Peter and the Wolf (1946)

So often it’s not just the film itself, but the memories it evokes that can make it special. Every time I see this, I recall the 16mm projector we had in the classroom and the tinny (mono) speaker that belted out the Prokofiev score. With each of the main characters assigned their own, and highly appropriate, musical instrument and with only a sparing narration (in some cases from David Bowie) this tells us the story of a young lad who won’t do what he’s told. Maybe his grandfather ought to have shut the gate, so that “Peter” couldn’t sneak out while he was napping, but he didn’t so out into the snow our intrepid lad goes. Armed with his popgun and accompanied by his friends the bird, the duck and the peckish cat, he is on the trail of the menacing wolf. What chance any of them can survive long enough for the hunters to bring their real guns along? This is my favourite Disney animation. It’s perfectly drawn, characterised and the music brings the whole thing to a mischievous life charmingly. If I were only allowed one short film on my Desert Island, this would be it.