WALT & EL GRUPO
Release date: November 30, 2010

Theodore Thomas, director and writer of “Walt & El Grupo” recently told me about the event that his film centers around. “Fearing growing Nazi influence in Latin American capitals, Nelson Rockefeller's agency, the Coordinator for Inter-America Affairs, asked Hollywood filmmakers to include Latin American themes in their films as part of a Good Neighbor Policy. This quickly developed into a program of sending representatives of American art and culture on South American tours and fellowships. The Disney trip in 1941 was probably the most successful.”

Ted also happens to be the son of one of the most celebrated animators in Disney history, Frank Thomas, who was one of the members of that historic excursion. With the knowledge that Frank has passed down to his son along with his home movies and photographs, it seems natural for Ted to produce a film about this monumentally important historic time for Disney.

As Walt Disney once explained it, “I was asked by the government to go to South America… and I went down with a staff to see if I couldn’t make a film about the ABC countries down there. There’s Argentine, Brazil and Chile. They first wanted me to go on a hand-shaking goodwill tour and I said, ‘I don’t go for that, I’m not a good handshaker’ and everything, and then they came back and said, ‘Will you go down and make some films about these countries?’ I said, ‘Well, that’s my business, I can do that.’” Out of that trip came “Saludos Amigo” and “The Three Caballeros.”

In addition to interviews with family members and those involved with the trip, “Walt & El Grupo” features incredible rare home movie footage and photographs, depicted in a very unique multi-dimensional style.

BONUS FEATURES:

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S CUT features three selections:

The AUDIO COMMENTARY features director Theodore Thomas and historian J.B. Kaufman.

HOME MOVIES FOR THE BIG SCREEN (2:07) Historian and author J.B. Kaufman explains about some elements of “Saludos Amigos” which Walt had recreated for the film.

MY FATHER’S GENERATION (2:16) introduces anecdotes from Cecilia Acle, daughter of a Chilean passenger onboard the SS Santa Clara with Walt and the group, and Cindy Garcia, daughter of Disney storyman Ted Sears. There’s some fun home movie footage along with the lady’s stories.

ARTISTS AND POLITICIANS (3:49) The piece is mainly conductor and music historian Roberto Gnattali, visiting the remains of the Urca Casino, which closed in 1946, and reflecting on its history.

PHOTOS IN MOTION (2:44) focuses on the unique way that the abundance of photographs are presented in the film. Although it doesn’t get into the technical aspect of how it’s done, it discusses visually various technique ideas that were kicked around.

The entire SALUDOS AMIGOS: ORIGINAL 1943 RELEASE is presented on this DVD, and what’s more it’s UNCUT. I must admit that one of my pet peeves is censorship of original materials, and this is the complete uncensored version, which includes a scene in which Goofy smokes tobacco. Although not long at all, that scene has been cut out of some versions, but it’s here in its historically correct completion – a nice treasure.

ORIGINAL THEATRICAL TRAILERS includes the trailers for both “Saludos Amigos” and “The Three Caballeros.”

And exclusively here on Mouse Clubhouse, here’s a bonus story for you from Ted. I asked him for a story he learned in making "Walt & El Grupo" that the public may not be aware of:

“I wonder how many people know the story of Walt greeting a theater full of school kids in Mendoza, Argentina. As Bill Cottrell, story man and Walt’s brother-in-law, recalled, Walt soon exhausted his rudimentary Spanish, so he entertained them by standing on his head. One of the eye witnesses we interviewed (in the making of El Grupo) had his own memory. He remembered being told that the children were going to meet someone very important... and then Walt came out, walking on his hands, jumped up and said in Spanish, "Hola, chicos!" In either version, it's an extraordinary and spontaneous moment.”