This article is about the musical piece and its animated adaptation in Fantasia. For the 2010 film, see The Sorcerer's Apprentice (film).
“And now we're going to hear a piece of music that tells a very definite story. As a matter of fact, in this case, the story came first and the composer wrote the music to go with it.”
The Sorcerer's Apprentice is the third and most famous segment in Disney's feature film, Fantasia, and the only returning segment in its sequel, Fantasia 2000. Based on the poem of the same name by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and the musical piece by Paul Dukas, it stars Mickey Mouse as the titular apprentice.
Unlike most of the tracks in the film, which were recorded by the Philadelphia Orchestra, this composition was the first to be recorded for the film by an ad-hoc 100-piece handpicked orchestra of Los Angeles-based session musicians, which Stokowski conducted. The recording was done in January 1938 at the Pathe Studios in Culver City.
The scene starts with Sorcerer Yen Sid, who is working on his magic while his apprentice Mickey does the chores. After some magic, Yen Sid puts his hat down, yawns, and goes to his chambers.
When he goes out of sight, Mickey puts the hat on and tries the magic on a broom. He commands the broom to carry buckets of water to fill a cauldron. Since Mickey is satisfied, he sits down on the chair and falls asleep.
He dreams that he was a powerful sorcerer high on top of a pinnacle commanding the stars, planets, and water. Mickey wakes up to find that the room is filled with water, but since the cauldron is overflowing, the broom is not stopping. Mickey tries to stop the broom, but with no success, the broom walks right over him, bringing more and more water. Mickey even tries grabbing one of the buckets, but that, too fails. Finally, when the water keeps rising, Mickey, in desperation, grabs a huge ax, and chops the broom into pieces. Just when it is all over as Mickey is away, the little wooden split pieces, lying quietly on the floor, begin to come alive, stand upright, grow arms out of their sides, and turn into more brooms with buckets of water. They keep going to the vat and fill it up. Mickey tries to get the water out, but finds that there are too many brooms. Mickey goes to a book and looks for a spell to stop the brooms. Mickey finds himself in a whirlpool. Just then, Yen Sid comes in and sees this, and with a wave of his hands, the water descends and the army of brooms is decreased to one broom.
Yen Sid glares at Mickey, who gives him back his hat and the broom. He picks up the buckets and goes back slowly to finish his chores. At the end, Yen Sid whacks Mickey from behind with the broom, and Mickey quickly runs out of the room and leaves.
After the piece is over, Mickey runs to Leopold Stokowski as both congratulate each other and Mickey exits while Leopold waves goodbye after he shakes hands with him.
Credits[]
Musical score: Paul Dukas – L'apprenti sorcier
Directed by James Algar
Story development: Perce Pearce and Carl Fallberg
Art direction: Tom Codrick, Charles Phillipi, and Zack Schwartz
Background painting: Claude Coats, Stan Spohn, Albert Dempster, and Eric Hansen
Animation supervisors: Fred Moore and Vladimir "Bill" Tytla
Animation: Les Clark, Riley Thomson, Marvin Woodward, Preston Blair, Edward Love, Ugo D'Orsi, George Rowley, and Cornett Wood
Originally at the part when Mickey uses an axe to chop the broom into pieces thus ruling out the exposure of their shadows, they were going to show all images of Mickey chopping the broom. After chopping the broom to smithereens, the axe had appeared to have its blade broken. Mickey pouted in disgust, threw the axe away, then sighed in exhaust. This was considered to have too much grim drama, so, in the end, they only showed their shadows. Also, in comparison, the axe had a much rougher edge than in the final animation. The deleted animation was included as a bonus feature on the DVD and Blu-ray releases of the two Fantasia films, as well as the Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Volume 2 DVD set.
It was based on a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
It was converted into a Little Golden Book by Don Ferguson and illustrated by Peter Emslie.
Mickey's role was originally intended for Dopey from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs hence the similar wardrobe. This would inspired an episode of The 7Dtitled "Hop to It, Dopey!"
It was the very first cartoon to be shown on Toon Disney when it began broadcasting.
While Fantasia 2000 was produced in 1:85:1 widescreen format, the segment was originally produced in the full screen Academy ratio and format (1:37:1), since it was originally created for the original film. When it was added into the sequel, it retains its original full screen aspect ratio, as opposed to being cropped to fit the sequel's widescreen aspect ratio, though the Mickey/Leopold Stokowski part at the very end of the segment has been cropped to widescreen in the sequel.
Also, in Fantasia 2000 Mickey's lines of dialogue in the Mickey/Leopold Stokowski part at the very end of the segment has been redubbed by his then-current voice actor Wayne Allwine.
Plane Crazy • The Gallopin' Gaucho • Steamboat Willie • The Barn Dance • The Opry House • When the Cat's Away • The Barnyard Battle • The Plowboy • The Karnival Kid • Mickey's Follies • Mickey's Choo-Choo • The Jazz Fool • Jungle Rhythm • Haunted House • Wild Waves
1930s
Fiddling Around • The Barnyard Concert • The Cactus Kid • The Fire Fighters • The Shindig • The Chain Gang • The Gorilla Mystery • The Picnic • Pioneer Days • The Birthday Party • Traffic Troubles • The Castaway • The Moose Hunt • The Delivery Boy • Mickey Steps Out • Blue Rhythm • Fishin' Around • The Barnyard Broadcast • The Beach Party • Mickey Cuts Up • Mickey's Orphans • The Duck Hunt • The Grocery Boy • The Mad Dog • Barnyard Olympics • Mickey's Revue • Musical Farmer • Mickey in Arabia • Mickey's Nightmare • Trader Mickey • The Whoopee Party • Touchdown Mickey • The Wayward Canary • Parade of the Award Nominees • The Klondike Kid • Mickey's Good Deed • Building a Building • The Mad Doctor • Mickey's Pal Pluto • Mickey's Mellerdrammer • Ye Olden Days • The Mail Pilot • Mickey's Mechanical Man • Mickey's Gala Premier • Puppy Love • The Steeple Chase • The Pet Store • Giantland • Shanghaied • Camping Out • Playful Pluto • Gulliver Mickey • Mickey's Steamroller • Orphan's Benefit • Mickey Plays Papa • The Dognapper • Two-Gun Mickey • Mickey's Man Friday • The Band Concert • Mickey's Service Station • Mickey's Kangaroo • Mickey's Garden • Mickey's Fire Brigade • Pluto's Judgement Day • On Ice • Mickey's Polo Team • Orphans' Picnic • Mickey's Grand Opera • Thru the Mirror • Mickey's Rival • Moving Day • Alpine Climbers • Mickey's Circus • Mickey's Elephant • The Worm Turns • Magician Mickey • Moose Hunters • Mickey's Amateurs • Hawaiian Holiday • Clock Cleaners • Lonesome Ghosts • Boat Builders • Mickey's Trailer • The Whalers • Mickey's Parrot • Brave Little Tailor • Society Dog Show • Mickey's Surprise Party • The Pointer • The Standard Parade
1940s
Tugboat Mickey • Pluto's Dream House • Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip • The Sorcerer's Apprentice • The Little Whirlwind • The Nifty Nineties • Orphan's Benefit • A Gentleman's Gentleman • Canine Caddy • Lend a Paw • Mickey's Birthday Party • Symphony Hour • Pluto and the Armadillo • Squatter's Rights • Mickey and the Beanstalk • Mickey's Delayed Date • Mickey Down Under • Mickey and the Seal
1950s
R'Coon Dawg • Pluto's Party • Pluto's Christmas Tree • The Simple Things
Fantasia:Toccata and Fugue in D Minor • Nutcracker Suite • The Sorcerer's Apprentice • The Rite of Spring • The Pastoral Symphony • Dance of the Hours • Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria
Fantasia 2000:Symphony No. 5 • Pines of Rome • Rhapsody in Blue • Piano Concerto No. 2 • The Carnival of the Animals • Pomp and Circumstance • The Firebird Suite
Original Worlds:Destiny Islands • Traverse Town • Radiant Garden/Hollow Bastion • Disney Castle/Disney Town/Timeless River • Dive to the Heart • End of the World • Realm of Darkness • Twilight Town/Mysterious Tower • The World That Never Was • Castle That Never Was • Land of Departure/Castle Oblivion • Keyblade Graveyard • Daybreak Town/Scala ad Caelum
