When you think of the “old” Disney movies, what titles come to mind?
Cinderella, The Jungle Book, 101 Dalmatians?
All of these films share something in common: they all came out of Disney’s Silver Age.
The silver age lasted from 1950 to 1967 and marked Disney’s return to big-budget animated
features.
The studio made far smaller films during World War II.
Disney came back to doing what they did best with the war in the past: animated films that
adapted fairy tales!
The movies of this era were as colorful and magical as the golden age that the company
had started with.
They ranged in subject matter from princesses to dalmatians.
The same can even be said for their receptions.
Some became classics, some were panned, and a few were both!
However, there is one big question: which of these movies is the best, and which ones
aren’t as worth going back to?
I’m Brad with WickedBinge, and this is the Disney Silver Age: Worst to Best
We’ll start off with the worst entries with this list and then work our way up to the
best ones!
With that out of the way, let’s begin!
In the spot for the “worst” entry, we have The Sword in the Stone!
Released in 1963, the film adapts the T.H.
White novel of the same name and follows the early days of King Arthur.
In this movie, we follow him as a kid who is educated by the wizard Merlin.
Merlin teaches him not only about the world but also about how he is destined to become
a great hero.
As the last Disney movie to be released before Walt Disney’s passing, Sword in the Stone
is a completely fine movie.
It certainly isn’t a bad picture, but it doesn’t even compare to some of the others
in this era.
The story is bland by Disney standards, and the structure of the plot doesn’t help matters.
Almost half of the movie is just Merlin and Arthur turning into animals in an attempt
to teach Arthur something.
Hijinks then ensue.
By the third time it happens, you’ll want to hit the fast forward button!
There really isn’t much to this film that we could classify as “exciting,” making
it one of the duller films to come out of the silver age.
This is the legend of King Arthur we’re talking about!
You’d expect this film to have a large and epic scope, but it doesn’t live up to that.
We also feel this has one of the weaker character casts of this era.
While Merlin and Madam Mim are fun enough, Arthur is one of the least compelling heroes
to grace a Disney movie.
He never truly feels likable, and he’s not one you’re going to root for.
It’s honestly hard to get attached to him, partly because he has three different voice
actors in the movie.
Imagine how confusing this video would be if we kept swapping the voices.
Despite the issues, there is still enough to keep this movie from being a total mess.
Like we mentioned before, Merlin and the mad Madam Mim are the highlights of this movie.
While we’ve seen better versions of the mentor and the villain in other Disney movies,
these characters are enjoyable in those roles.
We’ll also say the highlight of the movie is the duel between the two.
The scene is fast-paced and lively in a way few other moments are in this film.
They really go all out in this scene, with Merlin going as far as turning himself into
a germ that Mim is infected by.
It’s pretty creative stuff!
Besides these two characters and this scene, there isn’t much here that you couldn’t
get better from the other films on this list.
Want a goofy version of the Arthurian legend?
Check out Monty Python instead!
From England to Wonderland, we move on to 1951’s Alice in Wonderland!
Based on the Lewis Carroll book, the movie follows a British girl named Alice, who ends
up falling down a rabbit hole.
She winds up in Wonderland and meets an assortment of colorful characters, from the maniacal
Mad Hatter to the raging Queen of Hearts.
That’s really all you need to know with this movie.
Now Alice in Wonderland has a lot of good going on, but some elements keep it from being
among the greats.
Still, this movie is a blast to watch.
It's bursting with color and energy in a way few Disney movies could ever match.
The cast of characters is equally as colorful and memorable.
If you were ever asked to describe what a certain character from the book looked like,
like the Cheshire Cat for example, you would immediately picture the Disney animated version
before any else.
This movie has definitely left its mark on the original novel in a way few other adaptations
have.
With the positives out of the way, let’s move onto the negatives.
Alice is another protagonist who is more on the weak side.
She’s not as bland as Arthur is.
Still, we don’t get that much character development from her, especially once we enter
Wonderland.
She has some interesting character moments, like when she begins to fear she is forever
lost.
However, the movie seems more interested in Wonderland than her.
It feels like the intent was for Alice to merely be a POV character, somebody we can
project onto in this wacky world.
The movie’s plot may also be a point of contention for some.
In short, there isn’t much in the way of a plot!
It’s really only Alice wandering from location to location and meeting various characters.
You’re not going to get some sort of amazing storyline or character arc from Alice, which
might put off some viewers.
With such a low emphasis on story and characters, we couldn’t rank it any higher.
But if that doesn’t bother you, this is one to check out, especially if you prefer
your Disney movies to be on the trippier side.
Whatever you do though, please don’t watch the live-action remake!
Next, we have Disney’s 1955 classic: Lady and the Tramp!
Based on a Cosmopolitan magazine story of all things, the movie follows a pampered Cocker
Spaniel named Lady and the stray mutt Tramp.
The two form an unlikely pair, and a romance sparks between them.
Upon its initial release, Lady and the Tramp was a box-office hit but a critical disappointment.
Many critics felt the film was too sappy and alienated the child audience, but time has
been on the movie's side.
Nowadays, it is widely considered to be among the studio’s best films.
What do we think?
Well, we think Lady and the Tramp absolutely is a classic.
While it isn’t our favorite silver age film, it’s hard not to enjoy this one.
The movie does have an adult edge that makes it one of the more interesting Disney movies.
It’s not to the point that it's unwatchable for kids.
In fact, it is refreshing to see a Disney movie of this period to try catering to older
viewers.
The romance between Lady and Tramp feels incredibly organic, even though they are canines.
If this were live-action and the dogs swapped for humans, it wouldn’t feel out of place
in the romance genre of films.
The movie is patient and lets the romance between the two blossom at a natural pace.
At no point does this movie feel like it is rushing anything.
The animation is also stellar in this film!
The movie was the first animated feature to be made using CinemaScope, giving it that
widescreen aspect ratio we are so accustomed to seeing in modern animated movies.
It provides the film with a scope and sense of scale, unlike anything the studio had made
prior.
The colors go a long way in giving the film that scale as well.
Every scene feels as if you could jump into it at any time, something you cannot really
say about earlier Disney movies.
This movie is not at all perfect.
The two dogs that often follow the story, Jock and Trusty, aren’t all that interesting.
They have some fun moments in the story, but you’re usually left wanting the film to
get back to the main plot whenever they appear.
This is definitely not the movie to watch if you hate the sound of dogs whining!
But if you can get past that, this is an enjoyable entry in the Disney canon and a classic that
absolutely holds up!
Starting off the top five, we have 1967’s The Jungle Book!
Based upon Rudyard Kipling's book of the same name, the movie follows the adventures of
Mowgli, a child who is raised in the jungle by wolves.
Mowgli encounters all sorts of characters during this adventure, from the lovable Baloo
to the evil Shere Khan, and everyone in between.
The Jungle Book is one of our favorites from this era, and for several reasons.
For one, it features one of the best casts for any of these movies.
All these characters are fun and lively.
If you just see a photo of them, the chances are high you’ll even begin to hear their
voice!
Mowgli is a good protagonist, but the supporting cast members are the real highlights.
Baloo is as carefree as can be.
The relationship between him and Mowgli feels real, even with Baloo being...you know, a
bear! Shere Khan is an intimidating villain.
We love how the movie sets him up as this character with an incredibly threatening presence.
A major part of the movie is Bagheera trying to get Mowgli away from the jungle in preparation
for his arrival.
This perfectly lets the audience know this villain is a true threat before we ever see
him in action.
The orangutan King Louie is another fun addition.
He has one of the best musical numbers for any silver age movie.
The music, in general, is great here, and we’d go as far as to say it has the catchiest
songs of any movie to come out of this era.
The animation is also a high point.
The scene where Baloo has to tell Mowgli he can’t live in the jungle has some truly
great character animation.
The animation detail is doing just as much lifting as the vocal performances in the emotional
department.
This movie managed to make a snake, an animal not particularly known for being well animated,
lively, and expressive!
How could we not give it props for that?
However, the main reason we rank Jungle Book so high is because of its role in the entire
Disney canon.
You see, this was the last film to be produced by Walt Disney and the first released after
his passing in 1966.
It’s very likely that if this film didn’t hit all the right notes, the Disney that we
know today wouldn’t have existed.
This movie proved that there was more to Disney than just its namesake.
There was a whole team of talented artists who were more than capable of continuing the
studio’s legacy, setting into motion the next fifty years of Disney.
That is why we rank it as part of the top five.
In fourth place, we have One Hundred and One Dalmatians!
Released in 1961, the movie adapts the Dodie Smith novel of the same name.
The story involves the two dalmatians: Pongo and Perdita.
After the two fall in love, they become the parents of a litter of dalmatian puppies.
The vile Cruella de Vil becomes obsessed with the puppies, wanting to use their fur for
her coats.
The puppies are captured, and it’s up to Pongo and Perdita to rescue them.
One Hundred and One Dalmatians is a blast to watch.
There’s never a dull moment to this film, and it’s entertaining from start to finish.
One thing we love right from the get-go is the animation style.
It’s a lot more stylized than prior films, with the characters having this blocky, geometric
look to them.
It’s a refreshing changeup, and we can see why this look informed many of the later films
in this era.
The character animation itself is great, and it feels far more fluid than many of the silver
age movies.
Roger, in particular, the owner of Pongo, has some highly fluid movements that may take
you by surprise.
Besides the character animation, the backgrounds are also lovely.
They’re full of interesting color palettes, as well as just being well crafted.
However, great animation only goes so far if it doesn’t have an equally compelling
story attached to it.
In the case of One Hundred and One Dalmatians, the characters are all fun and lovable.
Pongo and Perdita are good protagonists, and we like how the film actually takes time to
build their relationship.
This movie easily could have started with them already being a couple with puppies.
Instead, they do devote time to making you believe their romance.
You quickly grow attached to them, and you find yourself wanting them to save the puppies
as the movie goes on.
Cruella is also a great antagonist.
After all, she is a character who wants puppies for the sole purpose of making a fur coat.
That alone makes her one of the nastier Disney villains, but she also doesn’t disappoint
in sheer ruthlessness.
She owns the screen whenever she appears, and you can’t help but focus on her in those
scenes.
No wonder she ended up being the star of a live-action movie!
With an exciting story, beautiful animation, and wonderful characters, One Hundred and
One Dalmatians holds up as one of the best silver age films and a delight for all ages!
Earning the bronze medal for “best silver age flick,” we have 1953’s Peter Pan!
An adaptation of a stage play, the movie follows a trio of youngsters in England: Wendy, John,
and Michael.
They’ve grown up hearing the tales of Peter Pan and, on one fateful night, he comes to
their home.
He takes them to an adventure in Never Land, where they meet the Lost Boys and face off
against the dreadful Captain Hook!
Peter Pan is definitely not a perfect film.
There are absolutely things in this movie and other movies on this list that have not
aged well.
Despite this, we still feel Peter Pan is one of the strongest films in the whole silver
age catalog.
As an adventure fantasy movie, it excels in giving the audience a sense of adventure and
wonder.
It might sound a tad cliche, but this film will definitely make you feel like a kid again.
The movie is great at capturing the feeling of being a child, playing pretend in your
room without a care in the world.
Besides the sense of fun that flows from the story and world, we enjoy the characters.
Wendy and the other kids are good protagonists, and they are another good example of POV characters.
We get to witness the wonder of Never Land in the same way they do, and it makes us a
lot closer to them as characters.
Peter Pan is another fun protagonist, and he works well as the guide to this fantastical
world.
He’s also got a lot of attitude for a Disney hero, making him a refreshing change of pace
from other protagonists from this era.
Tinker Bell is a charming sidekick character as well, and she leads to some of the funnier
moments in the movie.
However, they all pale in comparison to the villain of the movie, Captain Hook.
Like Cruella before him, Hook owns the film all throughout his scenes, and you never tire
of seeing him.
He may actually be the first truly great Disney villain.
The ones in prior movies weren’t bad, but this is probably the first time Disney made
a movie with a villain who was just as interesting.
That is, if not more interesting than the hero.
Peter Pan is a swashbuckling adventure movie to the core, and once it gets going, the movie
never really stops.
It has all the thrills and fun you’d expect from a Disney ride, and that’s why it gets
into the top three!
Earning the silver medal is none other than 1950’s Cinderella!
Based on the fairy tale, it follows Cinderella, who lives with her evil stepmother and stepsisters.
Cinderella is essentially the servant to her family.
However, things begin to change when the King invites all eligible maidens to a royal ball
in the hopes of finding a wife for the Prince.
This sets in motion the events that will lead to Cinderella dancing with the Prince and
falling in love with him.
Cinderella is near the top of this list for a number of reasons.
For one, we love the characters.
Cinderella is a likable protagonist, and one you want to see win in the end.
She’s a character who dreams of greatness, but she is held back by the world around her.
In her case, it's her abusive family that holds her back.
It’s a feeling that many can relate to in their own unique ways.
So many of us have these great aspirations, but they can be easily held back by the circumstances
we exist in.
The mice are fun bits of comic relief, although it is shocking to see how much of the movie
revolves around them running from the cat.
The animation is great as well, with the backgrounds especially looking beautiful.
The scenes with the Prince and Cinderella dancing are probably the movie’s highlights,
giving the audience a full scope of their surroundings.
We also rate the movie high because of its legacy.
Cinderella is undoubtedly one of the most recognized Disney movies of all time.
In the vein of movies like Snow White or The Lion King, Cinderella is so ingrained in pop
culture that you know pieces of this movie even if you haven’t seen it before!
It has stood the test of time and become one of the studio's most beloved films, even seventy
years later.
We must also take into account its impact on the studio at the time.
Before this film, the Walt Disney Animation Studio was in a bit of a rut.
Early films like Fantasia and Pinocchio were financial bombs, and World War II left the
studio unable to make films like those during the war.
This was their first movie after the war ended, and a lot was riding on this film.
The studio was millions of dollars into debt and facing possible bankruptcy.
Cinderella had to be a smash hit, and thankfully, it was just that.
If this movie hadn’t turned out the way it did, Disney wouldn’t exist today, and
this video would be a lot shorter!
With such a huge impact on the company and its status as a Disney classic, how could
it not get this spot on the list?
For the first place, we give the gold medal to 1959’s Sleeping Beauty!
Another fairy tale adaptation, Sleeping Beauty follows Aurora, the child of the King and
Queen.
After her birth, dozens come to pay tribute to the family, but one fairy is not invited
to the occasion.
That is Maleficent, who curses the princess in retaliation.
Three fairies are able to weaken the curse, and they take Aurora away to live with them
until her sixteenth birthday.
Aurora grows up unaware of the curse and falls in love with Prince Phillip.
Aurora eventually succumbs to the curse, and Phillip must awaken her and defeat Maleficent
in an epic battle.
Sleeping Beauty is a delight to watch.
It feels like the culmination of everything we have covered in prior movies.
It has everything you would want in a Disney animated movie of this era.
There’s a great fairy tale story, compelling characters, breathtaking animation, and unique
identity.
Sleeping Beauty might actually be the most unique Disney film on this list since this
was Walt Disney’s big attempt to make an animated feature for a more adult audience.
The attempt ultimately failed, causing Walt Disney to somewhat distance himself from the
animated department for the rest of his life.
Despite its initial failure with audiences, Sleeping Beauty has endured.
It is now considered every bit as classic as something like Cinderella.
It’s even part of the National Film Registry, just like some of those movies!
The film has a gorgeous art style that has never truly been recreated in later Disney
films.
This extends to the designs of the worlds and characters as well.
Even the minor characters, like the guards on the royal throne, have a striking look
to them.
You’ve got an enjoyable range of characters, from the naive Aurora to the despicable Maleficent.
This might be the first Disney fairy tale film to have a somewhat believable romance
between the princess and the prince.
While it isn’t as complex as those seen in later films, there is a decent amount of
development to their relationship.
Maleficent is the one who really steals the show here, though.
You can practically feel her presence in every scene, and she’s as dangerous as a villain
could be.
She turns into a dragon and curses a baby for not being invited to a celebration.
How could you not love the drama?
There is a great sense of tension in this film, and it is relatively fast-paced.
It’s quite different in that regard to other silver age films, which seem so much slower
by comparison.
It really does have everything you could want in a Disney movie, whether the heart, romance,
comedy, action, or adventure.
It combines everything you’d want in one of these films and manages to make its own
identity in the process, and that is why it is our number one!
But let us know in the comment section: Which is the Worst and Best Silver Age Disney film
in your opinion?
And tell us what we should cover next.
Remember to hit that notification bell and binge more of our videos.
But most importantly, stay wicked.