Argentine Film Beat Disney by 20 Years as First Cartoon Movie
Most people think Disney created the first animated movie in 1937, but a forgotten Argentine filmmaker actually pioneered the medium two decades earlier with a political satire that shocked audiences.
Animation studios are betting big on the future. Toy Story 5 is coming, along with Goat and rumors of another Zootopia film. The hunger for animated content shows no signs of slowing down.
Making animated movies work takes serious strategy. Original stories face tougher odds than sequels or reboots. Studios want proven concepts before they write checks. When fresh ideas do break through, they often spark the franchises that keep the industry running.
The current pipeline looks promising. Most upcoming releases are new stories rather than retreads. This balances out Hollywood's obsession with turning classic cartoons into live-action remakes.
The Real Animation Pioneer
Animation has survived over a century of ups and downs. Good stories always find audiences, just like they did when someone took the first real leap into feature-length animation.
Many Americans believe Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first animated movie. That 1937 film did break major ground as America's first full-length cartoon and the first to use traditional hand-drawn techniques. Its cultural impact launched an empire that dominates entertainment today.
But the actual first animated feature came out in 1917. El Apóstol, created by Quirino Cristiani, holds that historic title. This Argentine production has become one of cinema's lost treasures, though researchers who tracked down information about it discovered why audiences connected with the film.
Political Satire That Shocked Buenos Aires
Cristiani based his movie on Argentina's president at the time, Hipólito Yrigoyen. Critics praised both the visual techniques and how accurately the film captured the political mood. One scene showing Buenos Aires getting destroyed particularly grabbed viewers' attention.
The filmmaker went on to make several more animated features, including Sin dejar rastros, which became the second animated film ever made. Cristiani never received the recognition that later American animators enjoyed.
By the time Disney entered the scene, the focus had shifted completely. American studios targeted kids and families with character-driven adventures and escapist fantasy. El Apóstol had playful moments, but it was far more serious than the lighthearted approach that would define animation for generations.