"And here's the studio we set up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil." "An improvised studio in the hotel." "It was a clearinghouse for all our sketches, notes and music." "The record we were keeping of our trip." "Each day, there were press interviews and distinguished visitors." "Here we met the artists and writers of Brazil who helped us in every way possible." "We were lucky to be on hand for Brazil's Independence Day parade," "September the 7th." "This really was an impressive sight." "All day long they marched, every branch of the Armed Forces." "Passing in review before President Vargas were naval cadets, infantry, cavalry." "Men of the Air Force, artillery, and modern mechanized units." "It made us realize that Brazil was not gonna be caught napping in the midst of a world at war, but was prepared to meet any emergency." "At the stadium, we heard the children of Rio, 30,000 of them, singing patriotic songs." "And leading this enthusiastic chorus, was Dr. Heitor Villa-Lobos, one of Brazil's outstanding composers." "The famous musician devotes much of his time to the musical education of the Brazilian children." "His efforts have been highly successful." "Every day we roam the city streets, sketching and studying Rio." "Street scenes, sidewalk cafes..." "Even the intricate designs of the sidewalks themselves." "This trolley took us up 2,400 feet to the summit of Corcovado, with its famous statue of the Cristo." "The tracks wind through dense woods as they climb to the giant statue over 100 feet tall." "Illuminated at night, it can be seen 20 miles at sea." "Sugar Loaf, famous landmark at the southern tip of Rio's harbor." "Artist Lee Blair got busy on a watercolor of Sugar Loaf and the bay." "While Lee was painting, the others went up in the cable car." "A smooth trip when the wind isn't blowing." "That's Botafogo Bay." "From the top of Sugar Loaf, we got a good view of Copacabana Beach." "This is the playground that's known the world over." "Hotels, casinos, miles of white sand and surf." "The artists spent hours in the botanical gardens and they found an amazing variety of strange, exotic plants." "Orchids, for instance, grow wild in Brazil's forests." "They're far superior to most of the hothouse varieties in size and color." "And, of course, they went into the book with the other sketches." "The Victoria Regina, the giant water lily is found along the Amazon." "Each blossom is a bouquet in itself." "We ran across strange trees whose roots formed designs above ground." "Just the type of thing the artists were looking for." "The zoo furnished plenty of sketch material and lots of color." "Flocks of graceful flamingos anteaters and the tapir, a shy, timid creature who didn't seem to enjoy posing." "A Brazilian wallflower." "Day by day, the drawings piled up." "From the zoos, the parks, the city streets and the beaches." "The many friends we made here contributed books, pictures and charts of all things Brazilian that led to many cartoon ideas." "The little armadillo or tatu looked like good picture material." "His heavy armor plate and cute expression made him a real find." "A perfect cartoon pal for Pluto the pup." "But the natural comedian of Brazil is ole papagaio, the parrot, the inspiration of many funny stories." "The animators adopted him, dressed him up, named him Joe Carioca." "The rhythm of Brazil, the samba." "This is a reco-reco and a cabaça." "Rhythm instruments used by samba orchestras." "The dance itself is a two-step with a bounce." "And, of course, it was second nature to Joe Carioca." "One of his first jobs on the screen was to teach it to Donald Duck." "And here's an old Brazilian game called Cashion Ga." "They say the Indians played it centuries ago." "It was played with shells, originally, but today they use matchboxes." "The object is to go through this passing routine without missing." "Here again, rhythm plays an important part." "First, you sing the verse, then hum it, then play to the tempo in silence." "It may look simple to Donald, but it's a fast game when you get going." "The duck's a little slow at picking it up." "Yes, we're packing up." "As much as we enjoyed our stay, there were a lot more countries to be seen and time was short." "All our sketches, notes and impressions of Brazil were gathered up and we were on our way." "Down the coast from Rio, past São Paulo, Porto Alegre and then to Montevideo, capital of Uruguay." "This is Montevideo's harbor, where the Río Plata meets the Atlantic." "Just outside of this harbor the historic naval battle was fought in 1939, resulting in the destruction of Germany's Graf Spee." "In contrast to war-like thoughts was this peaceful scene of a group of fishermen trying their luck along the waterfront." "Our general impression was that people here get a lot of fun out of living." "This impression grew as we saw Carrasco, Pocitos, Solís, Punta del Este and a dozen other fine beach resorts." "Everything here seemed designed to make life more pleasant." "Montevideo's mild weather, its protected harbor and long summer season make it an ideal location for all water sports." "There are many clubs here devoted to swimming, rowing and sailing." "The modern white structure in the background is the Uruguayo, one of the large yacht clubs." "The raising of livestock is Uruguay's most important industry." "The finest breeds of sheep, cattle and hogs are raised here on the flat prairie lands." "While Uruguay's known principally as a sheep country, over 4000 head of cattle a day are driven to the packing houses." "Most of the products are exported." "In one of the parks we saw this striking monument, erected to Uruguay's early settlers." "It's called La Carreta, the ox-drawn cart of the pioneer." "Similar to the covered wagons that crossed the plains of North America during the past century." "At the Port of Colonia, the city's children gave Walt a rousing reception." "School was closed for the day in honor of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck." "There were speeches, bands and presentations." "The party was given a cheerful sendoff as our ship left Colonia's pier." "The city of Colonia was one of the first settlements in Uruguay, dating back to 1680." "It's directly across the Río Plata from Buenos Aires." "It was here that we crossed to the capital city of the Argentine." "Buenos Aires is the third largest city in the western hemisphere." "A city of beauty and hospitality." "As in Brazil and Uruguay, the art, literary and musical groups did everything possible to help us get acquainted." "This is the dome of Argentina's capital, the Congress building." "The world-famous opera house Teatro Colón." "And South America's tallest skyscraper, the Kavanagh Building." "Florida Street, where all vehicle traffic is suspended during the afternoon for the convenience of shoppers." "In contrast to the modern motor cars, we found that many merchants still prefer these picturesque wagons." "Everything here has the artistic touch." "Even the vegetable man turns his cart into a miniature art gallery." "Close to the business and residential districts, we found beautiful Palermo Park, with it's bridle paths and lagoons, designed for play and relaxation." "Sports play an important part here." "Football's considered the national game." "And the famous polo teams of the Argentine have won many international matches." "This group of artists demonstrated Argentine folk dances for us on the roof of the Alvear Palace Hotel, where our Buenos Aires studio was located." "They were directed by Professor Shazabeta, an authority on music and dances of the Argentine." "This dance is called El Gato, the cat." "Another version of El Gato." "Our musicians were busy making notes of these new rhythms." "And this is a zamba, not to be confused with a Brazilian samba." "Everyone agreed that this was the perfect type of research, entertaining as well as instructive." "And we learned a lot more about the Argentine from Señor F. Molina Campos, famous artist and authority on the gaucho, the Argentine cowboy." "At the studio on his ranch he showed us hundreds of sketches of the pampas and its colorful people, and gauchos in action." "Señor Campos'pictures and stories made us anxious to see these gauchos in person, driving herds of cattle across the plains." "Books and movies have made the gaucho a romantic and glamorous figure, but he also does his share of hard work, as you can see here." "On the pampas, a wild horse is really wild and roping one is no picnic." "Watching them handle these potros led to a cartoon idea in which Goofy attempts to play the part of a gaucho." "Yes, a gaucho's life is a strenuous business." "This exhibition of bronco busting was responsible for the creation of a new cartoon character, little Gauchito, a boy of the pampas, and Burrito, his remarkable donkey." "Notice this gaucho's belt here, decorated with silver coins." "And his recado or saddle, built up of many layers of sheepskin, felt and leather." "Out on the pampas, we were treated to a real asado, where whole sides of beef, lamb and pork are roasted over charcoal fires and served in the open." "It was here that we first tasted maté, an herb tea, favorite drink of the gaucho." "Argentina's not all open grazing country." "Pastral scenes such as this are found at many parts of the pampas." "This is El Carmaine, a beautiful estancia near Buenos Aires, where many more color sketches were added to the collection." "The artists never ran out of subject matter." "The nest of the hornero, or ovenbird, often serves as a compass for the gaucho because its entrance always faces north." "The Chapel of the Tree at Los Arboles, at the foot of the Andes, was one of the many beauty spots near Mendoza, center of the vineyard country." "Just outside of Mendoza, two members of the party met Don Reborio Sauza, an 85-year-old gaucho and a veteran of the Indian wars." "These are botas de potro, seamless boots made from a single piece of horse hide." "He had a sense of humor and was amused at the interest they took in his costume." "Don Reborio's sombrero was quite unusual." "It was made of hand-pressed felt." "This particular style was worn by the gaucho several generations ago." "The guanaco is found in this western country in the foothills of the Andes." "He's related to the llama family and his hide is used for rugs and clothing." "At the San Martin Zoo in Mendoza we found these Patagonian rabbits from the southern part of Argentina." "They're a little shy, but easily tamed." "In among these domestic water foul, we picked out a few strangers, like this Tuyuyu or stone head from Brazil." "And a pelican who began showing off when he saw the camera." "Here's a spoonbill." "And a teru-tero, a popular pet." "These and dozens of others were added to our store of Argentine material." "And, once again, the group was on its way." "Leaving Mendoza and flying westward to Santiago, Chile, we had an opportunity to see what the Andes looked like at 18,000 feet." "It gave us a rough idea of what the pioneer airmen were up against when they first flew through the Uspallata Pass." "Today, we sit back in solid comfort, sniff oxygen from a tube and fly past peaks like Aconcagua," "23,000 feet, highest in the western hemisphere." "But the high altitude didn't slow up the artists." "Let's see what you've got there, Herb." "During the flight, a new cartoon character was born, a baby airplane named Little Pedro." "He even had an actor's appetite." "We were sure we'd find music in Chile to fit Pedro's moods like this lively dance number played by Los Concheros, a popular huaso group." "The huaso is the Chilean cowboy, similar to the gaucho of the Argentine." "They entertained us with their songs and dances at a country festival near Santiago." "The cueca, somewhat like the Argentine zamba is a popular folk dance." "The huaso's hip boots and tight-fitting trousers were in contrast to the gaucho's clothes." "We found resemblance between the traditional dances of both countries." "All children have their favorite screen star." "And here in Chile, it happened to be Pluto the pup." "The huasos insisted that Walt learn one of their popular songs, even though he'd never played a guitar before." "Meanwhile, Norm is still at it." "He never realized that Pluto had such a following." "The strain was even beginning to show on Pluto." "They were determined to make a dancer out of Walt and got a big kick out of his attempts to match to the cueca." "Exhibition dancing was something new for Walt, but they assured him it wasn't bad for the first lesson." "By this time, Norm was wishing he'd learned to draw with both hands." "But he really got off lightly." "Look what it did to Pluto." "Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chili." "Our collection of sketches and music grew steadily as we flew north to Bolivia, land of the Incas." "La Paz, the capital, high in the Andes, center of Bolivia's history." "Vivid colors were the first impressions we got of the marketplaces." "The music of Bolivia is as individual as its costumes." "The original designs of these handmade garments fascinated the girls of our party." "Bolivian babies travel in the rumble seat." "Hand-woven hats of Vicuña wool are in style here." "Especially those that protect the ears." "Notice the way these dolls are dressed." "Almost exact replicas of these mayors of the mountain villages, coming from the church at Pisa." "The men at the left are the mayors' assistants." "The mayor's symbol of office is an ornamental staff decorated with silver designs." "These staffs are highly prized and carefully preserved, each one serving many generations of officials." "The proud, haughty-looking llama or llama is used all through these mountains to carry small burdens." "But you can't overload a llama." "If you try it he'll just calmly sit down and wait until the load is lightened or removed." "It didn't take the artists long to recognize the llama's screen value." "Its haughty attitude and graceful motion seemed to blend with the local music." "And so, another screen character is born." "Another colorful picture subject was this custom of communal plowing." "Aside from being picturesque, it reflected the spirit of the land, one neighbor helping another." "These industrious people are descendents of the Incas, and get excellent results with these primitive farm implements." "Thirteen thousand feet above sea level between Peru and Bolivia, is this enormous Lake Titicaca," "120 miles long and averages 60 miles across." "But we were more interested in its color than its size, as we sailed from one small port to another." "On Lake Titicaca are the islands of the sun and the moon, prominent in Indian mythology since the time of the Incas." "Three large steamers, carried up the mountains in small sections and assembled here, handle the heavier lake traffic between the two countries." "But we preferred the sailboats for our sightseeing trips." "The scarcity of wood at this altitude is responsible for the balsa boat." "It's woven of reeds, but it's good and practical." "It takes a lot of skill to handle one in a strong wind." "A strong wind is no novelty up here." "In their spare time, the boys build scale models of these boats." "Naturally, the balsa went on file for future reference." "East of the lake, the railroad climbs to over 14,000 feet near Puno, and a picnic lunch takes the place of a dining car." "The mother and daughter idea in clothes might have originated here in Peru." "These little fellows work in pairs without a driver." "He seems worried about his partner." "Now everything's all right." "Cuzco, with its huge cathedral, is surrounded by ruins of the ancient Inca civilizations." "Here we collected more colorful textiles, woven in traditional patterns." "And, as usual, the marketplace was the center of interest." "So far, we hadn't found one country where kids didn't like ice cream." "Our collection of picture ideas continued to grow as we started homeward." "Ecuador with its remarkable capital Quito, where the equator crosses the Andes." "Colombia, its coffee and banana plantations." "The city of Bogotá, one of the centers of South American culture." "Venezuela, birthplace of Simón Bolívar, the Liberator, with its busy seaports, oil fields and farming country." "We found our visit much too short to do full justice to all of these attractive places." "Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, each had its typical music and atmosphere." "Then there was El Salvador, Honduras." "Unforgettable spots like Chichicastenango, for instance, in Guatemala." "The busy marketplace in the center of town has a church at either end, and here, on market day, we saw the devout Indians from nearby towns burning incense on the steps of Santo Tomas church, as they chanted their prayers." "Guatemala is the land of the marimba, and its music is heard even in the marketplaces." "Pottery is an art that's highly developed here." "The potter prefers to pack it himself, rather than trust it to a burro." "It seemed to us that the folks here went about their daily work to the rhythm of the marimba." "Blending with the marimba notes were the squeals of the little pigs who went to market." "We noticed that very few of them went willingly." "The artists found much of the gaiety and color of the country expressed by its children and its music." "Guatemala is noted for its coffee, but corn is one of the main food products sold in the markets." "Plain, everyday food is displayed artistically." "We saw hundreds of these little dolls, all miniatures of types found in Guatemala." "Some no larger than your thumbnail, but remarkable for their color and detail." "The young employees of the Mayan Hotel had prepared a special tribute to the father of their favorite movie star." "Every one of them was an enthusiastic picture fan." "After the formal presentation, they were invited to sample the gift." "All agreed that the visit of the Disney party had been a huge success." "And we agreed with them when we considered the valuable picture ideas that Chichicastenango had given us." "Then, to Mexico, to gather more impressions, more music, more color." "Close to Mexico's capital are the floating gardens of Xochimilco, a perfect setting for music and romance." "Boats decorated with flowers." "Here, again, we heard marimba music and sounds of guitars, as the boats drifted past solid islands of blossoms." "Some sell flowers, others food, preparing frijoles and tacos over charcoal stoves in their boats." "On Sundays and holidays, these canals are a riot of color." "The artists and writers found plenty of inspiration at Xochimilco." "Perhaps enough for an entire picture." "And then we met the charros, the gentlemen riders of Mexico." "These business and professional men ride to their charro clubs on Sunday, dressed in the costumes of old Mexico." "And they preserve the traditions of Mexico in sports and feats of horsemanship." "The charros may well be proud of their handsome and well-trained horses." "They arranged a specialjaripeo, or contest, for our artists." "A first-class exhibition of roping and riding." "Not all of Mexico's fine art is found in its museums." "We picked up many suggestions for picture ideas in the pottery designs of Oaxaca and Guadalajara." "In every part of Mexico we found new picture material, like these flower designs, suggesting the lace headdress of Tejuantepec." "The Yucateca costume of Yucatán, little Tijuanos from the Isthmus." "The music of the mariachis from Jalisco." "And colors from Serape designs of Saltillo." "Packing everything possible into our crowded luggage, we headed for Hollywood, planning future trips to the countries that time had not permitted us to fully explore." "Our first stop was the customs office, where every bit of baggage had to be examined." "We'd been through this so often we didn't mind, but the poor customs officials were really in for something." "It was, perhaps, the first time in history that any one officer had faced such an accumulation of sketches, music, souvenirs, costumes and miscellaneous odds and ends from Latin America." "After half an hour of this, the officer was prepared for anything, and when he finally came across Walt's gaucho saddle, spurs and bridle, his only comment was, "You might as well have brought the horse"." "I was asked by the government to go to South America, and..." "Kind of a cultural thing, you know, before the... you know, those pre, those Nazi days." "Yes." "I went down with a staff to see if I couldn't make some films about the ABC countries down there." "You know, there's Argentine, Brazil, and Chile." "They wanted me to go on a handshaking goodwill tour." "I said, "I don't go for it." "I'm not a good handshaker"." "Then they said, "Will you go down and make some films about these countries?"" "I said, "That's my business." "I can do that"." " Take a pencil in your hand." " That's right." "So I took a staff and we set up headquarters in oh, in Rio." "We also went and set up a studio in the Argentine." "We went over to Chile and some of my artists, we divided our party, some of them went up through Peru." "And when we came back I made these four short subjects." "We brought back the Tico Tico tune." "It was being played down there." "I brought that back and put it in." "Brought back Brazil." "And both of them became standard tunes." "And out of it we developed this little Brazilian parrot," "José Carioca, who played with Donald Duck." "Anyway, these four films were, more or less, put together and they went out in the theater." "It was one of those things, that they thought Disney needed a subsidy, but, fortunately, that thing went out and did a heck of a business." "The United States Government didn't have to put up one nickel." "Wonderful." "It was actually a goodwill tour for the government." "It was later, about two years later, that The Three Caballeros then became..." " That was a follow-up, yeah." " Combining live-action..." "I almost needed the subsidy on that one."