Editor Reviews:

Description:
In the grand tradition of Disney's greatest musical classics such as FANTASIA, MELODY TIME features seven classic stories, each enhanced with high-spirited music and unforgettable characters! Donald Duck -- an all-time Disney favorite -- puts on a display of jazzy antics as the star of "Blame It On The Samba." Music becomes a real adventure for a busy bumble bee in "Bumble Boogie." From the mischievous young tugboat in "Little Toot," to the heroes of legend and myth in "Johnny Appleseed" and "Pecos Bill," this feast for the eyes and ears entertains with wit and charm. A timeless addition to your video collection, MELODY TIME is a delightful Disney classic with something for everyone in your family!

Amazon.com:
This is another collection of Disney shorts set to music, but this time the formula works. That's predicated on the inherent strength of the individual pieces and almost all of them come through. Surprisingly, two American folk heroes, Johnny Appleseed and Pecos Bill, are the stars of this show, with rousty little tunes, humor, and compelling linear story lines (a rarity in most of these shorts). Even the shorts that are weak in one area, thematically or musically, make up for it in another. There's very little of the Disney animators attempting to be 1940s modern, thank goodness, and there's a sterling quality in the depth of the art work. A definite plus to an animation (or Disney) collection. --Keith Simanton

Rating : - Why, Disney, WHY???
I was SO looking forward to this. I was born in the late 50's and grew up watching Johnny Appleseed and Pecos Bill on The Wonderful World of Disney. The opportunity to introduce my son to a cowboy who rode the cyclone was just too good to be true. Turns out, it really WAS too good to be true.

Why has Disney decided to hack up all their old stuff? Why can't they leave the old films as they were created? Everyone KNOWS the times were different. What's next? Will the ever-present pipe be digitally removed from all the Popeye the Sailor cartoons? Will Tom and Jerry be edited to hit each other with foam bats instead of pots, pans, irons and the occasional safe? I know those aren't Disney products, but what if the whole industry starts following their lead?

Come on, Disney!! Your body of work is incredible! I would even consider it the common man's art. Whether it's cartoons or live action movies like Mary Poppins or Song of the South, don't go CHANGING them. You don't see people putting more clothes on the Venus de Milo or Da Vinci's David because children might see them. They are what they are. Put a disclaimer on your films if you must, or put a revised version alongside the original, but LEAVE THE ORIGINAL ALONE!

And speaking of Song of the South (where you can't find an original copy of the movie OR the book anymore) will you also be getting rid of Peter Pan due to the way it depicts pirates and Native Americans? Will we lose the whole "What Makes a Red Man Red" song? And what about the scenes in Dumbo clearly depicting all the clowns getting drunk? We don't want revisionist versions of the movies. We want to share with our kids the movies we grew up with.

It's terribly disappointing to buy a product only to discover it's not as advertised. If you tell me it's Pecos Bill, I expect it to be the Pecos Bill I saw as a child. Want to remake it entirely? Fine! But don't change the old one. Truth in advertising, people!