Fantasia (1940)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
An ambitious animated anthology where classical music is brought to life through a series of visually stunning segments.
The story
Fantasia is an ambitious animated anthology film that presents a series of eight distinct animated segments, each set to a different piece of classical music. The musical selections are conducted by Leopold Stokowski, with the majority performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. To guide the audience through this visual journey, music critic and composer Deems Taylor appears in live-action as the Master of Ceremonies, introducing each segment. The film serves as a unique exploration of the relationship between visual art and classical music, utilizing pioneering sound technology to create an immersive experience for the audience.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Fantasia is an animated anthology film featuring eight segments set to classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski. The film is introduced by Deems Taylor, who acts as the Master of Ceremonies in live-action segments. The production was a significant technical undertaking, featuring the first commercial release in stereo using the 'Fantasound' system. The film's narrative is not a single continuous story but a collection of visual interpretations of music. While it was initially a box office failure due to high production costs and the loss of the European market during World War II, it has since become a celebrated masterpiece of animation and a cornerstone of the Disney legacy.
- First release year
- 1940
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Samuel Armstrong; James Algar; Bill Roberts; Paul Satterfield; Ben Sharpsteen; David D. Hand; Hamilton Luske; Jim Handley; Ford Beebe, Jr.; Norman Ferguson; Wilfred Jackson
- Writers
- Joe Grant · story; Dick Huemer · story
- Cast and characters
- Leopold Stokowski · conductor; Deems Taylor · Master of Ceremonies
- Genres
- animated; musical
- Themes
- visualized music; artistic exploration
- Tone and mood
- artistic; grand
- Premise and plot tags
- anthology; musical; experimental
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest animated films ever made, though it was an initial box office failure due to high production and distribution costs.
- Awards and nominations
- National Board of Review Awards · Top Ten Films · 1940 · ranked fifth; New York Film Critics Circle Awards · Special Award · 1940 · won; Academy Honorary Awards · outstanding contribution to the advancement of the use of sound in motion pictures · 1942 · won
- Production trivia
- It was the first commercial film released in stereo.; It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry in 1990.; It was included in the Vatican's list of 45 'great films' in 1995.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…