The Three Caballeros (1944)

In 1941, before the US involvement in World War II, Walt Disney was chosen to be a good will ambassador to Latin America where Disney cartoons were popular and the political situation potentially dangerous. Ties with the Nazis in some places were uncomfortably close and it was believed that such good will tours would strengthen international relations and therefore prevent conflict. Disney was also approached by Nelson Rockafeller at this time, who as “coordinator of inter-American affairs” was to lead the tour for Team USA, about the possibility of making a film about their exploits. With the US government fitting the bill for what amounted to a 40 minute collection of Donald Duck cartoons set in Argentina and Brazil, not necessarily a bad thing, a film was indeed finally released as Saludos Amigos in 1942. Though it wasn’t exactly Disney’s best work it was a huge hit in Latin American countries that got a kick out of seeing Disney cartoons, starring popular Disney characters, set in and about their countries. The only problem was that Mexico, omitted from the film, was pleading for a sequel.

The Three Caballeros is that sequel. Released in 1944 it features Donald Duck, Jose Carioca (the Brazilian parrot from Saludos Amigos) and a new sombrero wearing, cigar chomping, gun wielding, Mexican yodeling character named Panchito Pistoles. He’s from Mexico and you’d better believe it because, if not, he’ll kill you. No joke amigo. He literally threatens Donald in like manner during the course of the movie.

Anyway, Donald’s at home and gets a package in the mail containing three separate gifts, each one providing a segway into a short cartoon or musical episode that features various Latin American countries. First is a short, quite funny, “documentary” about tropical birds (you gotta love the crazy Aracuan). This is followed by a short about a penguin who’s sick of the far south American cold and tries to escape to the equator. Third is a cute cartoon about a little Argentinian boy and his flying Donkey. Then a beautiful musical sequence about the Brazilian state of Bahia. This is followed by what amounts to a wonderful surprise for me: a Mexican Posada wherein some children reenact Joseph and Mary’s search for a place to stay so that Jesus could be born. Panchito then gives Donald a tour of Mexico on his flying serape, I shit you not, and Donald harasses some women on the beach...and finally the whole thing just goes bananas in the form of a Latin dance extravaganza.

The pace of the the Three Caballeros is frantic and highly entertaining. At the same time the animation is often ingeniously creative, just as good as the elephants on parade sequence in Dumbo or segments of Fantasia. There are also a number of interesting segments combining live action and animation, the first ever in a major film I believe. Some of the real-life footage of Latin America, however, falls a little flat. I don’t know why but Disney, as brilliant as they were with ink and paper, just couldn’t do anything with a freaking camera, at all. They would have been better off just animating the entire thing. Also some of the song and dance sequences go on too long. Oh, and Panchito threatens to KILL Donald. Seriously?

Despite it’s hilariously stereotypical representation of Mexicans, such as myself, the film opened in Mexico City and was a monster hit there. I also recommend it, if you want to see a quality piece of Disney history or are into musicals set in Latin America. Or want to see Donald get threatened at gun point. It’s much better than Saludos Amigos and it’s one of the best collections of packaged shorts produced during the period in which it was produced.

We give it 3.8 Aracuan birds