Disney's Flights of Fantasy

Disney's Flights of Fantasy is a 2021 animated feature.

Background
In early 1941, before U.S. entry into World War II, the United States Department of State commissioned a Disney goodwill tour of Around the World, intended to lead to a movie to be shown in the US, Central, England, Italy and Forest.

The film included live-action documentary sequences featuring footage of modern Latin American cities with skyscrapers and fashionably dressed residents. This surprised many contemporary US viewers, who associated such images only with US and European cities, and contributed to a changing impression of Around the World. Film historian Alfred Charles Richard Jr. has commented that Flights of Fantasy "did more to cement a community of interest between peoples of the Americas in a few months than the State Department had in fifty years".

Film segments
This film features four different segments, each of which begin with various clips of the Disney artists roaming the country, drawing Movie of some of the local cultures and scenery.

Alice in Wonderland
On a golden summer day at the bank of a tranquil river, a young girl named Alice grows bored listening to her older sister read aloud from a history book of William I of England. When her sister chastises Alice's daydreaming, Alice tells her kitten Dinah that she can live in a nonsensical magical land called Wonderland. While daydreaming, Alice spots a waistcoat-wearing White Rabbit passing by, exclaiming that he is "late for an important date". Alice gives chase and follows him into a rabbit hole, and falls into a large furnished hole. Her dress catches her fall like a parachute and she floats gently down. She sees the White Rabbit disappear into a tiny door and tries to follow, but the door's talking knob advises her to alter her size using a mysterious bottle marked "Drink Me." The contents shrink her to a fraction of her normal size, but the door is locked and the key is out of reach. She then takes a bite of a cookie that says “Eat Me” and grows large enough to fill the entire room. She begins to weep large tears that flood the room. The doorknob then tells Alice to drink from the bottle again, which causes her to shrink once more. Alice falls into the bottle and passes through the door's keyhole and into Wonderland. She meets several strange characters including the Dodo and Tweedledee and Tweedledum who recount the tale of "The Walrus and the Carpenter".

Alice eventually finds the White Rabbit in his house; she is sent to fetch some gloves after being mistaken for his housemaid. She eats a cookie and grows into a giant again, getting stuck in the Rabbit's house. She tries to pull herself out, but is too big. The White Rabbit, the Dodo, and chimney sweep Bill the Lizard believe Alice to be a monster and plot to burn the house down, but Alice escapes by eating a carrot and shrinking down to the size of an insect. She meets a garden of talking flowers who initially welcome her with a song, but then chase her away when an iris accuses her of being a weed. Alice is then instructed by a hookah-smoking Caterpillar to eat a part of his mushroom grow back to her original size. Alice decides to keep the remaining pieces of the mushroom on hand.

Alice meets the Cheshire Cat who advises her to visit the Mad Hatter, March Hare and the Dormouse. The three are hosting a mad tea party and celebrate Alice's "unbirthday". The White Rabbit appears, but the Mad Hatter and the March Hare destroy his pocketwatch and throw him out of the party. Fed up with all the nonsense, Alice abandons her pursuit of the White Rabbit and decides to go home, but gets lost in the Tulgey Wood. Fearing she is lost forever, Alice breaks down into tears. The Cheshire Cat appears again and leads Alice into a giant hedge maze ruled by the tyrannical Queen of Hearts and her meek husband, the King of Hearts. The Queen orders the beheading of anyone who enrages her, and invites Alice to a bizarre croquet match using flamingoes and hedgehogs as the equipment.

The Cheshire Cat appears again and pulls a trick on the Queen, which she accuses Alice of doing. Alice is put on trial and unfairly judged. She then remembers she still has the remains of the Caterpillar's mushroom and consumes both. Quickly growing to a gigantic size, Alice feels free to speak her mind and openly insults the Queen. However, she shrinks back to her normal size just as rapidly. Enraged, the Queen orders her execution. Alice flees and becomes pursued by most of Wonderland's characters until she finally reunites with the Doorknob.

Alice begs to be let through the door. The Doorknob then tells her she is having a dream, forcing Alice to wake herself up just in time. Now realizing that logic and reason exist for a purpose, Alice walks home with her sister and Dinah for tea.

Pinocchio
After singing the film's signature song "When You Wish Upon A Star", Jiminy Cricket explains that he is going to tell a story of a wish coming true. His story begins in the Tuscany workshop of a woodworker named Geppetto. Jiminy watches as Geppetto finishes work on a wooden marionette whom he names Pinocchio. Before falling asleep, Geppetto makes a wish on a star that Pinocchio would be a real boy. During the night, the Blue Fairy visits the workshop and brings Pinocchio to life, although he still remains a puppet. She informs him that if he proves himself brave, truthful, and unselfish he will become a real boy and assigns Jiminy to be his conscience.

Geppetto discovers that his wish has come true and is filled with joy. However, on his way to school, Pinocchio is led astray by Honest John the Fox and his companion, Gideon the Cat, who convince him to join Stromboli's puppet show, despite Jiminy's objections. Pinocchio becomes Stromboli's star attraction as a marionette who can sing and dance without strings while performing with marionettes of Dutch girls, French can-can girls, and Russian Cossacks. However, when Pinocchio wants to go home for the night, Stromboli locks him up in a birdcage. Jiminy arrives to see Pinocchio and is unable to free him. The Blue Fairy then appears and asks Pinocchio why he wasn’t at school. Jiminy urges Pinocchio to tell the truth, but instead he starts telling lies, which causes his nose to grow longer and longer. Pinocchio vows to be good from now on and the Blue Fairy restores his nose back to its original form and sets them free, while warning him that this will be the last time she will help them.

Meanwhile, across town, Honest John and Gideon meet a coachman who promises to pay them big money if they can find foolish little boys for him to take to Pleasure Island. Encountering Pinocchio on his way home, they convince him that he needs to take a vacation there. Once at Pleasure Island, he befriends Lampwick, a delinquent boy. With no rules or authority to stop them, Pinocchio and the other boys soon enjoy gambling, smoking, getting drunk, and vandalizing, much to Jiminy's dismay. Later, Jiminy discovers that the island harbors a terrible curse. The boys that the Coachman brought all make jackasses of themselves by becoming real donkeys to work in salt mines and circuses. Jiminy runs back to warn Pinocchio, only to find that Lampwick transformed into a terrified donkey, but Pinocchio manages to escape with only a donkey's ears and tail.

Upon returning home, Pinocchio and Jiminy find the workshop empty and learn (through a message from the Blue Fairy) that Geppetto had ventured out to rescue Pinocchio from Pleasure Island, but was swallowed by a giant whale named Monstro and is now living in his belly. Determined to rescue his father, Pinocchio jumps into the sea, with Jiminy accompanying him. Pinocchio is soon also swallowed by Monstro, where he is reunited with Geppetto. Pinocchio devises a plan to make Monstro sneeze, giving them a chance to escape. The plan works, but the enraged whale chases them and smashes their raft. Pinocchio pulls Geppetto to safety in a cave before Monstro rams into it. They are all washed up on a beach on the other side. Geppetto and Jiminy survive, but Pinocchio lies motionless face down in a tide pool. Back home, the group mourn for him. The Blue Fairy, however, decides that Pinocchio has proven himself brave, truthful, and unselfish, and he is reborn as a real human boy. Jiminy steps outside to thank the Fairy and is rewarded by a solid gold badge that certifies him as an official conscience.

Bambi
A doe gives birth to a fawn named Bambi, who will one day take over the position of Great Prince of the Forest, a title currently held by Bambi's father, who guards the woodland creatures from the dangers of hunters. The fawn is quickly befriended by an eager, energetic rabbit named Thumper, who helps to teach him to walk and speak. Bambi grows up very attached to his mother, with whom he spends most of his time. He soon makes other friends, including a young skunk named Flower and a female fawn named Faline. Curious and inquisitive, Bambi frequently asks about the world around him and is cautioned about the dangers of life as a forest creature by his loving mother.

During Bambi's first winter, his mother is shot and killed by a deer hunter while trying to help her son find food, leaving the little fawn mournful and alone. Taking pity on his abandoned son, the Great Prince leads Bambi home. Years later, Bambi has matured into a young stag, and his childhood friends have entered young adulthood as well. They are warned of "twitterpation" by Friend Owl and that they will eventually fall in love, although the trio view the concept of romance with scorn. However, Thumper and Flower soon both encounter their beautiful romantic counterparts and abandon their former thoughts on love. Bambi himself encounters Faline as a beautiful doe. However, their courtship is quickly interrupted and challenged by a belligerent older stag named Ronno, who attempts to force Faline away from Bambi. Bambi successfully manages to earn rights to the doe's affections and defeats Ronno in battle.

Bambi is awakened shortly afterward by the smell of smoke, and is warned of a wildfire by his father. The two flee to safety, although Bambi is separated from Faline in the turmoil and searches for her along the way. He soon finds her cornered by vicious hunting dogs, which he manages to ward off. Bambi, his father, Faline, and the forest animals manage to reach shelter on a riverbank. The following spring, Faline gives birth to twins under Bambi's watchful eye as the new Great Prince of the Forest.

The Prince and the Pauper
For many years, there was a good and wise king, who ruled with peace and compassion in every corner of town. The people of London prospered and were very happy. However, the good king fell ill, and his captain of the guards, Pete plundered and terrorized all of England, and worst of all, he did it in the name of the king. One day, Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Pluto, three beggars trying to get money for some food, dream of "living like a king", Captain Pete's carriage passes, having stolen much food from the people of London, and burying the three heroes in the snow. The hungry Pluto sees a sausage stand out from the carriage and begins to chase, pursuing it into the castle of the king. Mickey knocks on the door to get his dog back, and one of the soldiers opens the door and lets him in, mistaking him for the prince.

Pete scolds the soldier for letting anyone in, pointing out where the real prince is: taking his classes with his boring teacher, Horace Horsecollar. The teacher teaches the prince about trigonometry, while the latter looks out the window at the children playing in the snow. The prince, being discovered by his teacher, is mocked by his valet, Donald Duck. The prince plays at provoking Donald, while the teacher is distracted while writing on the blackboard, to the point that Donald inadvertently hits the teacher, resulting in the teacher sending Donald out of the room, returning both to their boring studies. But the Prince soon hears a commotion outside: it is Captain Pete, who is roughly handling Mickey and Pluto. The prince orders them to be brought to him right away. Pete kicks Mickey through the door, and kicks Pluto out of the castle.

Mickey, astonished to be in the king's palace, inadvertently knocks over many suits of armor, with one of the helmets falling on both his and the approaching Prince's heads. The two Mickeys are surprised to see that they are entirely alike in appearance. The prince tells the beggar that he is bored with his life: getting up early, studying all day, with every night parties and banquets and then going to bed early. So, when looking at the two in the mirror they realize that they can exchange a costume and take the role of the other, the prince reassures the beggar saying that to rule requires only two things: "What a splendid idea, good thing I thought of it!" and "Guards, seize him!", and if there are any problems, everyone will recognize the true prince with his real ring. The prince, disguised as a beggar, goes down the window, fooling the Captain Pete, who believes he is the beggar. Pete throws the "beggar" out with a catapult. The prince meets Mickey's friend Goofy and Pluto, but does not recognize them at all.

Meanwhile, Mickey is challenged with the prince's studies, such as chemistry, where the formula explodes in Donald's face, and falconry, where he is chased by the falcon. While the prince is trying to make a dog play with him by throwing a bone, all that does is make a group of dogs chase him in anger. After getting away, the prince sees a couple of soldiers trying to steal a chicken from Clarabelle Cow and her two children, saying it is for the king. But the prince in disguise orders them to return the chicken. The soldiers throw a pumpkin over him for a crown and leave, not believing he is the true prince. Children help him get up and explain that for years the soldiers take away their food and belongings in the name of the king. But a carriage, which carries food stolen from the village, goes by, and the prince stops it, showing the real ring. All bow to the Prince as he returns their food. But the soldiers, who had been called by the man driving the carriage, try to stop the prince, accusing him of fraud. The prince escapes with a little help from the other commoners, especially Goofy. Meanwhile in the castle, one of the soldiers tells Pete that one of the beggars had the royal ring. Pete is alarmed knowing then that the prince was cast out, and may see the corruption and theft going on outside. The soldier mocks Pete saying that he (Pete) is going to be punished dearly for it, but Pete answers that he won't if the prince never returns.

The beggar, dressed as the prince, is called by Horace Horsecollar and told that he must see his "father", who is now dying. Mickey enters the room of the dying king, but does not have the heart to tell him that he is not the real prince. Before his death, the king tells him he must take his royal birthright and become king. Mickey knows the true prince must be found as quickly as possible, but Captain Pete arrives behind him, and threatens Mickey to be crowned king at his orders, revealing that he had captured Mickey's dog Pluto as a hostage.

Meanwhile, the true prince hears the bells announcing the death of his beloved father. Knowing that he should be king, the Prince decides to return immediately to the palace. But Captain Pete captures the Prince and detains him with Donald, while the coronation begins. The beggar does not want to be king, but behind the curtain Pete is strangling Pluto. The prince orders the guard to let them leave, but he refuses to obey. Goofy disguises himself as an executioner, and after accidentally knocking out the guard, he tries to figure out which key opens the cell while the other soldiers arrive. Donald desperately finds the key for the cell, and the three flee to the coronation chamber.

The beggar, struggling not to be crowned, finally stops the archbishop, and has the guards arrest Pete, but is exposed as an impostor. The Prince fights Captain Pete as many other soldiers are defeated by Goofy's clumsiness and Donald's cowardice. Finally, the Prince cuts Captain Pete's trousers loose, revealing Pete's ruffled underpants. Pete attempts to escape from a large chandelier that has fallen and entangled some soldiers, but is tripped up by Mickey and the Prince, causing him to fall down. With his trousers down and his ruffled underwear fully displayed, Captain Pete becomes entangled with the soldiers in the fallen chandelier, which smashes through the castle window and falls, presumably killing them.

Mickey and the Prince then cheer because of their successful collaboration in defeating Captain Pete. The archbishop is confused and does not know who to crown, until Pluto recognizes the beggar, and the Prince shows his ring.

The Prince is crowned King of England, and with Mickey and Goofy at his side, rules for many years with justice and compassion for all.

Cast

 * Corey Burton as The Narrator
 * Kathryn Beaumont as Alice
 * Ed Wynn as Mad Hatter
 * Jerry Colonna as March Hare
 * Richard Haydn as Caterpillar
 * Sterling Holloway as Cheshire Cat/Young Adult Flower
 * Verna Felton as Queen of Hearts
 * J. Pat O'Malley as Tweedledum and Tweedledee/The Walrus and the Carpenter/Mother Oyster
 * Bill Thompson as White Rabbit/The Dodo
 * Heather Angel as Alice's sister
 * Joseph Kearns as Doorknob
 * Larry Grey as Bill the Lizard/Card Painter
 * Queenie Leonard as A Bird in a Tree/Snooty Flower
 * Dink Trout as King of Hearts
 * Doris Lloyd as The Rose
 * Jimmy MacDonald as The Dormouse
 * The Mellomen (Thurl Ravenscroft, Bill Lee, Max Smith, and Bob Hamlin) as Card Painters
 * Don Barclay as Other Cards
 * Mel Blanc (uncredited) as Dinah/Wonderland creatures/Gideon the Cat/Figaro/Cleo
 * Lucille Bliss (uncredited) as Sunflower and Tulip
 * Pinto Colvig (uncredited) as Flamingos
 * Tommy Luske (uncredited) as Young Pansy
 * Marni Nixon (uncredited) as Singing Flowers
 * Norma Zimmer (uncredited) as White Rose
 * Dickie Jones as Pinocchio
 * Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket
 * Christian Rub as Mister Geppetto
 * Walter Catlett as "Honest" John Worthington Foulfellow
 * Charles Judels as Stromboli and Coachman
 * Evelyn Venable as The Blue Fairy
 * Frankie Darro as Lampwick
 * Thurl Ravenscroft as Monstro
 * Bobby Stewart as Baby Bambi
 * Donnie Dunagan as Young Bambi
 * Hardie Albright as Adolescent Bambi
 * John Sutherland as Young Adult Bambi (Sources differ on whether Sutherland actually voiced Young Adult Bambi.)
 * Paula Winslowe as Bambi's Mother and the Pheasant
 * Peter Behn as Young Thumper
 * Tim Davis as Adolescent Thumper and Adolescent Flower
 * Sam Edwards as Young Adult Thumper
 * Stan Alexander as Young Flower
 * Will Wright as Friend Owl
 * Cammie King as Young Faline
 * Ann Gillis as Young Adult Faline
 * Fred Shields as Great Prince of the Forest
 * Margaret Lee as Mrs. Rabbit
 * Mary Lansing as Aunt Ena and Mrs. Possum
 * Otis Harlan as Mr. Mole
 * Wayne Allwine - Mickey Mouse the Pauper, Mickey Mouse the Prince
 * Arthur Burghardt - Captain Pete
 * Bill Farmer - Goofy, Pluto, Horace Horsecollar, Weasels #1
 * Elvia Allman - Clarabelle Cow
 * Tony Anselmo - Donald Duck
 * Charlie Adler - Weasels #2, Pig Driver, Peasant, Man in Street
 * Frank Welker - The King, Archbishop
 * Trevor Eyster - Kid #1
 * Rocky Krakoff - Kid #2
 * Roy Dotrice - The Narrator