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{{Short description|Nature documentary film series by Disney}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE: ''True-Life Adventures''}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE: ''True-Life Adventures''}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2014}}
'''''Best Of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures''''' series is a collection of fourteen full length and short subject [[documentary film]]s produced by [[Walt Disney Productions]] roughly between the years 1948 and 1960. The series won eight [[Academy Award]]s for the studio including three [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature]] awards for Vanishing Prairie, Living Desert and White Wilderness and five [[Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film|Best Two Reel Live Action Short]] awards for Seal Island, In Beaver Valley, Nature's Half Acre, Water Birds and Bear Country. It inspired a daily panel [[comic strip]] that was distributed from 1955 to 1971. Several of the films were adapted in comic book format as one shots in the [[Dell Comics]] [[Four Color]] series. The films were among the earliest production experience for [[Roy E. Disney]]. Also this film series was the launching pad for Disney's new distributor, [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista International]]. TV episodes are from Disney's anthology TV series.
{{Infobox film
| name = True-Life Adventures
| image = A True-Life Adventure introductory title card.png
| caption = Introductory title card (1952)
| based_on =
| starring = [[Winston Hibler]] (narrator)
| music = [[Oliver Wallace]] (1–14) <br /> [[Paul Smith (composer)|Paul J. Smith]] (2–12)
| cinematography = Alfred Milotte (1–3) <br /> Norman R. Palmer (2–12) <br /> Herb Crisler (3) <br /> Lois Crisler (3)
| editing = Anthony Gérard (1–11) <br /> Norman R. Palmer (2–14) <br /> Lloyd L. Richardson (6–9) <br /> Jack Astwood (12)
| studio = [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Walt Disney Productions]]
| distributor = [[RKO Pictures|RKO Radio Pictures]] (1948–1953) <br /> [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Film Distribution Co, Inc.]] (1953–1960)
| released = {{hlist|1948–1960}}
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
'''''True-Life Adventures''''' is a series of short and full-length [[nature documentary]] films released by [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Walt Disney Studios]] between the years 1948 and 1960.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Moran |first1=Christian |title=True-Life Adventures: A History of Walt Disney's Nature Documentaries |date=2017 |publisher=Theme Park Press |isbn=978-1683900726}}</ref> The first seven films released were thirty-minute shorts, with the subsequent seven films being full features. The series won eight [[Academy Award]]s for the studio, including five for [[Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film|Best Two Reel Live Action Short]] and three for [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature|Best Documentary Feature]].


Some of the features were re-edited into educational shorts between 1968 and 1975. The latter year saw the release of ''[[The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures]]'', a compilation film derived from the series.{{toclimit|3}}
In 2007, Disney established a new nature film label called [[Disneynature]].


==Films==
== Films ==
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
!# || film name || type || date || educational film
!# || Film name || Type || Date || Educational film
|-
|-
|1 || ''[[Seal Island (film)|Seal Island]]'' || Two-reel short || December 21, 1948 ||
|1 || ''[[Seal Island (film)|On Seal Island]] (a.k.a. Seal Island)''|| rowspan="7" | Two-reel short || December 21, 1948 ||
|-
|-
|2 || ''[[In Beaver Valley]] (a.k.a. Beaver Valley)'' || Two-reel short|| July 19, 1950||
|2 || ''[[In Beaver Valley]] (a.k.a. Beaver Valley)'' || July 19, 1950||
|-
|-
|3 || ''[[Nature's Half Acre]]'' || Two-reel short || July 28, 1951 ||
|3 || ''[[Nature's Half Acre]]'' || July 28, 1951 ||
|-
|-
|4 || ''[[The Olympic Elk]]'' || Two-reel short || February 13, 1952 ||
|4 || ''[[The Olympic Elk]]'' || February 13, 1952 ||
|-
|-
|5 || ''[[Water Birds]] || Two-reel short|| June 26, 1952||
|5 || ''[[Water Birds]]'' || June 26, 1952||
|-
|-
|6 || ''[[Bear Country (film)|Bear Country]]'' || Two-reel Short || February 5, 1953 ||
|6 || ''[[Bear Country (film)|Bear Country]]'' || February 5, 1953 ||
|-
|-
|7 || ''[[Prowlers of the Everglades]]'' || Two-reel Short || July 23, 1953 ||
|7 || ''[[Prowlers of the Everglades]]'' || July 23, 1953 ||
|-
|-
|8 || ''[[The Living Desert]]'' || Feature || 10 November 1953 ||Following educational films were excerpted from The Living Desert:<ref name="disneyfilmguide70">[http://disneyfilmguide.page.tl/Disney-Shorts-d--1970ies.htm Disney Shorts: 1970ies]</ref>
|8 || ''[[The Living Desert]]'' || rowspan="7" | Feature || November 10, 1953 || The following educational films were excerpted from ''The Living Desert'':<ref name="disneyfilmguide70">{{cite web|url=https://disneyfilmguide.page.tl/Disney-Shorts-d--1970ies.htm|title=- Disney Shorts: 1970ies|website=Disneyfilmguide.page.tl|access-date=June 1, 2019}}</ref>
* Animals at Home in the Desert (1974)
* ''Animals at Home in the Desert'' (1974)
* Predators of the Desert (1974)
* ''Predators of the Desert'' (1974)
* What Is a Desert? (1974)
* ''What Is a Desert?'' (1974)
|-
|-
|9 || ''[[The Vanishing Prairie]]'' || Feature || August 17, 1954 || Following educational films were excerpted from The Vanishing Prairie:<ref name="disneyfilmguide60">[http://disneyfilmguide.page.tl/Disney-Shorts-d--1960ies.htm Disney Shorts: 1960ies]</ref>
|9 || ''[[The Vanishing Prairie]]'' || August 17, 1954 || The following educational films were excerpted from ''The Vanishing Prairie'':<ref name="disneyfilmguide60">{{cite web|url=https://disneyfilmguide.page.tl/Disney-Shorts-d--1960ies.htm|title=- Disney Shorts: 1960ies|website=Disneyfilmguide.page.tl|access-date=June 1, 2019}}</ref>
* The Buffalo – Majestic Symbol of the Plains (1962)
* ''The Buffalo – Majestic Symbol of the Plains'' (1962)
* Small Animals of the Plains (1962)
* ''Small Animals of the Plains'' (1962)
* Pioneer Trails, Indian Lore and Bird Life of the Plains (1962)
* ''Pioneer Trails, Indian Lore and Bird Life of the Plains'' (1962)
* Large Animals that Once Roamed the Plains (1962)
* ''Large Animals that Once Roamed the Plains'' (1962)
|-
|-
|11 || ''[[Secrets of Life]]'' || Feature ||November 6, 1956 || Following educational films were excerpted from Secrets of Life:<ref name="disneyfilmguide60"/>
|10 || ''[[The African Lion]]'' ||September 14, 1955 || The following educational films were excerpted from ''The African Lion'':<ref name="disneyfilmguide60"/>
* Secrets of the Ant and Insect World (1960),
* ''The African Lion and His Realm'' (1968)
* ''Birds, Baboons, and Other Animals – Their Struggle for Survival'' (1968)
* Secrets of the Bee World (1960)
* ''Elephants and Hippos in Africa'' (1968)
* Secrets of the Plant World (1960)
* Secrets of the Underwater World (1960)
|-
|-
|10 || ''[[The African Lion]]'' || Feature ||September 14, 1955 || Following educational films were excerpted from The African Lion:<ref name="disneyfilmguide60"/>
|11 || ''[[Secrets of Life]]'' ||November 6, 1956 || The following educational films were excerpted from ''Secrets of Life'':<ref name="disneyfilmguide60"/>
* The African Lion and His Realm (1968)
* ''Secrets of the Ant and Insect World'' (1960)
* ''Secrets of the Bee World'' (1960)
* Birds, Baboons, and Other Animals – Their Struggle for Survival (1968)
* Elephants and Hippos in Africa (1968)
* ''Secrets of the Plant World'' (1960)
* ''Secrets of the Underwater World'' (1960)
|-
|-
|12 || ''[[Perri (film)|Perri]]'' || Feature || August 28, 1957 ||
|12 || ''[[Perri (film)|Perri]]'' ("A True-Life Fantasy") || August 28, 1957 ||
|-
|-
|13 || ''[[White Wilderness (film)|White Wilderness]]'' || Feature || 12 August 1958 ||Following educational films were excerpted from White Wilderness:<ref name="disneyfilmguide60"/>
|13 || ''[[White Wilderness (film)|White Wilderness]]'' || August 12, 1958 || The following educational films were excerpted from ''White Wilderness'':<ref name="disneyfilmguide60"/>
* The Arctic Region and Its Polar Bears (1964)
* ''The Arctic Region and Its Polar Bears'' (1964)
* Large Animals of the Arctic (1964)
* ''Large Animals of the Arctic'' (1964)
* The Lemmings and Arctic Bird Life (1964)
* ''The Lemmings and Arctic Bird Life'' (1964)
|-
|-
|14 || ''[[Jungle Cat (film)|Jungle Cat]]'' || Feature || August 10, 1960||Following educational films were excerpted from Jungle Cat:<ref name="disneyfilmguide70"/>
|14 || ''[[Jungle Cat (film)|Jungle Cat]]'' || August 10, 1960|| The following educational films were excerpted from ''Jungle Cat'':<ref name="disneyfilmguide70"/>
* Animals of the South American Jungle (1974)
* ''Animals of the South American Jungle'' (1974)
* Jungle Cat of the Amazon(1974)
* ''Jungle Cat of the Amazon'' (1974)
|-
|-
|}
|}
Additional educational shorts edited from two or more films were released under a "''Nature's Living Album''" banner, including:<ref name="disneyfilmguide70" /><ref name="disneyfilmguide60" />
* ''The Weasel Family'' (1968)
* ''The Wild Dog Family – The Coyote'' (1968)
* ''The Wild Cat Family – The Cougar'' (1968)
* ''The Deer Family'' (1968)<ref>{{cite web |title=Disney Channel - Natures Living Album - the Deer Family (1968) + Bumper |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD6U67Bz3Jo&ab_channel=CaptainPiracy |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
* ''The Beasts of Burden Family'' (1970)
* ''The Bear Family'' (1970)
On October 8, 1975, Disney theatrically released ''[[The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures]]'', a full-length documentary film derived from 13 ''True-Life Adventures'' films. It was written and directed by [[James Algar]] and narrated by [[Winston Hibler]].


== Production ==
==Educational shorts==
The films were among the earliest production experience for [[Roy E. Disney]]. This series was the launching pad for Disney's then-new distributor, [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|the Buena Vista Film Distribution Company, Inc.]] Interstitial animated segments are included, and some filmed sequences are [[Mickey Mousing|set to music]]. [[Ub Iwerks]] blew up the [[16 mm film]] to [[35 mm movie film|35 mm]] for theatrical projection and provided some special effects.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Dave |date=2020-04-23 |title=Revisiting Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures: The Vanishing Prairie |url=https://d23.com/revisiting-walt-disneys-true-life-adventures-the-vanishing-prairie/ |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]] |language=en-US}}</ref>


== Awards ==
Roy Disney came into the operation in the late 50's & was ultimately responsible for three very similar productions which stand alone for not utilizing the paint brush motif at the top & for not producing posters & press kits like the earlier productions. The titles are: Nature's Strangest Creatures, Mysteries of the Deep, and Island of the sea.
The series won eight [[Academy Award]]s for the studio including five [[Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film|Best Two Reel Live Action Short]] awards for ''[[Seal Island (film)|Seal Island]]'', ''[[In Beaver Valley]]'', ''[[Nature's Half Acre]]'', ''[[Water Birds]]'', and ''[[Bear Country (film)|Bear Country]]'', and three [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature]] awards for ''[[The Living Desert]]'', ''[[The Vanishing Prairie]]'' and ''[[White Wilderness (film)|White Wilderness]]''.


== In other media ==
The following short were edited out of the other shorts/films/episodes for educational purpose - either a fragment was exported out of a longer film or two or more sequences were edited together from more than two or more different films to form "new" film. Thus they are not included on the Legacy DVDs.
Television episodes from [[Disney anthology television series|Disney's anthology TV series]] focus on the films, and it inspired a daily panel [[comic strip]] that was distributed from 1955 to 1973 and drawn by George Wheeler.<ref name="Holtz">{{cite book |last1=Holtz |first1=Allan |title=American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide |date=2012 |publisher=The University of Michigan Press |isbn=9780472117567 |location=Ann Arbor |page=396}}</ref> Several of the films were adapted in comic book format as [[One-shot (comics)|one-shots]] in [[Dell Comics]]' ''[[Disney comics#Four Color|Four Color]]'' series.
Films made up of stock footage two or more Disney nature films and thus not listed with respective original film above:<ref name="disneyfilmguide70"/><ref name="disneyfilmguide60"/>
* The Weasel Family (1968)
* The Wild Dog Family - The Coyote (1968)
* The Wild Cat Family - The Cougar (1968)
* The Deer Family (1968)
* Of Horses and Men (1968)
* The Bear Family (1970).
* The Beasts of Burden Family (1970)
* ''Teeth are for Chewing'' (1971) with animated inserts.{{Citation needed|date=December 2010}}
* A Day in Nature's Community (1975)


==DVD release==
== Home media ==
=== VHS releases ===
All of the True-Life Adventures have been released on [[DVD]] over four discs as part of the '''Walt Disney Legacy Collection''' which launched December 5, 2006.
==== Australian & New Zealand ====
* ''The Living Desert'' (September 22, 1995)
* ''The Vanishing Prairie'' (September 22, 1995)
* ''Jungle Cat'' (September 22, 1995)
* ''Secrets of Life'' (September 22, 1995)
* ''The African Lion'' (September 22, 1995)
* ''White Wilderness'' (September 22, 1995)
* ''Seal Island'' (March 15, 1996)
* ''Bear Country'' (March 15, 1996)
* ''Water Birds'' (March 15, 1996)
* ''The Olympic Elk'' (March 15, 1996)
* ''Beaver Valley'' (March 15, 1996)
* ''Nature's Half Acre'' (March 15, 1996)


===Volume 1: Wonders of the World===
=== DVD release ===
All of the ''True-Life Adventures'' have been released on 4 double-[[DVD]] sets as part of the '''Walt Disney Legacy Collection''', which launched December 5, 2006.
'''DISC ONE'''
* 1. Introduction by Roy Disney
* 2. [[White Wilderness (film)|White Wilderness]]
* 3. Water Birds
* 4. Beaver Valley
* 5. Prowlers of the Everglades
'''DISC TWO'''
* 1. Mysteries of the Deep
* 2. "Wonders of the Water Worlds"
* 3. "The Crisler Story"


==== Volume 1: Wonders of the World ====
''Bonus Features''
'''Disc 1'''
* 4. "Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Birds"
* Introduction by Roy Disney
* 5. Tribute to James Algar
* ''White Wilderness'' (1958)
* 6. Filmmakers' Journal
* ''Water Birds'' (1952)
* 7. Collectors' Corner
* ''Beaver Valley'' (1950)
* 8. Original Theatrical Trailers
* ''Prowlers of the Everglades'' (1953)


'''Disc 2'''
===Volume 2: Lands of Exploration===
* ''Mysteries of the Deep''
'''DISC ONE'''
* "Wonders of the Water Worlds"
* 1. Introduction by Roy Disney
* 2. [[The Living Desert]]
* "The Crisler Story"
* 3. The Vanishing Prairie
* 4. Seal Island


'''DISC TWO'''
'''Bonus Features'''
* "Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Birds"
* 1. Islands of the Sea
* "Tribute to James Algar"
* 2. Nature's Strangest Creatures
* "Filmmakers' Journal"
* 3. "Prairie"
* "Collectors' Corner"
* 4. "Behind the True Life Cameras"
* "Original Theatrical Trailers"
''Bonus Features''
* 5. Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Desert Insects
* 6. Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Snakes
* 7. Filmmakers' Journal
* 8. Collectors' Corner
* 9. Trailers & Promo


===Volume 3: Creatures of the Wild===
==== Volume 2: Lands of Exploration ====
'''DISC ONE'''
'''Disc 1'''
* 1. Introduction by Roy Disney
* Introduction by Roy Disney
* 2. The African Lion
* ''The Living Desert''
* ''The Vanishing Prairie''
* 3. Jungle Cat
* ''Seal Island''
* 4. Bear Country


'''DISC TWO'''
'''Disc 2'''
* ''Islands of the Sea''
* 1. Olympic Elk
* ''Nature's Strangest Creatures''
* 2. "Cameras in Africa"
* "Prairie"
* 3. "The Yellowstone Story"
* Behind the True Life Cameras
''Bonus Features''
* 4. Tribute to the Milottes
* 5. Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Elephants
* 6. Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Cheetah Medical Exam
* 7. Filmmakers' Journal
* 8. Collectors' Corner
* 9. Trailers & Promo


'''Bonus features'''
===Volume 4: Nature's Mysteries===
* Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Desert Insects
'''DISC ONE'''
* Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Snakes
* 1. Introduction by Roy Disney
* Filmmakers' Journal
* 2. Secrets of Life
* Collectors' Corner
* 3. Perri
* Trailers & Promo


==== Volume 3: Creatures of the Wild ====
'''DISC TWO'''
'''Disc 1'''
* 1. Nature's Half Acre
* Introduction by Roy Disney
* 2. "Searching for Nature's Mysteries"
* ''The African Lion''
* 3. "Adventure in Wildwood Heart'
''Bonus Features''
* ''Jungle Cat''
* ''Bear Country''
* 4. Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Butterflies
* 5. Tribute to Winston Hibler
* 6. Filmmakers' Journal
* 7. Collectors' Corner
* 8. Original Theatrical Trailers


'''Disc 2'''
==See also==
* ''The Olympic Elk''
* "Cameras in Africa"
* "The Yellowstone Story"

'''Bonus features'''
* Tribute to the Milottes
* Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Elephants
* Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Cheetah Medical Exam
* Filmmakers' Journal
* Collectors' Corner
* Trailers & Promo

==== Volume 4: Nature's Mysteries ====
'''Disc 1'''
* Introduction by Roy Disney
* ''Secrets of Life''
* ''Perri''

'''Disc 2'''
* ''Nature's Half Acre''
* "Searching for Nature's Mysteries"
* "Adventure in Wildwood Heart'

'''Bonus Features'''
* Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Butterflies
* Tribute to Winston Hibler
* Filmmakers' Journal
* Collectors' Corner
* Original Theatrical Trailers

=== Disney+ ===
Many of the films are hosted on Disney's streaming platform [[Disney+]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ritzen |first=Stacey |date=2020-07-09 |title=The best Disney Plus documentaries |url=https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/services/disney-plus-documentaries/ |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=[[The Daily Dot]] |language=en-US}}</ref> although as of March 2022, some had not yet been added to the service in the United States, including ''Seal Island'' and ''White Wilderness''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shepherd |first=Josh |date=2022-03-01 |title=Over 700 Disney-Owned Films And Shows Missing From Disney Plus |url=https://whatsondisneyplus.com/over-300-disney-owned-films-and-shows-missing-from-disney-plus/ |access-date=2022-06-23 |website=What's On Disney Plus |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Reception ==
Although critics denounced the series' anthropomorphizing of animals, educators honored the ''True-Life Adventures'' films. In 1954, the professional teacher organization [[Phi Delta Kappa]] International awarded [[Walt Disney]] its Education Award, and the [[National Education Association]] honored him with the American Education Award.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dorn |first1=Charles |title="I Never Saw as Good a Nature Show Before": Walt Disney, Environmental Education, and the True-Life Adventures |journal=History of Education Quarterly |date=July 2022 |volume=63 |issue=2 |pages=243–270 |doi=10.1017/heq.2022.12|s2cid=250035406 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
Animators from [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Productions]] used film from the series as reference material for a wide range of animals.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Frank |author-link1=Frank Thomas (animator) |title=[[Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life]] |last2=Johnston |first2=Ollie |author-link2=Ollie Johnston |publisher=[[Disney Publishing Worldwide]] |year=1995 |isbn=0-7868-6070-7 |pages=333 |orig-year=1981}}</ref> During the production of ''[[The Rescuers]]'' (1977), animator [[Ollie Johnston]] cited footage from the series—showing the clumsiness of [[albatross]] take-offs and landings—as inspiration for the mice's mode of transportation in the movie.<ref name="book1">{{cite book |last=Thomas |first=Bob |url=https://archive.org/details/disneysartofanim00thom |title=Disney's Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse to Beauty and the Beast |publisher=Hyperion |year=1991 |isbn=1-56282-899-1 |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/disneysartofanim00thom/page/111/mode/2up 111–112] |chapter=Carrying on the Tradition |url-access=registration}}</ref>

A 1982 [[Canadian Broadcasting Company]] documentary titled ''Cruel Camera'' interviews a cameraman who worked on the series, who said he disliked the inaccuracy of the narration. In a notorious example he discussed, the [[lemmings]]' mass suicide in ''White Wilderness'' was staged, with the same small group of lemmings repeatedly shoved off a cliffside—rather than hundreds intentionally jumping as stated by the narrator—into [[Alberta]]'s [[Bow River]], rather than the [[Arctic Ocean]] as is depicted.<ref>''Cruel Camera'' (1982). Event starts at 20:54.</ref> In 2003, the [[Alaska Department of Fish and Game]] discussed the lemming-suicide myth and in 2022, business magnate [[Elon Musk]] referred to the story after calling for [[Mickey Mouse]] to be released into the [[public domain]], tweeting: "Ironic that Disney would disparage an entire class of rodents when their main character is a rodent{{Snd}}jealous maybe?"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Olinga |first=Luc |date=2022-07-25 |title=Elon Musk Resurrects a Humiliating Episode for Disney |url=https://www.thestreet.com/technology/elon-musk-resurrects-a-humiliating-episode-for-disney |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=[[TheStreet]] |language=en-us}}</ref>

In 2007, Disney established a new nature film label called [[Disneynature]], which produces feature films similar to the ''True-Life Adventures'' series.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Drew |date=2020-04-22 |title=The 13 Best Nature Documentaries on Disney+ |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-nature-documentaries-disney-plus.html |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=Vulture |language=en-us}}</ref> In March 2019, [[Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney|Disney acquired 21st Century Fox]], including the nature-themed [[National Geographic Films]].

== See also ==
* [[List of Disney live-action shorts]]
* [[List of Disney live-action shorts]]
* [[List of Disney theatrical feature films]]
* [[List of Walt Disney Pictures films]]
* [[Disneynature]]


===Documentaries===
=== Documentaries ===
* [[Circle-Vision 360°]]
* [[Circle-Vision 360°]]
* [[People & Places]]
* [[People & Places]]


==References==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

* [http://www.ultimatedisney.com/true-life-adventures-v1.html] Volume 1 DVD Stats
== External links ==
* [http://www.ultimatedisney.com/true-life-adventures-v2.html] Volume 2 DVD Stats
* [http://www.ultimatedisney.com/true-life-adventures-v3.html] Volume 3 DVD Stats
* [https://dvdizzy.com/true-life-adventures-v1.html Volume 1 DVD Stats]
* [http://www.ultimatedisney.com/true-life-adventures-v4.html] Volume 4 DVD Stats
* [https://dvdizzy.com/true-life-adventures-v2.html Volume 2 DVD Stats]
* [http://www.imdb.com/keyword/true-life-adventure/]
* [https://dvdizzy.com/true-life-adventures-v3.html Volume 3 DVD Stats]
* [https://dvdizzy.com/true-life-adventures-v4.html Volume 4 DVD Stats]
* [http://www.amazon.com/s?search-alias=dvd&field-keywords=walt%20disney%20legacy%20collection]
* [https://inducks.org/character.php?c=TLA True-Life Adventures] at the [[INDUCKS]]
* {{Cite web |last=Fischer |first=William |date=2022-04-21 |title=The Legacy of Disney's True-Life Adventures Series |url=https://collider.com/disney-true-life-adventures-series-explained/ |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |language=en-US}}

{{True Life Adventures}}


[[Category:Film series introduced in 1948]]
[[Category:Disney documentary films]]
[[Category:Disney documentary films]]
[[Category:Documentary film series]]
[[Category:Documentary film series]]
[[Category:Films adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Disney comic strips]]
[[Category:Educational comics]]
[[Category:1955 comics debuts]]
[[Category:1971 comics endings]]
[[Category:Comics about animals]]
[[Category:Non-fiction comics]]
[[Category:American comic strips]]

Latest revision as of 00:44, 2 November 2024

True-Life Adventures
Introductory title card (1952)
StarringWinston Hibler (narrator)
CinematographyAlfred Milotte (1–3)
Norman R. Palmer (2–12)
Herb Crisler (3)
Lois Crisler (3)
Edited byAnthony Gérard (1–11)
Norman R. Palmer (2–14)
Lloyd L. Richardson (6–9)
Jack Astwood (12)
Music byOliver Wallace (1–14)
Paul J. Smith (2–12)
Production
company
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures (1948–1953)
Buena Vista Film Distribution Co, Inc. (1953–1960)
Release date
  • 1948–1960
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

True-Life Adventures is a series of short and full-length nature documentary films released by Walt Disney Studios between the years 1948 and 1960.[1] The first seven films released were thirty-minute shorts, with the subsequent seven films being full features. The series won eight Academy Awards for the studio, including five for Best Two Reel Live Action Short and three for Best Documentary Feature.

Some of the features were re-edited into educational shorts between 1968 and 1975. The latter year saw the release of The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures, a compilation film derived from the series.

Films

[edit]
# Film name Type Date Educational film
1 On Seal Island (a.k.a. Seal Island) Two-reel short December 21, 1948
2 In Beaver Valley (a.k.a. Beaver Valley) July 19, 1950
3 Nature's Half Acre July 28, 1951
4 The Olympic Elk February 13, 1952
5 Water Birds June 26, 1952
6 Bear Country February 5, 1953
7 Prowlers of the Everglades July 23, 1953
8 The Living Desert Feature November 10, 1953 The following educational films were excerpted from The Living Desert:[2]
  • Animals at Home in the Desert (1974)
  • Predators of the Desert (1974)
  • What Is a Desert? (1974)
9 The Vanishing Prairie August 17, 1954 The following educational films were excerpted from The Vanishing Prairie:[3]
  • The Buffalo – Majestic Symbol of the Plains (1962)
  • Small Animals of the Plains (1962)
  • Pioneer Trails, Indian Lore and Bird Life of the Plains (1962)
  • Large Animals that Once Roamed the Plains (1962)
10 The African Lion September 14, 1955 The following educational films were excerpted from The African Lion:[3]
  • The African Lion and His Realm (1968)
  • Birds, Baboons, and Other Animals – Their Struggle for Survival (1968)
  • Elephants and Hippos in Africa (1968)
11 Secrets of Life November 6, 1956 The following educational films were excerpted from Secrets of Life:[3]
  • Secrets of the Ant and Insect World (1960)
  • Secrets of the Bee World (1960)
  • Secrets of the Plant World (1960)
  • Secrets of the Underwater World (1960)
12 Perri ("A True-Life Fantasy") August 28, 1957
13 White Wilderness August 12, 1958 The following educational films were excerpted from White Wilderness:[3]
  • The Arctic Region and Its Polar Bears (1964)
  • Large Animals of the Arctic (1964)
  • The Lemmings and Arctic Bird Life (1964)
14 Jungle Cat August 10, 1960 The following educational films were excerpted from Jungle Cat:[2]
  • Animals of the South American Jungle (1974)
  • Jungle Cat of the Amazon (1974)

Additional educational shorts edited from two or more films were released under a "Nature's Living Album" banner, including:[2][3]

  • The Weasel Family (1968)
  • The Wild Dog Family – The Coyote (1968)
  • The Wild Cat Family – The Cougar (1968)
  • The Deer Family (1968)[4]
  • The Beasts of Burden Family (1970)
  • The Bear Family (1970)

On October 8, 1975, Disney theatrically released The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures, a full-length documentary film derived from 13 True-Life Adventures films. It was written and directed by James Algar and narrated by Winston Hibler.

Production

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The films were among the earliest production experience for Roy E. Disney. This series was the launching pad for Disney's then-new distributor, the Buena Vista Film Distribution Company, Inc. Interstitial animated segments are included, and some filmed sequences are set to music. Ub Iwerks blew up the 16 mm film to 35 mm for theatrical projection and provided some special effects.[5]

Awards

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The series won eight Academy Awards for the studio including five Best Two Reel Live Action Short awards for Seal Island, In Beaver Valley, Nature's Half Acre, Water Birds, and Bear Country, and three Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature awards for The Living Desert, The Vanishing Prairie and White Wilderness.

In other media

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Television episodes from Disney's anthology TV series focus on the films, and it inspired a daily panel comic strip that was distributed from 1955 to 1973 and drawn by George Wheeler.[6] Several of the films were adapted in comic book format as one-shots in Dell Comics' Four Color series.

Home media

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VHS releases

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Australian & New Zealand

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  • The Living Desert (September 22, 1995)
  • The Vanishing Prairie (September 22, 1995)
  • Jungle Cat (September 22, 1995)
  • Secrets of Life (September 22, 1995)
  • The African Lion (September 22, 1995)
  • White Wilderness (September 22, 1995)
  • Seal Island (March 15, 1996)
  • Bear Country (March 15, 1996)
  • Water Birds (March 15, 1996)
  • The Olympic Elk (March 15, 1996)
  • Beaver Valley (March 15, 1996)
  • Nature's Half Acre (March 15, 1996)

DVD release

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All of the True-Life Adventures have been released on 4 double-DVD sets as part of the Walt Disney Legacy Collection, which launched December 5, 2006.

Volume 1: Wonders of the World

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Disc 1

  • Introduction by Roy Disney
  • White Wilderness (1958)
  • Water Birds (1952)
  • Beaver Valley (1950)
  • Prowlers of the Everglades (1953)

Disc 2

  • Mysteries of the Deep
  • "Wonders of the Water Worlds"
  • "The Crisler Story"

Bonus Features

  • "Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Birds"
  • "Tribute to James Algar"
  • "Filmmakers' Journal"
  • "Collectors' Corner"
  • "Original Theatrical Trailers"

Volume 2: Lands of Exploration

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Disc 1

  • Introduction by Roy Disney
  • The Living Desert
  • The Vanishing Prairie
  • Seal Island

Disc 2

  • Islands of the Sea
  • Nature's Strangest Creatures
  • "Prairie"
  • Behind the True Life Cameras

Bonus features

  • Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Desert Insects
  • Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Snakes
  • Filmmakers' Journal
  • Collectors' Corner
  • Trailers & Promo

Volume 3: Creatures of the Wild

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Disc 1

  • Introduction by Roy Disney
  • The African Lion
  • Jungle Cat
  • Bear Country

Disc 2

  • The Olympic Elk
  • "Cameras in Africa"
  • "The Yellowstone Story"

Bonus features

  • Tribute to the Milottes
  • Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Elephants
  • Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Cheetah Medical Exam
  • Filmmakers' Journal
  • Collectors' Corner
  • Trailers & Promo

Volume 4: Nature's Mysteries

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Disc 1

  • Introduction by Roy Disney
  • Secrets of Life
  • Perri

Disc 2

  • Nature's Half Acre
  • "Searching for Nature's Mysteries"
  • "Adventure in Wildwood Heart'

Bonus Features

  • Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Butterflies
  • Tribute to Winston Hibler
  • Filmmakers' Journal
  • Collectors' Corner
  • Original Theatrical Trailers

Disney+

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Many of the films are hosted on Disney's streaming platform Disney+,[7] although as of March 2022, some had not yet been added to the service in the United States, including Seal Island and White Wilderness.[8]

Reception

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Although critics denounced the series' anthropomorphizing of animals, educators honored the True-Life Adventures films. In 1954, the professional teacher organization Phi Delta Kappa International awarded Walt Disney its Education Award, and the National Education Association honored him with the American Education Award.[9]

Legacy

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Animators from Walt Disney Productions used film from the series as reference material for a wide range of animals.[10] During the production of The Rescuers (1977), animator Ollie Johnston cited footage from the series—showing the clumsiness of albatross take-offs and landings—as inspiration for the mice's mode of transportation in the movie.[11]

A 1982 Canadian Broadcasting Company documentary titled Cruel Camera interviews a cameraman who worked on the series, who said he disliked the inaccuracy of the narration. In a notorious example he discussed, the lemmings' mass suicide in White Wilderness was staged, with the same small group of lemmings repeatedly shoved off a cliffside—rather than hundreds intentionally jumping as stated by the narrator—into Alberta's Bow River, rather than the Arctic Ocean as is depicted.[12] In 2003, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game discussed the lemming-suicide myth and in 2022, business magnate Elon Musk referred to the story after calling for Mickey Mouse to be released into the public domain, tweeting: "Ironic that Disney would disparage an entire class of rodents when their main character is a rodent – jealous maybe?"[13]

In 2007, Disney established a new nature film label called Disneynature, which produces feature films similar to the True-Life Adventures series.[14] In March 2019, Disney acquired 21st Century Fox, including the nature-themed National Geographic Films.

See also

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Documentaries

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References

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  1. ^ Moran, Christian (2017). True-Life Adventures: A History of Walt Disney's Nature Documentaries. Theme Park Press. ISBN 978-1683900726.
  2. ^ a b c "- Disney Shorts: 1970ies". Disneyfilmguide.page.tl. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e "- Disney Shorts: 1960ies". Disneyfilmguide.page.tl. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  4. ^ "Disney Channel - Natures Living Album - the Deer Family (1968) + Bumper". YouTube.
  5. ^ Smith, Dave (April 23, 2020). "Revisiting Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures: The Vanishing Prairie". D23. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  6. ^ Holtz, Allan (2012). American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 396. ISBN 9780472117567.
  7. ^ Ritzen, Stacey (July 9, 2020). "The best Disney Plus documentaries". The Daily Dot. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  8. ^ Shepherd, Josh (March 1, 2022). "Over 700 Disney-Owned Films And Shows Missing From Disney Plus". What's On Disney Plus. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  9. ^ Dorn, Charles (July 2022). ""I Never Saw as Good a Nature Show Before": Walt Disney, Environmental Education, and the True-Life Adventures". History of Education Quarterly. 63 (2): 243–270. doi:10.1017/heq.2022.12. S2CID 250035406.
  10. ^ Thomas, Frank; Johnston, Ollie (1995) [1981]. Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life. Disney Publishing Worldwide. p. 333. ISBN 0-7868-6070-7.
  11. ^ Thomas, Bob (1991). "Carrying on the Tradition". Disney's Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse to Beauty and the Beast. New York: Hyperion. pp. 111–112. ISBN 1-56282-899-1.
  12. ^ Cruel Camera (1982). Event starts at 20:54.
  13. ^ Olinga, Luc (July 25, 2022). "Elon Musk Resurrects a Humiliating Episode for Disney". TheStreet. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  14. ^ Taylor, Drew (April 22, 2020). "The 13 Best Nature Documentaries on Disney+". Vulture. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
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