10 Fascinating Facts You Never Knew About Fantasia
9. Stokowski Offered To Conduct The Score For Free
Before the choice was made to create a compilation movie, the search was on to find a conduct the music for Mickey Mouse’s comeback upon receiving the rights to the music in 1937. Disney’s search didn’t take long as a chance meeting with long-time conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra quickly made his mind up.
Leopold Stokowski carved out a 60-year career in music and innovated the modern orchestra seating layout known as the "Stokowski Shift" that remains a standard today. It was in 1912 he was named the Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra where he remained until 1969.
Disney wanted an established composer for Fantasia and met with Stokowski to discuss the film. The composer liked the music for the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and offered his services for nothing.
He later reiterated that he was serious of his offer and claimed he had ideas for “instrumental colouring”, which in turn excited Disney. When the short was expanded to a feature, Stokowski was allowed to use his adaptation of Night on Bald Mountain.
He even got to shake hands with Mickey Mouse, or as he put it, “Mickey Mouse got to shake hands with me”.