On December 24th, 1970 – Aristocats was released in the United States. With a 4 million dollar budget, it would make 191 million in box office sales. An immediate success, this musical triumph made a lasting impression and helped solidify the idea of what a Disney movie was meant to be. Joyful, adventuring, catchy – and of course, have animals that know how to have a good time. So what is it about this film that makes it still a hit 53 years later?
Generally speaking, this film is feel-good from start to finish. Even Edgar, who is the villain in this film, has humorous hijinks surrounding him. Thomas O’Malley, a bachelor cat looking to live a carefree life stumbles across Duchess and her three kittens. He takes it upon himself to help them. With kindness from strangers and new friends at every turn, the Aristocats is a feel-good movie from start to finish. We even added it to our article, ‘10 Disney Films to Watch if You’re Feeling Glum‘!
This film had a lot to prove as well. Walt Disney had passed in 1966. It would be The Jungle Book in 1967 and Aristocats in 1970 that would have a lot to prove in terms of whether the studio could succeed without Walt. Roy Disney took the reigns and showed that the Studio could and would push forward. The film even features beloved Disney composers Richard and Robert Sherman who composed the songs,” “She Never Felt Alone,” and “Scales and Arpeggios.”.
With this film being the last film that Walt Disney approved, it would also be the last to include the phrase, “A Walt Disney Production” at the end of the film. It really did feel like a Walt Disney film as well. We hope that on its 53rd anniversary, you take the time and head over to Disney+ to revisit this film.
Images: Disney, D23
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