The Hare and the Tortoise (1947)

★★★★★ · Highly entertaining · GE_Pretzel · 2005-12-30

Very nice rendition of the classic story. The closeup shots of the various animals are fun to watch, and the narrator's voice is effective. The pacing of the film is deliberately slow and steady, just like the movement of the tortoise.

★★★★★ · Lost Classic · Wilford B. Wolf · 2003-05-05

This 1947 film presages the Disney nature films of the 1950s and 1960s, using a folksy narrator to anthropomorphize the animals. However, the movie incredibly stands the test of time, being a great telling of the classic Aesop's fable. Very well planned and executed, and not to mention some wonderful shots of typical forest animals.

★★★★ · Let's Try It Again, Hare, You Missed Your Mark · Dodsworth the Cat · 2024-07-06

Encyclopaedia Britannia specialised in dry educational films but tries something different here. Producers gathered together a bunch of animals which enacted the old fable of The Tortoise and the Hare. Some of James A. Brill's dialogue seems to have been crafted to fit was being seen on film, as opposed to the action fable. Young children of 1947 may have delighted in seeing live animals on the screen. There's some good cutting and fine close-up work by the unidentified editor and director.

★★★★ · Well acted! · Spuzz · 2003-06-25

A really curious film, as it looks to be a film that looks to really have happened almost. What I mean by that, is the stuff in early animal shorts tend to be a little on the cruel side. So, aside from one or two scenes, this was a great short made by a) obviously well trained animals or b) well drugged animals. All the animals seem to be getting along fine with the other. I honestly was waiting for the owl to swoop down and nab the rabbit, ripping it's head off. Now, wouldn't that be a great ending boys and girls?

★★★★ · Good job · ERD · 2005-12-12

This film was an excellent supplement or introduction to the reading of Aesop's fables. Well directed and photographed. Good placement of the trained animals. Would have been enhanced had it been in color.

★★★ · laaaft, right, laaaft, right · AliceTeeple · 2004-03-18

One of those films they would have shown us in elementary school in lieu of actually reading. Interesting little film illustrating Aesop's fable about the tortoise and the hare. The accent of the narrator, however...quite strange. Lack of background music tends to make some of it rather boring, but overall a cute little piece.