by Michelle Strozykowski

Created on: April 16, 2008

The 1960s offers many interesting examples of fantasy films, with Disney's output particularly dominating the decade. Disney's overall impact on the fantasy genre is phenomenal, and the sixties saw the release of several classics in both animation and live action.

ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS, THE JUNGLE BOOK, THE SWORD IN THE STONE
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) and The Jungle Book (1967) took much loved stories and brought them to life with Disney's typical anthropomorphic animations. True Disney classics, both these films have easily stood the test of time. Less successful but equally as great is The Sword In The Stone (1963). Based on the Arthurian legend, this delightful tale imagines how the great wizard Merlin took a young boy called Arthur (known by the nickname Wart in the film) under his wing. Memorably, the film portrays Merlin as bit of a nutty professor, and Wart as a young boy who gets by with brains, not brawn. It's a hilarious fantasy adventure.

MARY POPPINS, THE LOVE BUG, THE ABSENT MINDED PROFESSOR, SON OF FLUBBER
Disney also produced a handful of superb live action fantasy films during the sixties. The pick of the bunch being Mary Poppins (1964) - the magical tale of a super nanny with extraordinary powers. The scenes of Mary and the children jumping into Bert's chalk pictures are enchanting, and the songs aren't that bad either. Disney also produced a very well received film about a certain little VW car with a personality all of its own. The Love Bug (1968) was the movie that introduced Herbie to the world, launching a hugely successful series. Another much loved Disney film of the sixties was The Absent Minded Professor (1961). The titular professor invents an anti-gravity substance he calls flubber, with hilarious consequences. A sequel followed, Son of Flubber (1963) and of course the original picture was re-made in 1997 as the Robin Williams vehicle Flubber.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, BATMAN
It's clear the sixties produced some great fantasy films for children, and one of the very best was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). Dick Van Dyke, already a firm favorite thanks to his performance in Mary Poppins, plays the lead in this marvelous film about a flying car. Like all the best children's films, Chitty tempers the sentimentality with genuine chills. The Child Catcher is a horrifically gruesome, frightening character who tempts children away with sweets, but thankfully he gets his comeuppance. Batman (1966) was also a film suitable for

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>