Moment.

Plot
The film consists of several segments, connected by a common theme. In the film, it is Donald Duck's birthday, and he receives three presents from friends in Latin America. The first present is a film projector, which shows him a documentary on birds. During the documentary, he learns about the Aracuan Bird.

The next present is a book given to Donald by José Carioca himself. This book tells of Bahia, one of Brazil's 26 states. José shrinks them both down so that they can enter the book. Donald and José meet up with several of the locals, who start dancing. Donald ends up pining for one girl. After the journey, Donald and José leave the book.

Upon returning, Donald realizes that he is too small to open his third present. José shows Donald how to use magic to return himself to the proper size. After opening the present, he meets Panchito Pistoles, a native of Mexico. The three take the name "The Three Caballeros" and have a short celebration. Panchito then gives Donald's present, a piñata. Pancho tells Donald of the tradition behind the piñata. José and Panchito then blindfold Donald, and have him attempt to break open the piñata, which eventually reveal many surprises. The celebration ends with Donald Duck being fired away by firecrackers in the shape of a bull.

Throughout the film, the Aracuan Bird appears at random moments. He usually pesters everyone, sometimes stealing José's cigar. His most famous gag is when he re-routes the train by drawing new tracks. He returns later in Melody Time.

Film segments
The film's segments include:
 * The Cold-Blooded Penguin involved a penguin named Pablo, reproducing images of the penguins of Punta Tombo in Argentina along the coast of Patagonia, "Pablo the penguin" is so fed up with the freezing conditions of the South Pole that he decides to leave for warmer climates.


 * The Flying Gauchito: Tells the adventures of a little boy from Uruguay and his winged donkey, Burrito. It is believed the donkey is modeled after hefty Latin lover Don Juan De Gama.


 * Baia: involves a pop-up book trip through Baia, the capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia, as Donald Duck and José Carioca meet up with some of the locals who dance a lively samba and Donald starts pining for one of the females, played by singer Aurora Miranda.


 * Las Posadas: the story of a group of Mexican children who celebrated Christmas by re-enacting the journey of Mary and Saint Joseph, searching for room at an inn. "Posada" means "inn", and they are told "no posada" at each house until they come to one where they are offered shelter in a stable. This leads to festivities including the breaking of the piñata, which in turn leads to Donald Duck trying to break the piñata as well.


 * Mexico: Pátzcuaro, Veracruz and Acapulco: Panchito gives Donald and José a tour of Mexico on a flying sarape. Several Mexican dances and songs are learned here. Donald seems to be a "wolf" to the ladies again, and tries to gain their affections, but fails.


 * You Belong To My Heart: The skies of Mexico result in Donald falling in love with a singing woman. The lyrics in the song itself play parts in the scenarios as to what is happening as well.


 * Donald's Surreal Reverie: A kiss, or several to be exact, lead to Donald going into the phrase "Love is a drug." This scene is similar to "Pink Elephants on Parade," for being a major "trippy" scene. Donald constantly envisions sugar rush colors, flowers, and Panchito and José popping in at the worst of moments. The scene changes after Donald manages to dance with a girl from the state of Oaxaca, from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The two dance to the song "La Sandunga." The girl begins by singing the song, with Donald "quacking" out the rest of the chorus. The "drunkness" slows down for a moment, but speeds up again when a Mexican girl uses a conductor's stick to make cacti do just about anything while dancing "Jesusita en Chihuahua", a Mexican Revolution trademark song. The scene is interrupted when Panchito and José spice things up, and Donald ends up battling a toy bull with wheels on its legs. The catch is that it's loaded with firecrackers and other explosives.

Influence
The Agustín Lara's song "You Belong To My Heart" was featured in a Disney short called Pluto's Blue Note (1947). It was later recorded by Bing Crosby. The Ary Barroso's song "Baia" and the title song became popular hit tunes in the 1940s. The complete "Baia" sequence was cut from the 1977 theatrical reissue of the film.

Some clips from this film were used in the "Welcome to Rio" portion of the Mickey Mouse Disco music video.

Don Rosa wrote two sequels in 2000 and 2006. As of September 2006, Panchito and José Carioca, have returned at Walt Disney World where they used to appear for meet and greets. They can only be found outside the Mexico pavilion in World Showcase at Epcot. Donald also appears with them.

Cast and characters

 * Clarence Nash - Donald Duck (also dubbed the Spanish and Portuguese versions)
 * José Oliveira - José Carioca
 * Joaquin Garay - Panchito Pistoles
 * Pinto Colvig - Aracuan Bird
 * Aurora Miranda
 * Carmen Molina
 * Dora Luz
 * Sterling Holloway - Narrator (The Cold-Blooded Penguin)
 * Frank Graham - Narrator
 * Fred Shields - Narrator
 * Nestor Amarale
 * Almirante
 * Trío Calaveras
 * Trío Ascencio del Río
 * Padua Hills Player
 * Carlos Ramírez (singing voice) - Mexico

Credits

 * Featuring: Aurora Miranda of Brazil, Carmen Molina of Mexico, Dora Luz of Mexico
 * "Mexico" Sung by: Carlos Ramírez
 * Cast: Sterling Holloway, Clarence Nash, Joaquin Garay, José Oliveira, Frank Graham, Fred Shields, Nestor Amaral, Almirante, Trio Calaveras, Ascencio del Rio Trio and Padua Hills Players
 * Photographed by: Ray Rennahan, A.S.C.
 * Art Director: Richard F. Irvine
 * Choreography: Billy Daniels, Aloysio Oliveira, Carmelita Maracci
 * Technicolor Color Direction: Natalie Kalmus
 * Associate: Morgan Padelford
 * Color Consultant: Phil Dike
 * Process Effects: Ub Iwerks
 * Process Technician: Richard Jones
 * Technical Advisor: Gail Papineau
 * Film Editor: Donald Halliday
 * Sound Recording: C.O. Slyfield
 * Production Manager: Dan Keefe
 * Live Action Director: Harold Young
 * Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
 * Approved MPAA Certificate Number
 * This Picture Made Under the Jurisdiction of I.A.T.S.E.
 * Affiliated with American Federation of Labor
 * Copyright MCMXLIV Walt Disney Productions All Rights Reserved
 * Screen Cartoonists Guild
 * RCA Sound System
 * Musical Numbers:
 * "The Three Caballeros" - Manuel Esperson
 * "Baía", "Os Quindins de Yayá" - Ary Barroso
 * "You Belong to My Heart" - Agustin Lara
 * "Mexico" - Charles Wolcott
 * Brazilian and Spanish Supervision: John Cutting
 * Brazilian and Spanish Associates: Gilberto Souto, Aloysio Oliveira, Sidney Field, Edmundo Santos
 * Assistant Production Supervision: Larry Lansburgh
 * Animation by: Ward Kimball, Fred Moore, Eric Larson, John Lounsbery, Les Clark, Milton Kahl, Hal King, Bill Justice, Franklin Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Harvey Toombs, Milt Neil, Bob Carlson, Marvin Wodward, John Sibley, Don Patterson
 * Special Effects Animation: Josh Meador, George Rowley, Edwin Aardal, John McManus
 * Layout: Donald Da Gradi, Yale Gracey, Hugh Hennesy, Herbert Ryman, McLaren Stewart, John Hench, Charles Philippi
 * Backgrounds: Albert Dempster, Art Riley, Ray Huffine, Don Douglass, Claude Coats
 * Story: Homer Brightman, Ernest Terrazas, Ted Sears, Bill Peed, Ralph Wright, Elmer Plummer, Roy Williams, William Cottrell, Del Connell, James Bodrero
 * Music Direction: Charles Wolcott, Paul J. Smith, Edward Plumb
 * Lyrics: Ray Gilbert
 * Art Supervision: Mary Blair, Kenneth Anderson, Robert Cormack
 * Sequence Direction: Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts
 * Production Supervision and Direction: Norman Ferguson