Walt Disney, Nazis, and ‘El Grupo’

Posted by Dr. Cole Abaius (cole.abaius@filmschoolrejects.com) on September 9, 2009

WaltDisneySouthAmericaElGrupo

When I tell you that Walt Disney was charged by the United States government in the early 1930s with going down to South America in order to spread American goodwill and ward off the growing National Socialism movement there, you’re immediate thought is that you wish someone would make a documentary about it, right?

Don’t be freaked out. I’m not psychic or anything. I just know stuff.

And if you are freaked out, let me change your mood instantly by assuring you that there is such a documentary. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, director Theodore Thomas has put together personal writings, interviews and photographs to create Walt & El Grupo, a film that follows the path Disney took while traversing our neighbors to the south.

I would check out the full article for some cool details, but suffice it to say that Disney undertook the journey during a dark time in his company’s history and saw it as an opportunity to get fresh ideas for stories and characters. And, ya know, to stop those damned Nazis. Where did you think The Three Caballeros came from?

As we mentioned in our Movie Watcher’s Guide to September, the film isn’t coming to a theater near you anytime soon, but they are releasing it this Friday (September 11th) in a limited, independent way. Go to the flick’s official website to see if it’ll come near you in the coming weeks and to find out whether it’s rolling out wider.

I’m snagging the trailer I have snagged the trailer and will have it up on the site a bit later right now:

Also, you should check out the poster:

Walt&ElGrupoPoster

What do you think?


Read more articles by Dr. Cole Abaius

« Previous Article | Next Article »

Related Topics:

Movie News, Movie Posters, Movie Trailers, Previews, Coming Soon, , , , , , , , ,

Related Reading:

Your Ad Here

Comment Policy: No hate speech allowed. If you must argue, please debate intelligently. Comments containing selected keywords or outbound links will be put into moderation to help prevent spam. Film School Rejects reserves the right to delete comments and ban anyone who doesn't follow the rules. We also reserve the right to modify any curse words in your comments and make you look like an idiot. Thank You!

  • Christopher_M
    sounds interesting, I always find odd and rare stuff from and about Disney fascinating... I love how they completely ignore the fact they made Songs of The South...it's animation history good or bad, even the propaganda shorts are banned... they were commentaries of the time
  • djjeffhall
    "stop those damned Nazis" - Stop the Nazi's? I would think just the opposite, Walt Disney was a rabid Anti-Semite. (Sorry, politics on FSR. I'll stand in the corner and be a good boy from now on.)

    Still, I had never heard about this and it does sound interesting.
  • Stop sensationalizing dj, there was never any proof that Walt Disney had rabies.
  • djjeffhall
    Wait, are you trying to say that the scene in the Jungle Book with the Mad Yaks attacking Anaheim wasn't autobiographical?
  • How do you know he was a rabid anti-Semite? I only ask because many, many people have come out saying that that wasn't true at all. I think it's just a rumor because he screened Snow White for Hitler, I believe - which would have been circa 1937. I'm not great with history, but wasn't that before everyone realized Hitler was a raging lunatic?
  • killianblount
    Narrated by cryogenically frozen walt disney's head!
  • Sounds interesting, but I wish it wasn't produced by Disney. Kind of stops any means of saying anything not totally positive about the man and his efforts...But I guess until 'Walt Disney: Cultural Imperialist' comes out, I'll have to settle for this
  • Walt Disney! Must See!!! But they don't have it in my country! :(
blog comments powered by Disqus