Johnny Appleseed (film)
| Johnny Appleseed | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Wilfred Jackson |
| Produced by | Walt Disney |
| Written by |
Winston Hibler Joe Rinaldi Erdman Penner Jesse Marsh |
| Starring | Dennis Day |
| Music by | Paul J. Smith |
| Cinematography | Hal Ambro & Harvey Toombs (animators) |
| Release dates | May 27, 1948 |
| Running time | 19 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Johnny Appleseed is a short subject from Walt Disney, telling the story of American frontiersman John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed.
Synopsis
The film begins with Johnny Appleseed as a farmer in Pittsburgh, watching others go west along the Ohio River, and wishing he could, too. Johnny is inspired by an angel to abandon his farm, go west, and plant apple seeds everywhere he goes. The angel tells Johnny that he has all that he needs to go out West: a bag of seeds to plant, a Bible, and a pot that he can use for a hat. In his travels, Johnny befriends a skunk, and thereafter, all animals instinctively trust him. In the end, after walking hundreds of miles and planting apple trees all along the way, Johnny finally rests for the last time under a tree; his angel appears before him, and tells Johnny that it's time to go. Johnny gets up, scared at first upon realizing he's dead, but refuses to go to his final resting place, believing that his work is not done yet. However, the angel tells him that, where they're headed, they're low on apple trees, so Johnny picks up his seed bag and happily agrees to go with him.
Prior release
The film was originally a sequence in Disney's Melody Time, released May 27, 1948. It was included on the DVD Disney's American Legends, on February 12, 2002.
Cast
Dennis Day performed all roles.
Further reading
- Brode, Douglas (1 June 2004). From Walt to Woodstock: how Disney created the counterculture. University of Texas Press. p. 199ff. ISBN 978-0-292-70273-8. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
- Brode, Douglas (2005). Multiculturalism and the Mouse: race and sex in Disney entertainment. University of Texas Press. p. 201ff. ISBN 978-0-292-70960-7. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- Means, Howard (12 April 2011). Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story. Simon and Schuster. p. 255ff. ISBN 978-1-4391-7825-6. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- Pinsky, Mark I. (July 2004). The Gospel according to Disney: faith, trust, and pixie dust. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 113ff. ISBN 978-0-664-22591-9. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- Price, Nelson (1 March 2001). Legendary Hoosiers: Famous Folks from the State of Indiana. Emmis Books. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-57860-097-7. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- Watts, Steven (27 June 2002). The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life. University of Missouri Press. p. 264. ISBN 978-0-8262-1379-2. Retrieved 25 September 2011.