When Disney released Fantasia on the big screen in 1940, the movie ushered in a flood of Fantasia aficionados and collectors thanks to merchandise tie-ins and theater-specific promotions. Today’s Disney collectors still pine after everything from original theater posters to rare Vernon Kilns Fantasia-themed dinnerware.
Fantasia: Boosting the Mickey Mouse Brand
The Disney brand is all about fantasy, with the film Fantasia exemplifying the company’s creative vision. After all, Magic Kingdom has its own Fantasyland, and the Fantasia soundtrack was the first produced with Fantasound, allowing it to be shown in theaters with stereo sound. It took over 1000 animation artists and technicians to make 1940’s Fantasia, using 3500 feet of footage, more than Pinocchio, Snow White, and the Seven Dwarfs combined.
Believe it or not, Walt Disney came up with the idea of Fantasia as a way to keep Mickey Mouse relevant. The character’s popularity was becoming eclipsed by newcomers Goofy and Donald Duck, and with Disney’s attachment to Mickey Mouse, he needed a new cinematic vehicle to boost his floundering popularity. Using today’s social media parlance as one of the world’s first “brand ambassadors,” Disney understood that these individuals needed continuous “new content.”
Mickey Mouse was the star of Fantasia, with “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” scene anchoring the film. “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” showcases Mickey attempting to control a suite of his master’s magic tricks in a story based on Goethe’s 1797 poem, “Der Zauberlehrling.” The movie is full of other “shorts” from “The Rite of Spring” to “Night on Bald Mountain,” all set to classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski and performed mainly by the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Fantasia in Fantasound
What do collectors love about Fantasia? First and foremost, it is one of the quirkiest Disney films. From the dancing mushrooms in “The Nutcracker Suite” sequence to the bare-chested female centaurs in “The Pastoral Symphony” (they were eventually required to be drawn with garlands around their necks), there is no shortage of wacky characters, scenes, and storylines.
Fantasia was also simply groundbreaking for the year of its release in 1940; it was the first commercial film in stereo sound in theaters and also the first animated anthology film of its kind with a classical soundtrack. These firsts, combined with beloved and familiar characters like Mickey Mouse, ensured enduring popularity for Disney fans and collectors.
Cels, Maquettes, and Posters, Oh My
Some of the most valuable Fantasia collectibles are original production materials and cels from the film. A 1940 animator’s maquette of Ben Ali Gator from the “Dance of the Hours” sequence sold for almost 10K in 2023. Like similar maquette examples, this one was stamped “Return to Character Model Dept.” on the bottom, a reminder that unusual stamps like this are tremendous clues to an object’s provenance.
In addition to these three-dimensional figures, collectors love Fantasia production cels, concept paintings, and original artwork. Since the film was released almost 90 years ago, many of these pieces have been off and on the marketplace for decades, so many come with Certificates of Authenticity from various outlets. It is best to acquire ones with authentic COAs, although if you find a scarce example like one of the “Ave Maria” scene production cels, it is still a worthy investment.
There are many fun Fantasia collectibles related to the original movie’s 1940 release date. That year, the movie was released as a “theatrical roadshow” running through thirteen different American cities, starting at the Broadway Theatre in New York. Souvenirs from this period are scarce, such as a 1940 crew-signed Fantasia theater program, which fetched nearly twice its estimated $7,260 at auction.
Another fascinating Fantasia promotional item is this wooden centaurette store display, which was used to advertise some of the first women’s pantyhose in different colors. The label on the statuette credits both Walk Disney Productions and the Humming Bird Nylon Hosiery. Of course, the centaurette has the garland as mentioned above draped around her neck.
Vernon Kilns Ceramics
Finally, some of the most spectacular Fantasia collectibles are the ceramics manufactured by Vernon Kilns from 1940 to 1942. Vernon Kilns manufactured licensed Disney ceramic dishware and figurines based on just a few Disney movies, such as Dumbo and, luckily, Fantasia. They produced a whopping thirty-six different figures based on the Fantasia movie, along with various other vases and decorative bowls. In addition, Vernon Kilns made a dinnerware line in eight different Fantasia patterns. Today’s collectors acquire these pieces mostly for display to avoid unnecessary wear and tear on their surfaces.
If you are a Fantasia collector just starting, a Vernon Kilns figurine is a good place to start, with some examples going for under $100. Be mindful to carefully store and display these delicate ceramic characters so any future Fantasia fans can enjoy them for years to come!
Amy Moyer is the proprietor of Antmuffin: Art, Antiques & Collectibles. She holds a B.A. in Visual Art from Brown University and lives in Boston.
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