DISNEY, WALT — Fantasia (Souvenir Program Book)

New York, NY: Walt Disney Productions, 1940. 1st Edition; 1st Printing. Stapled wraps. B&W and Color Photographs & Illustrations; Uncommon Oversized Souvenir Program for the Disney Film: Fantasia. This program book is in Very Good+ condition and was issued without a dust jacket. This copy has some light toning to the edges of the front book cover. There is one tiny nick to the bottom front cover. The text pages are clean and bright. "Disney settled on the film's concept in 1938 as work neared completion on The Sorcerer's Apprentice, originally an elaborate Silly Symphony cartoon designed as a comeback role for Mickey Mouse, who had declined in popularity. As production costs surpassed what the short could earn, Disney decided to include it in a feature-length film of multiple segments set to classical pieces with Stokowski and Taylor as collaborators. The soundtrack was recorded using multiple audio channels and reproduced with Fantasound, a pioneering sound system developed by Disney and RCA that made Fantasia the first commercial film shown in stereo and a precursor to surround sound. Fantasia was first released as a theatrical roadshow that was held in 13 cities across the U. S. Between 1940 and 1941; the first began at the Broadway Theatre in New York City on November 13, 1940. While acclaimed by critics, it failed to make a profit owing to World War II's cutting off distribution to the European market, the film's high production costs, and the expense of building Fantasound equipment and leasing theatres for the roadshow presentations." (from Wikipedia). Very Good+ .