Best Family Movies of 1942

The story of the life and career of the baseball hall of famer, Lou Gehrig.

It's snowed, and Donald Duck is going sledding. Meanwhile, his nephews have built a snowman at the bottom of the hill. Donald aims his sled at their snowman and demolishes it, so the boys get even by including a boulder in the bottom of their next snowman. This means war, so they retreat to opposing snow forts for battle.

Live-action segments show members of the Disney staff touring South America and recording their impressions in sketches. These segue into four animated sections: "Lake Titicaca" depicts tourist Donald Duck's troubles with a stubborn llama; "Pedro" tells of a little mail plane's adventures flying over the treacherous Andes; "El Gaucho Goofy" transplants an American cowboy into the Argentine pampas; and in "Aquarela do Brasil," Jose Carioca shows Donald the sights and sounds of Rio de Janiero.

Chased by Tom around the barnyard, Jerry takes refuge under a hen, who, in her nest, is sitting on eggs. Tom has to figure out ways to get Jerry out from under the protective hen.

Mama Buzzard wants her children to learn to bring back meat for dinner. One buzzardling is shy and has to be kicked out of the nest. He's told to at least bring back a rabbit.

After a traveling magician puts a poster over the entrance to his home, Bugs visits his act to get revenge.

Two alley cats, Babbitt and Catsello, decide to make a meal out of Orson as he sleeps in his nest atop a telephone pole. The gullible (and loud) Catsello is repeatedly gulled into trying to "get the bird," earning a variety of thrashings from the casually murderous little canary. Catsello finally resorts to an air strike (with a pair of wooden boards for wings), but it's wartime, and Orson has the cat blasted out of the sky by anti-aircraft guns.

Bugs Bunny exploits the situation when an uncle leaves Elmer Fudd three million dollars on the condition that he harm no animals, especially rabbits.

Goofy's demonstration of fishing is fouled up by his clumsy casting and fly fishing, and problems with his boat.

Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book is given the full treatment in this lavish retelling filled with huge sets, exotic animals, a large cast and the incomparable Sabu, starring as Mowgli, the young orphan boy raised by wolves. Curious to reconnect with his human village, Mowgli returns only to find disappointment in the greed and treachery of man. Over time, Mowgli and the village members do grow to trust one another, but not before the village finds itself under siege. It's up to Mowgli and his jungle friends to save the day.

It's the dead of winter, a hungry wolf is out of food, and he's desperate.

Disney short.

Mickey guest-directs a radio orchestra. The sponsor loves the rehearsal, but come the actual performance, Goofy drops all the instruments under an elevator, so they sound like toys. The sponsor hates it, but the audience loves it anyway.

Barney has run out of firewood in mid winter. His quest for more is not too successful. Meanwhile, the beavers have been busily cutting and stacking their wood, which proves too tempting for Barney. The beavers are not pleased.

Butch, a beaten up pug of a tomcat, is having a good day, and everything is peaceful. Then the doorbell rings. He finds the unexpected present of four kittens left on his doorstep (and from their coloring, there's little question as to who's the father). Butch spends his time trying to hide the mischievous kittens from his owner.

Elmer Fudd goes after Bugs using hypnotism, only the plan backfires.

The Wacky Wabbit is a Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series. It was released on May 2, 1942. It was directed by Robert Clampett. It stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd (both are voiced by Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan).

A cat-about-town fancies himself such an irresitible "hunk" he momentarily resembles Victor Mature. His wooing of a cute kitten gets derailed by a prankster dog using a cat hand puppet to trap him.

Popeye and Bluto agree that women are too much trouble, so they agree to swear off them, which lasts about five seconds, until Olive comes on board ship for a tour. The boys vie for her attention.

Olive is going shopping and drops Swee'pea off for Popeye to watch. Popeye carves a sailboat for him, but the tyke spots Popeye's battleship, and the puny toy boat will no longer do. He climbs aboard, and there's the expected mayhem. Notable sequences include a stint on the ship's cannon's control board, with Popeye caught on the barrel, then in the gears; also, at the end, Swee'Pea hitches a ride atop a torpedo just as Olive is returning and Popeye's out cold.

Bluto's in the Army; he tries to sneak off base, but can't. Popeye passes by, Bluto invites him in, then swaps uniforms. Popeye ends up in a tank drill.

Andy is about to head off to college but he's got a few things to take care of before leaving. For starters, he must try and sell his junk car for $20 to pay for a bill and he must convince his father not to go with him to college. Worst of all is that Polly wants to make up but her best friend decides to give Andy a test.

The gang throws Mickey a surprise birthday party; his present is an electric organ, which Minnie plays while Mickey does a jazzy dance. Goofy bakes the cake, but keeps having trouble with it falling. The gang does a conga line to a Latin tune.

Pluto finds a bone - but also finds Butch the bulldog, who claims it for himself. Idea: Pluto paces off a distance, buried treasure style, and digs a large bone-shaped hole. Butch falls for it, and while he's digging deeper, Pluto almost makes off with the bone. Butch catches on just in time and chases Pluto, who ducks into a junkyard. The bone gets sucked into in a squeeze-bulb horn, which Pluto does battle with.

An American playboy is sent to a British boarding school to learn discipline.

A trio of belfry-dwelling bats explain to us, musically (and demonstrate), why they are associated with nuttiness. Especially the smallest.

The story of a single swallow who, taking a rest from southward flight at a mission in California, ultimately brings about the famed migration of swallows to the mission at San Juan Capistrano.

The gang prevails upon old-time minstrel impresario Walter Wills to help them stage a fund-raising musical show.

A little burro is beloved by all the cute wild creatures until he opens his mouth and they hear the horrible braying.

Topical wartime short depicting the plight of civilians who must stay in shape in order to fight the good fight.

Since Froggy was born on Leap Year Day, he's upset that he only gets a birthday party once every four years. So, the gang decide to have a surprise party for him.