“The Saga Of Windwagon Smith” is a 1961 Classic Disney Short directed by C. August Nichols.
Into the small prairie town of Westport, Kansas comes Captain Windwagon Smith, a sea captain who has outfitted a Conestoga wagon with sails so he can navigate the Great Plains like an ocean. He convinces the mayor to invest in the building of a massive super-windwagon, all the while catching the eye of the mayor's comely daughter, Molly. The land ship is completed and sets sail on its maiden voyage, but complications arise in the form of a stuck tiller and an approaching tornado.
Tropes:
- The Cameo: Jasper and Horace from “101 Dalmatians” make an appearance as inhabitants of the town when Mayor Crum goes tumbling off the sail covered wagon.
- Distant Finale: The story ends many years later, after Smith, Molly and the super-windwagon were lost forever, although some claim that they are still sailing above the prairie skies.
- Fiery Redhead: Mayor Crum has a bit of a temper. He especially disapproves of his daughter Molly making out with Windwagon Smith.
- Horny Sailors: Mayor Crum is well aware of the reputation sailors have among women, and is wary of his daughter Molly getting friendly with Windwagon Smith.Mayor Crum: Molly, go take a walk. I've heard about sailors, you know.
- Limited Animation: This is an experiment in stylized animation by the Disney studio. While not as limited as TV cartoons of the time, it still uses a lot of time saving techniques like cycles, still images with camera moves, and held poses with separately animated Mouth Flaps.
- Living Figurehead: A cigar store Indian is repurposed as the ship's figurehead. At the completion ceremony, a flask of moonshine is broken over the figurehead's face, causing it to become drunk.
- Luminescent Blush: Mayor Crum turns red as a beet at the thought of his daughter Molly consorting with Captain Smith.
- Narrator: Singing cowboy Rex Allen, who also narrated many Disney movies and TV shows.
- Recycled Animation: When Smith first arrives in town in his sail covered wagon, a frightened horse rears. The same happens again when the mayor and the other passengers jump off the wagon, only the horse is a different color.
- Ship Out of Water: Windwagon Smith has outfitted a Conestoga wagon with sails so he can pilot it like a ship. He compares the prairie to an ocean and sells the town on the idea of building a larger one to traverse the Oregon and Santa Fe trails in record time.
