South of the Border with Walt Disney (1942) Trailer Documentary

This 1942 documentary trailer was released to advertise the forthcoming films Walt Disney had in production. Ultimately only Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros were completed but several others were planned. The documentary was distributed by the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs rather than in theatrical venues.

Walt and 18 of his artists had been sent on a Goodwill Tour of South America on the cusp of World War II because the American government feared the Nazis gaining a foothold on America's doorstep. Several film makers were sent under this policy in the hopes that American capitalism and freedoms would take root in the Latin American countries. Orson Welles was another of these film makers who were sent on a tour via this policy but his films were abandoned and went unfinished in his lifetime.

We are very fortunate that this footage exists because documentary films of film productions and animation were a rarity at the time.

Release date November 23, 1942