Disney's National Film Registry Collection

Not only is the current website you’re clicking through called The Disney Classics, but fans around the world have coined some of Disney’s films they’ve released as classics in their lives, in their homes, and Disney has even taken on that term. In the late 1970s, Disney partnered with MCA to release Laserdisc versions of their films, making their movies available to the public for the very first time for purchase. In 1984, Disney ended their partnership with MCA and began selling VHS cassette tapes. They wanted to ensure they kept the integrity of the Disney vault program and only do very strategic releases of titles at very specific times. The Walt Disney Classics collection featured films that would never be aired on television (at the time) since their revenue during their theatrical rereleases was more significant. These Classics included Robin Hood, Pinocchio, Dumbo, The Sword in the Stone, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp, Cinderella, Bambi, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, The Rescuers Down Under, Fantasia, 101 Dalmatians, The Great Mouse Detective, The Rescuers, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Fox and the Hound. The line was discontinued after The Fox and the Hound was added.

Why is this relevant? With the various collections Disney was putting together and many of the movies becoming cult classics among fans, it was only a matter of time before Disney content needed to start being preserved in the United States. The National Film Registry was established in 1988 by the National Film Preservation Act, and it would act as an ever-growing library of content that represented America’s film heritage. Each year, 25 films would be recommended by 44 members of the National Film Preservation Board. Of those 25 films from 1988 until the present year, 22 Disney films have made it into the registry, along with countless Disney affiliated movies through other studios and other video formats. For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on the 22 that have made it onto the list.

disney films that were added in the 1980s

There was only one Disney film added to the registry in the 1980s, and that was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), officially nominated and inducted in 1989. The film holds American film cultural significance as the very first animated feature-length film to ever be produced and released in theatres. It was a huge accomplishment for the company, for the film industry, and for artists.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs promo. Image from: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/original-film-posters-online/snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs-1937-british-re

disney films that were added in the 1990s

Two films were chosen during the 1990 decade to be added to the registry, and that was Fantasia (1940) and Pinocchio (1940). Fantasia was added to the list in the year 1990, due to it being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Fantasia was a first of its kind, pioneering “Fantasound”, which can be lead to today’s version of surround sound.

Mickey Mouse in Fantasia. Image from: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Fantasia_1940?id=3O4TKZ3c3lo&hl=pt_PT&gl=US&pli=1

Pinocchio was inaugurated during a very significant year of films in 1994, standing alongside E.T The Extra-Terrestrial, Meet Me in St. Louis starring Judy Garland, Scarface, Fleischer’s version of Snow-White starring Betty Boop, and the infamous Zapruder film of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Pinocchio stands as Disney’s second full-length animated feature, following the successes of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Though both 1940s films are no longer popular, they are deemed as esteemed Disney classics by fans worldwide.

Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket. Image from: https://www.capa.com/events/detail/disneys-pinocchio-1940/

disney films that were added in the 2000s

The early 2000s also only saw 2 Disney films join the roster of the 25 films chosen each year. In 2002, Beauty and the Beast (1991) made it on the list. Beauty and the Beast was and still remains one of Disney’s greatest accomplishments. It was the first animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Belle made strides as a slightly older Disney princess than her predecessors, the fact that she did not come from royal lineage, and her storyline of being “different” was one that little girls could relate to everywhere. Beauty and the Beast is a masterpiece Disney classic.

Beauty and the Beast. Image from: https://www.timeout.com/movies/beauty-and-the-beast-1

The other film that made it onto the registry was Toy Story (1995) in 2005. Toy Story was the very first computer animated feature length film in history, developed by Pixar. Toy Story stands in the ranks of Snow White, as it was a creation that would lead to even bigger and better projects as of recent. Toy Story is also one of Disney/Pixar’s most successful franchises, with 3 sequels, merchandise, and Disney park rides dedicated to it.

Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. Image from: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0114709/mediaviewer/rm3869159424

disney films that were added in the 2010s

The 2010s decade has the most Disney films on the registry by a landslide. This was the time that Disney classics began being remade or sequels were produced, as a way to bring back the stories people love so much with a new twist. Starting in 2011, Bambi (1942) was added to the registry. It’s significant not only to the Disney canon, but also by the fact that it was the last single-story film produced by Disney until almost a decade later. It was released during World War II, and served as one of Disney’s breakthroughs into environmental films.

Bambi and Thumper. Image from: https://flawfinder.wordpress.com/2017/01/14/bambi-1942-review-slice-of-life-with-deer/

In 2013, Mary Poppins (1964) was added for its many important progressions and history. Mary Poppins was released at a time when there was great political uncertainty, and served as an escape and hope for many who were seeking that. It was Julie Andrews’ first film she had ever worked on after living a life of theatre, and her counterpart Dick Van Dyke made strides in his role as chimney sweep Bert.

Mary Poppins and Bert. Image from: https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/24421/mary-poppins/#overview

The Lion King (1994) finally was recognized by the film registry in 2016, after being a beloved classic for over 2 decades. That same year, the live action version was announced to be released in 2019. The 1994 version sat at the top of the box office for years, but its remake made history as the highest grossing animated film of all time (as it included CGI animation).

The Lion King. Image from: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/mediaindex

In 2017, Dumbo (1941) was announced for the film registry for its cultural significance and impact. Dumbo played an important role in the survival of the Disney studio in the 1940s - though the successes that came with Snow White were grand, the studio was suffering after Fantasia and Pinocchio. Dumbo was done at a lower budget and at a shorter runtime. Despite these facts, it still tugged at the heartstrings of families everywhere and was also announced to become a live action in 2019.

Dumbo. Image from: https://www.alternateending.com/2009/11/disney-animation-rest-your-head-close-to-my-heart.html

2018 was a notable year for Disney as well, with 1950’s Cinderella and 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit being added to the list. Cinderella saved the studio in a multitude of ways; it kicked off the silver age of animation, it brought the studio out from the darkness that was the wartime era, it made the Disney princess franchise an even more desirable branch of the company, and it brought back their classic fairytale formula that had not failed them before. The live action remake starring Lily James in 2015 is also one of the most well-favoured Disney princess remakes to date.

Cinderella. Image from: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11224-cinderella/images/backdrops

Who Framed Roger Rabbit was worthy for a different reason. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the movie combined both live action acting and sets with animated characters living in our world, which brought a sense of excitement, intrigue and something different for American audiences. The idea of combining the mediums wasn’t new, but Roger Rabbit did it in a more progressive way in the 1980s and has left a legendary mark on the film industry.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Image from: https://characterdesignreferences.com/art-of-animation-2/who-framed-roger-rabbit

In 2019, Disney’s 1957 version of Old Yeller became a part of the list. With Walt Disney as the producer on the film, the story followed young Travis Coates as he navigates his relationship with stray dog Old Yeller. It had wonderful critical acclaim and was popular amongst baby boomers. Many have suggested that the story joins the ranks of other culturally significant films like Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz. Also in 2019, Sleeping Beauty (1959) was added. Sleeping Beauty stands today as one of the greatest animated films of all time, in terms of styling, music, characters and storyline. It was the pinnacle of much of Walt’s life work.

Old Yeller. Image from: https://www.ifccenter.com/films/old-yeller/

Other honourable mentions of the 2010s include, Pulp Fiction (1994), Clerks (1994), Rushmore (1998), and Smoke Signals (1998), all released and distributed by other companies like Touchstone and Miramax. Miramax was acquired by Disney in 1993, while Touchstone was founded in 1984 by the company.

disney films that were added in the 2020s

There have only been 3 films that have become a part of the National Film Registry in the 2020s so far, but it would not be a surprise if more were added over the next few years with Disney’s partnered studios and ever-growing filmography.

In 2020, the Hollywood Pictures film The Joy Luck Club (1993) was added. It followed the story of Chinese-American women and the bond they have with their mothers, and the differences between generations. It was an important film that showed Asian-Americans in a different light than they had normally been spotlighted in.

The Joy Luck Club. Image from: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/09/movies/joy-luck-club-crazy-rich-asians.html

Disney/Pixar’s WALL-E (2008) was chosen for preservation in 2021. Not only is it a heartwarming story of a small curious robot finding his purpose, but it also is a call to the environmental damage humans have caused over centuries, and the possibility of what that could lead to. Though it is a children’s film, there are themes present of romance, comedy, sci-fi, and highlights societal issues.

WALL-E. Image from: https://sites.williams.edu/engl117s16/uncategorized/products-of-the-culture-industry-can-be-great-too/

The most recent Disney film that has been added to the National Film Registry is 1989’s The Little Mermaid. This movie played a similar role that Cinderella did, bringing the studio out of a bleak period and beginning the Disney Renaissance era, one of Disney’s most successful eras of all time. It was also Howard Ashman’s first Disney film he was a part of, in which his and Alan Menken’s song “Part of Your World” has had an international impact. Also in 2022, Iron Man (2008) was inaugurated.