Synopsis: For ten weeks in 1941, Walt Disney, his wife Lilly, and sixteen colleagues from his studio visited nations in Latin America to gather story material for a series of films with South American themes.  The feature documentary film Walt & El Grupo uses this framing device to explore inter-American relations, provide a rare glimpse into the artists who were part of the magic of Disney’s “golden age” and give an unprecedented look at the 39 year-old Walt Disney during one of the most challenging times of his entire life.

Review: There are three new Disney-themed documentaries released recently.  The one we're going to look at today is Walt and El Grupo.  This documentary is based on the 1941 Disney goodwill tour to South America.  Nelson Rockefeller had asked Walt to go as a way to promote the American portion of the axis and create some positive sentiment.  Disney was going through a very hard time at the moment and this tour ended up bringing to life some very original animation, such as The Three Caballeros.  This documentary really goes in-depth with original footage of the tour and gives a ton of in-depth information that any hardcore Disney fan will enjoy.  This is not just a piece of animation history, but American history.

The special features on this DVD include: Audio Commentary - Director Theodore Thomas and Historian J.B. Kaufman, Photos In Motion - How the photos literally came to life, From The Director’s Cut – 3 different segments taking you deeper into the story, Saludos Amigos – Original theatrical version, Original Theatrical Trailers: Saludos Amigos (1942); The Three Caballeros (1944)

Interest Range: Walt Disney, Documentary