Grand Canyon

1958 0h 29m EN

🙌

7.5

BANGER

★7.5TMDB · 18

Documentary

Synopsis

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Grand Canyon is a 1958 American short documentary film directed by James Algar and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It is a pictorial interpretation of Ferde Grofé's Grand Canyon Suite. Grand Canyon is one of Walt Disney's more unconventional and experimental works, as it has musical accompaniment, but no dialogue or narration. The short won an Oscar at the 31st Academy Awards in 1959 for Best Short Subject (Live Action).

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Algar
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 29-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

68 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Algar, shot by Ernst A. Heiniger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Norman R. Palmer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0051677 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 18 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Algar directs. Ernst A. Heiniger behind the camera. Norman R. Palmer cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 29-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
268 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by James Algar, shot by Ernst A. Heiniger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Norman R. Palmer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6IMDB entry: tt0051677 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 18 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ernst A. Heiniger
Editing: Norman R. Palmer
Runtime: 29 min · 0h 29m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Grand Canyon (1958)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

James Algar

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-02-10
★ 6/10
Whilst this is bit too long, it's still quite an interesting documentary showing the massive expanse that is the Grand Canyon. From the air, it appears unending with the Colorado river carving it's way through the stone carrying the water that provides for an astonishing array of creatures and plant life. I can only guess at the energy required by the sidewinder as it struggles to slither it's way up the sand dune - though it does get a bit of a free ride down the other side. The photography is presented as a visual accompaniment to Forde Grofé's "Grand Canyon Suite" which is all fairly standard orchestral fayre until the weather closes in and the "Cloudburst" section breathes some thundery and snowy life into the proceedings as the animals seek shelter where they can and what looks like time-lapse photography gives us the impression the clouds are actually dancing. If you've ever seen this phenomena in real life then you'll know it's all about the sunrise - and that's captured beautifully here as are the images of the rainbows, the summer blooms and the proud eagles as they re-assert themselves over the chilliness of a winter you might not think would ever visit these desert climes.

Production companies