Best Family Movies of 1941

At the turn of the century in a Welsh mining village, the Morgans (he stern, she gentle) raise coal-mining sons and hope their youngest will find a better life.

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.

It's snowy and cold outside, and warm inside where Jerry squeezes past a mousetrap to cavort under a present-laden Christmas tree. Mistaking the sleeping Tom for a plush toy, Jerry wakes him and a mad chase ensues.

Jerry takes a midnight snack from the fridge unaware that Tom is watching him.

Bugs Bunny challenges slick Cecil Turtle to a race.

Elmer Fudd expects to find "west and wewaxation" during his visit to Jellostone National Park, but he sets up camp in Bugs' backyard, and the rabbit (and a neighboring bear) definitely don't have leisure in mind.

Jealous over Mickey's attention to a kitten, Pluto's devil-self argues with his angel-self over whether or not to rescue the kitten when it falls into a well. The angel-self wins, and Pluto is treated like a hero. In the end, he and the kitten become friends.

On a scientific expedition to Siam young Billy Batson is given the ability to change himself into the super-powered Captain Marvel by the wizard Shazam, who tells him his powers will last only as long as the Golden Scorpion idol is threatened. Finding the idol, the scientists realize it could be the most powerful weapon in the world and remove the lenses that energize it, distributing them among themselves so that no one would be able to use the idol by himself. Back in the US, Billy Batson, as Captain Marvel, wages a battle against an evil, hooded figure, the Scorpion, who hopes to accumulate all five lenses, thereby gaining control of the super-powerful weapon

The happy tranquility of Bugville is shattered when the populace learns that a colossal skyscraper is to be built over their tiny town.

Gabby teaches a young boy how to fish, even though the boy was doing much better without him.

A clumsy yokel of a male weed courts a delicate female flower ballerina by trying to dance with her.

A tour of Ciro's Nightclub packed with caricatures of many top stars.

A hypnotist, frustrated by not having anyone to practice on, cold-calls Olive and hypnotizes her over the phone into coming to his office. Popeye rushes after her.

Newly inducted into the U.S. Navy, Popeye is on a training ship, but his seat-of-the-pants ways don't fit in with modern equipment.

Aided by his horse, Percy, Goofy takes horsemanship to a new level.

Mickey's going golfing, and Pluto is his caddy. Besides the usual caddy duties, Pluto runs to the ball and points to it. But when the ball lands in a gopher hole, Pluto's got another task: chase the gopher. They eventually chase each other through a number of holes in a knoll where Mickey is trying to putt out, causing the knoll to collapse.

Mrs. Duck sues Daffy for divorce in Judge Porky Pig's courtroom, charging her husband with losing their egg in an abortive magic trick.

Mickey courts Minnie in the Gay Nineties: they take in a vaudeville show and go for a drive in his horseless carriage, to the strains of "While Strolling Through the Park" and "In the Good Old Summertime". Goofy rides by on a penny-farthing bicycle, and the whole Duck family rides by on a bicycle built for five.

A mole lad with sensitive vision is allowed outside to play in the daylight on the condition that he stay close to home. Outdoors, he meets a traveling sales-skunk.

Gabby goes camping with the Mayor.

Spanky and the gang discover a demonstration of a "human-like" robot named Volto and are inspired to create a robot themselves to do their chores for them. Slicker Walburn convinces them they will need "invisible rays" to bring it to life which he just happens to have to sell to them. As they rush off to get their money, Slicker gets Boxcar Smith to wear the robot's outer body so when he "brings" the robot to life, it will be Boxcar bringing it to life. The gang unsuspectedly gets their robot to mow the lawn at Froggy's house, but with a signal from Slicker, Boxcar runs amok and mows down everything in his path. Froggy gets to explain what happened to his parents who bust up the fraud and get the miscreants to work with the gang to clean up the mess.

The mouse, tired of being chased by the cat, convinces him there's no reason for it, and that the cat should talk to the dog and convince him too. The talks are not successful...

Sniffles the mouse's friends talk him into putting a bell around the neck of the troublesome house cat.

Goofy has to get a box belonging to a magician in time for the next train to pick the baggage. Clumsy Goofy drops the box and a lot of magician's props appear.

When his car breaks down out in the country, Sniffles the mouse takes shelter in an old mill, where he meets up with "Batty," a non-stop-talking little bat who later save Sniffles from a hungry cat.

Mickey and friends put on a revue for the orphans. Donald recites nursery rhymes, but the orphans torment him. Horace, Goofy, and Clarabelle do a dance number. Donald tries again. Clara clucks a song while Mickey plays piano (with support from an unseen orchestra). Donald returns, and the orphans finally send a parade of bricks and eggs on balloons over him and use slingshots to drop them on his head.

A spot gag cartoon presenting amusing facts about bugs.

Little Cesario, a clumsy, and not too bright, St. Bernard puppy, is the junior member of a family of decorated life-savers.

Sniffles the mouse and his friend the Bookworm try to evade a cat in a the toy department of Lacy's department store.

While playing baseball, Mickey runs into the street to catch a fly ball and is struck by a car. When the gang visit him in the hospital they are appalled to find the ward populated by many other children injured in automobile accidents. The Our Gang kids resolve to do something about the problem, and thus the "1-2-3-Go Safety Society" is born.

Officer Pooch is called out to rescue a kitten that is repeatedly chased up telephone poles and trees by an aggressive little dog.

In a humorous report, "Strife" magazine follows a bear who gets drafted and goes through the rigors of Army basic training.

Stranded on an island after his ship was wrecked by a hurricane, Porky meets a friendly African Native. They build a house, and Porky begins to explore the island. On his way we see various sight gags.

Lazy black folks in Lazy Town (Pop. 123½) are napping and attracting flies. They are so lethargic they even fight in slow motion. Then a riverboat arrives with a red hot mama on board. Faster than you can say "Jim Crow", she has everyone moving to a Harlem boogie beat, dancing, scrubbing clothes, and eating watermelon. As the boogie-woogie comes to a close, Mammy hoists her skirt. Her big bottom reads "The End".

Mickey's mom is about to give birth, but he gets worried when he reads that every fourth child born is Chinese. Spanky and the gang then visit a Chinese friend and learn that kids are kids, no matter where they are from.