Crowther, Bosley. "The Screen in Review." New York Times 14 Nov. 1940: 28. ProQuest HistoricalNewspapers. ProQuest. Van Pelt Library Philadelphia, PA. 2 Dec. 2008 <http://proxy.library.upenn.edu:2082/>.

Crowther’s review in the New York Times praises “Fantasia” saying, “motion picture history was made at the Broadway Theater” with the premier of the film. He says that although “Snow White” and “Pinocchio” have charm, “Fantasia” goes the extra mile by creating an innovative film that cultivates the imagination to an unforeseen level. Crowther believes that the film goes even further by inspiring the viewer’s imagination with a “spellbinding” range of high-toned music merged with Disney’s fantastic imagery. Crowther expresses that the assigned imagery is actually quite appropriate as it complements the music to create an enchanting form of entertainment. He idealizes each sequence as he explains the high point of each movement, describing it as enchanting, brilliant, even lovable. He adds that the elaborate sound system increases the film’s beauty, though it is too harsh at times. He continues to say that the animation might be too perfect. He asserts that the enchanting images, at times, captivate all the viewer’s senses which ends up detracting from the music. Thus he acknowledges that “Fantasia” is a frank experiment. His final sentence urges the reader to go see “Fantasia,” “if you don’t mind having you imagination stimulated by the stuff of Mr. Disney’s fanciful dreams.”

This is an interesting example that fully justifies the many critiques of the film. In this article, Crowther, a clear advocate for the film, pinpoints “Fantasia’s” biggest problem. Despite his praises and elaborate descriptions, he still thinks the film is at times “too pretty” and clearly states that the viewer’s imagination is altered by the images. “Fantasia” is thus an “experiment” in which the animators have falsely assigned image to sound. “Fantasia” is then just a form of entertainment, exciting in its unconventional composition perhaps, but not to be viewed as truly artistic. Rather, it’s recognition stems from its technological advances in animation and sound and its imaginative depictions that are in themselves captivating but are not of the caliber of the music they are meant to portray.