With such magnificent titles as The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, it should come as no surprise that Disney has more than their fair share of marvelous musicals. But for a company that’s been in the movie business for over 90 years, many musical movies certainly get cast aside.
While we no doubt have a special fondness for extravaganzas like Newsies and Mary Poppins, Disney has more than a few fantastic but forgotten musicals in their extensive library. Fortunately, we’ve gathered together a list of Disney musicals that have been waiting in the wings to be watched again.
Pete’s Dragon (1977)
Because where else are you going to find a musical with a song about dragon liver? Before Eliot the dragon was transformed into CGI slop, Pete’s Dragon was one of the most charming musicals the studio ever released. With performances from Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney, and Shelley Winters, it had quite the star-studded cast list.
Though the film might fit the mold for the stereotypical Disney-fied musical nowadays, it still has its own brand of unique charm, mostly due to Don Bluth’s animation skills with Eliot. Though both Pete and his famous dragon appear in Disney’s Electrical Parade, they definitely deserve a second viewing today.
The Country Bears (2002)
We can already feel some of you clenching at the mere mention of this title. We’re willing to admit The Country Bears definitely has a stigma surrounding it, but is it really all that bad? The songs are more than decent, the puppetry for the bear characters is very well-coordinated, and do we even need to mention Christopher Walken’s performance?
It’s not going to win any Grammys or anything, but the plot about getting a famous band back together with fitting musical numbers and famous musician cameos does have some merit. It certainly worked for the Blues Brothers, right?
Cinderella (1997)
No, we’re not talking about the 1950 animated film by Walt Disney Pictures, but the Rogers and Hammerstein musical featuring Whitney Houston, Brandi, and Bernadette Peters in the lead cast. This TV movie musical premiered on The Wonderful World of Disney in 1997 and has since been sorrowfully forgotten.
Even though the musical itself has been off and on Broadway since the film premiered, this version has become somewhat of an underrated classic in the eyes of Disney fans. If you’re looking for a different flavor of fairytale or just want some ’90s nostalgia, give this one a watch.
James and the Giant Peach (1996)
Produced by Tim Burton, directed by Henry Selick, and with music by Randy Newman, James and the Giant Peach is the weird, wonderful, stop-motion musical you never knew you wanted. Based on the classic novel by Roald Dahl, viewers follow James and his insect friends on a giant peach across the sea to New York City.
We know it sounds a little more than out there on paper, but it’s definitely one of Disney’s most underrated and underappreciated films in Disney’s collection. If you like The Nightmare Before Christmas, you’ll love this splendid and strange musical film.
Melody Time (1948)
During the ’40s, the Walt Disney studios were a bit more preoccupied with making propaganda films than full-length features. Because of this, the studio released package films to make a decent profit. Melody Time, like most of its kind, is a series of musical vignettes with animated characters or visuals.
With performances from the Andrews Sisters, Roy Rogers, and Dennis Day, Melody Time has several musical shorts with songs and styles of the era. With numbers like “Little Toot,” “Once Upon a Wintertime,” and “Pecos Bill,” the soundtrack is definitely something splendid and unique.
Make Mine Music (1946)
Make Mine Music is so remarkably similar to Melody Time, they could practically be called volume one and volume two. Similar to our previous entry, but with more well-known stars like Nelson Eddy, Jerry Colonna, Dina Shore, and Sterling Holloway.
The shorts featured are somewhat reminiscent of Melody Time, but there are more definite stories. We definitely have a soft spot for “Peter and the Wolf” and “The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met” ourselves, but there’s certainly a lot of terrific tunes in this package film. If you can watch it paired with Melody Time, you’re pretty much set.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
For many hardcore Disney fans, few musical features could possibly compete with the magic and charm of Mary Poppins. That being said, Bedknobs and Broomsticks tries its very best. Featuring Angela Lansbury as a witch who uses her magic to fight off Nazi invaders does give it more than a little something extra.
With magic, humor, and an incredible soundtrack by the Sherman Brothers, this film is the perfect chaser after spending a jolly holiday with Mary. It’s definitely something unique and worthy of your viewing if you’re looking for a different kind of Disney magic.
Oliver & Company (1988)
Okay, how did this movie not become a bigger hit? Oliver & Company is essentially Disney’s love letter to the ’80s. With performances by Huey Lewis, Bette Midler, and Billy Joel paired with the time period this was released, it should have been a musical sensation. How often do you get to see Billy Joel as an animated dog, right?
This film has all the trimmings and trappings of your standard Disney flick, what with the talking animals and choreographed random musical numbers and all. The soundtrack is incredible and the animation is gorgeous. We highly recommend this trip to the Big Apple.
Popeye (1980)
We’re willing to bet a pretty hefty sum that you’ve probably not thought of this film in a long while, if you’ve even seen it at all. Working in partnership with Paramount Studios, Disney brought us Popeye, a somewhat forgettable musical but definitely not without its perks.
One of the first films that kickstarted Robin Williams’ career, Popeye is essentially a musical about the spinach-eating sailor. In fact, we’re surprised we haven’t seen a stage version yet. Everything that happens could easily fit into a Popeye cartoon, and it’s definitely worth a second look.
Geppetto (2000)
Let’s get real, you’ve probably forgotten this movie even existed. Made for the Wonderful World of Disney, Geppetto is a TV musical retelling of Disney’s Pinocchio with Drew Carey in the title role as the toymaker. To say the film isn’t strange would make Pinocchio’s nose grow a yard, but we can’t honestly say it’s bad.
The songs are catchy and memorable, the performances by Drew Carey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Brent Spiner are all fantastic, and we could easily see an adaptation of this on Broadway. It might be hard to find, but if you can get your hands on a copy, this one is anything but wooden.
