Walt Disney Classics

Walt Disney Classics was a brand name used by Walt Disney Home Video on their home video VHS releases of Disney animated features from 1937 to 1992.[1] The last title in the Classics line was The Fox and the Hound. With the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, all of the existing titles (except for Pinocchio, Fantasia, The Fox and the Hound, The Great Mouse Detective, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin) in the Classics line were replaced with the Masterpiece Collection line, and the Classics line was cancelled in the United States and Canada.

Not to be confused with Walt Disney Classics Collection.

The first logo of Walt Disney Classics, from the 1984 opening sequence

Cassette copies of the original Classics series became highly sought-after and are very popular with collectors, since most retailers had the first home video release for Disney animated features in their stores until the label was discontinued.

Animated features continued to be released under the "Walt Disney Classics" label and its foreign language equivalents until around 2007 throughout Europe, and "Walt Disney Meisterwerke" – the German equivalent series – is still in operation as of 2010 through its broader "Special Collection" range.

Background

Disney has used the word Classics to describe three types of feature-length films that include animation:

  • Animated features that contain one continuous story; these are most-closely identified with the "Classics" label.
  • Films made up of several shorter, self-contained animated stories. This includes the six package films produced from 1942 to 1949, most of which include live-action characters. Another example is The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, released theatrically in 1977, which was a compilation of several shorter Winnie the Pooh films that had been released previously. The one exception is Fantasia where it's segments' titles were told by the narrator without title cards hence included in the "Classics" label above.
  • Live action features which contain fully animated sequences or characters. So Dear to My Heart, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Pete's Dragon are examples.

Some of the animated package films and live-action films featuring animation were released on home video in the early 1980s, such as The Three Caballeros and Fun and Fancy Free, but most of them were not big sellers.

Disney's Classics category was originally defined during discussions for the April 18, 1983 launch of Disney Channel. While the people at Disney were looking through their inventory of films to see what was available for the new cable channel, they decided that they could air some fan-favorite films such as Alice in Wonderland and Mary Poppins, but that 15 other animated movies would never be aired.

These 15 animated feature films – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, Robin Hood, The Rescuers and The Fox and the Hound – had only been shown at theaters, not television or any other format (except for The Sword in the Stone, which aired on television in 1985 for the first time).[2] These 15 movies laid the foundation upon which the Disney company was built. During each re-release to theaters (on a roughly seven-year cycle), they earned money comparable to new releases; it was thought the company would lose this revenue if they released the feature films on video or television. By the time the Masterpiece Collection replaced the Classics collection in the domestic market, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and The Aristocats were the only two of the original 15 classics that had not yet been re-released.

All of the single-story animated features made by Disney were included in the list of 15 classics except for 2. The exceptions were Dumbo and Alice in Wonderland, both of which had been shown on television at the earliest opportunity. The Disneyland TV series began with The Disneyland Story, but the very next thing to be aired was Alice in Wonderland (broadcast November 3, 1954), which was edited to fit into the one-hour TV time slot. The following season began September 14, 1955, with a one-hour version of Dumbo. Both of these movies were released on video within the first two years of the creation of Walt Disney Home Video; the videos were only briefly available for rental before they became available for sale. Despite always being available, Dumbo and Alice in Wonderland have made millions of dollars in subsequent home video releases.

North American release history
No. Release DateTitleNotes
1 December 3, 1984Robin HoodDisney thought the idea of releasing any of its animated classics might threaten future theatrical reissue revenue. Robin Hood, however, was viewed as a good first choice because it was not held in as high esteem as some of the other titles. The cassettes were priced at $79.95 and the LaserDisc version was $34.95.[3] Then in November 5, 1985, the price was dropped to $29.95.[4] The film went on moratorium on April 30, 1987,[5] then was re-released on July 12, 1991 at $24.99.[6] The 1991 release never went on moratorium.
2 July 16, 1985PinocchioIn 1984, Pinocchio was reissued theatrically to great success, grossing over $26 million at the domestic box office. It was priced at $79.95 on cassette and $34.95 on LaserDisc in Classics packaging. In May 1985, Disney announced a July 16 release date for Pinocchio, with a $1 million advertising campaign which they claimed was the first national network TV spot campaign for a single video title.[7] About 125,000 copies of Pinocchio were sold in July and August, then they dropped the price to $29.95 from November 5, 1985, until January 31, 1986[4] and went into moratorium on April 30, 1987.[5] A newly restored edition of Pinocchio was released on video on March 26, 1993.[8] It was also sold in another cross-promotion with Crest toothpaste, allowing consumers to get a rebate of $4.00 from its $24.99 retail price.[8] Pinocchio was advertised as "Available for the last time this century", which turned out to be false, for in 1999 Disney released a 60th Anniversary Edition of the film on VHS and DVD.
3 November 5, 1985[4]DumboThe price of Dumbo was also dropped to $29.95 with Robin Hood and Pinocchio in 1985.[4] Dumbo never went into moratorium, was repackaged in 1989 and was repromoted in 1991 to coincide with the reissue of Robin Hood.[6]
4 March 25, 1986The Sword in the StonePriced at $79.95 until the release of Sleeping Beauty, which dropped the price of The Sword in the Stone to $29.95 until the end of 1986.[9] The Sword in the Stone was repackaged in 1989 with the release of Bambi.
5 May 28, 1986[10]Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland was repriced for sell-through for the first time.[10] This was never placed on moratorium and was repromoted in 1991 to coincide with the reissue of Robin Hood.[6]
6 October 14, 1986[11]Sleeping BeautySleeping Beauty was the first title to be released in VHS Hi-Fi and in stereo sound. It was released at $29.95. The film became the centerpiece for Disney's $6 million promotional campaign, "Bring Disney Home For Good" which featured all the six animated Classics.[12] 1.2 million copies of Sleeping Beauty had been sold and it became the best-selling videocassette of 1986. It went into moratorium on March 31, 1988.[13]
7 October 6, 1987 Lady and the Tramp Following the success of Sleeping Beauty, Disney released Lady and the Tramp at $29.95. It had 2 million pre-orders, and eventually sold 3.2 million copies, making it the best-selling videocassette at the time. Along with Sleeping Beauty, the film went into moratorium on March 31, 1988.[13]
8 October 4, 1988[14] Cinderella A special $26.99 price was available until the end of November 1988, after which the price went up to the $29.95 price point of the other Classics. A limited edition lithograph, created by animator Marc Davis was available to anyone who pre-ordered the title between July 11 and October 3. It was announced in advance that the title went into moratorium on April 30, 1989.[14]
9 September 28, 1989[15] Bambi Bambi was the first Disney video to have a cross-promotion. The price of $26.99 could be reduced with a $3.00 rebate (available until the end of November 1989) by sending in proofs of purchase of two tubes of Crest toothpaste.[15] The title went into moratorium on March 30, 1990.[16]
10 May 18, 1990 The Little Mermaid Disney's February 1990 announcement that The Little Mermaid would be released on video in May surprised people since the film was still in theaters at the time. It was priced at $26.99, the same as Bambi, but this time a $3.00 rebate was available from Disney with no additional purchase required. Disney promised its biggest TV advertising campaign ever, along with extensive print advertising.[17] By July 30, 1990, The Little Mermaid had sold 7.5 million cassettes, and it eventually sold 10 million units, making it the top-selling video release of 1990.[18] The film went into moratorium on April 1, 1991.[18]
11 September 21, 1990 Peter Pan Peter Pan had sold about 7 million copies, according to the Los Angeles Times.[18] A cross-promotion with Nabisco, available from the release date through the holiday season, allowed consumers a $5.00 rebate with the purchase of three boxes of crackers, bringing the effective retail price under $20.00. The film went into moratorium on April 1, 1991.[18]
12 May 3, 1991[19] The Jungle Book The Jungle Book sold at $24.99; a $5.00 rebate was offered by Nabisco, reducing the price even further.[19] The film went into moratorium on April 30, 1992.
13 September 20, 1991 The Rescuers Down Under The Rescuers Down Under was priced at $24.99 with a $5.00 mail-in refund available from Procter & Gamble. It went on moratorium on April 30, 1993.[20]
14 November 1, 1991[21] Fantasia Roy Disney originally objected to Fantasia being an animated Classics on video because he felt it was too important to the family's legacy. Michael Eisner was eventually able to convince the Disney Family to let the film be released. Fantasia was Disney's first animated film to be released simultaneously worldwide (in North America plus 46 international territories). The domestic release was limited to 50 days;[21] the international market for 100. Despite the Classics logo preceding the film on video copies, there was no reference to it being part of the collection in its packaging; it was referred to as "Walt Disney's Masterpiece" instead. Fantasia would eventually sell 14.4 million videocassettes and discs.
15 April 10, 1992 101 Dalmatians 101 Dalmatians went on moratorium on March 31, 1993.[20]
16 July 17, 1992 The Great Mouse Detective The Great Mouse Detective went on moratorium on April 30, 1993.[20]
17 September 18, 1992[22] The Rescuers The Rescuers went on moratorium April 30, 1993.[20]
18 October 30, 1992 Beauty and the Beast Beauty and the Beast sold 20 million cassettes and brought $200 million in revenue. Disney opted to delay the laserdisc release for the theatrical version of Beauty and the Beast until September 29, 1993, making a film festival-screened "work-in-progress" print on disc available in the interim. It was the first Disney animated film to have a widescreen laserdisc release. Beauty and the Beast went on moratorium on April 30, 1993.[20]
19 October 1, 1993 Aladdin Aladdin is the best-selling release of the Walt Disney Classics line. By early 1994, it had sold more than 25 million cassettes with over $500 million in revenue. Disney delayed the laserdisc release of Aladdin for nearly a year; it was eventually released, in both letterbox and pan-and-scan formats, on September 21, 1994.[23] Aladdin went on moratorium on April 30, 1994.
20 March 4, 1994 The Fox and the Hound This was the last film released in the Walt Disney Classics line and remained in stock until April 30, 1995.[24]

See also

References
  1. Lizardi, Ryan (2017). Nostalgic Generations and Media: Perception of Time and Available Meaning. Lexington Books. p. 86. ISBN 9781498542036. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  2. https://www.nickandmore.com/kids-tv-history/list-of-movies-aired-on-disney-channel/
  3. "Ottawa Citizen - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  4. Levine, Martin (September 7, 1985). Disney on Parade. Daily News.
  5. "Some Of The Greatest Gift Ideas Of The Year Are On Video Store". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  6. McCullagh, Jim (May 18, 1991). "'Robin' To Perk Up Midsummer Nights" (PDF). Billboard. p. 78. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  7. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (May 18, 1985). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  8. "'Pinocchio' Is The Winner By A Nose". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  9. Nielsen Business Media, Inc (August 9, 1986). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  10. Seidman, Tony (April 12, 1986). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  11. Spokane Chronicle.
  12. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (August 9, 1986). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1997.
  13. Stevens, Mary. "'LADY AND THE TRAMP' GOING BACK TO VAULT". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  14. "It's Christmas In July As Disney Tells Of Holiday Promotions". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  15. "'Bambi' Making Leap Into Your Video Store". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  16. The Telegraph.
  17. McGowan, Chris (March 17, 1990). "Disney's 'Mermaid' to Hit Stores in May." Billboard (pp. 59, 66)
  18. CERONE, DANIEL (March 19, 1991). "The Seven-Year Hitch". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  19. "'The Jungle Book' Coming From Disney". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  20. Reading Eagle.
  21. "'Fantasia' A Hit With Video Audience". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  22. "'Rescuers' Leads Classic Kid Stuff". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  23. McGowan, Chris (May 21, 1994). "Disney titles expected to join Laserdisc's top sellers." Billboard, page 60.
  24. Liebenson, Donald (1995-02-19). "How to Outsmart Disney's Moratorium: Frustrated buyers can get around the firm's policy of pulling its animated classics off the market. It takes a little digging--and some serious cash". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
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