Just Another Princess

Saludos Amigos (1942)

What a unique Disney Classic! The background story of this film is incredibly interesting. According to Wikipedia, Disney was commissioned by the United States Department of State to make a film regarding life in Latin America to promote the Good Neighbor Policy. The intent of this film, from a governmental point of view, was to establish relationships with a culture that had potential Nazi-connections by using characters that were popular in Latin America. This film functions as an educuational tool within the United States, and for that reason it has been less popular than other Classic films, as it lacks a strong story that would appeal to children. However, in it’s time, it was popular enough to inspire the creation of The Three Caballeros (1944), pictured below. Disney tours the Latin American countries through four short segments, two of which feature the beloved characters, Donald and Goofy. This film provides the audience with a tour of Latin American highlights and exposure to a culture that is so distant from that of the United States. It is a treasure that depicts the beginning of Disney’s international popularity and success!