The Reluctant Dragon (1941)

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Approved
1h 14min
Animation, Comedy
20 Jun 1941 (USA)
Movie

6.7 (3,815)

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Humorist Robert Benchley learns about the animation process at Walt Disney Studios while trying to find the great man himself to pitch him the idea of making a cartoon about a shy dragon.

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Humorist Robert Benchley learns about the animation process at Walt Disney Studios while trying to find the great man himself to pitch him the idea of making a cartoon about a shy dragon.

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158 photos | 4 videos

Cast verified as complete

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	Robert Benchley	...	Robert Benchley
	Frances Gifford	...	Doris - Studio Artist
	Buddy Pepper	...	Humphrey - Studio Guide
	Nana Bryant	...	Mrs. Benchley
	Claud Allister	...	Sir Giles (segment "The Reluctant Dragon") (voice)
	Barnett Parker	...	The Dragon (segment "The Reluctant Dragon") (voice)
	Billy Lee	...	The Boy (segment "The Reluctant Dragon") (voice)
	Florence Gill	...	Florence Gill / Clara Cluck
	Clarence Nash	...	Clarence Nash / Donald Duck
	Norman Ferguson	...	Norm Ferguson (as Norm Ferguson)
	Ward Kimball	...	Ward Kimball
	Jim Luske	...	Jimmy - Baby Weems Model (as Jimmy Luske)
	Alan Ladd	...	Al - Baby Weems Storyboard Artist
	Truman Woodworth	...	Truman Woodworth
	Hamilton MacFadden	...	Hamilton MacFadden (as Hamilton Mac Fadden)
	Maurice Murphy	...	Baby Weems Storyboard Artist
	The Staff of the Walt Disney Studio	...	Staff of the Walt Disney Studios
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Ernie Alexander	...	Baby Weems' Father (uncredited) (voice)
	Frank Churchill	...	Frank Churchill (uncredited)
	Louise Currie	...	Undetermined Minor Role (uncredited)
	John Dehner	...	Tall Baby Weems Storyboard Artist with Mustache (uncredited)
	Walt Disney	...	Walt Disney (uncredited)
	Lester Dorr	...	Slim (uncredited)
	Frank Faylen	...	Frank - Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
	Bess Flowers	...	Undetermined Minor Role (uncredited)
	Henry Hall	...	Studio Policeman (uncredited)
	Verna Hillie	...	Sculptor (uncredited)
	Leone Le Doux	...	Baby Weems (segment "Baby Weems") (uncredited) (voice)
	James MacDonald	...	Sound Effects Man (uncredited)
	Eddie Marr	...	Walter Winchell (segment "Baby Weems") (uncredited) (voice)
	Linda Marwood	...	Baby Weems' Mother (segment "Baby Weems") (uncredited) (voice)
	John McLeish	...	Narrator (segment "How to Ride a Horse") / Man Handing Bambi Background (uncredited) (voice)
	Gerald Mohr	...	Studio Guard / Narrator (segment "Baby Weems") (uncredited) (voice)
	Fred Moore	...	Fred Moore (uncredited)
	George Offerman Jr.	...	Art Student (uncredited)
	Milicent Patrick	...	Studio Artist (uncredited)
	Steve Pendleton	...	Humphrey's Boss - Head of Security (uncredited)
	Wolfgang Reitherman	...	Wolfgang Reitherman (uncredited)
	Retta Scott	...	Studio Artists (uncredited)
	Raymond Severn	...	Baby Weems (segment "Baby Weems") (uncredited) (voice)
	Val Stanton	...	Courier (segment "The Reluctant Dragon") (uncredited) (voice)
	J. Donald Wilson	...	Narrator (segment "The Reluctant Dragon") (uncredited) (voice)
	Jack Young	...	FDR (segment "Baby Weems") (uncredited) (voice)

Directed by

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Alfred L. Werker
Hamilton Luske	...	(cartoon sequences)
Jack Cutting	...	(uncredited) (cartoon sequences)
Ub Iwerks	...	(uncredited) (cartoon sequences)
Jack Kinney	...	(uncredited) (cartoon sequences)

Written by

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Kenneth Grahame	...	(based on the story by)

Ted Sears	...	(screenplay) &
Al Perkins	...	(screenplay) &
Larry Clemmons	...	(screenplay) &
William Cottrell	...	(screenplay) &
Harry Clork	...	(screenplay)

Erdman Penner	...	(story "Reluctant Dragon" sequence) &
T. Hee	...	(story "Reluctant Dragon" sequence)

Joe Grant	...	(story "Baby Weems" sequence) &
Dick Huemer	...	(story "Baby Weems" sequence) &
John P. Miller	...	(story "Baby Weems" sequence)

Robert Benchley	...

Berk Anthony	...	(segment "The Reluctant Dragon") (story)

Produced by

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Walt Disney

...

producer (uncredited)

Music by

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Frank Churchill
Larry Morey

Cinematography by

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Bert Glennon	...	director of photography
Winton C. Hoch	...	director of photography: Technicolor sequences (as Winton Hoch)

Editing by

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Paul Weatherwax

Editorial Department

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Natalie Kalmus	...	color director: Technicolor
George Cave	...	color timer (uncredited)

Art Direction by

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Ken Anderson	...	(art direction: cartoon sequences)
Yale Gracey	...	(art direction: cartoon sequences)
Hugh Hennesy	...	(art direction: cartoon sequences)
Lance Nolley	...	(art direction: cartoon sequences)
Gordon Wiles

Set Decoration by

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Earl Wooden

...

(as Earl Woodin)

Production Management

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Earl Rettig

...

production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Ford Beebe Jr.	...	assistant director: cartoon sequences
Jasper Blystone	...	assistant director
Jim Handley	...	assistant director: cartoon sequences
Erwin L. Verity	...	assistant director: cartoon sequences (as Erwin Verity)
Jack Bruner	...	assistant director: cartoon sequences (uncredited)
Lou Debney	...	assistant director: cartoon sequences (uncredited)
Art Gibeaut	...	assistant director: cartoon sequences (uncredited)

Art Department

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Charles Philippi

...

art direction: cartoon sequences (as Chas Philippi)

Sound Department

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Frank Maher	...	sound recordist
George Lowerre	...	sound engineer (uncredited)
James MacDonald	...	sound effects (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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Ub Iwerks	...	special effects
Joshua Meador	...	special effects (as Joshua L. Meador)

Visual Effects by

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Ed Aardal	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Jerome Brown	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Brad Case	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Ugo D'Orsi	...	effects animator (uncredited)
George De Beeson	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Russ Dyson	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Andy Engman	...	effects animator (uncredited)
James Escalante	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Art Fitzpatrick	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Harry Hamsel	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Joe Harbaugh	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Jack Huber	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Paul B. Kossoff	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Fred Madison	...	effects animator (uncredited)
John McDermott	...	effects animator (uncredited)
John McManus	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Art Palmer	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Miles E. Pike	...	effects animator (uncredited)
John Reed	...	effects animator (uncredited)
George Rowley	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Sandy Strother	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Reuben Timmins	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Don Tobin	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Noel Tucker	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Vernon G. Witt	...	effects animator (uncredited)
Cornett Wood	...	effects animator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Chuck Wheeler

...

camera operator (uncredited)

Animation Department

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Jack Campbell	...	animator
Ray Huffine	...	background artist
Walt Kelly	...	animator (uncredited)
Ward Kimball	...	animator
Fred Moore	...	animator
Milt Neil	...	animator
Wolfgang Reitherman	...	animator
Art Riley	...	background artist (as Arthur Riley)
Claude Smith	...	animator
David Swift	...	animator (as Bud Swift)
Harvey Toombs	...	animator
Jack Bailey	...	animator (uncredited)
Stephen Bosustow	...	animator (uncredited)
Chester Cobb	...	animator (uncredited)
Rex Cox	...	animator (uncredited)
Ed Fourcher	...	animator (uncredited)
George Goepper	...	assistant animator (uncredited)
Ray Lockrem	...	background artist (uncredited)
Bob McCrea	...	assistant animator (uncredited)
Bob McIntosh	...	background artist (uncredited)
Bob Moore	...	animator (uncredited)
Paul Murry	...	animator (uncredited)
Mique Nelson	...	background artist (uncredited)
Cliff Nordberg	...	inbetween artist (uncredited)
Frank Onaitis	...	animator (uncredited)
Frank Oreb	...	animator (uncredited)
John Sibley	...	animator (uncredited)
Art Stevens	...	inbetween artist (uncredited)
Louis Terri	...	animator (uncredited)
Judge Whitaker	...	animator (uncredited)
Bernard Wolf	...	animator (uncredited)

Music Department

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Leigh Harline	...	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Paul J. Smith	...	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Charles Wolcott	...	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Walt Disney	...	presenter
Lyle De Grummond	...	technical planner (uncredited)
T. Hee	...	caricatures: title sequence (uncredited)

Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Walt Disney Productions

Distributors

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RKO Radio Pictures (1941) (United States) (theatrical) (as R.K.O. Radio Pictures, Inc.)
RKO Radio Pictures (1941) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
RKO Radio Films (1943) (Sweden) (theatrical)
RKO Radio Films A/S (1949) (Norway) (theatrical)
RKO Radio Pictures (1952) (West Germany) (theatrical)
Disney Channel (1983) (United States) (tv) (as The Disney Channel)
Buena Vista Home Entertainment (1991) (World-wide) (VHS)
Abril Vídeo (1994) (Brazil) (VHS) (Walt Disney Mini Classics)
Disney+ (2019) (United States) (video)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (this picture made under the jurisdiction of)
Motion Picture Association (MPA)
Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association of America (approved: certificate no. 6875)
RCA (sound system)
Sonovox (special sound effects)

Storyline

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Plot Summary	Humorist Robert Benchley attempts to find Walt Disney to ask him to adapt a short story about a gentle dragon who would rather recite poetry than be ferocious. Along the way, he is given a tour of Walt Disney Studios, and learns about the animation process. Written by Anonymous Plot Summary Plot Synopsis
Plot Keywords	book medieval-times reading singing bathing See All (85) »
Taglines	A NEW WORLD OF WALT DISNEY WONDERS! (original print media ad - all caps) See more »
Genres	Animation Comedy Family
Parents Guide	View content advisory »
Certification	Argentina:Atp Brazil:Livre Canada:G (DVD rating) Finland:S France:Tous publics Italy:T Japan:G Norway:A South Korea:All Sweden:Btl United Kingdom:U United States:Approved United States:G

Additional Details

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Also Known As	A Day at Disneys (United States) Sorcery Animation Heaven (Japan, English title) Les secrets de Walt Disney (France) Le dragon hesitant (France) Der Drache wider Willen (Germany) See more »
Runtime	74 min
Official Sites	Official site
Country	United States
Language	English
Color	Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio	1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (RCA Sound System)
Filming Locations	Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA See more »

Did You Know?

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Trivia	The Mickey Avenue/Dopey Drive signpost was built specifically for the movie, and was supposed to be removed afterward. It wasn't, and it still stands at the Disney studio. See more »
Movie Connections	Featured in L'usine à rêves (1962). See more »
Soundtracks	The Reluctant Dragon See more »
Crazy Credits	The animation credits include caricatures and signatures of the crew. See more »
Quotes	Sir Giles: Radish so red / Radish so red / Plucked from the heart of your warm little bed / Sprinkle some salt on the top of your head / [eats radish] Sir Giles: Delicious. See more »

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